Menu Makers

Menu Makers© are the people who make the products that restaurants and others use to make their presentations the best that they can be!

MORE THAN TREADING WATER

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We all know that fish is good for us in so many ways, but in many regions overfishing is tainting the benefits. Also, as the “locally-sourced” and “farm to table” movements continue to grow (as they should), knowing where your food comes from is more important than ever.

Fortunately, our Cape Cod neighbors at Chatham Harvesters are working on solutions that are beneficial to all involved!

As Massachusetts’ only fishermen owned-and-operated cooperative business, the Chatham Harvesters process, pack, cook, and deliver their own catch, encouraging people to not only stop avoiding fish but to try more varieties so the population of each breed can be maintained and sustained. As they only sell to local mongers and restaurants and offer a direct-to-consumer “Fish Share,” they also keep the local bounty local and so support the area economy and our friends and neighbors in the fishing industry. They even put the name and photo of the fisherpeople that brought the fish right on the label so consumers can get to know the sources of their food!

In addition to catching local fish, the Harvesters are also looking to reduce waste and make use of the entire fish by offering their own value-added products, like a monkfish burger product that they plan to release in March.

In late March, they are also planning a special “Sip o’ Science” event at Aquatic Brewery in Falmouth where guests will be invited to learn more about the Harvesters’ eco- and econo-friendly practices while enjoying local fare and local beer.

As if all that local support were not enough, the Harvesters have been working for over a year with their friends and neighbors at the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension to feed Cape residents who are dealing with food insecurity while also supporting the local fishermen who make the partnership possible.Fish is apparently good for your brain and the folks at Chatham Harvesters are finding smarter ways to procure and protect our local fish while caring for our oceans and helping educate others about it as well.  

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BAKEY’S BIGGER!

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It seems I can’t go too long without checking in with my favorite bakery- Bakey!

In addition to coming up with new flavors of their AMAZING babka all the time and allowing fans to get behind-the-scenes access through their popular baking workshops, Bakey continues to engage new fans in new neighborhoods.

Most recently, the Israeli and Danish-influenced bakery opened in Kendall Square at 238 Main Street in Cambridge. And while this is one of the most restaurant-rich regions around, I am confident that the bakery will be able to establish itself and become a go-to for busy tech workers and fans of delicious baked goods, sandwiches, and other treats. 

As it offers both table service and a busy to-go counter, the newest Bakey is as much of a great stop as its predecessors for anything from a quick and satisfying snack to a full meal to boxes of breads and sandwiches to bring back to the office (where you will surely garner hero status!).

And if you are looking for a fun team-bonding or social event, a class at Bakey’s is always fun and delicious! Be sure to join me on May 7 for a birthday babka baking class or learn how to make their famed challah on April 2.

Whether you live or work in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Cambridge, now you can enjoy the best baked goods around. And if you don’t live or work in any of these places, Bakey’s is worth the trip from anywhere!

Speaking of Bakey, I must mention that the wonderful Jewish baker who used to have their spot in Newton Centre – Galit Grutman – is making hamantaschen for Purim that can be ordered now and picked up at Bill’s Pizza March 9 and 10. Just go to www.galitstreats.com and get your boxes of chocolate nougat, chocolate cookie, or Cinnabon hamantaschen and see why that block of Beacon Street is a baked-good fan’s dream!

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THE NORTH SIDE OF HEROISM

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We have often spoken about how Sol Sidell has used his South Street Diner near South Station to host special events that bring the community together. From hot dog parties when the Sox season starts to fundraisers for various groups and organizations (including Boston Senior Home Care, for whom he served as VP for 10 years), Sol’s heart is open as long as the diner is – 24/7.

On the other side of town, however, is another Sidell sibling who also does more than their share.

Having recently represented the region in Good Morning America’s United States of Breakfast finals, Robin Sidell of the North Street Grille was recently feted by Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) as a Community Hero for her work on behalf of the organization and the tens of thousands of community members who benefit from its programs and support with food insecurity, housing, job training, and more. She prepares meals for the elderly multiple times each month and has made her place a safe and satisfying stop for neighbors from all over.

As anyone who has enjoyed a meal at Robin’s place knows, food insecurity is never an option at North Street! The portions are huge and every bite is better than the one before. And while her URL is bestbrunchboston.com, the Grille is a great place for any meal at any time (8-4, that is)! Whether you try the Nutella French toast sticks, the truffled lobster mac & cheese, a sandwich or salad, or the anything from the massive burger and Benedict menus (which are also signatures of Sol’s South Street site), you are sure to leave stuffed and smiling, especially if you try one of Robin’s ridiculous milkshakes (without or without grown-up sauce). Even in winter, the Grille is worth trekking the Freedom Trail to find (especially as the line might be a wee bit shorter)!

Boston is blessed with great food places run by great people and the Sidell siblings are always at the top of that list. 

Please support them so they can continue to support others!

NUTS TO NIBS

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I was recently back at Boston Public Market for their annual Harvest Party and there is a lot of news to share!

In addition to hosting one of the largest pumpkins in the area, the carnival-themed fair offered guests opportunities to try their luck at various games and to enjoy free samples from many of the Market’s vaunted vendors.

In addition to such carb-y faves as pizzas from the Bagel Guild, popovers from The Popover Lady, and hot pretzels from Hearth & Hug that came with a mustard I wanted to bottle and take home, there were also fall-spiced popcorn from Curio Spice, mouth-watering sandwiches from Beantown Pastrami, and the widely-distributed but rarely bested ice cream from Crescent Ridge!

One of my favorite discoveries, however, was that Q’s Nuts (which has supplied many of my author talks and presentations of my book on the Ivy League with their delicious and nutritious snacks) was expanding their menu of offerings not just into more new creative flavors of fresh and healthy almonds, cashews, peanuts, and more, but into superfood-worthy cacao nibs!

While Q’s has been a favorite source of protein and energy (and also of gifts for family and friends), they are now adding addictively-delicious roasted nibs to their ever-expanding menu of tasty treats, making a visit to the Market or to qsnuts.com even more worthwhile!

The BPM Harvest Party means that winter and the holidays are around the corner. What better time to stock up on delicious nutritious snacks that CAN last through the season but that you will probably devour the day you get them?

Fortunately, Q’s always has new flavors and ideas coming so reordering is not only easy but required.

NOT FOR THE BIRDS

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As fans of Matt’s Meals may know, I am an olive fan. And while I am able to enjoy the best olive oils from food friends at Brelundi and the Greek International Market (which also has an impressive olive bar), I had never been such a fan of the pimento that is often placed inside the hole where the olive pit had been.

During a recent trip to Savannah, I came to see and taste how surprisingly satisfying this Southern staple was.

Unfortunately, I had difficulty matching the taste of the homemade cheese I enjoyed in Georgia until a company in Virginia called Birdie’s found out about my syndicated author interview show – “The Writer’s Block” – and generously offered to “sponsor” a show by sending their homemade pimento cheese for my audience to enjoy. They even included Snyder’s pretzels for dipping- How hospitable!

Having started as so many of Matt’s Meals’ favorite food folks do as a husband-and-wife team who sold their wares at the local farmers market, Birdie’s is now available nationwide.

And with flavors that range from their always appetizing traditional to recipes that add everything from dill and onion to garlic and parmesan to jalapenos and ghost peppers to a seasonal set with extra olives, it is easy to see how Birdie’s has been able to win over so many- including people who claim to not like pimento!

Let’s hear it for Southern hospitality…and Southern food!

GET FRESH ON THE CAPE SEPTEMBER 19

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While most of your friends may packed up their vacation houses by Labor Day, there are still plenty of reasons to go to the Cape!

One of them is a tasting event at Expressions Gallery in Chatham that will be hosted by Farmers to You on September 19 starting at 6:30 PM.

As the name implies, Farmers to You is a collaborative that works with over 150 farms throughout the region to bring everything from award-winning cheese and humanely-raised meats to pasture-raised poultry and eggs, organic bread, and milk that still has the cream floating on top of the bottle, and even creative prepared foods to over 2,000 patrons and locations throughout MA, VT, and NY.  

Among the featured foods and farmers at the Chatham event (which is free but for which registration is requested) will be sweet sauces from Butterfly Bakery (which is also the home of our favorite Fat Toad Farm Caramel!), upcycled crackers from Brewers Foods, Long Wind Farm‘s grown-in-soil tomatoes, Aqua ViTea kombucha, and cheeses from Farmstead Cheese Co. and Sweet Rowen Farmstead. 

In addition to fresh and delicious food, the event in Chatham will also offer the opportunity to discuss with Farmers to You founder Greg Georgaklis and to enjoy the refreshing visual produce of artist Steve Koppel.

Whether or not you can make the event, Farmers to You is always ready to serve through its enticing website (https://farmerstoyou.com), which offers beautiful pictures of every product along with the stories behind the people behind each one. It even has meal suggestions for those who might need a little encouragement with expanding their dietary palette. They also offer their own CSA and pickup or delivery in certain areas and are constantly growing- just like their products!

LOOK, MOM- NO GMO’s!

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I recently had the privilege of sharing my book on the Ivy League (www.lionstigersbulldogs.com) at the beautiful Barnes & Noble in Natick, MA (and will present it at B&N in Dedham September 14). And while I was thrilled to see a real bookstore doing so well and to meet all the people who came by to learn about my book and my syndicated author TV show, “The Writer’s Block,” I was also gratified to find that, just a few doors down was an amazing store that had only organic products, including many that I have discussed as part of Matt’s Meals!

Started (as so many great food companies are) as a one-person operation, Mom’s Organic Market is now in six states (including MA!) and growing fast.

Though it is part of a national chain, as Mom’s supports so many independent food makers (including our friends at Runamok and Effie’s) and still offers a full bulk food section that saves money and packaging (as do the recycling and composting stations in each store), as well as a large selection of carbon-friendly foods, I cannot help but try to help them! 

In addition to some of your favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) brands of food, organic produce, and kindly-raised meats, Mom’s also carries a growing list of money-saving but just-as-delicious-and-nutritious private label items, a full retinue of organic beers and wines, supplements and health and beauty aids (including CBD products), and even clothing! 

What they do NOT carry, however are products made with over 250 ingredients that they have literally banned. Among these are artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and colors, dangerous oils and chemicals, products that pander to kids, and product-wasteful bottled water.

Thanks for lookin’ out for our health, Mom’s!        

COOKING IS CARING

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As I also teach at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office. I have a special place in my heart for individuals who face challenges in their lives and figure out ways to overcome them and for organizations that help them do it.

That is why I was so gratified to be invited to the second annual Bubbles and Beats event at the culinary school at New England Center for Arts and Technology (NECAT).

NECAT offers job training and employment support to people who have been involved with the justice system, new immigrants, and others for whom getting and keeping a job may be a challenge, and if this event was any indication, they do a great job at it!

At the event, staff and students showed off their beautiful facilities (which include a fully-stocked auditorium/demonstration kitchen and art gallery that will soon be available to rent) and showed how they both offer and deserve community support.

While the food, drink, and music were terrific, the highlight was an impressive cooking demonstration, during which Boston Jerk Fest champ Chef Chris Faison threw together a sauce that I insisted he throw in bottles and sell while Chef Niurka LeBron decimated an onion in mere seconds with her superior knife skills.

Before and after the sushi-grade showcase, program supporters were invited to mingle, dance, and enjoy some of their students and alumni’s most creative creations, including community-minded oysters and freshly-baked s’mores cookies.

Many NECAT alumni have gone on to great culinary careers, including NECAT Instructor Michelene Desmoreau, who has her own catering business and line of spices and is about to open a restaurant in Quincy!

It’s a great way to help people who are motivated to help themselves while supporting the community.

MAZAL TOV, STEVE!

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I know that there are few people we talk about more than Steve Peljovich of Michael’s Deli in Brookline. However, as this meat-minded mensch just ran through another Relay for Life to raise funds for the American Cancer Society and is also celebrating his 13th year as the King of Corned Beef, I wanted to wish him a mazal tov on his personal passion and productivity and his business bar mitzvah.

In addition to offering the best in traditional deli in the area (including meats that are “imported” daily from Brooklyn), Steve has maintained a menu of masterfully mishegas-ed knishes that have offered ingredients that have ranged from traditional potato and kasha to Fruity Pebbles and Nutella, with the only consistent theme being their deliciousness.

While it is always fun to drop by and be treated like family at Steve’s Coolidge Corner location, my family always loves it when I bring things home and we have often asked Steve to use his favorite family recipes (including Auntie Bev’s noodle kugel and his mother’s heavenly homestyle meatloaf) to serve and satisfy our family and many others. From finger sandwiches to yard-long subs, Steve has everything you need to bring more flavor and fun to all sort of events – including bar mitzvahs!

When not supporting his friends and neighbors with food (which he also readily donates to area shelters and sports teams, including the Boston Bruins and the Shawn Thronton Foundation), Steve also supports cancer patients and other neighbors and is always ready with a warm smile and friendly greeting, which somedays is more sustaining than even his delicious food.Thanks again, Steve!                   

TIME TO RE-KONNECT

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Before inclusion and diversity were buzzwords, Boston’s Queen of Connection Colette Phillips was forging relationships across neighborhoods, aisles, and other barriers- both real and perceived.

On July 30, Boston’s savviest soiree-ers and supporters will gather at Big Night Live to celebrate her pioneering work and the contributions of her Get Konnected network at the 10th anniversary edition of A Taste of Ethnic Boston. 

Though Boston may be known for its Italian North End (which was originally a Jewish and African-American neighborhood) and its still somewhat Irish Southie, there are neighborhoods and flavors that are just as important that may not get the same publicity (at least not on other media platforms). Get Konnected is out to change that!

During this premiere showcase of Boston’s diverse dining destinations, chefs from all over the area will share their stories and their recipes in a celebration of culinary community.

As part of the decade-marking celebration, the event will include the naming of Get Konnected!’s Top 25 Ethnic Restaurants and Top 10 Chefs of Color in Greater Boston, most of whom get little recognition from most other media outlets. It will also kick off the first A Taste of Ethnic Restaurant Week in Boston, which will encourage diners to expand their restaurant repertoires with special meals and deals at participating venues.

In addition to supporting area chefs and eateries, Phillips’ event will again spread the wealth around by donating part of the proceeds from Get Konnected to The GK Fund, a nonprofit social impact fund dedicated to funding BIPOC entrepreneurs.

Boston is an incredibly diverse city. Especially as so much of the world is falling apart, it is surely time to Get Konnected. And if you can eat great food at the same time- all the better!