The Daily Catch

The original Daily Catch in the North End is a no frills, cash only, hole-in-the wall establishment with a frenetic open kitchen, tight dining quarters and a usually lengthy wait as evidenced by patrons forming a line that runs a block down Hanover Street.

The uber casual, somewhat divey approach is all part of its charm - from the weathered tables and chairs, to the single chalkboard menu, the use of paper placemats, and especially the wine served in plastic cups. To start, the Fried Calamari ($9.75/small, $18.50/large) is an absolute must! Arguably some of the best in town, theirs achieves the ideal balance of crispy batter to toothsome tentacles, full of sweet ocean flavors with just a hint of olive oil. A dusting of fresh parsley, two juicy wedges of lemon and zesty marinara sauce for dipping finish off a perfect execution.

The Sicilian style seafood dishes are fresh, authentic and served piping hot in the pan in which they were prepared. Every last drop of red sauce, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs are all there for the party. May I recommend the Tinta de Calamari -which is Homemade Black Pasta ($10.50/appetizer, $21/ entree). Of the three chalkboard varieties, I have tried two of them. One was on a visit quite a few years ago, (sorry about the picture quality) while the other was just a couple months back. Both are equally deserving of my affections. The thick ribbons of squid ink pasta laced with sinfully good olive anchovy butter coil around sauteed mushrooms, onions and red and green peppers in the Putanesca, while the Aglio Olio incorporates plentiful amounts of briny ground squid and sautees it simply with lots of garlic and olive oil.

A Hanover Street mainstay and often overlooked staple in the Boston seafood scene, the original Daily Catch with an unassuming presence, warm cheerful service, and authentic Italian seafood dishes will hopefully leave you nothing short of impressed.

Legal Sea Foods Santa Rita Wine Dinner

Last Thursday evening I was treated to a five course meal paired with exceptional Chilean wines in Legal Sea Foods Park Square 10,000 bottle wine cellar. I accepted an invitation to the Santa Rita Wine Dinner from Legal's Director of Marketing, Ida Faber, and I invited my sister, Leah along as my plus one. 
We arrived early giving us ample time to marvel at the expansive wine cellar, which in addition to four private dining rooms, houses a swank wine bar and lounge displaying a gorgeous waterfall statue within the spiral staircase. Each dining room boasts extensive floor to ceiling glass wine vaults showcasing a part of the collection, among cherry paneling, stone stacked walls and mahogany tables. Much to Leah and my surprise, we were seated at the head table with prestigious men in business suits - among them winemaker Carlos Gatica, Legal Sea Foods VP of Beverage Operations, Sandy Block, and a number of Event Directors and Marketing Managers of both Palm Bay International (the importers) and Ruby Wines Inc. (the distributors.) Tonight I was in the company of some serious wine experts, who warmly embraced our presence. Founded in 1880 in the Alto Jahuel area of Chile, Viña Santa Rita is named for the catholic Saint of Impossible Dreams, the name pays homage to the "impossible dream" of exporting wine from Chile. 130 years later, Santa Rita is the second largest winery in Chile, exporting to 40 countries worldwide. They pride themselves on sustainable agriculture and the geographic diversity of their vineyards, which allows them to create a wide range of high quality wine, a number of which have earned major awards and distinctions in Chile and abroad.

Our server started us right away with the first wine, a young and fruity Santa Rita "Reserva" Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, 2010. Casablanca Valley has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate, an ideal ecosystem for the growing Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is firm and fresh on the palate, it makes for an excellent paring with seafood, which began in the form of passed hors d'oeuvres including a Maryland Crabmeat Tartlet with lemon aioli, Ostras a la parmesana and a Wild Mushroom Crustini with lemon thyme sauce. All were excellent bites to segway into the main courses, the Crab Tartlet was my favorite of the three. We transitioned to a more elegant and complex Santa Rita "Medalla Real" Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley, 2009 for the first course. Located 8km from the Pacific Ocean, the warm temperatures and cool marine breezes of the Leyda Valley also lend perfect growing conditions for Sauvignon Blanc. As a result, the wine has a distinct minerality, (much more so when compared to the Reserva) and a vibrant acidity giving way to a long fruity finish. The wine was paired with a cold Seafood Salad Al Aji Amarillo. An inviting bowl of the freshest scallops, mussels, calamari, shrimp and flaky mackerel mingled with julienned red, yellow and green peppers and onions in a dynamic citrus broth with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime, accompanied by exotic crispy yuca chips. The grapefruit and lemony citrus notes of the wine complimented the citrus broth which additionally gave off a slight heat. The generous addition of fresh cilantro atop the seafood lent contrasting bright flavors. The next wine was perhaps my favorite of the white grape variety, a Santa Rita "Medalla Real" Chardonnay, Limari, 2008. This chardonnay was extraordinary in color with bright and intense hues, it looked like liquid gold. It is soft and round on the palate, with a creamy texture and a persistent finish. Notes of oak, vanilla and even some coconut can be detected. It was paired with Empanadas Two Ways in a grilled corn poblano sauce; a generous portion, one stuffed with shrimp and the other with tender shredded chicken and both baked until golden brown. The sauce notably achieved a nice balance of sweet to spice, and there was plenty of it to pair with the hearty empanadas. Dinner progressed at a smooth pace with continued spot on service, as we transitioned to the red wines and our third course. We tasted two from the Carménère variety to start, produced from 80 year old vines that originated in France. Chile produces the vast majority of Carménère available today. The first, Santa Rita "Medalla Real" Carménère, Colchagua Valley, 2008 is an extremely well balanced, flavorful wine with notes of black cherry, spices and chocolate. The second is a limited production that represents the best expression of the variety, Santa Rita "Pehuen" Carménère, Apalta, 2004. The Apalta Valley cultivates vines that need a higher temperature to mature, producing a distinctive, superb wine that is both powerful and elegant, earthy and complex, characterized by the fresh black fruit and spices typical of the variety. The Carménère stood up to the meaty seared Yellowfin Tuna Steak with an exciting Spanish olive tapenade and an arugula lentil salad dotted with cabrales blue cheese crumbles. I thought the olive tapenade particularly worked well in this paring, serving to enhance the connection between the intense wines and the delicate preparation of the tuna. As dinner came to an end, we finished with an exceptional vintage, Santa Rita "Casa Real" Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipp Valley, 2005. A bouquet of blueberries and blackberries lend freshness, while persistant notes of vanilla, oak and tobacco are warm and comforting, making this a perfect wine to end the meal with. The paring was a cheese course that included Lamb Chopper a sheep milk cheese from California, Smith's Aged Gouda from Vermont and a Two-Year Aged California Cheddar, accompanied by brioche toast points, a mission fig compote and fresh figs.

The thoughtfully prepared menu was executed in harmony with the best of what Viña Santa Rita has to offer. I'm tremendously grateful for the exposure to these premium Chilean wines and for the experience to dine in Legal Sea Food's state-of-the art wine cellar among such wonderful company. Santa Rita's mission statement, is simply stated "making people's moments enjoyable". This dinner was a shining example of just that.

Delighted by Del Frisco's Lunch

Last Saturday I enjoyed a leisurely media lunch for four at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in the expansive modern dining room overlooking a cloudy Boston Harbor.
My second visit was much more relaxed and intimate when compared to my first, which was a lively dinner event attended by 30 or so bloggers. It was nice to experience a different side of the restaurant and check out the mid-day menu offerings, which includes a "Business Lunch" of a starter, an entree and a side dish for $23 from 11:30am - 4:o0pm. I had just arrived back from Spain on Thursday night, gone to work on Friday, and was still feeling a little jet lagged, so I almost opted out. One taste of the Shanghai Style fried Calamari ($15) and I was incredibly thankful I hadn't. Actually, once I had a glass of Cupcake Shiraz ($10) in my hand and broke off a slice of their utterly perfect warm sesame studded bread loaf and slathered it with creamy butter, I was close to content. The Calamari appetizer went on to seal the deal. A bold preparation, lightly battered and fried squid is loaded with bean sprouts, scallions, crushed peanuts and mildly hot peppers all mingling in a sweet Thai chili sauce. I was completely smitten with this unique take on a classic appetizer. While the sweet chili sauce added delicious flavor, I appreciated the restraint with which it was used. It highlighted the fresh ingredients without overwhelming their varied crispy textures. I particularly loved the crunch from the peanuts. After finishing my glass of red wine, I craved something light and sparkly, so I decided to pair my lunch with a cocktail. The Mod French 75 ($14) garnished with a cool cucumber combines Hendrick’s Gin, lemon juice, bitters and Moet champagne for a fresh fizzy afternoon delight. The odd dining companion out chose the fantastic looking Lobster Shrimp Club ($18), while three of us couldn't pass up the Filet Medallions Sandwich ($16). I was expecting to be overwhelmed by a massive portion, and I was in the best sense possible. While I could only manage to finish half of the sandwich, the individual halves themselves are nicely proportioned. The sandwich was deceptively easy to bite into without the ingredients making a mess or tumbling out. Bite size nuggets of tender filet medallions are paired with soft sun dried tomatoes, gridded thin red onions and just a touch of horseradish herb spread. Encased by the same signature warm and fluffy bread that I dove headfirst into at the beginning of the meal, the loaf makes an even better vessel for filet. Mine were a perfectly cooked medium rare. Well seasoned french fries accompanied my plate, while everyone else could not pass up the homemade skillet potato chips. I tried the chips and can vouch for their status. We received impeccable service which was friendly and personalized. Even though the staff was fully aware we were bloggers attending a comped lunch, this doesn't necessarily go without saying.
A small but innovative menu offers appealing dished prepared with precision. From weekday business power lunches to easygoing weekend afternoons, whatever the lunch occasion, Del Frisco's aims to personalize the experience to fit your needs.

Grilled Cheese Tuesdays at Dante

Every Tuesday in the bar and lounge at Dante, enjoy $2 grilled cheese sandwiches from 5:30pm. Offering sweeping views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline, Dante is a contemporary Italian restaurant located inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel on the Cambridge side of the river.My sister and I arrived and were happy to learn from the hostess that the grilled cheese special is offered on the patio bar as well. It was a gorgeous Tuesday evening so we took full advantage of the riverside views, settling in first with some cocktails. I went with what can only be described as my dream cocktail, the Italian 75 ($9) which combines my two favorite liqueurs - Aperol and St Germain with lemon, prosecco and gin. Leah's Watermelon Basil Margarita wasn't as noteworthy, while it presented a strong taste of tequila, the other flavors were muted - more water than melon, the basil just a dusting. For our second round I stuck with my beloved Italian 75 and she decided on Sangria ($9) which was much more satisfying than round one. Along with our cocktails, a sophisticated version of the weekly grilled cheeses were enjoyed; boasting layers of melted mozzarella, peppery arugula and spicy pepperonicni on thick slices of evenly toasted bread.I should mention one half of a grilled cheese is $2, still a large half and $2 well spent. In addition to this deal, the bar offers $1 oysters daily from 4 - 6 pm. We couldn't pass this up and slurped three briny easy coast oysters each. We also noshed on some Sfizi - "little tastes" which are individual antipasti plates meant for sharing. The Fried Calamari ($6) incorporated delicious little morsels of fried lemon zest along with a grilled lemon thyme aioli. The Pannocchia ($6) which is grilled corn on the cob with pecorino cheese and a spicy aioli, was excellent.

Our waitress disappeared for awhile after clearing our plates (when it was clear we were finished with our cocktails and in need of either the check or another round), but otherwise she was efficient. I would definitely recommend checking out Dante for their weekday menu deals, especially while you can still enjoy the outdoor space. With both of us working so close by, I have a feeling we will be back soon.

We exited the patio off the back steps and decided to take an evening turned sunset stroll around the Charles. We stopped to feed a family of ducks, meandered over the Longfellow Bridge, watched the Red Line speed by and looped back around to the Boston side of the river and walked the Esplanade home.

P.S. Happy September!