Piattini Hosts 3-Course Wine Dinner: "Wines of the World", November 4th, 2013

I was so impressed with Piattini's last (Italian) Wine Dinner (read review here), I set up an interview with Owner, Josephine Oliviero Megwa shortly thereafter (read interview & food review here).

November brings another fabulous wine dinner featuring "Wines of the World"! 

On November 4^th, 2013 at 6:00PM Piattini, located on Newbury Street in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay, is inviting guests to take a trip through Europe during its “Wines of the World” wine dinner. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal, each paired with a different wine from some of the most renowned wine-producing countries in the world.

 

This three-course dinner will begin with a 2010 Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Blanc wine from Alsace, France, paired with a Mediterranean Seafood Stew lightly simmered in a white wine sauce. The main course features a 2009 Querciaella Mongrana Sangiovese wine from Maremma, Italy along with Bistecca, a juicy Black Angus Rib Eye. Last but not least is the 10 year tawny Ramos Pinot from Portugal paired with a mouthwatering Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake dessert. This dinner will have guests leaving full of food, wine and rich European culture. Attendees are strongly recommended to RSVP online or by calling Piattini at 617-536-2020.

 

WHERE:         Piattini, 226 Newbury Street Street, Boston, MA, 02116

 

COST:             $49 per person (tax and gratuity not included)

 

RSVP:             Please visit http://www.piattini.com/ or call Piattini at 617-536-2020

 

MENU:   

         

First Course

Mediterranean Seafood Stew

Cod, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp,  simmered with white wine, tomatoes, red pepper, stock, garlic, and herbs.

-and-

2010 Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France

 

  Second Course

Bistecca

Black Angus rib eye marinated in rosemary garlic, EVOO, roasted potatoes, arugula

-and-

2009 Querciaella Mongrana Sangiovese from Maremma, Italy

 

  Dessert

Warm flourless chocolate cake

-and-

10 year tawny Ramos Pinot, Portugal

 

  

              

Be There!

The Best Falafel I've Ever Eaten was in Bridgetown, Barbados @Sahara Arabic Grill & Falafel

We ventured slightly off the beaten path, away from the beachfront hotel and swanky restaurants, to a little area on Highway 7 called the Food Court.  There you had the option of eating Middle Eastern, Jamaican, or Asian Cuisine.  I was excited to partake in other food not included in the Food+Wine+Rum festival we were in town to attend.

Chef Fajer at Sahara truly blew me away with his sesame seed coated falafel.  Even his hummus (as simple a dish as it is) was pretty remarkable!  I also enjoyed the bright, fresh tabbouleh salad.

Chef Fajer and Me @ Sahara Arabic Grill & Falafel

Chef shows off his Grill Skills!

The hummus was smooth and intense in flavors.  It was tangy, creamy goodness - good enough to eat alone, but luckily for me, I had plenty of other delicious foods to pair it with including beef kebab.

I couldn't get enough of the smoky, perfectly charred beef kebab on crisp, light pita.  Both were prepared fresh on the grill with a bit of spiced clarified butter.  One interesting component on the kebab and later served with the falafel were little, tender slices of dill pickles.  The acidity and salinity added a nice, unexpected element to the dishes.  I can't say I eat much Middle Eastern food, but I can't recall ever having pickles on kebab or falafel, yet after some research, I found it's not so uncommon after all.

The falafel that has outdone ALL falafel for me! 

Chef declared that the falafel, made with extra sesame seeds and dressed like the one above, is for "special people".  He calls it the King Falafel.  It's not necessarily fitting for me as I consider myself to be just a new fan, but the name does fit the grand levels of flavors and textures!

The falafel was drastically coated in crisp sesame seeds adding a beautiful outer crunch and soft, rich center which along with the crisp slice of pickle and cucumber (which Chef insisted be added after the first bite only), the creamy, smooth, piquant Tahini sauce, and the spiced dollop of red sauce (Chef's secret) made this The BEST falafel I've had.  

My plan going forward is to challenge Boston falafel joints, holding Chef Fajer's as an industry standard.  Anyone up for a Falafel Crawl around Boston?

How the "normal" falafel is usually prepared.

Carolyn enjoying her first falafel.

On top of the beautiful food, the entire staff (including Elie and Abeo) were lovely people and we had lots of fun hanging with them!

Please check out Sahara on your next visit to Barbados.  I can promise you will not be disappointed!

Vlora Restaurant (Mediterranean Cuisine), Boston, MA (Mediterranean)

September 2011

I have avoided Vlora for quite some time because it always seems to be excessively noisy when I stroll by, but I brought an out-of-town friend here for dinner a few days ago because I had a Bloom Spot certificate for 60 bucks (we paid only $0.60 for our meal...tipping on the full total of course...this is why I am so addicted to ALL certificate sites!!!) But I digress...
I was very impressed with the service and my meal! I must say I truly underestimated Vlora.

THE SERVICE:
Anyone who knows me is aware of my obsession with http://Opentable.com and collecting my points! AND that I always make sure I am checked it to avoid a "No Show" nasty gram from the website. This obsession is only second to buying certificates from groupon and the like.
I'd made a reservation via opentable and upon our arrival, the host could not locate it.  It clearly was a mistake on my part, but he allowed me the time to make a new reservation on my phone and honored it!  This started my evening off just right :0) It's the little things in life after all...
The wait staff were polite and quite attentive throughout our entire meal...keeping our water glasses full and simply making sure we were well tended to.
THE PROPERTY:
I really love the interior of this place.   There were intimate corners on the periphery indoors and on the outdoor patio, larger seating areas for groups, a lounge-like space with couches and coffee tables, and a bar area with hightops and a dark, modern feel.  All of this without the feeling of being closed in or claustrophobic.  The space was actually quite airy. It  seemed to have it all for whatever kind of mood you are in at the time.  
THE FOOD:
I started with the arancini which were fantastic.  I loved the addition of feta cheese folded into the rice.  It fused the Italian origin of the dish with the Mediterranean-driven menu.  My friend started with a healthy portion of minestrone soup (du jour) which she seemed to enjoy.
For my entrée, I enjoyed the pan-seared filet of basa.  This was my first time trying the white Mediterranean fish and it was very nice.  The fish was light and flaky and the outside slightly crisp, topped with tomato and bits of olive.  The sides were great as well (mashed potato and sautéed spinach).  Nothing lacked seasoning and the portions were perfect.
I am looking forward to visiting again ...on another peaceful Monday evening. 

www.vloraboston.com

Vlora accepts reservations through www.opentable.com 

Update (5/2012):

Lunch items @Vlora:

Veggie Moussaka

The Vegetarian Moussaka: layered medley of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, potato, swiss cheese, tomato, served with fresh, light garlic yogurt and cucumber sauce was fantastic!

Albanian Tava

The Albanian Tava: baked casserole of zucchini, yellow squash, potato, tomato, onion, okra, béchamel, parmiggiano, swiss cheese was amazing and the perfect portion for lunch!

Shrimp Saganaki: sauteed shrimp in a creamy tomato sauce!