Wine & Dine on Beacon Hill: Featuring Wines from Argentina! April 15, 2015 at 7 pm

WINE & DINE ON BEACON HILL

Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro Presents a Wine Dinner Featuring Wines from Argentina

 On Wednesday, April 15^th, 2015 at 7:00PM guests will take a virtual culinary wine tour of Argentina at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro’s spring wine dinner. 

Designed to both educate and entertain, Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro’s (BHHB) wine dinners are aimed at individuals of all experience levels. 

This event is about “wonderful wines, creative food and good friends,” says Cecilia Rait, proprietress and wine director of the BHHB.

Beginning at 7:00PM, diners are invited to visit all four regions without leaving the comfort of their seats.  

Cecilia and Tracy Burgis of M.S. Walker act as virtual tour guides, moving from region to region expanding the history, curiosities and nuances of each selection. 

During this educational dinner, guests will sample wines from regions across Argentina.  

In addition to wine, the dinner will showcase the culinary artistry of Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro’s Executive Chef Lucas Sousa, whose dishes are designed to complement each featured wine.

This intimate adventure is set in communal seating to encourage conversation, laughter and fun. 

For $65.00 per person (tax and gratuity not included), guests are treated to four wines, a four-course dinner and Cecilia's and Tracy's good cheer, humor and expertise. 

Reservations are encouraged as the event will sell out fast.

WHERE: Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro| 25 Charles Street, Boston, MA 

617-723-7575 | www.beaconhillhotel.com.

      Wednesday, April 15^th, 2015; 7:00PM

COST:              $65 Per Person (tax and gratuity not included).

Reservations are necessary. 

Please call 617-723-7575.

About the BHHB:

Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is both an intimate and authentic boutique hotel, and an award-winning Bistro in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill. The Hotel consists of 12 guest rooms and one in-room suite; blending both modern convenience and historical character reflected in its thoughtful and distinctive design.

The Bistro serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, as well as, weekend Brunches and is open 365 days a year. Hours of operation are as follows:  Breakfast: Mondaythrough Friday 7AM to 10AM & Saturday and Sunday 7:30AM to 10AM, Lunch: Monday through Friday 11:30AM to 3PM, Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 10AM to 3PM, Afternoon Bar Menu:  All Week 3PM to 5:30PM, Dinner:  Monday through Saturday 5:30PM to 11PM - Sunday 5:30PM to 10PM. 

The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is located at 25 Charles Street and is adjacent to the Public Garden on the corner of Charles and Chestnut Street, easily accessible by T from either the Charles/MGH or Park Street Stations. For More information please call 617-723-1133 or 617-723-7575 or log on to: www.beaconhillhotel.com.

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Quick Post-work Dinner at Tip Tap Room

My last visit to Tip Tap Room was nothing short of brilliant a few months after their opening.  I interviewed Chef Brian Poe and enjoyed a few plates afterwards .  To my great delight, the cheese and cracklins were still on the menu!

Soooo, of course we started with them- sharp creamy, fried goat cheese spheres rested upon carrot-ginger purée and asparagus amongst a pieces of ultra-crispy prosciutto!  An amazing dish that is sure to please with EVERY single encounter!

Fried goat cheese spheres rested upon carrot-ginger purée and asparagus and pieces crispy prosciutto

We tried the Spring pea soup with creme fraiche and croutons, but to my great disappointment, it was way too watery and not flavorful at all.  I expected richness and creamy or silky textures. This soup was anything but.

I did, however, love the rock shrimp kataifi (crispy, flaky, shredded phyllo dough) and nori fried shrimp, served over a tangy cucumber salad and sweet hot chili ginger broth.  It was amazingly refreshing and flavorful!

 I was able to convince my friend to try the kangaroo filet.  It is one of my new favorite proteins along with ostrich.  There were two specials this evening.  I ordered the special with the grilled, perfectly charred kangaroo filet over couscous, farro, and fresh, cooked cranberries.  Other than the perfectly cooked kangaroo, the sides were pretty bland and one note).  Below is the other special's side dishes (whipped goat cheese potatoes and figs) with kangaroo filet.  This dish had way more complexity.  The sweet, stickiness of the figs mellowed the char of the kangaroo.  The potatoes were rich and creamy with added sharpness from the goat's cheese.

Kangaroo filet

Rye Aperol Sour

Let's Talk Burrata: A Mild Italian Cheese with Character!

Who doesn't love Italian restaurants with amazing "mozzarella bars"?  Add that sexy mild, creamy cheese with character known at burrata and I am in foodie heaven. Two textures - firm an soft - this milky white uber fresh cheese is simple yet special.  The outer "shell" is semi-firm, as is expected of typical traditional mozzarella.  Once "opened", one reveals the creamy more silky product within.  This is the little miracle that is burrata which means "buttered" in Italian!  Traditional buffalo or cow's milk mozzarella filled with pieces of mozzarella topped off with cream before the pouch is sealed makes for a lovely final product.

Burrata, when it is fresh, is tame on the palate, buttery, soft and smooth.

I first fell for burrata at Chef Lydia Shire's Scampo in The Liberty Hotel, Boston, Mass.  Scampo features a beautiful mozzarella and brick oven bar which is the centered focus in the rear of the main dining room.  There, during a Boston Foodie Tour (See my review, here), we were treated to a tomato, burrata, and arugula salad.

Tomato, burrata, and arugula salad at Scampo, Boston

Chef Jody Adams' Trade Restaurant also served up a great burrata one night for dinner (See my review, here)

Burrata over heirloom tomatoes and date puree with blanched almonds and microgreens at Trade Restaurant, Boston

Finally, at Shelly Fireman's second Bond 45 location on The National Harbor (DC Metro/Ozon Hill/Fort Washington) with the first being in NYC, I enjoyed a lovely burrata with Beefsteak tomatoes, purple onion, EVOO, olives, and basil while overlooking the Potomic River.  Review of lunch at Bond 45 coming soon.

Burrata with Beefsteak tomatoes, purple onion, EVOO, olives, and basil

Bond 45 takes their mozzarella bar to another level serving the delicacy with tasty choices like fried artichoke, pomodora dip and proscuitto di parma, meatballs, or 'in/en Carozza' (basically fancy, sometimes layered grilled cheese finger sandwiches made with egg-battered and fried crusty bread and burrata - in Carozza translates to "in a carriage")

Mozzarella en Carozza. Credit: www.homefood.it

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Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro Adds Soft Shell Crab to Its Menu!

(BOSTON, MA) – With the soft shell crab embarking on its most productive months, Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro has recently added this fresh and seasonal shellfish to its menu. Soft shell crab season is traditionally marked with the first full moon in May, when the blue crab begins to shed its outer shell to accommodate for its summer growth.  During this molting stage, the blue crab is monitored closely before the shell starts to harden again to make sure consumers receive the highest quality crabs.

 

At Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, Lewin approaches all his culinary ventures by incorporating fresh and local ingredients and will be serving Corn Meal Fried Soft Shell Crab with Arabic Salad and Za'atar Gremolata Yogurt ($14) beginning Monday, May 8^th, 2013. For those cooking at home, Lewin has created a recipe that is a twist on the traditionally cornmeal fried soft shell crab that is usually served with pickles and spices.

                                                         

Recipe:            Serves 4 as a light entree

 

4 Soft Shell Crabs, cleaned*

Buttermilk, flour and cornmeal for frying

 

Arabic Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1/2 cup radish, sliced into thin rounds

Za'atar Gremolata Yogurt

1 tablespoon each:

cilantro leaves

parsley leaves

2 cups, romaine lettuce

1/2 cup croutons

 

 

1/2 cup yogurt

1 teaspooon lemon zest

1 teaspoon garlic, diced small

1 teaspoon za'atar spice

 

*clean soft shell crabs by using scissors to remove the gills on either side of the body, the tail flap, and the face, by cutting just behind the eyes.

                       

Directions:      Just before beginning the crabs, toss all salad ingredients together and taste for seasoning. Adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat a heavy bottomed pan to medium high with 1/2 inch oil for frying the crabs.

Bread crabs by first dusting in flour, then submerging in buttermilk and finally coating with corn meal. Fry on one side for about one minute, before rotating 90 degrees, and cooking one minute more. When golden brown, turn over and cook on other side until finished, about 90 seconds more.

Season with salt and pepper before serving. 

 

 

 

About the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro:

 

The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is both an intimate and authentic boutique hotel, and an award-winning Bistro in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill. The Hotel consists of 12 guest rooms and one in-room suite; blending both modern convenience and historical character reflected in its thoughtful and distinctive design.

 

The Bistro serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, as well as, weekend Brunches and is open 365 days a year. Hours of operation are as follows:  Breakfast: Monday through Friday 7AM to 10AM &  Saturday and Sunday 7:30AM to 10AM, Lunch: Monday through Friday 11:30AM to 3PM, Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 10AM to 3PM,  Afternoon Bar Menu:  All Week 3PM to 5:30PM, Dinner:  Monday through Saturday 5:30PM to 11PM - Sunday 5:30PM to 10PM.

 

The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is located at 25 Charles Street and is adjacent to the Public Garden on the corner of Charles and Chestnut Street, easily accessible by T from either the Charles/MGH or Park Street Stations. For More information please call 617-723-1133 or 617-723-7575 or log on to: www.beaconhillhotel.com.

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At The Pass with Chef Brian Poe. The Tip Tap Room's Got Game!

Finding random connections to public figures you admire is always great fun!  Of all things, Alabama was the connection between Chef Brian Poe and myself.  I attended Tuskegee University, 10 minutes up Interstate 85 from Auburn University, Chef Poe's alma mater!

Knowing the temperament of good southern folk, I anticipated sitting down with this truly talented gentleman and I was not disappointed. Chef Poe has not become a jaded 'city slicker' after all.  Even though it has been many years since his last visit down home. Poe says, "Last time I went home was about 7 years ago, but now friends and family have been swarming Boston over the previous 7 weeks."

It seems many home-towners are proud of his growth and numerous 
accomplishments.  He tells me that family and friends alike have trekked up to New England for a tasting visit.  I'm a bit jealous as I can usually only get my mother to visit from Florida if it's above 70 degrees in Beantown.  C'est la vie!

Chef Brian Poe near his impressive beers-on-tap.  His latest venture (Estelle's) keeps pace.

The hostess and service staff at The Tip Tap Room were all very hospitable and took great care of me and other customers before and after the interview.  There was tremendous authenticity behind their smiles and warm service.

I arrived during the upswing of after-work dinner service on a Tuesday evening.  The bar was full of patrons as were the tables around it.

After discovering (truthfully: I stalked the menu before my arrival) the game meat of the day was ginger coffee and rye whiskey marinated kangaroo, my anticipation for dinner skyrocketed.  Plus, there was a cute little girl (friend to the Poe family) who was gutsy enough to sample the kangaroo, how could I then resist the challenge?

The Tip Tap Room boasts an interesting daily rotation of creatively prepared game meat tips (turkey, elk, antelope, alligator, etc.).  Wash them down with new or favorite beer on tap or, as is my personal preference, a nice scotch/whiskey and consider your day made.

Chef and I sat near the front entrance.  He courteously greeted guests as they retired for the evening.  

This interview was conducted in late October 2012.

DrFoodie: So.  Macon, Georgia born.  Military brat?

Chef Poe: No. Not a military brat…a carpet brat in fact.  My dad was in the textile industry for (a company which eventually became West Point Stevens)

DrFoodie:  You've had an acclaimed, expansive career, but I've read that it all began with grandma?

Chef Poe:  Yes. She was a great cook and she would cook for everyone after church at her house.  Even for up to 50 people.  There was a farm, lumber yard, and catfish pond. Farm cooking-it was great!

DrFoodie: You seemed to have stumbled upon cooking as a career by cooking for the Auburn University Conference Center as a student.  Elaborate on that for us.

Chef Poe: When I left for college at Auburn, I was going for landscape design and as I worked with people in the Auburn/Opelika area, I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. For some reason the food industry seemed more exciting and seemed to offer more opportunities.

DrFoodie:   So teaching, a passion we both share, how would you describe your experience as a Culinary Instructor at Newbury College?

Chef Poe:   My maternal grandfather , grandmother, and aunt were all teachers.  My grandfather was the superintendent of schools.  What I like the most about teaching is that people in the kitchen may have been in the kitchen for 25 years, but when you come across young students who are just  about to go out into the cooking world, they are eager and excited.  You see the passion and you see the excitement and that’s what keeps a balance of the long days.  Like the seasoned athlete versus the young athlete.  When young chefs begin to cook with me, they first learn my way of cooking and the way I expect flavors to come together.  After awhile, I allow them to develop their way of cooking.

DrFoodie:   Any plans to teach cooking classes at any of the restaurants?

Chef Poe:  We’ve tried it in the past, but things can be so very loud.  I haven’t yet found the right time but it’s great having the open kitchen because I can do demonstrations for the cooks in the kitchen by preparing as they observe.  They can then take that dish out to the floor.  Before we opened up, that’s exactly what we did, 30 people would watch me from the window.

DrFoodie:  Just backtracking a bit, I became curious about the start of your professional culinary career when I realized you were working in ATL during the 1996 Olympics, how did that affect you? 

Chef Poe:  Well, I was in a hotel working on the outskirts of Atlanta,  but it all was still very much going on around us. (What was most interesting) was that it was the first time I’d been exposed to such a variety of cultures in one building working together and living in surrounding apartment buildings.  That’s one my very favorite parts of the industry- the diversity.  At the hotel, there were 17 different languages spoken.  That’s cool.  I’d never been exposed to that before Atlanta.
 

DrFoodie:  Speaking of regions in which you’ve cooked and lived, with so many within the states and abroad,  what would you say was/were your favorite(s) in which to forage for local ingredients?

Chef Poe:  Scottsdale.  Because it provided the most.  For example, while I was there it was the 2^nd largest producer of lettuce.  California was unique. There, you can get produce right out of the ground.  Especially in wine country.  Here (Boston) we have two good farms that provide the same experience and because it’s so diverse here, I can go spicy at Rattlesnake and Southern in the South End (the new Estelle's Southern Cuisine), only to come back to whatever I’d like to do here (at Tip Tap Room).  It's good for a hyperactive chef like myself.

DrFoodie:  How do you feel the New England palate accepts traditional southern foods and influences?

Chef Poe:  It’s like what we’re going through with the Mexican food movement.  You’ve gotta get it exact, like Angela’s Café in East Boston, who does it very, very well. 
I think that’s what we are going to try to do in the South End- do it well. 
For example, I do not do Mexican at Poe's Kitchen, but I will use Brazilian influence and add a New England component .  One way is to incorporate the two influences or to do them exact and see who will pick up on it.  Some people may not have grown up on grits and it may not be your thing, but can identify good grits.  

DrFoodie:  Sure, so you’ll introduce them to the dish, perhaps.

DrFoodie:  So, wine country was unique.  Do you find that you are able to visit New England vineyards?  Maybe Rhode Island, perhaps?

Chef Poe:  I have and I like them, but each region has its own smell, its own flavor, its own style.  For example,  Northern California, Argentina, Chile, all very different from one another.

DrFoodie:  Where do you find you go most in New England for continuing education in the culinary world?  Or where do you hang out during free time?

Chef Poe:  I recently drove through Vermont and up into Canada.  I thought that was a terrific stretch.  I love upstate NY and absolutely love the North Shore. 

DrFoodie:  Regarding incorporation of the local foods concept into your cooking now- ok, maybe not the kangaroo- how focused would you say you are on this?

Chef Poe: Simple, elegant flavors and loving dishes is what we do.

DrFoodie:  You have Southern American influence, can you tell me a little bit about Estelle’s?

Chef Poe:  Well, I have a great chef, Eric Gburski, on board.  He’s great because 1. He knows how to cook and 2. He knows what I’m talking about. 

DrFoodie:  Culinary trends.  What do you love, what do you hate.  Past or current?

Chef Poe:  I’m gonna say there’s not one that I hate, it’s not one that I love.  I do, however, find trends interesting.  I have reached that age as a chef where I can say, “I’ve seen that one come through” but I don’t have a problem with the resurface of a trend. I like to see that stuff and I think it’s fun to see a trend resurface and to see what comes with it.  Like, I’m doing antelope meatloaf these days.  Meatloaf can be trendy.  It’s fun to see what all the talented chefs in the city can do to recreate dishes.

DrFoodie:  Simple or complex, how would you describe your style of cooking?

Chef Poe:  Here (Tip Tap Room), I’m going for simple, quality ingredients.  At Rattlesnake, we went more complex, because we needed to get food on the map in that building, in that space.   In a way, I’m glad we did, but in other ways I’m not because now we can’t go back.  For instance, we had a foie gras truffled lobster burger with kobe beef and house cured whiskey bacon.  When we did that we weren’t that busy, now it can be challenging to keep that momentum.

DrFoodie:  Do you cook for your family?

Chef Poe:  I do.  It's been busy over the past 4 months, but my wife is very proud of what I'm doing so when she comes in she's glowing and on the same token, poor thing, she didn't know it, but she was the guinea pig.  What I like about cooking at home is no one's looking.  You can have a glass of wine and put on some jazz.

As he continues, Lydia Shire's husband, Uriel Pineda, leaves for the evening after he and Chef Poe butchered a goat together.  I tell Chef, "As a vet, I want in on that.  I think I can break down a goat pretty well."  He chuckles.

Chef Poe:  Well what's interesting is, when I first started cooking, I wanted to learn more about butchering so I went over to Auburn's veterinary school and a Veterinary Neurologist walked me through things.  It was a lot of fun.

DrFoodie:  How important is being eco-friendly to you?

Chef Poe:  It's very important and I am still figuring it all out.  The chef who really has it figured out is Jose Duarte of Taranta.  He's won awards for it.

(Chef Duarte has won the 2008 City of Boston Green Business Award, the 2011 Massachusetts Recycling Award)

What I like to see is:  with the garbage program comes the recycling program as does my oil program.  They now come with those things in place.  I'm doing all of that correctly.  I also call people up for assistance when needed.  Not only do programs such as this save me thousands per month on utility bills, they are our reality and it's the right thing to do.  

DrFoodie:  Great! 
What are your thoughts on television cooking competition shows?

Chef Poe:   I personally am not going after them.  I am all about cooking right now.  I do appreciate that now, I feed well educated diners.  Because of tv shows, diners have become more willing to try new things.  The television chefs I've met are amazing people and I'm  not at all star struck, but they're really smart chefs!
Chef Anne Burrell was here a couple of weeks ago.  She's so genuine, real, and a good person.  And it's not because tv stardom, we talked about yelp, food, cooks, etc.  
TV chefs really know ingredients amazingly well.  I've openly said this about Chef Anthony Husbands, who's a friend of mine. He can break a dish down into great detail,  down to the scientific reactions.  For me, it's not that I am any less intelligent, but I am more along the lines of "I like this flavor and it goes well with this."  I more so get caught up in the emotion, in the flavors that go well together.
Right now, I am focused on good food, high quality ingredients, and not fame or fortune.  

DrFoodie: You're a  purist.

Chef Poe:  I want to cook and that's where I want to be right now.
 
DrFoodie:  Speaking of accolades, when I say James Beard, what are your thoughts?

Chef Poe:  It's an incredible program and the Grammy for chefs.  I am proud of friends who've been both nominated for and earned the award. 

DrFoodie: I am the foodie who does not like to cook, but am buying cookbooks like crazy lately.  It's becoming a bit of an obsession.  What are you top 3 cookbooks?

Chef Poe:  I never follow recipes directly out of cookbooks, but I do admire and use for reference, Trotter and French Laundry.  While I'm not into molecular gastronomy, I do know that science is the root of cooking.  Chefs out of Chicago are doing great things. (I agree!).  To me, cookbooks are like playboy magazines.  You get ideas and move on.  One book I recommend to all staff and my students is Becoming a Chef.  It covers what it takes to become a chef, the composition, the house.  It speaks to taking the stairs versus the elevator. 
Learning to cook is like taking music lessons.  You learn the scales, then the progressions, and only then do you begin to write music.

And on that note (no pun intended), take a trip with me on my the food journey at Tip Tap Room.

Clearly, the highlight of the evening for me was this new protein which hadn't yet graced my palate: Kangaroo.

 

With the atmosphere abuzz with locals, esteemed chefs, restaurant owners and tourists, I settled into my seat with a full view of friends and colleagues enjoying the company of one another and receiving attentive service.

As silverware clinked against plates in the dining area and the kitchen bell boasted of numerous orders, I anticipated my meal while mulling over the simple, yet impressive menu just in case things had changed from my internet stalking just hours before.

I decided not to be coy and went for the kangaroo out of the gate.  A hearty meat with the flavor and mouth feel of grass fed cattle, the kangaroo, marinated in ginger coffee and rye whiskey, was quite a pleasant surprise.  I expected a sort of flimsy beef steak imposter, but alas, this well-charred, hearty piece of meat was as satiating as any filet mignon or porterhouse.

Ginger-Coffee and Rye Whiskey Marinated Kangaroo 

Served over a cheesy gruyere loose polenta cake which brilliantly mellowed the whiskey-coffee sauce, these ingrediens were a match made in heaven.  I would have enjoyed a bit more greenery on the dish.  The warm greens were simply a tease, but the focus was very much so on the meat and I can't fault the kitchen for that.

Be still, my beating heart!

Cheese & Cracklins

Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Duck Fat Fried Prosciutto “Cracklins”
Grilled Asparagus Tips and Carrot Ginger Puree (sauce)
 

I'm almost vain enough to believe this dish was created just for me...almost.  Ginger, goat cheese, duck fat, prosciutto...seriously, who doesn't love ALL of those things?!?

Perfect, lightly fried goat cheese spheres in all of their creamy, sharp glory, were placed upon a base of bright pureed carrots and aromatic, fresh ginger and asparagus tips (of course).


As if not close enough to Heaven, a couple of thinly sliced prosciutto pieces were fried to an audible crisp in duck fat (the foodie crack cocaine of 2012) and scattered throughout the dish.  Pork AND duck- is it possible to go wrong with this combination?  I think NOT!

Autumn Salad 

A beautiful salad with maple roasted pecans, roasted pumpkin, blue cheese crumbles, tossed in cranberry-sage vinaigrette.

For dessert I enjoyed the tart, cool Lemon Souffle with delicate lavender streusel and hibiscus tea jelly.  Not your typical souffle, this dessert was solid and crisp- cool and bright on the palate.  Not a souffle requiring pre-ordering.  Who can't appreciate that?

I intend to head back to Tip Tap Room for more of whatever Chef Poe creates in the kitchen over the next couple of weeks.  Won't you join me?  Or, tell me about your TTR experience in the comments section!

The Tip Tap Room
138 Cambridge Street
Boston (Beacon Hill), MA
www.thetiptaproom.com   

Disclaimer:  A portion of the meal was provided gratis by The Tip Tap Room