Beautiful Foods 2023

Thank you 2023 for good health and good food!

Here's to the home chefs and the dishes they prepared. 

Seared Scallops | Angel Hair Pasta, Lemon, Butter, Parsley

Pork Loaf | barbeque sauce, herb roasted potato wedges, green apple + cabbage slaw

 Lettuce Wraps | Sticky Rice, Yellow Pepper + Crispy Prosciutto

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Filet Mignon | mushrooms & asparagus in a bordelaise sauce

Christmas Dinner | Beef Tenderloin, twice baked potato, lemony brussels, homemade Caesar salad 

Mom's famous éclair ring

There will always be solace in gathering around an elegant (Simon Pearce x Target x vintage) table setting graced by a homecooked meal.

Here's to comfort,  joy and S U B S T A C K in 2024!

You can find me over there!

Tentua di Biserno @ Grill 23

One of my favorite things about keeping up with this blog is the discovery and opportunity regarding anything new. This includes tasting elegant (and expensive!) Italian wines on a Tuesday evening in an opulent wine room at Grill 23. 

Wine tastings are nothing new around here, neither is the beloved Boston steakhouse Grill 23, but these wines and exposure to the region where they are grown in Tuscany certainly are! A sweet Italian man named Marchese Lodovico Antinori proudly presented to us his latest wine making project; Tenuta di Biserno, a unique blend leading with Cabernet Franc.

The Biserno Estate thrives in Western Tuscany in the coastal area of Upper Maremma among the hills of Bibbona, a small wine village bordering the more famous Bolgheri. The wild, rugged terrain only more recently tamed by winemakers is now home to vineyards and olive groves that stretch down towards the Mediterranean Sea. 

Lodovico decided to plant exclusively Bordeaux with Cabernet Franc in greater percentage - followed by Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and an almost abandoned varietal - Petit Verdot. The estates soil is rich in minerals, silt, alluvial sand and clay - terrifically distinct, complex and produces some truly remarkable wines. Here's a look at the five beauties we tasted paired with an excellent three course meal.

Caesar Salad | brown butter croutons, anchovy marmalade

Il Pino di Biserno 2012 - (SRP $75) intense nose with dark berries and plenty of sweet spicy notes. Concentrated palate with beautiful depth and length.

Il Pino di Biserno 2014  - (SRP $75) notes of red cherries with underlying oak adding spice and complexity. Elegant and harmonious palate with fine round tannins and a long polished finish.

Boneless Ribeye | roasted mushrooms with sherry, confit shallots, sautéed spinach w garlic
Biserno 2012 - (SRP $175) their eponymous wine, only the finest grapes are selected resulting in a thought provoking intensity and complexity with notes of plum and blackberry followed by toasty spice. Elegant palate with fine rounded tannins. 

Biserno 2010 (SRP $175) - deep ruby red, scents of blackberries, freshly ground coffee and licorice. Elegant structure to the palate with fine grained tannins, balanced acidity and a mineral-y feel with a lengthy finish.

Cheese Selection | with cranberry pecan crostini, membrillo, honey comb, black pepper apricot chutney

Chevre Berger du Haut Bearn (Goat) Pyrenees, France / Gruyere Reserve AOC (Cow) Friebourg, Switzerland | Pecorino di Pienza, Gran Reserva (Sheep) Tuscany, Italy 

Lodovico 2011 - (SRP $419) A rare, unexpected assemblage, this wine is all about the full bodied, rich texture and complexity, balanced by a fine acidity. 

Wow, this wine is exceptional. All of them were!

Combining the unique terroir with the cooling influence of the sea, Upper Maremma plays host to some of most famous and celebrated wines of Italy. I felt incredibly lucky to taste Lodovico's wines among a spirited group of wine lovers. 

Grill 23 & Bar

161 Berkeley St

Boston, MA 02116

Chilmark Tavern

During our stay up Island on Martha's Vineyard we had an exceptional dinner at the Chilmark Tavern. This BYOB bistro is rustic yet refined and serves whimsical dishes with local seafood and ingredients from neighboring farms. We started the night with cocktails from a little canteen of vodka that I'm so glad we brought along! I had their Shrub ($8) which combined the vodka with fruit based drinking vinegar and seltzer. Bob went with a classic vodka martini ($5). Then, they uncorked ($14) our bottle of Winderlea Pinot Noir Rosé with dinner.

Here's a look at what we ate:

‘caesar’ ($16) baby kale, mixed chicories, grape tomato, bottarga, crunchy croutons

edgartown razor clams ($19) steamed + chilled, finger lime, 

tobiko, salmon roe, avocado crema, grapefruit oil, sea beans 



bluefish ($37) smoked + pan seared, braised fennel, celery, 
onion soubise, citrus, pickled currants, lemon thyme oil

island fluke ($39) razor clam + green garlic broth, fingerling potatoes, 

island grown summer squash, ramp butter

Upon receiving the check, we remarked how expensive the meal was considering the BYOB factor. It was not until writing this post I realized how pricey each dish truly was. I guess this is to be expected in a more remote island locale. The food was impressive so if you're looking to splurge it's worth it.

Next up we head down Island to Oak Bluffs for a few days - more MV recommends to come!

Chilmark Tavern

9 State Road

Chilmark, MA 02535

Sausalito

Sausalito is a dreamy little coastal town on the San Francisco Bay. Strolling along the quaint waterfront with trendy restaurants, coffee shops + art galleries and taking in picturesque views of the sprawling San Fran cityscape makes for a really nice afternoon. 

We scored the perfect waterfront deck table at The Trident and had a fantastic lunch. There was tuna tartare, truffle fries and a crab Caesar salad, complimented by a bottle of Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc.

The Trident

 558 Bridgeway

Sausalito, CA 94965

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A glimpse at our night out in San Fran for good measure. We are at Smuggler's Cove an exotic nautical bar devoted to tiki craft cocktails featuring over 700 types of Rum.

Smuggler's Cove

650 Gough St

San Francisco, CA 94102

City Landing

City Landing opened quietly in July, filling a prime location on the Greenway overlooking the Wharf District parks. It takes over where the original and well liked Sel de la Terre left off after nearly 12 years. 

There was definitely room for a new type of energy on Long Wharf and the re-design embraces that with wide light filled windows, green fabric booths and matching lime colored placemats. Handsome contemporary stone work inlaid with pretty blue tiles frame the dining room with contrasting chocolate brown tables.

My mom, sister and I had  just returned from hiking Spectacle Island and were looking to relax, this was the perfect spot to do so. After the host greeted us warmly we settled comfortably into our table and proceeded to study the wine and cocktail list. I settled first on a Pineapple Jalapeno Caipirinha ($13) it was one of the more exciting versions of a caipirinha I've had, the sweet and spicy livening up the traditional lime and mint.

The wines are grouped progressively - light, medium and full bodied, with a range of selections. Glasses are offered in 6 and 9 ounces, accompanied by a sleek carafe. Later in the meal I chose a 9 oz pour of the Domane Wachau, Gruner Veltliner ($15) a versatile and food friendly wine with a medium body and crisp acidity.

We were pretty excited upon placing our appetizer order for the Trio of Spreads ($12) consisting of truffle herb goat cheese (say no more), white bean roasted garlic and artichoke tapenade. The pitas were served warm and the super flavorful spreads come in adorable ceramic pots; the meal was off to a terrific start. 

The dreary and drizzling weather lent ideal conditions to linger over a bowl of soup. Or two. I was excited to see that they offered a Soup Sampler Duo ($9)!

If your craving a cup of Boston Clam Chowder, chef-owner Bill Brodsky's version is expertly seasoned, briny and creamy, with a nice thick broth and perfectly cooked morsels of potato. The crispy clam on top adds a special touch. It's no surprise this chef has mastered the art of clam chowder, he comes here after spending over a decade at Cape Cod's Wequassett Resort. 

It seems he's no slouch either when it comes to the ultimate bowl of comfort, Tomato Soup. To be precise, this is a Yellow Tomato Bisque and it's bursting with sweet, ripe, juicy tomato scents and flavors, heightened by swirls of chive oil and a flaky cheddar twist on the side. 

I tried my Mom's entrée sized Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon ($23) it was robust with white anchovy, chopped hard boiled egg, capers, garlic croutons and parmesan. My sisters Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($13) was yet another solid offering, it came with lettuce, onion, tomato, bacon, Swiss cheese and a lovely basil mayonnaise.

Our impressive food was matched with kind natured front-of-the-house staff, our waiter was attentive without being overbearing and the manager offers warm smiles as he moves about about the dining room, taking note of newcomers and making sure to thank us as we left. So far, City Landing proves to be a great fit.

City Landing | Long Wharf

255 State Street

Boston, MA 02109