Healthy Chicks

This past Saturday, I attended Boston Event Guide’s Fall Wine Fest at Cyclorama on Tremont Street with my sister and some friends. I always love a good excuse to travel to the beautiful South End, and well, wine is a good excuse if you ask me.

We attended the matinee session, which went from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. That gave us two and a half hours to sample as much wine as we could. When we checked in, we were given a wristband and a “passport” listing all of the companies that were there representing different countries around the world.

We started out at New Zealand, which my sister was especially excited about as she studied there for a year during college. We then made our way “around the world” with stops at Spain, Austria, Portugal, South Africa, Argentina, Greece, France, Italy, Australia, all the way to the USA with everything in between.

While we got to sample many different flavors and styles, a plethora of both reds and whites, beers, ciders and even meads, one of my favorites was The left Bank Meritage Red from South Africa. With dark cherries, plums and spicy fruit cake flavors, this red wine is definitely perfect for the fall holiday season.

The Londonderry, NH Moonlight Meadery was another crowd favorite, as we’d never tasted anything quite like it. With their tagline being “Romance by the Glass,” this meadery had a variety of flavors including Sensual (made from wildflower honey, water & yeast), Desire (a blend of blueberries, black cherries and black currants), and my personal favorite: Fling (honey, rhubarb, and strawberries). They even had an Apple Pie, which tasted just like the real thing! The flavors were so distinct and unique, leaving quite the impression on us (and our tastebuds).

Along the way, we were sure to fill up on free samples from Popchips (LOVE their new Parmesan Garlic & Sweet Potato flavors) and Food Should Taste Good, one of my favorite all natural chip companies.

We also stopped at Paris Creperie’s booth for a Sauteed Mushroom, Spinach & Gruyere cheese crepe which was absolutely sinfully delicious. When I lived in Brighton, I often stopped at this little gem in Coolidge Corner for homemade cocoa and crepes, so it was nice to see them there.

Over all, it was a great event, packed with lots of wine and goodies. We definitely got the most out of our time, and were able to try a good handful of the wines.

What’s your favorite wine? Are you a red or a white fan? What do you like to pair with your wine?

Like any twenty-something girl, I absolutely love to be wined and dined, especially in Boston’s very own Little Italy also known as the North End. Well, this past Friday, I spent the evening wining & dining (and laughing) with my beautiful younger sister Krista and let’s just say we were not dissapointed.

{posing with our brights ready to hit the town!}

We started the evening out at Boston Bottles, our favorite little wine and beer shop which is conveniently located minutes down the street from our apartment. They have quite a generous selection of wine and craft beer, and never disappoint no matter what day of the week. Not to mention the staff is knowledgeable, extremely friendly, and always remember our faces (and our taste in booze) each time we visit.

But wait, it gets even better! Every Friday evening starting at 5:30, Bottles hosts a wine tasting free to the public. Each week, my sister and I look forward to the new selection of wine, and we’re always pleasantly surprised. Not only do we have a blast, but it’s also a great way to try a different type of wine you may never have thought to try. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up falling in love with a different blend, as I did the rosé this past weekend (It tasted like a sunset we decided!)

{Beautiful selection of whites, reds and rosé. We even got to try a brew!}

After our weekly trip to Bottles, we head over to Nebo for our 7:00 dinner reservations. My sister had purchased an online voucher to treat me for a belated 25th birthday dinner, and I was floored as I’ve always wanted to try Nebo since I moved to the North End but never got the chance.

We were seated near the window, which was perfect for some good, old-fashioned people watching and city-side dining. For starters, we ordered the Arugula salad to split, which was prepared with freshly shaved parmesan and a light, lemon vinaigrette. It was the perfect refreshing appetizer, especially since we knew we had big dinners coming our way! We also ordered some garlic bread to tide us over while we waited for our meals.

I ordered off the Gluten Free menu because, although I don’t have Celiac’s disease, I still try to consume a gluten free diet most of the time as it makes me feel better inside and out. While everything looked delicious, I knew right away I wanted the Funghi made with handmade pasta, wild mushroom ragu, caramelized onions, fontina and sage. The pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce was creamy but not too heavy, and the portion was ideal. Needless to say, I scraped my plate clean. My sister ordered the Rosso: handmade pasta, shrimp in a slow roasted spicy tomato sauce, which was absolutely decadent.

{wild mushroom pasta with fontina and sage}

After our feast, we bar-hopped for a bit, and then walked around the city to work off our meals. It couldn’t have been a more perfect night in the city.

What’s your favorite place to dine in the North End? If you haven’t been to the North End, what’s your top secret Boston dining options?

XoXo,

Oops. All day yesterday, I thought it was Thursday and therefore totally forgot to do my Hump Day Wednesday post. Therefore, since yesterday was Thursday in my mind, today I will pretend it’s Wednesday over here at Healthy Chicks. Alas, here is your Hump Day Lesson of the Day:

Seriously, their wine selection is pretty darn good, and may I add extremely cheap. Yesterday my sister enjoyed a lovely glass of a Trader Joe’s brand California Cabernet. It paired perfectly with our sharp cheddar cheese paired with Onion & Chive seeded crackers. Yum. 

That being said, you should feel embarrassed accidentally spilling your roommate’s wine glass and getting red wine all over your white chairs. Oops, my bad. Guess I’m more of a light weight than I thought. 

So, Happy Hump Day (Just pretend it is for me, OK?)