Firefly. An American Bistro

Firefly is conveniently located across the street from Back Bay station, yet just inside the Southwest Corridor. It gives you the impression that you’re eating outside in some courtyard, but you can still just see Dartmouth St, and only the faintest noise of the traffic just near you. Owned by Russ and Sherry Berger of Laurel and Prairie Star (RIP) fame, I was sure it would have good food.

We came into the restaurant a little after 8pm. We actually thought it was closed because not only was the restaurant empty, but they looked genuinely surprised to see us there. “Are you open?” I asked with trepidation….. “Oh, yeah, of course.” they replied sheepishly. Awkward glances all around.

That out of the way, we walked through the somewhat narrow, multi-level restaurant, and into the giant brick patio area. The patio sat in the South West Corridor and offered a nice view of Copley Place, and a bank of trees with white Christmas lights on them. The pleasant late summer weather added to a perfect ambiance for a nice dinner with friends.

I ordered the Thin Crust Portobello and Bacon Pizza. I couldn’t finish all of it (which says a lot). I found it well cooked, and a good meal. It went well with my simple, yet tasty margarita on the rocks. Peter ordered the Chopped Chicken salad with no complaints. Bryan ordered the “Wedge” with chicken breast. “Just what I needed.” he offered. Marco got a Thin Crust Roasted Garlic pizza, which he thought was simple, but still enjoyed. Jeremy ordered the Homemade Meatloaf with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. He couldn’t finish it, but really wanted to. “This is so good, but I can’t eat anymore!” he opined. Adam, carnivorous as always, ordered the Barbecue St. Louis Ribs with homemade red bliss potato and green beans.

Overall, I liked it. My friends and I are always looking for good quick food on the weekends, and this hit the mark. The patio was great, it wasn’t crowded, and we all enjoyed the food. And for Jeremy, Marco, and I to not be able to finish our meals, it says volumes for the portion size. I would highly recommend this for any South End denizen looking for a good meal. If I wanted to show my family a posh South End restaurant, I wouldn't bring them here, but I can definitely see this as a place for my friends and me to frequent a few times a month.

The Great Cannoli Challenge

For a very long time, Mike's Pastry has been known to have the absolute best cannoli in Boston. Well, today Mike's cannoli was put to the test. A group of our Gourmands decided to challenge the claim that Mike's is the best. Bryan, Adam, Marco, Jeremy, and I made our way to the North End this afternoon to scout out the best pastry shops the North End had to offer. We decided on three different shops to use in our challenge. The first was (of course) Mike's Pastry Shop. No matter what time of year, there is always a huge line outside of Mike's. It's noted in tourism books and most Bostonians have gone here at some point in their life. Mike's cannoli are hailed as "the gold standard". In our other corner, challenging Mike's Pastry Shop, were two contenders: Modern Pastry (just a few doors down from Mike's) and Bova's Bakery . Bova's is famous for their Italian Bread but Marco had distinct memories of this shop from his childhood so we decided to let them be the other contender in the Great Cannoli Challenge. All of our purchases equaled exactly the same amount: 5 bucks for two cannoli (one regular, one with chocolate chips).

We first judged the Cannoli on appearance. We selected the same types of cannoli from each shop. One regular cannolo (ricotta filling) and one with chocolate chips. Below is a picture of all three sets:

Based on appearance alone, Mike's Pastry Shop won out. It was definitely the largest of the cannoli and looked the most rustic and homemade which appealed to our Gourmands. Second place was taken by Modern and third, Bova's.

For the tasting section of our challenge, I made everyone close their eyes as I dished out the cannoli so the appearance wouldn't affect the way they judged the taste. Most people had preconceived notions as to which cannoli would win out (Marco thought Bova's would, Adam didn't think Mike's would live up to it's name). After almost an hour of tasting the cannoli we had a clear winner: Modern Pastry.

The Modern Pastry cannoli won out on texture and taste. 3 out of 4 Gourmands agreed that it had the best filling and crispy shell and they all enjoyed the smaller chocolate chips. (Bryan had Mike's as his favorite in all categories.) Mike's Pastry came in second place overall with the sweetest filling and Bova came in third with a runnier filling that didn't satisfy our Gourmands.

Everyone was quite shocked by the blind-taste test. Although Mike's may have the best marketing and publicity in the city, Modern Pastry can be proud to carry the title of Best Cannoli in our books. So next time, skip the long line at Mike's and head on over to the Modern Pastry Shop where you'll taste the best cannoli in town.

Mike's Pastry


Modern Pastry


Bova's Bakery

Maggiano's

Ever since college, my parents have been coming up to Boston to visit me in September. It's always beautiful weather and we usually spend the day walking around working up an appetite. This year, we decided to hit up the North End since we rarely go there when they are in town. After spending the day walking around all those Italians we were craving some Italian food! While the North End hosts some of the best Italian restaurants around, waiting an hour or two in a large line or paying 20 bucks for a plate of pasta is not really what we had in mind so, after our walk, we headed over good ol' Maggiano's on Columbus Avenue.

26.50

I've been to Maggiano's before. Mine and Bryan's favorite thing to do there is order off of the family style menu. The family style menu is $26.50 per person and gives you unlimited amounts of:

2 salads (or substitute one of the salads for another appetizer)
2 appetizers
2 pastas
2 entrees
2 desserts
Plus unlimited bread!

All HUGE (did I mention unlimited?) portions. Ate ten pieces of lasagna? No worries, here are ten more! This is probably one of the only restaurants in Boston where you pay less then what it would cost to cook it at home.

The atmosphere at Maggiano's is best described as Little Italy circa "The Rat Pack" days. Large open space divided up by red leather booths. White linens with candles on the tables, paintings of the God of Wine on the walls and waiters in black and white aprons shuffle about. It's a happy atmosphere and one that is very welcoming.

After looking over the menu and speaking with our waitress (who sounded just like Britney Spears) we decided on the family-style menu. Our choices are below:

Crispy Zucchini Fritte
Strips of zucchini hand battered w/Japanese bread crumbs and fried to a golden brown, served with a zesty lemon aioli cream sauce.

Mushroom Ravioli al Forno
Ravioli stuffed with mushrooms, onions, marsala wine, Parmesan cheese and baked with Alfredo sauce until golden brown.

Sliced Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella
Sliced beefsteak tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese; drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Maggiano's Salad
Iceberg and romaine lettuce, crumbled bleu cheese, crispy Prosciutto, red onions, tossed in our signature House Dressing.

Chicken Pesto Linguine
Linguine pasta tossed with roasted chicken, pesto, and pine nuts in a Parmesan broth with a hint of lemon.

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

Chicken Parmesan
Lightly breaded chicken breasts fried and topped with provolone cheese and marinara sauce. Served with Parmesan chips.

Chicken Francese

Apple Crostada, Caramel Sauce
Warm apple filling of Granny Smith apples, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, baked in a pastry crust dipped in cream and crystallized sugar. Served with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Garnished with mint.

Vera's Lemon Cookies
Crescent shaped lemon cookies glazed with lemon frosting.

Needless to say, we had PLENTY of food. Everything was good (the chicken francese was a bit dry) but there were two stand-out dishes. The first was the Crispy Zucchini Fritte. It was DELICIOUS! We had two helpings of these and could have had more but we needed to save room for the rest of our meal. The zucchini was crispy but warm and moist on the inside and even though it was deep fried it wasn't too oily or heavy. They serve it with a ranch type sauce and a lemon to squeeze on it. The second stand-out dish was actually the dessert. The Apple Crostada was served warm and resembled an apple pastry puff that was flaky and warm and gooey all at once. The ice cream on top was delicious and everything mingled well together.

The service is always good at Maggiano's. They clear the plates fast (a necessity to make room for the other newly filled plates that are always arriving) and the waitress always checks to see if you need more food, even if the restaurant is crowded. If you have a big appetite and want a hugely satisfying meal, check out Maggiano's. You won't be disappointed.

A Bryanie Martini

Tonight--in different parts of the city--Jeff and I are both in need of a martini.

I, for one, have a particular favorite. Here's mine; maybe Jeff will feel inspired after his and post something too! 

It just kind of happened one night when I didn't have any cucumbers to garnish my Hendrick's martini. (Cucumber is the recommended garnish for that particular gin because of its special ingredients.) I got the bright idea to add a cornichon or two instead. I mean, that's a cucumber, right...just pickled?! Then, I thought I'd "dirty" it up a little with some of the "pickle juice." The end product was perfect.

Bryanie Martini

6-8 parts Hendrick's gin

1 part dry vermouth

splash pickle brine

2-3 cornichons for garnish

Shake or stir the liquid ingredients and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cornichons.

The Butcher Shop

Join me as I begin a new column on Les Gourmands: REVEALED! A weekly inside look at my adventures at restaurants and eateries throughout Boston.

Our first restaurant is Barbara Lynch's shop/wine bar/bistro, The Butcher Shop. I had always wanted to go into this place while simultaneously being so intimidated to step foot inside it. I had previously conquered Lynch's flagship, No. 9 Park, with a nine course meal paired with delicious wines. While the price could be considered slightly intimidating, No. 9 Park offered a more enjoyable atmosphere and experience than Aujourd'hui (Boston's other exquiste French restaurant). So, despite already eating at the more serious of her restaurants, I don't know why I still remained scared to step into Butcher Shop---perhaps it is the size of the place and the way it is set up. There are windows on two sides and you can see tons of people always standing or sitting right up against the windows. Plus, I always wondered, what do you do when you go inside?....there is no host station, what will I do? (not to create another tangent, but I am also intimated by B&G Oysters, another Barbara Lynch restaurant!)

Finally putting the fear aside I made plans to go The Butcher Shop (being invited to meet someone there for a drink made the idea of going inside much easier...however we decided to meet there--now what? do I wait outside or go in? eeeek!). I planned to be late--very late by my standards, however, it seemed my dining companion had simliar ideas and was not waiting for me outside as I had hoped. So, taking a deep breath, I decided to step inside. My fears of not knowing what to do were put to rest immediately as I was greeted as soon as I walked in. While I waited, they suggested I have a drink over at the butcher block--this was getting fun already! When I moved into my apartment in Beacon Hill, I wanted to have a big butcher block that could serve as a counter (since there was limited space) but also as a serving table where 2 or more could sit or stand around and have drinks or dinner. Real butcher's blocks are more expensive than I wanted, so I settled for a tall dining bar with a butcher block-type top to it---but this restaurant had the real deal and I loved it!

The walls were filled with that day's specials written in chalk and behind where I was standing was a huge refrigerator full of excellent meats (it is a real shop--you can buy cuts of meat there). All of this really added to the feel of the place--I didn't realize this butcher block part of the restaurant even existed because from Tremont Street all you can really see is the bar at the front. So I had a glass of wine while I waited--the wine list was very European (I had know idea what I was looking through since I really only know things about California wines), but I had a lot of time to thumb through the selections since Ryan thought we were meeting a half an hour after I did. Once he finally got there, the butcher (yes, there is a real-live butcher there) enjoyed overhearing the conversation that we had about Ryan's lateness while he (the butcher, not Ryan) chopped different meats and wrapped them--it was actually fascinating to watch.

The wine was delicious and we had a little bread to nibble on. We did not, however, stay there for dinner. I am seriously looking forward to returning there both for drinks around the butcher block and to actually sit for dinner! I definitely recommend you take the plunge and venture in--the entire staff was very friendly to me (even while I was just standing alone waiting). Barbara Lynch is 2 for 2 in my book--I look forward to B&G!

The Butcher Shop
552 Tremont Street
617.423.4800
thebutchershopboston.com

Preparing fresh squid

Living in New England we are fortunate enough to have easy access to an array of fresh food from the sea. While it is easy to pick up a fillet or two from the fish market, I think it is far more rewarding and fun to buy something "as is" and clean and prepare it yourself. That being said, here's a quick tutorial on how to clean and prepare your own squid for doing whatever you'd like with - fry it up for some calamari, make a nice italian seafood salad, or add it to your asian stir fry!

After running the squid under cold water to get rid of any debris, grab a squid and put your fingers inside of the body. Basically, stick your finger under the flap of the body right below the tentacles. From there, grab the tentacles along with the soft central bone (which looks and feels like thin plastic) along with the intestine and gently pull it out from the body cavity. You can see the thin, plastic-like bone to the right.

At the base of the body cavity you'll find two flaps that look like little rudders. Peel them away form the body so that the white flesh comes away from the skin attached to the flaps. Peel off the skin and discard it. Meanwhile, cut away the intestine (gross-looking thing attached to the head and tentacles) and throw it away. Cut off the tentacles from the head of the squid, and rub off as much of the skin as you can - something much easier said than done. If there is some left on I wouldn't really worry about it; I certainly didn't.

Depending on what you want to do with the squid, for example stuffing the squid with goodness, stop here. Otherwise you can cut the squid into rings for calamari, cut the flesh into thin strips for sashimi, or make criss-cross slits on the skin side of the body and cut into pieces for tempura, pan-frying, or grilling.

Voila! Enjoy your squid!

Autumn Bisque

Every Fall, our friend Jean can't wait to have BC's own version of Autumn Bisque.  I've had it before and it really is quite good.  Well, finally, the secret's out of the bag and dining services has shared their recipe.  You may want to split this recipe in half since it makes one full gallon (there's a lot of hungry students on campus!).

Autumn Bisque 

3 1/2 lbs. peeled butternut squash

2 oz. flour} melt butter-add flour

2 oz. butter} cook 5 minutes

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

20 oz. light cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

6 oz. brown sugar

Chicken broth

Cut the squash into uniform size pieces-cover with chicken broth-add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Bring to simmer.  Cook until squash is soft.  Whip in cooked flour and butter mixture.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add cream, salt and pepper.  Puree if desired.  Check seasonings.

Yields Approximately 1 gallon

Wheeler's Frozen Dessert

Our friend John just moved into the neighborhood so we thought it would be a perfect time to try out a new local dessert shop. We first heard about Wheeler's when we came home one day and found an advertisement hanging on our doorknob announcing their arrival to Boston.

Wheeler's is a frozen dessert shop, located on the corner of Mass Ave and Huntington Ave, that sells sorbet, ice cream and frozen desserts that are dairy-free and contain no animal products (a vegan's delight!). I was excited to hear that an ice cream store opened that was dairy-free since I know so many lactose intolerant people.

We arrived at Wheeler's about an hour before they closed. We walked in and looked around but promptly left since they are a "cash only" business. We returned shortly from the ATM with cash in hand and ready to give this "alternative ice cream" a shot.

The young lady at the counter was very friendly and helpful in explaining the different sizes Wheeler's offered (the cups may seem small but they come overflowing) and she even let me try a sampling of a flavor I had never heard of before (more on that in a few seconds). The atmosphere was a bit stark. There were cool pictures on the wall and a comfy couch to sit on but something was lacking that I can't put my finger on. Perhaps it's because they were still organizing and painting that it didn't seem quite "done-up" yet. It was pretty dark in the store too (perhaps they were "going green" and conserving electricity?) and hard to take pictures.

Bryan and Bob ordered a chocolate peanut butter ice cream. It was good. The flavor was strong and the texture was very similar to regular ice cream. John got the espresso sorbet. I tried some. While the texture was fine, there was a bit of a weird aftertaste to it and I don't feel that it was strong enough in espresso flavor. John said it was okay but he wouldn' t get it again. I decided to go with that sampling I had tried. The flavor was called soursop. The lady behind the counter told me it was a Caribbean fruit with a very familiar taste. She was right. I can't identify exactly what the taste of soursop resembles except that it's a light tropical taste. Although I enjoyed the taste, the consistency of the ice cream was much much more icy than the chocolate peanut butter Bryan and Bob got and made it a bit difficult to eat. There are not many traditional flavors for the ice creams at Wheeler's but perhaps that's to be expected from a non-traditional ice cream shop?

I'm happy we went to Wheeler's to try it out. If you are allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant and miss ice cream, Wheeler's might be a good option for you. However, if you have a hankering for ice cream, Wheeler's probably will not satisfy your craving. Like I said, I'm glad I went (and got to try a new exotic fruit) I don't think I'll go back anytime soon.

Coq au vin & Ratatouille

I was excited to finally get back to the kitchen and cook again. Our recent visit to Petit Robert Bistro made me want to learn how to make Coq au vin, so, with Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in hand, I made my way to the grocery store. While browsing the produce section, I noticed that there was a special on these beautiful local red sweet peppers. They were, like, $1.50/lb; I just had to get some! Right next to those, were some nice green sweet (bell) peppers--also local. I immediately thought of making a nice ratatouille, which is one of my favorite summery Provençal dishes. That was a perfect way to support local farmers and make a great seasonal side dish to go along with my coq au vin. (By the way, at the meat counter, there was no coq (rooster), so I opted--as I assume most American cooks do--for chicken (hen). I saw that they were running a special on pre-cut chicken, so I purchased a large amount of that instead of a whole chicken. It worked beautifully, plus I didn't have to do the butchering myself.

The Ingredients for Coq au vin are:

3-4 oz. lean bacon
butter
2.5-3 lbs. chicken, cut-up
salt
pepper
0.25 cup cognac
3 cups red wine
1-2 cups chicken or beef stock
0.5 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
.25 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
beurre manié (2 Tb softened butter & 3 Tb flour)
12-24 1" diameter onions, which have been braised in butter
0.5 lbs sautéed mushrooms

For the Ratatouille, I used:

4 red sweet peppers
2 green sweet peppers
3 6" zucchini
3 6" italian eggplant
1 large can of chopped tomatoes, drained (Of course, fresh tomatoes would be best, but they had absolutely nothing at the grocery store, so I got canned tomatoes instead. For this recipe, it was just fine.)
olive oil
salt & pepper

The first thing I did was my mise en place. I cut up my veggies for the ratatouille, and got the onions ready. I put the peppers in a roasting pan with some olive oil and let them get started in a meduim oven while I let the sliced eggplant give off some of its water by salting it and putting it between paper towels.

Next, I parboiled the bacon so I could make some lardons. Then, I fried the lardons in my dutch oven and set them aside.

Back to the ratatouille, I cut-up my zucchini and drained eggplant and added them to the peppers mixing it all and making sure there was enough olive oil to lightly cover everything

Next, I browned the chicken in the dutch oven with the residual bacon grease and some added butter. The next part is quite fun if you've never done it before--although be careful! Pour the cognac in the pot over the browned chicken and ignite. Let the flames subside and then, add the broth and the wine, along with the herbs and seasonings. The liquid should almost cover the chicken--as Julia calls it on her boeuf bourgignon eposide, à fleur. This should simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature lets you know it's done.

While that's cooking, I stir my ratatouille some more in the oven. Then, I prepare the onions and the mushrooms--sautéeing them, separately, until they are nicely browned. Set those aside.

Once I see that the veggies in my ratatouille are close to being done, I add the tomatoes. And cook the ensemble until everything is done--adding more olive oil if needed.

Make the beurre manié by mixing the flour into the softened butter. A rubber spatula is helpful.

Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pot. Reduce the liquid a bit, then introduce the beurre manié to the liquid and cook until thickened. Once the sauce is thick, put the chicken back into the pot and heat through. Add the onions and mushrooms before serving and garnish with the lardons.

Traditionally, coq au vin is served with parsleyed, buttered potatoes, but it would go well buttered noodles as well--or even rice.. (I did serve it with my ratatouille, and that went really well, too. I, personally, didn't miss the starch this time.)

Cooking with Copper

A year ago, I cooked with cheap Teflon pans from Target (not that there's anything wrong with that!) but for a serious Foodie or Chef, this is sacrilege. You see, the chef is only as good as his tools. Yes, it's true that even Julia Child was known to use a brick as a weight or a pan as a lid to a pot in the kitchen, that's what made her (and others that improvise in tough situations) so smart. However, catch Julia using a "Target" pan? Absolutely not. Julia, as well as most accomplished chef's use what works the best. And if you can afford it, you should too. What is the best material for cooking pots? Copper. Hands down.

Copper conducts heat quickly and thoroughly and it cools just as quickly so keeping the right temperature is much easier then any other metal or material. The best (and probably most famous) brand of copper pots is Mauviel. Mauviel copper pots are made in France and the company was established in 1830 in a Normandy Village called Villedieu-les-Poeles which was already rich in copper craftsmanship.

Mauviel pots are copper on the outside and stainless steel on the inside, allowing for unsurpassed heat conductivity and control while making it easy to use for everyday cooking. Polished clean or with a patina on them, there's nothing more beautiful in the kitchen than a copper pot.

Another brand of copper pots that are less expensive (due to their thickness and use of tin instead of stainless steel) is Ruffoni, an Italian company. Ruffoni is known for their elegant designs. Acorn handles adorn many of their pots while hand hammered sides show a touch of elegance that commands attention. Williams-Sonoma carries Ruffoni copper as well as stainless steel Ruffoni which are made with the same exquisite designs.

Although much more expensive then normal pots, copper is a great investment that will last a lifetime. We bought our first set of Mauviel copper pots a year ago. I'll never switch back to that "Target Teflon". If you buy a Mauviel pot, you'll not only have it for life, your children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy it some day as well. This is a product definitely worth saving up for.

Hong Kong Cafe

Sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone and go someplace that you would never normally dine in the off chance that you discover a "hidden gem"; a place where the food is excellent, prices are cheap, and tables are readily available. It was because of this quest for that "hidden gem" that I decided to join my friends to eat at the Hong Kong Cafe in the Kenmore/Fenway area.

The Hong Kong Cafe is tucked away inside an old Howard Johnson. The outside is non-descript and is an anomoly in the area where new high-rises are being built and old buildings refurbished on a daily basis. My friend Marco has a strange fascination with old establishments. From old movie theaters to old school Papa Gino's there's just something about them that makes him giddy. I think it's the fact that these places are able to remain in business for so long without any big renovations or updates. That being said, it was no suprise when I received an e-mail today from Marco, bursting with excitement to try the Hong Kong Cafe.

When we arrived at the Cafe we were the only patrons there. Our waiter/host sat us at a nice big table next to the windows (overlooking the HoJo swimming pool...eek!). The first thing I noticed was the "Name the Presidents" placemats. I actually loved this. It was a nostalgia thing for me and I quickly went over the pictures trying to figure out who was who. The restaurant must have ordered the placemats in bulk because they still had Ronald Regan as a living president.

For drinks, Marco and Jeremy ordered the Blue Hawaiian. It came electric blue. I tasted it and it was actually pretty darn good and at $6.50, not too high of a price tag. Adam ordered the Fog Cutter which was described on the menu as "includes a nightmare of bartender's mixture. However, some people enjoy it" needless to say, he took only two sips of it the whole night.

For appetizers, the table ordered the Scallion pancakes, Ribs, crab rangoons, egg drop soup and a few other things to nibble on. I had the scallion pancakes and actually, they were delicious. There were plenty of them for $4.25 and they weren't overly greasy like some restaurants make them. This was the best thing I had all night there. Everyone else said the appetizers were fine but nothing to write home about. I should mention that the Hong Kong Cafe's menu claims that it is "gourmet Chinese food", don't let that bit of advertising fool you. It's anything but gourmet. For the main course, the table ordered sweet and sour chicken and General Gao's chicken. The sweet and sour chicken was bland and too heavily battered. The General Gao's was, again, okay but nothing remarkable.

Although the food wasn't gourmet, the waiter was very nice and extremely tentative to our water needs. I must have received at least 6 refills of water in under an hour!

The Hong Kong Cafe is what you would expect if you were to judge by the outside appearance. A bit run down, pretty bland food (probably a lot better if you've been drinking) and okay prices. A hidden gem? No way. This is more of a quick bite to eat before a Red Sox game when every other place has a line to get in.

[Bryan's note: I also found a little linguistic fun for me when the bill came. It was not only in English, but also in Chinese! Click here to see!]

The String Bean at DSBG

Yesterday, we attended the last in a series of  "Garden Nights" at the beautiful Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont NC.  This one was called "Organic Brews & Blues".

The Four Seasons Garden, featured Stone Mill Pale Ale and Wild Blue Ale, both excellent. The food in this garden included Bleu Cheese stuffed mushrooms, roasted corn and black bean quesadilla with sweet potato, and chocolate pecan pie squares.















At the Orchid conservatory terraces, Samuel Smith Ale accompanied Grilled sausage and pepper skewers with spicy honey mustard glaze, and Samuel Smith Best Ale was paired with white chicken chili and jalapeno cornbread.

This event and the earlier one called "Forbidden Fruits" were both catered by The String Bean, a fresh market and deli opening soon in historic downtown Belmont. The company is already providing catering services and generating great demand in the area.


Glenn Stryker, renowned Chef and Sommelier

          
                                                                                
             



Chad Hutcheson, owner
The String Bean

At the "Forbidden Fruits" event, food and wine was superb.  The finale at the Crape Myrtle Grove included this dish of fresh grilled peaches atop vanilla ice cream and blackberries.

                                                          Celebratory hugs for "Big Butts Barbecue" experts.