The Boston globe had a feature on Boston area burgers today that made me pretty hungry. While I haven't posted any burger reviews yet, soon this thing will be littered with them. Many of the burgers mentioned in the article are Boston burger legends. Cragie is thought of by many as the best burger around, though I have yet to try it. It is my goal to try every burger on their top 10 list by spring and I will update you all on everyone I try. Flat Patties seems to be at the top of the globe list and I have to strongly disagree with that assertion. The Flat Patty burger was on the disgusting side of things...but maybe I will give it another try (for the sake of the blog). Check out the article and I will keep you updated on my quest for the most legit burger Boston has to offer!
http://www.boston.com/ae/restaurants/gallery/localburgers/
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Toscano (Beacon Hill, Boston)
Keri's father was in town last weekend, which means we got to have some pretty fun food experiences. The highlight of the weekend by far was Toscano, a small rustic Italian restaurant in the heart of Beacon Hill. Since Keri, Debbie and Keri's father spent the day shopping while I worked, we ended up getting a late reservation. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated after a few short minutes of waiting. Toscano has some really beautiful architecture inside with large carved wooden french doors separating parts of the dining area. The rustic Italian menu has some really interesting items, my favorite part of the menu is that you can get any pasta dish as a half order which makes me feel a little less guilty ordering two meals.
There were a bunch of specials being served that sounded really good and most of what we ordered were specials, not the normal menu (this being our second trip, I you can't go wrong ordering off the regular menu. We ended up having a four course meal, that was truly spectacular from start to finish!
Lets start from the beginning; Our first course was an appetizer course in which we got two specials and a cheese plate. The first was braised calamari with swiss chard. The calamari was very fresh and had a nice flavor, unfortunately the swiss chard dominated the dish. The chard was a little bitter and very overpowering. The second special was a variety of sauteed wild mushrooms over a bed of cabbage. The mushrooms were fresh and sauteed perfectly; they were moist, flavorful and had a perfect consistency (not too mushy). The cheese platter had of four cheeses, but the presentation and accouterments were definitely lacking. The plate included two hard cheeses (Parmesan & Romano), a semi-soft cheese (not sure of the name but similar to muenster), and a soft cheese (similar to brie with a slightly different flavor). The cheeses were all delicious, but only came with pears and figs so we used the table bread as a medium to eat the cheese. Overall the first course was quite good, but definitely not the star of the night.
Our second course was a soup and salad course, the four of us shared two salads and two bowls of the same soup. The soup was Pasta Fagioli and was a little different than your standard Pasta Fagioli because it had a bean puree base instead of the traditional whole beans in broth. Overall the soup was spectacular; the bean puree gave the soup a creamy consistency and the small noodles were a great addition. The first salad was a tri-color salad that included cabbage, arugula & endive. The three ingredients were all fresh but all on the bitter side (by nature) and they combined to make a bitter salad that wasn't really my taste. The second salad was a beat salad with dolci gorgonzola topped with salt and pepper. The gorgonzola had a nice sharp, creamy flavor and was soft (not crumbly). The cheese complimented the beats perfectly; the subtle flavor of the beats were not overpowered by the sharp cheese.
The third course was our main course and definitely the highlight of the meal. I couldn't decide between pasta and meat, so Keri and I shared a half order of past in addition to our meals. The past was my favorite part of the night; we had gnocchi with ground duck. The gnocchi was very fresh, smaller than you typical commercial gnocchi and had a very light consistency. The ground duck was lean and had a really nice flavor (not gamey at all). Keri & Debbie both got the grilled seafood special that was really spectacular and right up Keri's alley (its like they knew she was coming). The grilled seafood plate came with shrimp, scallops and monk fish grilled perfectly and very lightly seasoned, the fish was very fresh and had a nice charbroiled flavor. I got the bone in pork loin that was juicy and tender and not over seasoned. The star of my entree was the mashed potato's which were fluffy and had an unbelievable flavor, coming from someone that doesn't like potato's, this is saying something!
While we were probably too full for dessert, we got it anyways. I had the flowerless chocolate cake that was decedent, but not too sweet. Keri had the peach tart that was basically a peach pie, it was mediocre, but may have been better if we weren't so full.
Overall our experience was great! The food and service was some of the best I have had in Boston. There was enough variety on the menu to make even picky eaters happy. You can tell the chef was very thoughtful when he put together both the menu and specials, including things you don't find at your run of the mill restaurant. If you are looking for someplace to go to celebrate a special occasion or just have a really nice experience, Toscano is the place.
Ambiance: 9- love the glass wine room and the large carved wooden doors. Some smaller areas can be a little loud though.
Service- 9: Our server was knowledgeable and timed everything perfectly. Our water glasses were never empty.
Overall Menu- 9: Unique menu and specials with some things you don't find anywhere else.
Presentation- 8: Most things looked good, but making a cheese plate in an art and they obviously need some practice.
Order Accuracy- 10: We ordered a lot of different things and everything was spot on.
Overall taste- 9: Ground duck gnocchi was one of the best pasta dishes I have had.
Value- 8: Pricey, but you really get what you pay for.
Flavor Complexity- 9: They use a variety of ingredients that aren't what you typically see...and they do it well.
Quality of Ingredients- 10: Fresh vegetables and meat. The Fish was very evidently high quality and fresh.
Accessibility- 9: Beacon Hill isn't necessarily the easiest place to get to or park in, but you can get there in 5-10 minutes from the green line and they have valet. The restaurant is good enough to not worry about where your going to park.
Total: 90 Fresh, thoughtful and well prepared food with great service, you can't go wrong. Expect a higher price point for a meal like this though
There were a bunch of specials being served that sounded really good and most of what we ordered were specials, not the normal menu (this being our second trip, I you can't go wrong ordering off the regular menu. We ended up having a four course meal, that was truly spectacular from start to finish!
Lets start from the beginning; Our first course was an appetizer course in which we got two specials and a cheese plate. The first was braised calamari with swiss chard. The calamari was very fresh and had a nice flavor, unfortunately the swiss chard dominated the dish. The chard was a little bitter and very overpowering. The second special was a variety of sauteed wild mushrooms over a bed of cabbage. The mushrooms were fresh and sauteed perfectly; they were moist, flavorful and had a perfect consistency (not too mushy). The cheese platter had of four cheeses, but the presentation and accouterments were definitely lacking. The plate included two hard cheeses (Parmesan & Romano), a semi-soft cheese (not sure of the name but similar to muenster), and a soft cheese (similar to brie with a slightly different flavor). The cheeses were all delicious, but only came with pears and figs so we used the table bread as a medium to eat the cheese. Overall the first course was quite good, but definitely not the star of the night.
Our second course was a soup and salad course, the four of us shared two salads and two bowls of the same soup. The soup was Pasta Fagioli and was a little different than your standard Pasta Fagioli because it had a bean puree base instead of the traditional whole beans in broth. Overall the soup was spectacular; the bean puree gave the soup a creamy consistency and the small noodles were a great addition. The first salad was a tri-color salad that included cabbage, arugula & endive. The three ingredients were all fresh but all on the bitter side (by nature) and they combined to make a bitter salad that wasn't really my taste. The second salad was a beat salad with dolci gorgonzola topped with salt and pepper. The gorgonzola had a nice sharp, creamy flavor and was soft (not crumbly). The cheese complimented the beats perfectly; the subtle flavor of the beats were not overpowered by the sharp cheese.
The third course was our main course and definitely the highlight of the meal. I couldn't decide between pasta and meat, so Keri and I shared a half order of past in addition to our meals. The past was my favorite part of the night; we had gnocchi with ground duck. The gnocchi was very fresh, smaller than you typical commercial gnocchi and had a very light consistency. The ground duck was lean and had a really nice flavor (not gamey at all). Keri & Debbie both got the grilled seafood special that was really spectacular and right up Keri's alley (its like they knew she was coming). The grilled seafood plate came with shrimp, scallops and monk fish grilled perfectly and very lightly seasoned, the fish was very fresh and had a nice charbroiled flavor. I got the bone in pork loin that was juicy and tender and not over seasoned. The star of my entree was the mashed potato's which were fluffy and had an unbelievable flavor, coming from someone that doesn't like potato's, this is saying something!
While we were probably too full for dessert, we got it anyways. I had the flowerless chocolate cake that was decedent, but not too sweet. Keri had the peach tart that was basically a peach pie, it was mediocre, but may have been better if we weren't so full.
Overall our experience was great! The food and service was some of the best I have had in Boston. There was enough variety on the menu to make even picky eaters happy. You can tell the chef was very thoughtful when he put together both the menu and specials, including things you don't find at your run of the mill restaurant. If you are looking for someplace to go to celebrate a special occasion or just have a really nice experience, Toscano is the place.
Ambiance: 9- love the glass wine room and the large carved wooden doors. Some smaller areas can be a little loud though.
Service- 9: Our server was knowledgeable and timed everything perfectly. Our water glasses were never empty.
Overall Menu- 9: Unique menu and specials with some things you don't find anywhere else.
Presentation- 8: Most things looked good, but making a cheese plate in an art and they obviously need some practice.
Order Accuracy- 10: We ordered a lot of different things and everything was spot on.
Overall taste- 9: Ground duck gnocchi was one of the best pasta dishes I have had.
Value- 8: Pricey, but you really get what you pay for.
Flavor Complexity- 9: They use a variety of ingredients that aren't what you typically see...and they do it well.
Quality of Ingredients- 10: Fresh vegetables and meat. The Fish was very evidently high quality and fresh.
Accessibility- 9: Beacon Hill isn't necessarily the easiest place to get to or park in, but you can get there in 5-10 minutes from the green line and they have valet. The restaurant is good enough to not worry about where your going to park.
Total: 90 Fresh, thoughtful and well prepared food with great service, you can't go wrong. Expect a higher price point for a meal like this though
Friday, October 1, 2010
51 Great American Burger Joints
One of the benefits of opening my building at work is some quiet time to catch up on work and skim the headlines in the papers that are delivered daily. I usually find one or two articles worth reading (in addition to the online articles I read at night). Today's USA today had a big burger layout titled "51 Great Burger Joints", which is definitely worth checking out. The paper asked "local experts" (writers, blogger's...) to recommend one really good burger place in their state. The thing I really like about the article is that they are not claiming any place has the best burger in the town, state or country and the places aren't your typical chain restaurants. I haven't been to any places listed, but I have heard of a handful. The list will definitely work as a guide for some of my travels. The Massachusetts choice is Local Burger in Northampton, glad to see it's not Bartley or R.F. O'sullivans who seem to get a lot of press on certain food sites. There are a handful of places that appear to have been chosen based on the fact they use locally grown sustainable food sources, which I think is very commendable. Checkout the article here:
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/greatamericanbites/hamburgers/40391418/1
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/greatamericanbites/hamburgers/40391418/1
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Michael's Deli (Harvard ST, Brookline MA)
Constantly voted as one of Boston's best deli's, Michael's is located in Coolidge Corner across from Bank of America and Bruegger's Bagels. Michael's has a reputation for unfriendly service and most of the staff including the owner really live up to this. I disagree with anyone who accepts unfriendly service as part of the tradition of any establishment ( a la The Soup Nazi). There are a few new staff members that actually care about the customer however. The pastrami and Knish are good enough to forget about the service, but it is because of the service that I don't go more often. Portion sizes are huge and the price isn't unreasonable, especially for the amount of food you get.
Past experience has proven to me that Michael's has the best pastrami sandwich around. A whole sandwich is piled with nearly a pound of meat that is perfectly seasoned, warm throughout and moist. With enough bread to hold the sandwich together, the meat is the star even with any amount of condiments or toppings added. My standard is hot pastrami, spicy mustard, mayo and muenster cheese. The muenster is a perfect companion for the pastrami because you get the gooey consistency without the cheese overpowering the meat. If you are in the mood for a deli sandwich, look no further, Michael's is your answer.
Walking by a few weeks ago, I noticed that Michael's added steak and cheese subs to the menu. Based on the taste of the pastrami (Excellent), I thought I would give it a try. My over dramatic reaction is that the steak and cheese here is one of life's great disappointments. I had really high hopes and the sandwich was truly bad. The steak was flavorless chop meat, that resembled ground beef more than anything. My sandwich came with peppers, mushrooms, mayo, hots & cheese (my standard). Even with all those toppings, all I could taste was the bland meat (because like most of their sandwiches, the meat was plentiful). The sandwich was huge, but I didn't really want to waste the calories on it. Oh how I wish I ordered the pastrami! I asked the owner (Michael) when i arrived if the steak and cheese was any good; he replied by staring blankly at me. A truly asinine response! I guess if he didn't think it was good he wouldn't put it on the menu, but come one Michael; help a customer out! Michael really needs to lose the steak and cheese and gain some personality
I have tried all four styles of knishes Michael's imports from New York (they say daily). All four are very flavorful and a nice treat, I try to get them for my mother and sister who really enjoy them. They have pastrami, meat, potato and spinach varieties. You can reheat them in the oven (or the dreaded microwave), just be careful with the pastrami as it will dry out if its cooked too long.
Michael's is the best deli I have tried in the Boston area. The deli sandwiches, Knishes and different side salads are delicious. Bagels are imported from New York and are mediocre. No matter what you order, you will leave full. Michael's is a great place to grab a quick lunch, but don't expect good customer service while your there.
Ambiance: 8- Standard deli, not too much decoration but generally clean. Sign's are posted stating that no reading is permitted in the dining room, so expect to eat quick.
Service: 6-While service is always quick and accurate, there lack of customer service brings them down.
Overall Menu: 9- Good selection of traditional deli items. Steak & Cheese was a bad addition, but I will give them a few weeks to remove it from their menu
Presentation: 8- Nothing spacial, but it looks good enough to eat. Its a deli, not a 5 start restaurant
Order Accuracy: 9- Never had any issues with my order and I order my own combination every time
Overall taste: 8- was a solid 9 until they added the steak. Pastrami sandwich is as close to perfection as you can get.
Value: 10- Huge portions at a very reasonable price.
Flavor Complexity: 8- Their deli meats are seasoned perfectly and the knishes all have very distinct flavors.
Quality of Ingredients: 8- Top quality meats and cheeses (with the exception of the steak and cheese meat).
Accessibility:8- located in Coolidge corned their is street parking right in front and less than a block from the T.
Total: 82 If you are craving corn beef or pastrami, feed your craving here.
Past experience has proven to me that Michael's has the best pastrami sandwich around. A whole sandwich is piled with nearly a pound of meat that is perfectly seasoned, warm throughout and moist. With enough bread to hold the sandwich together, the meat is the star even with any amount of condiments or toppings added. My standard is hot pastrami, spicy mustard, mayo and muenster cheese. The muenster is a perfect companion for the pastrami because you get the gooey consistency without the cheese overpowering the meat. If you are in the mood for a deli sandwich, look no further, Michael's is your answer.
Walking by a few weeks ago, I noticed that Michael's added steak and cheese subs to the menu. Based on the taste of the pastrami (Excellent), I thought I would give it a try. My over dramatic reaction is that the steak and cheese here is one of life's great disappointments. I had really high hopes and the sandwich was truly bad. The steak was flavorless chop meat, that resembled ground beef more than anything. My sandwich came with peppers, mushrooms, mayo, hots & cheese (my standard). Even with all those toppings, all I could taste was the bland meat (because like most of their sandwiches, the meat was plentiful). The sandwich was huge, but I didn't really want to waste the calories on it. Oh how I wish I ordered the pastrami! I asked the owner (Michael) when i arrived if the steak and cheese was any good; he replied by staring blankly at me. A truly asinine response! I guess if he didn't think it was good he wouldn't put it on the menu, but come one Michael; help a customer out! Michael really needs to lose the steak and cheese and gain some personality
I have tried all four styles of knishes Michael's imports from New York (they say daily). All four are very flavorful and a nice treat, I try to get them for my mother and sister who really enjoy them. They have pastrami, meat, potato and spinach varieties. You can reheat them in the oven (or the dreaded microwave), just be careful with the pastrami as it will dry out if its cooked too long.
Michael's is the best deli I have tried in the Boston area. The deli sandwiches, Knishes and different side salads are delicious. Bagels are imported from New York and are mediocre. No matter what you order, you will leave full. Michael's is a great place to grab a quick lunch, but don't expect good customer service while your there.
Ambiance: 8- Standard deli, not too much decoration but generally clean. Sign's are posted stating that no reading is permitted in the dining room, so expect to eat quick.
Service: 6-While service is always quick and accurate, there lack of customer service brings them down.
Overall Menu: 9- Good selection of traditional deli items. Steak & Cheese was a bad addition, but I will give them a few weeks to remove it from their menu
Presentation: 8- Nothing spacial, but it looks good enough to eat. Its a deli, not a 5 start restaurant
Order Accuracy: 9- Never had any issues with my order and I order my own combination every time
Overall taste: 8- was a solid 9 until they added the steak. Pastrami sandwich is as close to perfection as you can get.
Value: 10- Huge portions at a very reasonable price.
Flavor Complexity: 8- Their deli meats are seasoned perfectly and the knishes all have very distinct flavors.
Quality of Ingredients: 8- Top quality meats and cheeses (with the exception of the steak and cheese meat).
Accessibility:8- located in Coolidge corned their is street parking right in front and less than a block from the T.
Total: 82 If you are craving corn beef or pastrami, feed your craving here.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Washington Square Tavern (Washington Street, Brookline MA)
The Washington Square Tavern is a small restaurant located in Washington square in Brookline (hence the name). This is one of the few places that Keri and I go back to with some degree of regularity. Since our most recent trip was last week (Saturday 9/18), I feel like this would be a great time to write a review. While I still enjoy this place, I have come to see it for what it is: a tavern that can do some simple things really well.
When you walk into the restaurant there is a large bar area on the right and the dining area on the left. While there is not separation of the space, they really make this work because of the long group tables that run almost the whole length of the restaurant. Even though the space is small and can get crowded at times, we love the atmosphere on the inside. The kitchen is located right behind a study style wall of books and there is window so can sort of see what is going on. A few tables seat up to 10 people and more than one group may be at the same table (sort of private cafeteria style seating). The lighting on the inside is soft and the windows tinted, which give the place a warm feel.
We went out with our friends Erin and Brian and when we arrived around 7:30, there was about a half an hour wait. There is a great selection of beers, wine and cocktails so the wait flew by. Our second round at the bar that we all had was the Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale, which had a nice hopy pumpkin flavor; a great way to kick off the fall.
The menu is small and they always have a few interesting specials. Generally when we go, i get the Steak Frittes or the burger and if we go back I will stick with those two.
We decided to start off with an order of PEI muscles in a dijon mustard sauce. The muscles tasted fresh and the order came with plenty for the four of us to share. The mustard sauce was flavorful and not overpowering, but not nearly enough to get a taste with all the muscles. I also started with a traditional wedge salad. The salad was a quarter head instead of the usual half; covered with two strips of perfectly cooked bacon and a healthy amount of bland blue cheese dressing. Overall the salad was decent, the star was definitely the bacon. The dressing needed some pepper, which says a lot coming from someone who doesn't really love pepper.
The girls both had black bean burgers with sweet potato fries on top of greens instead of a bun. They both really enjoyed their meal. The burger was over an inch thick and had a large circumference. Even with the large size, the burger was cooked throughout and very moist. The flavor of the burger was excellent and a great vegetarian option. Brian had a traditional burger that he said was excellent, having them in the past, I would concur.
I decided to mix things up a little tonight and got the linguini and clams sauce. The serving was a decent size, but not huge. There were 8-10 small clams that tasted good, but I would have liked a few more. The pasta was fresh but had a very sticky consistency which I attribute to the lack of sauce on the dish. The sauce was a garlic white wine sauce that tasted great, but the noodles were not coated with the sauce and there was truly an under-abundance. overall the dish was mediocre and I would not recommend it. The clams and noodles were fresh, but the miniscule amount of sauce left the dish flavorless.
With a great atmosphere and a few good entrees on the menu, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun night out. Don't get too adventurous with what you order as it seems they only do the simple things really well. The sauces they use lack complex flavors and while no one wants their food drowning in sauce, don't expect their to be enough sauce to cover your food. Stick to the standard burger, veggie burger or Steak.
Rating
Ambiance: 8, they really make the small space work. Even when it is busy, it doesn't get too loud.
Service: 9, service is accurate and friendly, we have never had an issue.
Overall Menu: 7, small can be good, but not if only a portion of those items are good.
Presentation: 8, food is assembled with care, nothing fancy though
Order Accuracy: 9, the ladies made a few substitutions and they got them all right
Overall taste: 7, nothing tasted bad, but the food lacked elements
Value: 7, if you want a good deal, go with the burger. drinks can be very pricey.
Flavor Complexity: 7, simple flavors and a lot of the ingredients are bland without their sauces
Quality of Ingredients: 9, everything tasted very fresh, especially the seafood.
Accessibility: 8, located in washington square, there is street parking around and 30 seconds from the T.
Total: 79, Worth trying but don't be too adventurous!
When you walk into the restaurant there is a large bar area on the right and the dining area on the left. While there is not separation of the space, they really make this work because of the long group tables that run almost the whole length of the restaurant. Even though the space is small and can get crowded at times, we love the atmosphere on the inside. The kitchen is located right behind a study style wall of books and there is window so can sort of see what is going on. A few tables seat up to 10 people and more than one group may be at the same table (sort of private cafeteria style seating). The lighting on the inside is soft and the windows tinted, which give the place a warm feel.
We went out with our friends Erin and Brian and when we arrived around 7:30, there was about a half an hour wait. There is a great selection of beers, wine and cocktails so the wait flew by. Our second round at the bar that we all had was the Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale, which had a nice hopy pumpkin flavor; a great way to kick off the fall.
The menu is small and they always have a few interesting specials. Generally when we go, i get the Steak Frittes or the burger and if we go back I will stick with those two.
We decided to start off with an order of PEI muscles in a dijon mustard sauce. The muscles tasted fresh and the order came with plenty for the four of us to share. The mustard sauce was flavorful and not overpowering, but not nearly enough to get a taste with all the muscles. I also started with a traditional wedge salad. The salad was a quarter head instead of the usual half; covered with two strips of perfectly cooked bacon and a healthy amount of bland blue cheese dressing. Overall the salad was decent, the star was definitely the bacon. The dressing needed some pepper, which says a lot coming from someone who doesn't really love pepper.
The girls both had black bean burgers with sweet potato fries on top of greens instead of a bun. They both really enjoyed their meal. The burger was over an inch thick and had a large circumference. Even with the large size, the burger was cooked throughout and very moist. The flavor of the burger was excellent and a great vegetarian option. Brian had a traditional burger that he said was excellent, having them in the past, I would concur.
I decided to mix things up a little tonight and got the linguini and clams sauce. The serving was a decent size, but not huge. There were 8-10 small clams that tasted good, but I would have liked a few more. The pasta was fresh but had a very sticky consistency which I attribute to the lack of sauce on the dish. The sauce was a garlic white wine sauce that tasted great, but the noodles were not coated with the sauce and there was truly an under-abundance. overall the dish was mediocre and I would not recommend it. The clams and noodles were fresh, but the miniscule amount of sauce left the dish flavorless.
With a great atmosphere and a few good entrees on the menu, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun night out. Don't get too adventurous with what you order as it seems they only do the simple things really well. The sauces they use lack complex flavors and while no one wants their food drowning in sauce, don't expect their to be enough sauce to cover your food. Stick to the standard burger, veggie burger or Steak.
Rating
Ambiance: 8, they really make the small space work. Even when it is busy, it doesn't get too loud.
Service: 9, service is accurate and friendly, we have never had an issue.
Overall Menu: 7, small can be good, but not if only a portion of those items are good.
Presentation: 8, food is assembled with care, nothing fancy though
Order Accuracy: 9, the ladies made a few substitutions and they got them all right
Overall taste: 7, nothing tasted bad, but the food lacked elements
Value: 7, if you want a good deal, go with the burger. drinks can be very pricey.
Flavor Complexity: 7, simple flavors and a lot of the ingredients are bland without their sauces
Quality of Ingredients: 9, everything tasted very fresh, especially the seafood.
Accessibility: 8, located in washington square, there is street parking around and 30 seconds from the T.
Total: 79, Worth trying but don't be too adventurous!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Restaurant Rubric
We will be reviewing restaurants on a 100 point scale. Scores will be broken down into 10 categories worth up to 10 points each. The categories are as follows
Ambiance
Service
Overall Menu
Presentation
Order Accuracy
Overall taste
Value
Flavor Complexity
Quality of Ingredients
Accessibility
Ambiance
Service
Overall Menu
Presentation
Order Accuracy
Overall taste
Value
Flavor Complexity
Quality of Ingredients
Accessibility
Nashoba Winery
Two weeks ago, Keri and I took our annual trip to the Nashoba winery for some apple picking and some wine tasting. We were joined by our friends Katie and Matt, who were making their first trip to the winery. Nashoba is a great place to go for a nice picnic where you can sip some wine and cheese on a blanket or one of the many picnic tables. Keri and I both had the opportunity to sample 8 different Nashoba made wines, spirits and beers. Since we are still working on our tasting rubric, we will save our first wine review for another day. My all-time favorite wine comes from Nashoba; a Raspberry Dessert Wine. The wine is not has a mild sweetness and really tastes like what you would think fresh raspberry juice would taste like. With a smooth consistency, the wine is on the thicker side with just the right amount of tartness. Keri loves the Riesling and we always travel home with a bottle. After our tasting, we all shared a bottle of their Maiden's blush and a bottle of Riesling accompanied by a delicious assortment of cheese's and dips we brought from home.
If you get a chance to travel to Bolton, MA be sure to check out Nashoba!
If you get a chance to travel to Bolton, MA be sure to check out Nashoba!
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