Food & Drink in Shrewsbury

With crisp air and leaves in shades of red and orange, there is no mistaking the arrival of autumn and the harvest season. While we often think of summer as the best time for fresh fruits and vegetables, the fall harvest has so much to offer. During the summer, there are more than 25 farmers markets across Boston, and while some have closed for the season, there are still several markets that will continue until the end of November. What can you expect? This is the season for apples and pears. Biting into a crisp apple on a cool fall day is so satisfying. Many varieties are amazing on their own (my current favorite is Honeycrisp), while others shine in cooking. Vegetables like radishes, carrots, turnips, and sweet potatoes are delicious roasted. Broccoli and cauliflower are also delicious baked in the oven. Simply cut into florets, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and perhaps sprinkle with a little pecorino or parmesan before cooking. Brussel sprouts are delicious when tossed with olive oil and seared in a hot pan and then placed until the broiler for a few minutes – the outer leaves become crispy while the interior is cooked just enough. Kale, another star of the fall harvest, is amazing in salads, and can also be sautéed quickly with a pinch of dried red pepper for an easy and healthy side. Of course, the markets at the moment are a cornucopia of gourds! No other vegetable says fall like a pumpkin. These familiar squashes can be made into the ubiquitous pumpkin pies (yum!), and the roasted seeds are a fun snack. Like other winter squashes such as butternut, red kuri, and acorn squash, they can also be roasted, and make a delicious soup. Even easier is delicata squash, a recent discovery of mine. This variety, true to its name, has a very delicate skin and doesn’t require peeling – just remove the seeds, slice or chop, and cook as desired. Many of our area markets offer much more than just fruits and vegetables. The Copley Square Farmers Market, my favorite, includes vendors selling cheese, eggs, meat, bread, and prepared foods like sandwiches, salads, and pastries (Copley Square, Tuesday and Friday, 11am-6pm, until November 26). Other vendors offer jam, honey, roasted nuts, and fresh pasta. The Siena Farm stand is worth a visit for delicious organic produce and treats from sister-company Sofra Bakery, including spicy dips, hummus, and Turkish-inspired cookies. Another favorite market of mine is downtown at Dewey Square, across from South Station (Tuesday and Thursday, 11:30am-6:30pm, until November 26). Kimball Fruit Farm offers many varieties of apples as well as a selection of other fruits and vegetables, and is a favorite of the downtown crowd. If you find yourself needing a little snack, Q’s Nuts and Union Square Donuts both have stands here, and are too delectable to resist. Enjoy! For more information on Boston farmers markets, visit http://bostonfarmersmarkets.org/

Wine remains a mystery to so many of us.  Every time we walk into a wine store or peruse a wine list at a restaurant we're faced with a daunting task.  What are we going to choose?  What goes with what we're eating?  What is perfect to just watch TV with?  These are the pressing questions, especially as the weather gets colder and we start looking for big reds to pair with our stews and perfectly drinkable wines to ignore the snowstorms outside with.   If you are in this predicament- I have a solution for you. Each  Saturday and Sunday the City Wine Tours offers walking tours of Cambridge's Harvard Square, as well as the North End, the South End and the Back Bay of Boston.  Each tour stops at three different, unique restaurants and sample two different wines at each, all accompanying the libation with small bites to nosh on.  Of course, that isn't all you get- the real beauty here, beyond an afternoon of eating and drinking great wines, is a knowledgable guide who mixes an abundance of educational wine tips and information with tidbits of knowledge about the area in which you are walking.  All this is done in a fun and informal way to create a stress free experience. I had the opportunity to join a tour of the South End recently and was really excited start to finish.  We began our tour at Gaslight on Harrison Avenue, kicked things off with a bit of sparkling wine, and a white burgundy (my favorite) and learned the unique processes used in the creation of both.  Tour leader John Fiola kept us entertained with leading a discussion on the proper way to open champagne and the different regions of French wine.  We traveled next to CinqueCento also on Harrison Ave and dove into Italian wines and the different laws which rule them as opposed to French.  He also opened up a conversation here looking at how to order wine in a restaurant- invaluable knowledge.  Our final stop was Masa on Tremont Street, and as we meandered there, John took the opportunity to give us some insight into the South End, it's history and the major changes that have happened there over the past few years.  Masa, with its SouthWestern cuisine concentrated their wine in South America as well as California, and offered up a crisp white and full bodied red.  Here we looked at the unique processes of "New World" wines as well as how to properly open a screw top wine bottle.  John also let us in on the how the non corked wines came to be and why. The tour lasted just a little over two hours, but seemed to speed by much faster.  The knowledge that was transferred throughout the process kept us on track and provided a great elementary education without overwhelming us with too much detail.  CIty Wine Tours is offering a unique way to spend a weekend afternoon while combining a little education with glasses of truly great wine.  This is a perfect way to learn a little more about the neighborhoods of Boston and wine. CIty Wine Tours offers tours every Saturday and Sunday at each of the different locations.  Gift Certificates are available, and, hint hint, would make a fabulous holiday gift.  They do offer some coupons and sales- check http://www.citywinetours.com for details.

Whenever I walk through the streets of Boston I always feel as though at any given moment a horse drawn buggy might cross my path, or a colonial woman carrying baskets stuffed with goods from the market my wander into my path.  There is something about Boston that has somehow maintained the incredible history when it was founded and the centuries that have passed since despite its current modern state.  Of course, it helps that we’ve maintained much of our architecture, and even some of our founding businesses right here in the city.  Paul Revere’s home sits as it always has in the North End.  The original State House, now surrounded by the skyscrapers of the financial district, still sits where it always has, in the center of it all, with an eye to the harbor.  Better still, we still have restaurants in business that have long beyond withstood the test of time. Union Oyster House, located just across the street from the Holocaust Memorial in the heart of Faneuil Hall first opened its doors in 1826 and is the oldest continuously open restaurant in the United States.  The building itself was built in the 1600’s before Boston’s landmass was redesigned and the harbor was just outside its door.  It began as a dress goods business, and then reimagined its wares into those lovely shellfish in the 1800’s.  Ever since, residents and visitors alike have flocked to its doors to enjoy its plentiful raw bar, and the rest of their uniquely New England menu.  As a true testament to its prowess, it is a favorite haunt of the Kennedy clan (yes THOSE Kennedy’s) when they happen in from Kennbunkport, and is the post election dinner spot for Secretary of State, Boston native, John Kerry.  Union Oyster House is a true institution in Boston, with its exterior preserved in true colonial spirit and it’s menu offering tastes treasured since that time. A bit more off the beaten path, Amhrein’s has occupied it’s space on West Broadway St in South Boston since 1890. Opened has a “neighborhood spot”  Amhrein’s continues to be a place where neighbors go to enjoy a pint, and generous portions.  Though it’s undergone several renovations over the years, both to it’s interior as well as modernizing it’s menu bringing it’s flavors up to the discerning palates of today, Amhrein’s is still home to the oldest hand carved bar in America (trust me- it’s gorgeous) and Boston’s oldest beer tap- a real claim to fame! No list of historical Boston restaurants would be complete without mentioning the Parker Omni House.  Originally opened in 1855, and then reconstructed throughout the 1920s, the hotel, and self contained restaurant have been an icon to the Boston dining scene.  The restaurant is tributed with first creating that heavenly concoction and the official state dessert of Massachusetts, the Boston Cream Pie, as well as the Parker House Rolls, a buttery way to start off a meal, and also is known for coining the term “scrod”.  The Parker House has definitely made its impression on Boston dining.  However, its not just what they’ve served over the years, it’s who they’ve served.  It’s location close to the old city hall, and the new State House has made it a favorite meeting spot for politicians for centuries, but has also been a favorite spot of such literary masters such as Charles Dickens (who resided within the hotel for two years) as well as such famous names as Longfellow, Emerson and Holmes.  Of course, it was also the site of John F. Kennedy’s Congressional candidacy announcement, and his bachelor party.  This place has some amazing history.  Today, go visit and sit in its gorgeous hallowed rooms and enjoy truly elegant service, delicious rolls and a slice of Boston Cream Pie- or their cocktail of the same name. Boston is ripe with historical gems, spots that have seen wars, hard times and great times.  These are magical places within the city, places where modern fun can be had with a nod to our ancestors.  These are definitely spots to sit back, enjoy a pint and watch the world pass you by. Explore even more Boston restaurants.