Press Release: An Evening of Comfort Food at Porcini's in Watertown

PORCINI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT SUPPORTS THE WATERTOWN POLICE FOUNDATION WITH AN EVENING OF COMFORT & FOOD

Watertown’s Own Porcini’s Donates All Profits From May 15th Event

WHAT:       On May 15th, the one month anniversary of the Boston Bombings, Porcini’s Italian Restaurant on School Street is holding a special event to support the Watertown Police Foundation.


                   Porcini’s will be serving a 4-course meal of comfort foods in which all profits will go to the Foundation which provides support and counseling programs for affected police officers, and affected residents of the community, including many families with young children who are struggling to return to normal in the aftermath of having their homes and neighborhoods turned into battlegrounds.

                   The Comfort Menu includes your choice of Chicken Marsala, Pan-Seared Salmon, Chicken Parmesan, Sirloin Steak and many other entrees along with appetizers including Eggplant Rollatini, Mussels and Grilled Calamari…a complimentary glass of wine and chef’s choice for dessert.

                   Also for sale that night is the official Watertown Police Strong T-Shirt ($20) benefitting the Watertown Police Foundation. Order online, or pick yours up that night.

                   And if you’d like to get your giving started earlier that night, stop by the bar for a pre-dinner drink! Porcini’s will have specialty cocktails for the event and as with dinner, all bar profits will go toward this worthy cause.

                 
WHEN:      Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

WHERE:     Porcinis’s Italian Restaurant
                   68 School Street
                   Watertown, MA 02472

TIME:         5:00PM – CLOSE

COST:        $50.00 per person

For more information on the event, please call Porcini’s at (617) 924-2221

Brunch at Bokx 109

          Last weekend I had the opportunity to try the Brunch at Bokx 109 in Newton as part of a contest I won with the Boston Brunchers. I've always enjoyed the dinner menu, and was glad to find the brunch menu was as good (if not better)!

          I started with my favorite cocktail, the Bloody Mary. This was definitely the most impressive I'd had in awhile, garnished with blue cheese stuffed olives and beef jerky.

 
          The Chef treated us to an amuse of mascarpone sacchetti, which was delicious and possibly my favorite course we tried.

          Next was the BLT salad which included bits of sugar cane cured pork belly, a fried sous vide egg, tarragon and bacon vinaigrette, and oil cured tomatoes. I loved the creativity and combination of flavors in this dish!

          My bf tried and really enjoyed the smoked salmon, which also looked amazing.

          Always a fan of the Bokx 109 steaks, the filet and eggs was an easy decision for my main course. This was served benedict-style with two sous vide eggs over grilled brioche and topped with borderlaise (I requested mine on the side, which they gladly accommodated). Both the steak and eggs were cooked perfectly, and I loved the hint of truffle in the sauce.

          My bf tried another variation of eggs benedict: the green eggs and ham with proscuitto and pesto sauce.

          Thanks to Boston Brunchers and Bokx 109 for such a great meal! It's definitely one of the best brunches I've had without going into the city, and could see myself coming back here regularly!

Brunch at Bar 10

          Our latest Blog and Tweet Boston event was a brunch at Bar 10 in the Westin hotel at Copley. Both the restaurant and the menu were recently revamped, and we had the opportunity to experience both. While we looked over the menu, they surprised us with a sample from the cocktail menu: a Raspberry Limosa made with Limoncello champagne, chambord, and fresh raspberries.

          I enjoyed the Limosa but had to try Bar 10's Bloody Mary, my favorite brunch cocktail. This one did not disappoint.

          
           There were quite a few options on the menu I wanted to order, but settled on the crab cake benedict: a generous portion lump crab, poached egg, hollandaise, and asparagus, all served over a grilled English muffin. I was happy with my selection; the crab wasn't breaded or fried and the egg was slightly runny, both just how I like them.

          The Chef surprised us with some additional items to share, the steak and eggs and burger. I was psyched because they were both dishes I'd considered ordering! Both were delicious and I would definitely order them again.

          He also brought samples of the hash browns, which were more like a giant potato pancake!

          It was Jane's birthday, and they treated her to a Boston cream pie shooter with a candle. I may have stolen a bite...

          I had a great meal and would definitely go back (especially for the burger or crab cake). 

          Our next blog and tweet Boston event will be an Ultimate Bootcamp class. Check out my fitness and lifestyle blog for more info. Blog and tweet Boston is a group I co-founded with Jen to connect bloggers with local businesses through fun events. Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook for more info!

Kitchen Surfing

           Love to host parties but hate to cook? check out Kitchen Surfing, the fun new service for foodies that just launched in Boston. Kitchen Surfing brings gourmet and home chefs to you, to create the perfect menu for your party, corporate event, or just prepare your meals for the week. They even bring their own equipment and ingredients so you don't have to.

          I recently had the opportunity to attend a launch party at Chef Jens house, where I had a taste of a Kitchen Surfing event and the chance to meet some awesome local foodies!

          We started with some wine from Urban Grape, who partners with Kitchen Surfing for a discount (your wine bill from Urban Grape is applied to your Kitchen Surfing purchase).

          We snacked on some delicious and unique gourmet popcorn. Chef Jen prepared two flavors; bacon / truffle and chile/lime. Both were excellent, but I loved the bacon/truffle which combined two of my favorite ingredients.

          We also sampled some passed Hors' D'Oeuvres including:

 Fig and Tallegio Crostini, Blackberry Sapa Glaze

Seared Scallop, Potato Chip, Minted Pea Puree, Balsamic Reduction

Hoisen Grilled Chicken Brochettes, Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Lemon Barley Spring Rolls, Fresh Herb Drizzle

          Next were the main courses: Beef Short Ribs and Spring Vegetable Pad Thai. The short ribs served with carrot puree and fresh vegetables was my favorite, but I also enjoyed the Pad Thai which was slightly spicy and surprisingly light.

          For dessert we had mini vanilla bean milk shakes and strawberry short cake cupcakes, the perfect ending to a great meal!

          
          Based on this experience, I would definitely consider a Kitchen Surfing Chef for an event or party. The food was amazing, and I love the concept!

Taste of Columbus Hospitality Group

          A long time fan of the Columbus hospitality group restaurants, I was psyched to attend their tasting event earlier this week. The event for bloggers and media professionals took place in the private dining room at Mistral, and all of the group's restaurants were represented.

          Mistral featured a martini glass of tuna tartare with ginger, soy, and crisp wontons. This was one of my favorites, and I had no shame about going back for seconds!



          There were also a selection of thin crust pizzas available including Tomato, Mozzarella & Oregano, Beef Tenderloin, Mashed Potato & White Truffle oil, and White cheese, Whipped Ricotta, Hot pepper, Sea salt & Arugula. They were all delicious but the tenderloin and mashed potato blew me away!

          Mooo's sirloin sliders with steak sauce, caramelized onions, and home made rolls were delicious.



          Sorellin'as Chilled Pea Soup with lemon ricotta creama and chive blossoms was light, refreshing, and perfect for spring.

          Landana had a skewer of grilled swordfish and vegetables, charred perfectly on the outside yet tender and juicy inside.



          Teatro had a fig and prosciutto sausage in a spicy tomato brodo. Although I enjoyed all the accompaniments, I would have gladly wolfed down and entire plate of the sausage!

          In addition to all of the great food, there were desserts (mini maple and bacon ice cream cones) and cocktails to try! I loved The race with rye whiskey, mint, lemon, and prosecco.

         It was also fun chatting with fellow bloggers, and the giant screen displaying our live tweets was helped put faces to the twitter handles!



           On May 1st, all of Columbus's restaurants will donate 5% of earnings to support One Fund Boston for the marathon recovery. So go check them out, help a great cause, and enjoy a delicious meal!

Blog and Tweet Boston Event at Bar 10

         Join Blog and Tweet Boston for a fun foodie event Saturday May 4th at Noon, at Bar 10 in the Westin Copley Hotel!

          Winner of several awards including Best Hotel Bar from Boston Magazine and Best Civilized Nightcap from The Improper Bostonian, Bar 10 is the perfect place to relax and unwind in sophistication and style.

          With a full brunch menu served from 12pm - 3pm every Saturday and Sunday, you can start or end your weekend relaxing and unwinding in the cozy booths and oversized chairs at Bar 10 while enjoying a variety brunch bites and sips. Choices range from a crab cake benedict sandwich or brunch burger (with a fried egg) to a green monster omelet, and traditional items offered as well, such as Belgian waffles and a yogurt parfait. Sips include an array of bloody marys, mimosas and craft cocktails.  

This is a complimentary event for Boston bloggers.To request an invitation:

1. Follow @BlogAndTweetBos on Twitter and DM us your email address

1. Join our Facebook group, Blog and Tweet Boston, and be sure to leave a comment sharing your email address with us

         We hope you'll publish a blog post about the event within 2 weeks of attending. When you share your email address requesting an invitation, you are agreeing to join the Blog and Tweet Boston email list, where we'll periodically alert you of new events. Blog and Tweet Boston is a group created by @BosBachelorette and @ITakePicsOfFood to bring bloggers and tweople in Boston fun social events and social media post content, connecting them with local businesses.

Taste of the Nation 2013

         Last week I attended Boston's Taste of the Nation, my favorite food and wine event, whose proceeds go to benefit  Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

   
          Just days after the Boston Marathon bombings, Share Our Strength generously offered to donate a portion of their proceeds to Boston Medical Center to support their efforts in caring for the victims. Throughout the night there was also a 26.2 second long moment of silence, and the DJ played songs like Shipping up to Boston and Sweet Caroline.

          This year's event was held in South Boston for the first time, at the Cruiseport. The layout was definitely more open and spacious than past years, and I was glad not to have to wait in lines at the tables. The VIP area was in a separate area upstairs, and there was even an area for food trucks outside! Some of my favorites included:

Shrimp toast paired with a gimlet from Blue Ginger

Deconstructed Crab Rangoon from Tremont 647

Deconstructed lobster bake from Legal Harborside

Braised pork with sesame noodles from East by Northeast

Brisket cigar by 80 Thoreau

          This year's Taste of the Nation was my favorite so far; the new location and addition of the food trucks made a great event even better! I can't wait to check it out again next year!