BostonZest

Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli - Our Link This Week

Tonight will be Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli's last night behind the bar at Craigie on Main. We knew that tonight would be wild so we spent last night in our favorite corner at his bar. The place was packed from the moment they opened so we weren't the only ones with that thought.

Everyone from the folks on Chowhound to the Boston Globe, is asking about his plans. He says he's taking some time off. That makes us happy because we know how hard he's worked over the past year to build the reputation and success he's achieved.

We're making Tom's Twitter address our link this week. If you want to know what he's doing, you can follow him at:  http://twitter.com/TSGBone.

For those who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Tom

He's been an important element in our enjoyment of Craigie - one of the reasons we came back again and again. It speaks well of Tom as a manager and leader that we also have excellent service when Carrie Cole is behind the bar. He's good at all aspects of his job.

While others follow Tom for his renown skill as an artist with cocktails, we're wine drinkers who have found his wine recommendations and knowledge outstanding.

Last night, as we were ready to order dessert, we decided to have one of the great drinks that we've seen him craft for others. Tom created a special drink to match our favorite gingerbread dessert.

It was a bourbon-based drink because he knows we both love bourbon. He added notes to it from three or four bottles and mixed until it met his high standards. It was delicious and a perfect match.

Thank you Tom, for all the enjoyable hours we've spent in your very capable hands. Make the most of your time off and know that we'll be waiting to hear about the decisions you make and directions you take in the year ahead.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Artwork: From Tom's Twitter page

Toasting a New Decade with Sparkling Wines on New Year's Eve

A toast on New Year's Eve is great, but we wanted more. A couple of years ago, we resolved to add more sparkle to our lives and toast a "new start" every month.

We love sparkling wines and raise a flute of Cava, Prosecco, an American sparkler, Cremant or Champagne the first of each month. Most of these are big-value, low-cost selections.That means the bottle we choose to welcome a New Year (and in this case a new decade) has to be special. While this has been the kind of year that many of us can't wait to leave behind, it's also been a year when we've had unexpected reasons to rejoice. So, join us in giving yourself permission to splurge, even if just a bit.

Instead of going out on New Year's Eve- and spending some hefty cash -we're going to stay put with a great bottle of sparkling wine. And, as we sip our winning selection we'll think about the fun we've had during the past few months – at tastings, talking to wine makers, and consulting with wine merchants– to find the bottles that sit at the bottom of our wine rack as the finalists for New Year's Eve 2009. We have some outstanding candidates, but you'll have to wait until next year to hear about the winner.

Choosing your Wine to Welcome 2010

Our sparkling resolution means that we've tasted bottles of bubbles priced from $7 to $150 over the past few years.

• We've sipped Spanish Cavas, French Cremants and California Barefoot Bubbly from Trader Joe's.
  
• Enjoyed American sparklers like Gruet Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico and RJR from our own Massachusetts neighbors at Westport Rivers Vineyards.
  
• We love Italian Proseccos, like Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobbiadere Rustico
  
• We've served magnums of Argyle Brut from Oregon's Willamette Valley and bought every bottle we could find of their 2005 Brut during the summer. (If you see one- grab it. If you see more than one email us so we can stockpile more!)
• For a special occasion, we treated ourselves to a bottle of Champagne Billecart-Salmon Rose NV. 
• We shared a magnum of Segura Viudas Aria Cava with other Boston area food bloggers at a Public Radio Kitchen Event.

Chowhound Opinions

Last summer the gang on Chowhound's Boston board had a great conversation about good values in sparkling wines and where to buy them. Here's a link.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/631754

Join our Sparkling Resolution!

Toasting a new beginning each month has been great fun, and we'll keep it going. Join us in lifting a glass of sparkle the first of every month in 2010! We welcome nominations for new wines to try, and we'd love to hear what you're drinking and what you're toasting.

We've also discovered great value in the wine glasses from Schott Zwiesel. The ad below will take you to a page that gives you options for their most popular glasses.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2009 Penny Cherubino

Related Posts:

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/12/index.html

http://www.bostonzest.com/2007/12/index.html

What Wind Chill?

We think this is a day for layers, hats, gloves, and scarfs. But, not everyone out there agrees with us. We were amazed to see so many people bareheaded and barehanded.

Either they don't mind the cold, or they're like this Back Bay mail carrier who is famous for wearing shorts long into the winter.

No, this photo was not taken today. Penny took it earlier this month on a day when the temperature was all the way up to 25 degrees.

It was just a couple of days after we mentioned him in this post about another guy who didn't want to give up his sandals just because of sub-zero wind chills. Maybe he delivered mail in full length pants today! Let us know if you saw him, and what he was wearing.

We're just in from a brisk (and we do mean brisk) walk. We planned our errands so we could duck into shops, the library and the Prudential Center to warm up, while we put in our daily goal of 10,000 steps.

Here's a post from last year on how to keep warm in a Boston Winter. It's filled with tips on surviving the coldest days of the year.

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/11/keeping-warm-in-a-boston-winter.html

How do we measure 10,000 steps? With the best pedometer we've ever found. You can toss it in your pocket or bag, and it still records each pace. It also tells you how much aerobic exercise you've had each day. This gets our highest recommendation.

 

Details:

Writers Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2009 Penny Cherubino

The Original Pizzeria Regina- Our First Visit

Recently, we checked the original Pizzeria Regina off our list of "Boston classics we've never tried." Thanks to A Proper Bostonian's wonderful post on a holiday visit to the North End for reminding us to sing Regina's praises.

When we walked over from the Haymarket station, the wait was short. By the time we left, the line was the length we had expected to find. We'd been warned that waiting in line is part of the Pizzeria Regina experience. Our wait was put to good use making decisions from the menu posted outside.

We just missed seats at the bar, but did win a booth in the center of the room that gave us a perfect spot to observe this classic pizza joint. We watched pizzas, by the dozen, come out of the kitchen to be cut and placed on trays for service or boxed for take-out.

Around us, people took various approaches to pizza eating from knife and fork to precise folding techniques. Customers picking up orders "to-go" came and went, after standing in the spot designated for waiting.

Our waitress was right out of central casting– quick, all-pro, and just a tad surly. She knew you were there to eat, and she was going to see that you had what you needed. Napkins, utensils, and paper plates were slid across the table, drink orders taken and delivered and then our choices were scribbled on her order pad.

First up, the Margherita (tomato sauce, fresh chopped basil with Mozzarella and Pecorino Romano.) This was a given, because the a Margherita is our yardstick for judging a pizza maker. And, this is the pizza that will bring us back to Regina. It was wonderful! And, much of the credit goes to the crust. It was crisp, flavored with their natural yeast, and kissed by their coal-fired, brick-oven with just a hint of char.

We had to see how they handled toppings. Our second choice was a Classico (tomato sauce, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, fresh mushrooms, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.) Regina's approach is "Abbondanza!" Here, a pizza with toppings could feed us for a couple of days. We needed that knife and fork for the Classico.

Please remember, we're only talking about the original Pizzeria Regina in the North End, not the Mall locations around the area. We just don't find the magic in those places. And, on future visits we'll concentrate on the menu offerings with fewer ingredients, to let that wonderful crust shine through. 

Other Opinions:

Here's what the Chowhounds say about the Best Pizza in Boston.

Here's the Yelp.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photos: © 2009 Penny Cherubino

Regina Pizza
11 1/2 Thacher Street, Boston, MA
617-227-0765
www.reginapizzeria.com

Thanks to All the Sunday Dogs of 2009!

Miss Maggie Mae is here to say, "Thank You" to all the BostonZest Sunday dogs who posed for us, brightened our days, and added their charm to our Sundays. Maggie is BostonZest's Vice-president for Security and Morale.

(She found this snowman in front of the statue of Samuel Eliot Morison on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and gave it a complete sniff-inspection.)

Living in the city is wonderful for dog lovers, because we meet so many wonderful dogs and their families. Word of a new puppy is passed from one person, with a leash in hand, to another. New rescue dogs are welcomed, and their families thanked and supported as we all try to help their companion understand the life of a city dog.

Sadly, knowing so many dogs also means that we often face the loss of a special friend who made us smile, offered a wag and leaned in for a pat each time we met.

So, we'll pause for a moment this Sunday to think of those special dogs who left us in 2009. We'll also look forward to meeting the new dogs who'll come into our lives in 2010. And, we lift our cups of coffee with wishes for happy romps, good health, and sunny walks for all our canine pals.

Check out the Designer Shoe sale for Men and Women going on through 12/31/09 at Amazon's own Shoe and Accessories store. Just click on the endless ad above to head for savings.

Here's one for the Chrismas Bird Count

Each year at this time the professionals at Audubon organize an army of "citizen scientists" to conduct an Annual Christmas Bird Count.

This year's count is already underway, but if you're looking for a reason to get out and pay attention to your surroundings, you can practice for next year. 

If more time outdoors and more exercise is in your plans for 2010, visit the Amazon Endless shop to find the best deals on athletic gear. They are having a Big Clearance Sale through December 31, 2009.

Happy Holidays From BostonZest

Happy Holidays to all our readers. May your day be as peaceful as this scene of the Boston Public Garden.

Photo: © 2005 Penny Cherubino