Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay Summer BBQ Is Tonight (Thursday, June 24, 2010)

A neighborhood barbecue is being held in the Back Bay of Boston this evening (Thursday, June 24), with salads, hamburgers, bot dogs, and sodas offered. The barbecue (called the Summer NABB-Q), which is being hosted by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, goes from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and is open to the public. Ticket prices are $15 for both members and non-members of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay ($5 for children under 12; free for children ages 1 to 3).

The Summer NABB-Q will be held at the Clarendon Street Playground, which is located at the corner of Clarendon Street and Commonwealth Avenue in the heart of the Back Bay.

For more information on tonight's Summer NABB-Q (including how to purchase tickets), please go to the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay link below.

http://www.nabbonline.com/

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Hills Like White Elephants Coming to South Boston, Sunday, June 13, 2010

A culinary event is coming to an unknown location in South Boston this weekend, and it will include demonstrations and lessons as well as drinks and dinner.

According to a posting on the Eventbrite site, Hills Like White Elephants will be taking place on Sunday, June 13, starting at 3:00 and lasting into the evening. The event, which costs $161, includes lessons on knife sharpening, sausage making, and more, followed by a cocktail break, then a dinner with steelhead trout roe, kindai tuna sausage, oxtail, and lamb loin featured. (A selection of wines will be paired with the food.)

According to the UrbanDaddy site, the address of the event will only be known to those who purchase tickets; the only information given is that it will be held at a private residence in South Boston.

For more information on the Hills Like White Elephants event, please go to the link below.

http://hills.eventbrite.com/

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15th Annual Taste of the Back Bay Coming April 8, 2010

A culinary event is coming to the Prudential Center in Boston in early April, with a number of area restaurants participating. The 15th annual Taste of the Back Bay will be held on Thursday, April 8, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the Prudential Skywalk, with guests being able to sample food from a variety of dining spots while enjoying the views from the observatory.

Some of the restaurants that will be participating in Taste of the Back Bay include Asana, Bistro du Midi, Brasserie JO, Da Vinci Ristorante, Erbaluce, Haru Sushi, Mantra Restaurant, the Stanhope Grille, Turner Fisheries, and Vox Populi. Some beverage vendors will also be at the event, including Bauer Wines, Best Cellars, Harpoon Brewery, and Trio Wine Company.

Tickets to the event are $75 for members of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay (NABB) and $85 for non-members, with a portion of the proceeds going to the
Clarendon Street Playground Maintenance Fund.

For more information on the 15th annual Taste of the Back Bay, please go to the NABB link below:

http://www.nabbonline.com/event/15th_annual_taste_back_bay

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Taste of the South End 2010 Coming to Boston on March 9

A culinary event that helps raise money for the AIDS Action Committee is coming to Boston once again in early March. Taste of the South End 2010 will be held Tuesday, March 9, at the Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont Street, with 45 restaurants participating this year.

Guests of Taste of the South End will be able to sample dishes from area restaurants, view live cooking demonstrations, participate in beer and wine tastings, and take part in a silent auction and raffle. Some of the restaurants participating in the event include Avila, Gaslight, Joe V's, Pops, Rocca, Toro, and Turner Fisheries.

General admission tickets for Taste of the South End are $95, while VIP tickets are $150. Hours are 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM (VIP guests can enter at 6:00 PM).

For more information on Taste of the South End 2010, please go to the link below.

http://www.aac.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Events_Taste_About

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Dunkin' Donuts Turns 60; Celebration Planned in Copley Square Today

Dunkin' Donuts turns 60 this year, and it will be marking its birthday with a celebration in the Back Bay of Boston today (Thursday, February 18).

According to the Boston Globe, the Canton-based coffee and doughnut chain will feature a variety of events from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Copley Square, including karaoke, face painting, pinatas, visits by local celebrities, free samples of coffee, and the handing out of Dunkin’ Donuts Cards. The event is free and open to the public.

Dunkin' Donuts was founded in 1950 in Quincy, MA, and has since grown to be the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, serving more than 3 million customers each day.

For more on the Dunkin' Donuts birthday celebration in Copley Square, please go to the Boston Globe link below.

Dunkin' birthday fete features $60k of freebies

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2010 Celebrate Seafood Dinner Series Starts on January 26 at the New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium is launching its annual dinner series next week, with a focus on sustainable seafood. The Celebrate Seafood Dinner Series for 2010 kicks off on Tuesday, January 26, with a three-course menu that will include wild Pacific cod, US farmed shrimp, and US farmed barramundi.

The Celebrate Seafood Dinner Series, which is in its third year now, will feature Brendon Bashford, the Executive Chef at Fairmont Battery Wharf and Sensing restaurant in the North End of Boston, along with Aquarium Chef Tim Ridge. The chefs will lead cooking demonstrations during the event, while Aquarium Director of Conservation Lydia Bergen will discuss each dish's sustainability features.

Six dinners (including wine pairings), each with a local guest chef, are planned for 2010. Tickets for each event, including the first one next Tuesday, are $65 for members and $75 for non-members. All events start at 6:30 PM at the Harbor View Cafe within the Aquarium.

To find out more on next week's dinner at the New England Aquarium, please go to the link below:

Celebrate Seafood

You can also register online at http://www.neaq.org or by calling (617) 973-5206.

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Information on The 2009 Mayor's Holiday Special

The sixth annual Mayor's Holiday Special is here, with deals on restaurants, lodging, shopping, events, and entertainment. Thanks to Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the city of Boston, and local businesses, there are more than 8,000 half-price tickets available this year.

Restaurants involved in this year's Mayor's Holiday Special include the Oak Room, the Cactus Club, Artu, Max and Dylan's, Pops, Mantra, the Freeport Tavern, Ivy, Lala Rokh, and many more.

For complete details on the 2009 Mayor's Holiday Special, please go to the link below:

http://www.bostix.org/mhs/index.html

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Boston Rising Stars Revue Coming November 3, 2009

An event that recognizes up-and-coming chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists from around the country is coming to Boston in early November. The StarChefs Rising Stars Revue, which was last held in Boston in 2009, will he held at The State Room at Sixty State Street in the Financial District on Tuesday, November 3. The event will include many familiar names from the Boston restaurant scene among its 2009 class of rising stars, including Jamie Bissonnette, Joanne Chang, Richard Garcia, Rachel Klein, Chris Parsons, Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, and several others. The Starchefs Tasting Gala and Awards Ceremony, which will be held from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM, will honor these winners and will also allow guests to sample a signature dish from each of the chefs.

Tickets to the event are $85 per person ($125 for VIP admission, which includes a private pre-event reception plus early entrance). Proceeds from the event will benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank.

For more information on the Boston Rising Stars Revue, including the Tasting Gala and Awards Ceremony, please go to the StarChefs link below.

http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2009/boston/index.shtml

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2009 Phantom Gourmet Beer and Food Phest to be Held October 24 and 25

The second annual Phantom Gourmet Beer and Food Phest will be coming to Suffolk Downs in East Boston later this month. The event will be held on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, and will be mostly an indoor event with a variety of vendors offering food and drink to guests. Included among the festivities are a mechanical bull, sumo wrestling, a dance party, and more.

Hours for the Phantom Gourmet Beer and Food Phest are 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Saturday and 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Sunday. Tickets to get in are 2 for $5 in advance, or $5 each at the gate, with food and beverage being extra.

Vendors at the festival will include Firefly's, Fuddruckers, Harrows Chicken Pies, Wicked Whoopies, and several others. Drinks offered will include Bass, Beck's, Hoegaarden, Landshark, and more.

For more information on the 2009 Phantom Gourmet Beer and Food Phest, please go to the Phantom Gourmet link below:

http://www.phantomgourmetbeer.com/

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2009 New England Dessert Showcase Coming September 26, 2009

The first annual 2009 New England Dessert Showcase is coming to the Marriott Long Wharf in Boston later this month, featuring all kinds of desserts, chocolates, ice cream, baked goods, dinner wines, and more. The event, which will be held on Saturday, September 26, is partly a networking event for distributors, but it will also be open to the public from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday. (Networking events for exhibitors will also be held on Friday, September 25.)

The Marriott Long Wharf is located at 296 State Street on the Boston waterfront.

For more information on the 2009 New England Dessert Showcase (including exhibit registration and ticket purchasing), please go to the link below.

http://www.nedessertshowcase.com/

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Restaurant Deals at The 2008 Mayor's Holiday Special Web Site

Just in time for the holiday season, The Mayor's Holiday Special Web site is up and running, thanks in part to Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the city of Boston as well as a number of local businesses.

The Web site, which is at http://www.mayorsholidayspecial.com, includes specials on restaurants, lodging, shopping, entertainment, and events. For dining spots, there are specials (as of today) offered for folks going to Vlora in the Back Bay, J.P. Licks in Jamaica Plain, Jacob Wirth in the Theater District, Robyn's Bar and Grill in Roslindale, and Vox Populi in the Back Bay.

This is the fifth annual Mayor's Holiday Special, with this one coming at a particularly good time considering the state of the economy right now...

Phantom Gourmet Food Festival Coming to Boston September 20, 2008

The Phantom Gourmet Food Festival is just around the corner. It will be held once again near Fenway Park in Boston at the corner of Ipswich and Lansdowne Streets on Saturday, September 20, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Tickets are $40 and includes unlimited food from 80 different restaurants, pastry shops, bakeries, and ice cream shops.

Please note that this is a 21-plus event.

If you would like more information on the Food Festival, please click the Phantom Gourmet link below:

http://www.phantomgourmetfoodfestival.com/

2008 Restaurant Week Boston Starting August 10

The 2008 version of Restaurant Week in Boston is beginning in less than a couple of weeks. Starting on August 10 and ending on August 22 (with one day off on August 16), Restaurant Week will feature more than 200 restaurants this year. All meals are three-course prix-fixe, with lunch being $20.08 and dinner being $33.08.

To find more information about Boston Restaurant Week 2008, please go to the link below:

http://restaurantweekboston.com/

July 4 in Boston

With the fourth of July approaching this Friday, just a quick reminder that not all restaurants will be open that day. It is definitely a good idea to call ahead before heading over to any dining spots in the area.

As far as where to go on July 4 for dining in the Boston area, many folks seem to like to head to the coast, particularly the North Shore and Cape Ann, where there a plenty of clam shacks as well as a number of outdoor dining options. A few names that come to mind are Woodman's and Farnham's, both in Essex, the Lobster Pool in Rockport and Captain Carlo's in Gloucester. All of these North Shore/Cape Ann places have outdoor dining, and all of them feature seafood.

Another idea is to head to Bristol, RI, which has a terrific July 4 celebration. Some restaurants to consider in that town are Quito's (outdoor seating, excellent seafood, waterfront location) and Leo's in the center of town (outdoor dining, good Italian cuisine).

If you are going to be in Boston, dining along the Freedom Trail, somewhere on Newbury Street or on the Waterfront may be nice options. Many of the restaurants in these areas also have outdoor dining, so if you are looking to dine al fresco, you should be able to have your pick of places in these areas.

If you are indeed looking to do some dining outdoors for the fourth of July, this link (from our blog) has some information that may be of help to you:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/tags/outdoor-dining.html

Again, call ahead to make sure these restaurants (or any other restaurants you are considering) are open on the fourth....have a happy fourth of July!

Notes and Photos: Barbecue Beach Party, Boston, June 19, 2008

I spent the evening at the Phantom Gourmet's BBQ Beach Party at City Hall Plaza in Boston, just getting back a little while ago. I'm glad that this year, I went on a weeknight, as the lines were nonexistent and there was no sun blazing straight down on everyone (I went around noon on Sunday last year--never again). This year, I tried four different items at four places, two of which I had visited last year. Here is the rundown:

Started at Willingham's (Memphis, Tennessee. I tried their pulled pork sandwich. It was pretty good, but a bit bland, even after putting some of their sauce on the meat. But their specialty is ribs, and a friend of mine who went said that the ribs at Willingham's were about the best he has ever had.

From Willingham's, went right over to Porky n' Beans (St. Lucie, Florida). I ordered the boneless rib sandwich, which I liked better than the pulled pork at Willingham's. The meat was incredibly rich and tender, with a slight hot dog taste to it, and a deliciously sweet sauce that they poured on top of the meat. After awhile, the meat was almost too rich to eat, so I didn't quite finish the sandwich, but it really was quite good.

We took a bit of a break after Porky n' Beans, then headed over to Jack's Down Home Barbecue (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). I had been to Jack's last year and really loved their pulled pork sandwich; this year, I ordered their pulled pork nachos plate. The nachos were basic, and the cheese was Velveeta (or something similar to Velveeta), but the pulled pork was outstanding once again, making this plate my favorite of the night up to this point.

We finished the evening at Q BBQ (Richmond, Virginia), which was another repeat for me. Last year, I had a hot dog with chili; this year, they were no longer serving hot dogs, so I went for the beef sandwich. It was not quite a brisket sandwich and not quite chopped beef, but was somewhere in between, but the meat had some tremendous flavor to it, and the sauce on the sandwich was the best I had all night.

I would have liked to have tried some of the other places at the BBQ Beach Party, but my stomach wouldn't allow it. My favorite dish of the night? I'm wavering between Jack's pulled pork nachos and Q BBQ's beef sandwich, perhaps giving the nod to Jack's, mainly because the pulled pork was so good.

For all who go to the BBQ Beach Party this weekend, have fun!

Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party to Be Held June 18-22, 2008

The Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party is coming to City Hall Plaza in Boston once again, this time from June 18 to June 22.

Participants this year include Aussom Aussie BBQ (Sydney, Australia); Cowboys Barbeque and Rib Co. (Weatherford, Texas); Porky n' Beans (St. Lucie, Florida); Rasta Joe's BBQ (Plymouth, Indiana); Willingham's (Memphis, Tennessee); Jack's Down Home Barbecue (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Q BBQ (Richmond, Virginia); Johnson's Bar-B-Que (Chesapeake, Virginia); Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ (Mt. Laurel, New Jersey; and Firefly's Bar-B Que, which is located right here in the greater Boston area.

For more information on the Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party, including hours, ticket information, and entertainment, please go to the Phantom Gourmet link below:

http://www.phantomgourmetbbq.com

Boston Restaurant Week 2008 Ends Tonight

Just a reminder that Boston Restaurant Week, an event that includes more than 150 Boston-area restaurants, ends tonight (Friday, March 21) after a two-week run.

Boston Restaurant Week began on Sunday, March 9, and featured some of Boston's best restaurants. Three-course prix-fixe lunches cost $20.08, while three-course prix-fixe dinners cost $33.08.

If you would like to let us know about your experiences at Boston Restaurant Week, feel free to post a comment here. Thanks!

LifeSavor 2008 to be Held in Boston on March 27

LifeSavor 2008, a dinner party fundraiser set up by Community Servings, will be held at The Langham Hotel in Boston on Thursday, March 27th.

LifeSavor 2008 will include dinner parties at 85 Boston restaurants, with trolley service to and from the Langham Hotel. Tickets are $300, with table sponsorships starting at $3,000.

Community Servings is a nonprofit group that provides free, home-delivered meals to those who have illnesses such as MS, Lupus, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

For more information, please go to the Community Servings Web site at:
http://www.servings.org/

Boston Restaurant Week 2008 to Begin on March 9

Boston Restaurant Week, a popular event that includes more than 150 Boston-area restaurants, returns once again to the region.

Starting on Sunday, March 9, and lasting through Friday, March 21 (not including Saturday, March 15), Boston Restaurant Week will feature some of Boston's best dining spots. Three-course prix-fixe lunches will cost $20.08, while three-course prix-fixe dinners will cost $33.08.

For more information on Boston Restaurant Week, go to either of the following sites:

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/

http://www.bostonchefs.com/

Taste of the South End 2008 Coming on March 11

Taste of the South End 2008, a culinary event that allows diners to sample food from more than 40 of the South End's restaurants, is coming to Boston on Tuesday, March 11.

Taste of the South End is a charity event that helps raise money for the AIDS Action Committee.

If you are interested in going to this event, it will be held at the Boston Center for the Arts at 539 Tremont Street in Boston. VIP admission is $250, with early admission from 6:00 to 6:30 PM. General admission is $95, with admission starting at 6:30. The event will last until 9:00.

For more information on Taste of the South End 2008, please go to this link within the Aids Action Committee Web site:

http://www.aac.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Events_Taste