Leah's Bridal Shower

Back in July we threw my sister a Greek themed Bridal Shower! (They are going to Greece on their Honeymoon.) All the guests wore handmade flower crowns. There was a bloody mary + mimosa bar, Greek salad, moussaka, grape leaves + baklava among many other delicious Greek foods, plus a customized spread of Georgetown Cupcakes!

the rebirth of Olives

Chef Todd English recently threw a party to celebrate his flagship restaurant located at City Square in Charlestown. Olives grand RE-Opening event was met with much fanfare and excitement. The original Olives which opened in 1989 was something of a legend in Boston. Having been closed since 2010, the space has been revamped to embody a rustic elegance, with a grand mahogany wraparound bar and a stunning open kitchen as the central focal points. 

Todd has partnered with Chile Extra Virgin Olive Oil which was a featured ingredient in many of the signature party bites. Beautifully prepared ceviche (tuna with avocado panna cotta and hake with cucumber and coconut milk) and a remarkable dessert of olive oil tres leche cake. Even the signature martini highlighted the olive oil by lacing it a top a fantastic concoction of shaken vodka, vermouth, basil, Cointreau, muddled orange and simple syrup. I arrived early to attend a tasting of the olive oil before the party began. It is definitely some of the smoothest, most flavorful I've had. It truly enhanced everything from the quail egg shooters (above) to the carrot and duck risotto (below).

After some mingling, drinking and dancing we dug into a lavish dessert bar. The sweets were abundant and incredibly executed, from rice krispies pyramids to wonderfully fluffy, decadently frosted cupcakes.

This was such a great night. I captured much less of all the details and the exquisite passed appetizers than you see here, I was mainly relishing the spirited energy with friends and bubbly. I love that the opening nearly coincided with my move to the neighborhood! I can't wait to return for dinner. 

chocolate madness.

NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts hosted their annual Chocolate Madness event at The Cyclorama. I was invited to attend as a judge which included a catered reception with plated appetizers and glasses of wine before diving headfirst into plates of chocolate everything. At assigned tables fellow judges and I rated eight entries based on taste and creativity, before making the rounds to all (or as many as we could!) individual tables. We sampled from the wildly inventive treats to the standard but never disappointing confections from local restaurants, bakeries and chocolatiers who came out to support the cause.

My favorite? Definitely the Grand Cru Granada chocolate mousse w. cookie crumbs, caramel + meringue from Union Bar & Grille. Runner up was a tough call, but I will give it to the salted caramel chocolate cupcake from South End Buttery.  Honorable mentions go out to the Taza Chocolate bread pudding w. salted caramel + toffee cream from The Fireplace, the peanut butter chocolate fudge brownies courtesy of Butter Girl Baking Co. and the French macaroons w. Bergamot chocolate + salted toffee provided by Beacon Hill Bistro. Oh and then there was Foie Gras Cupcakes from Kickass Cupcakes - not for everyone - but definitely for me. 

As it turns out, you can have too much chocolate. But I wasn't complaining. It was such an honor to judge this event and I would do it again in a heartbeat!