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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El Oriental de Cuba, Jamaica Plain, MA

El Oriental de Cuba has been a staple Latin restaurant in Jamaica Plain near Hyde Square for a number of years. Restaurateur, Nobel Garcia moved his family to Jamaica Plain in 1955.  The space is cozy but vibrant in color, music, energy, and fragrance from the open kitchen. There's a palpable family and community vibe with a diverse circle of patrons including the neighborhoods deeply rooted Hispanic residents.

The food here is farm and sea fresh presenting familiar Latin flavors cumin, garlic, pepper, and flecks of cilantro and abundant tomato-based sauces.  

The menu boasts classic Cuban dishes like ropa vieja and the Cuban sandwich, culturally-shared dishes such as pernil asado, and Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo.

Mofongo (Mashed, unripened plaintain with pork rinds.  I've also had it with chicken and shrimp substituted for pork)

 

With typical pork and beef heavy dishes, on this particular night we sampled a couple of seafood dishes and the must have ropa vieja.

Loved their mixed ceviche and the fact that it included mussels, which was a new experience for me as an interesting component.

Mixed ceviche

A few Side dishes:Tostones (twice-fried plantain), crisp plaintain strips,  red beans and rice

Cuban pork tamale

Anyone who knows me personally or reads this blog knows how excited I am when my protein comes with it's head and body intact!  There's no flavor or level of moisture that can be added post cooking to fish, poultry or even pork for that matter, than when cooked intact.  Check out my previous heads-on raves at Suya Joint (Nigerian Restaurant) , a day in Chinatown Boston on a Foodie Tour , and of course prawns should never lose their heads and if you stuff them with delicious leek and liver mousse, like Chef Carey Dobies at Savvor, they're magic!

I've tried the whole snapper fried with tostones, arroz congri (Cuban rice & black beans) and mofongo as take out prior to ever eating there and was happy there are no corners cut when not dining in the restaurant.  

Whole fried red snapper with arroz congri, mofongo, and tostones

You can also order it with garlic sauce as below or coconut.

The meat is so tender, juicy, and abundant, it seems you can eat from the same dish for days!

The ropa vieja (a succulent slow-cooked shredded beef dish) was fantastic.  Its balanced flavors of onion, pepper, tomato, and garlic was made all the more great by the fall apart strips of beef and tender veg.  Even still, my favorite ropa vieja was in Vero Beach, Florida at The Wave.

Check out El Oriental de Cuba on your next visit to JP!

The Wave Kitchen & Bar, Vero Beach, FL

Nestled within an older beach resort (Costa d'Este owned by Emilio and Gloria Estefan) surrounded by an aged but quaint Vero Beach neighborhood, you really are not quite sure what to expect when walking towards this restaurant, but I've read a few pretty great reviews and enjoyed perusing the menu online so I went for it.

 

"Ocean-front dining is a bit of an overstatement as there is a small pool, wooden fence, and brush between the dining area and the Atlantic.  The description of the view boasted on the website is certainly misleading, but the restaurant itself was lovely and made up for other lacking details with its open dining space and kitchen. The dining area is roomy and rounded, enclosed in glass, brick, and wood - very modern. 

Our service was terrific.  Bethany and Tony took very good care of us.

Everything was extremely fresh - a testament to The Wave's commitment to locally-sourced ingredients.

Serving Latin dishes that can stand up to any in Miami, Chef Antonio Estremera's menu melds the Estefans' Cuban cookbook, Estefan Kitchen, with his Peruvian influence.

Chef Estremera's world cuisine training is most evident in the ceviche trio:

Rocoto Pepper Ceviche, Shrimp, Calamari, White Fish, Red Onion, Cilantro

Ahi Tuna, Avocado, Florida Orange Juice, Soy & Wasabi

Passion Fruit Ceviche, Scallop, Calamari, Shrimp, Passion Fruit Juice

The Peruvian-influenced Rocoto pepper ceviche was the mildest with great, simple flavor. while the ahi tuna was grossly overpowered by soy sauce, lending much too much acidity and salinity.  The avocado worked to mellow and add richness to the dish, though apparently no fresh cut.  The passion fruit ceviche was different, adding sweetness to a traditionally savory-sour dish. 

It was a bit redundant to order the black bean soup as it was the same as the side dish black beans that came with Latin entrees in addition to white rice.  It was good, none-the-less.

We tried three distinctly-prepared plantains: thin crispy fried chips, crunchy tostones which were tender in the center, and sweet plantains - all delicious.

 

On to the amazing entrees:

We decided to go with three of the traditional homestyle Cuban specialty entrees on the lunch menu from Estefan Kitchen.  I thoroughly enjoyed each. 

Cited as "Gloria's Favorite", the Cuban-style roasted chicken (pollo asado) was fall-off-the-bone tender and moist with great flavors imparted by sour orange, olive oil, and a smothering Cuban Creole sauce with tomato and spice.

The Cuban Creole sauce with sauteed onions and peppers also paired well with Shredded Beef (Ropa Vieja).  The generous amount of tender meat was cooked perfectly.

I loved the Shredded Fried Beef (Vaca Frita) with Onions.  The crisp, juicy meat was made all the more flavorful with a spritz of fresh lime juice.

The food at The Wave surpasses the restaurant's mediocre surroundings and we were thankful.  I plan to stop in next time I'm visiting the area and hopefully get to meet Chef Estremera who was attending the SOBE Wine & Food Festival, which we attended the day before.

The Wave Kitchen & Bar

 http://www.costadeste.com/dining/lunch_menu.asp

Save-The-Date: Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival, Mexico

 

Tres Gatos Tapas Bar, 470 Centre Street, Boston (Jamaica Plain), MA

Table decor!

Tres Gatos Tapas Bar + Books + Music is a really cool joint.

Walking into Tres Gatos gives you the feeling of visiting the home of a friend or relative.  The decor is inviting, warm, and very casual.  I'm told it's even more so upon entering the den where you can peruse their books and play records!  I'll have to check it out next time around...there will definitely be a next time!!

Part owner, David Doyle was the first pleasant face to greet me at the door and show me to my seat as I awaited the arrival of my friends.

The remainder of the staff was also very mellow and friendly.  Our server Lindsay was fantastic as was Dan, the bartender!

The Feast: 

The enormously talented Sous Chef Ryan Krumel blew us away...

We started with the grilled asparagus with Romesco sauce and the Silverbrook Farm olive oil poached egg.
The asparagus spears were cooked perfectly and I loved the Romesco sauce which typically is made with a variety of nuts (pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts), olive oil, garlic, and red peppers. 

We loved the Patatas Bravas: crispy Yukon gold potatoes, half-covered in a mild aioli and salsa brava!
The potatoes (patatas bravas) were crisp but not dry.  I especially loved the aioli which was mild like a creme fraiche.  So good, we ordered a second serving!

Next up: Scallop Carpaccio topped with Fresno chili rings and oregano leaves over a pool lime juice!

The scallop were super fresh.  The chilis and oregano were a perfect touch, both aesthetically and on the palate!

The Albóndigas: chorizo-spiced pork meatballs, were served over a bright saffron cream and topped with a chimichurri sauce.

The Gambas All i Pebre: prawns served with toasted garlic and a pine nut picada was outstanding.  The prawns were cooked and seasoned nicely.  The best part was dipping the toasted bread into the picada sauce!

The Crispy Confit of Chicken Thigh was served over spring ramps with halved red grapes.

Crispy skin and moist meat full of flavor defined this dish!  What more could you ask for!

Delicious Heritage Pork Belly was served over a rutabaga puree, pork jus, and harissa spices!

Tender sliced lamb's tongue was served over creamy country grits with a 6-minute egg.   
I'm a huge fan of nose to tail dining and when it's done right, it's a beautiful thing.


Crispy Sweetbreads (calf thymus) was the highlight of my evening! The sweetbreads were served over a fresh green garlic salsa verde and topped with spring Vidalia onion!  Absolutely delicious!
  We also enjoyed a nice '08 Naveran vintage brut, '11 Gramona "Gessami Blanco", and '09 Benaza 

Tres Gatos is a welcome addition to the Boston community.  I'm a super fan!

Orinoco Latin Kitchen (Venezuelan), 22 Harvard St., Brookline Village, MA

Orinoco was PHENOMENAL.  I'd been previously for appetizers and cocktails mid-winter, but it did not compare to the brilliant feast I enjoyed recently!

The Brookline Village location can rapidly become crowded. During my first visit, it was a bit of a challenge awaiting a table at the packed bar which only seats about 8 patrons, but service did not suffer due to the crowd.


This time around, Phil was our server and he was magnificent...knowledgeable of the menu, super attentive, and friendly!  This mades for a great experience!


We indulged on the following amazing dishes:


Antojitos ("small cravings")



Datiles:
Bacon wrapped, almond-filled dates
A smart combination of nutty, savory, and sweet.  The bacon was medium cut, crisp, and smoky.  These small bites were magical!


Tequenos:
Guayanés cheese wrapped in crisp dough served with chipotle ketchup
The chipotle ketchup was a hit...a nice smoky addition to the cheese stick.



Arepas (Traditional Venezuelan grilled corn pocket sandwiches)


Mechada:
Grilled corn pocket stuffed with Venezuelan-style stewed shredded beef
The generous portion of shredded beef was tender and well-seasoned.  The mojo sauce (a freshly made dipping sauce consisting of olive oil, cilantro, garlic, and possibly mint?  It paired well with everything on the table!


Reina pepiada:
Grilled corn pocket stuffed with shredded chicken salad (with mayo), topped with avocado and tomato.  This could have been THE best chicken salad I've EVER tasted!


Empanadas

Verde:
Made with 100% plantain dough and filled with wild mushrooms, piquillo, manchego cheese and salsa verde.  I found these empanadas to be a bit bland, but I blame it on the wonderfully overwhelming flavors to hit my palate just before trying them.  The mojo certainly helped.


Principales


Oysters Rodriguez (A Special):
A Latin play on the traditional dish- Oysters Rockefeller, the Oysters Rodriguez was made with fufu (seasoned, mashed boiled plantain), horseradish, cream, and saute manchego spinach, topped with a deep-fried, crisp oyster.
I'm a huge fan of Oysters Rockefeller.  Oysters Rodriguez really won me over!


Parrilla Caraquena:
Grilled stripsteak, grilled marinated chicken, grilled chorizo, guasacaca (Venezuelan guacamole), and yuca frita served with Orinoco's signature mojo sauce.  Everything on this plate was fantastic.  The meats were grilled and seasoned perfectly!


Orinoco is definitely a must try!  We were informed by Phil that the other two locations (Harvard Square & South End) share the same menus.  The Harvard Square and South End locales both have outdoor seating areas, which of course is a major plus!


www.orinocokitchen.com