Finale Summer Cocktail Session

Last Tuesday I got my fix of sweet treats at yet another fantastic Finale Desserts tasting event. You may recall I attended the Craft Beer Tasting back in May and embraced the unique concept of pairing beer with pastries. This time around Nicole Cody - Finale's pastry chef extraordinaire paired five of her signature desserts with summer cocktails crafted by Tim Murphy of Horizon Beverage.Tonight I was joined by Mindy, Megan and Emily who were just as excited to have dessert for dinner as I was. The pairings flowed from cocktails and desserts that were light, fruity, creamy and custardy to ones that were rich and decadent with flavors of coffee and chocolate.

First up - the Tropical Sunset Cocktail blends X-Rated Fusion liqueur with pineapple juice, raspberry puree and a splash of soda water. This fruity libation was paired with a light fluffy crust free version of Cheesecake that I unexpectedly adored. If this were a competition, cocktail versus dessert, the dessert wins this round hands down. The Lemon Tart in a handmade sugar dough shell complimented a Wild Berry Mojito with sweet mixed berry puree, brut cava, peach schnapps and a splash of sprite. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mojito - perhaps because it strayed too far from a typical rum based version with muddled mint and sugar. But the tart was pretty good - I'm sensing a trend....The third paring of a St. Germain Sparkler with with a traditional Creme Brulee was one of my overall favorites. A super sweet sip of the ever popular elderflower liqueur mixed with Nivole Moscato was balanced by a similar level of sweetness in the caramelized vanilla custard. The Chocolate Bliss Cocktail tasted like a grown up version of chocolate milk! The decadent blend of Godiva Caramel, Godiva Dark, Creme de Cacao and Finale Chocolate Ganache went with a classic Tiramisu, layering coffee soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone mousse and a dusting of Valhorona cocoa powder. Lastly, the rich fudge like flourless Chocolate Decadence cake was paired off with a strong blend of Svedka Vodka shaken with Godiva Dark, Kahlua and espresso - none other than the Espresso Martini. Dessert for dinner? Definitely a good idea every once in awhile, especially when enjoyed with cocktails. This particular tasting will also take place on August 2nd and 9th from 6:30 - 8:00pm at Finale Coolidge Corner located at 1306 Beacon Street. My tasting was complimentary since I attended as a media guest, but at only $20 per person it's an inexpensive and fun way to switch up your summer after work routine!

Al Fresco Dining at Rialto

In 1992 Esquire Magazine named Jody Adams one of America’s best young chefs to keep your eye on. Four years later Bon Apetit named Rialto one of the top 25 hotel restaurants in the country. In 1997 she won a James Beard Award. Clearly, people took Esquire's advice because that list goes on. And on. And present day, over fifteen years later, this amicable chef is still delighting restaurant goers and Charles Hotel visitors with her simple yet sophisticated approach to Italian cuisine. Inside, Rialto's peaceful dining room with sweeping gauze curtains and soothing color tones overlooks Harvard Square. It was here where I first experienced not only Jody's cooking by way of a three course lunch; but her warmth and generosity as a person and prowess as a chef through a demonstrative cooking class. This time around, I was joined by my friends Amy, Emily, Megan and Bianca for dinner on the terrace. Equally as relaxing, and relatively new to the scene (opened last spring) is the shaded outdoor space defined by an orange awning, those same wispy curtains and strands of small white light bulbs. We started off with cocktails, I ordered an Equinox ($11) Hayman’s Old Tom gin, Aperol, grapefruit & lemon bitters.Aperol is my latest go-to, this Italian Apertif delights with its presence in various cocktails both in taste and in presentation (that bright orange color, swoon!) In addition, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly poured by Rialto's Wine Director, Allie Foote. To eat this evening we shared a little bit of everything. The appetizers began with Lourdes’ Burrata ($15) served with pickled greens, sliced fava beans and spiced anchovy. I love the understated whimsy to the presentation, the colorful elements forming a little circus ring around the burrata.A salad appropriately named Simple Lettuce ($12) consisted of frisee and pickled melons coated lightly in a lemon chardonnay vinaigrette. I do think $12 seemed overpriced for a small salad, but I did enjoy this as a light starter.

Once our waitress described the Cod Cheeks special, we quickly added that onto our order. Delicate batter encased morsels of fresh cod served with a creamy elevated tartar sauce, radishes and ramps, this was one of my favorites!

The Prosciutto di Parma ($16) was excellent, beholding a soft stinky blue cheese, arugula, thinly shaved beets and walnuts.Off the bar menu we couldn't pass up some Crispy Fried Calamari ($7) with your standard pepperoncini, lemon and olive oil.

I am so glad Bianca convinced us to order the Roasted Duck Sandwich ($12) loaded with Gruyère, gingered figs and hand cut fries. The fries are more like chips, but they are truly sensational, as is the sandwich. On the other hand, $12 was a pretty reasonable price for this sandwich, proving the bar menu extremely worth while if you're dining on a budget!

The chef sent out three complimentary side dishes. The first was Local Barley ($8) which I didn't care for - I guess I'm just not a huge barley fan?

However, I loved the Pan Seared Mushrooms ($8) flavored with herbs, shallots, white balsamic and served in the cutest mini cast iron cauldron.

I was also a fan of the Spring Vegetables ($8) which were cooked until tender in shallots and parsley.

Rialto's pasta dishes are remarkable. They are offered in half portions, ideal for those of us who like to sample and share. The Lobster Bucatini ($16/$30) is made with green and red tomatoes and seasoned with chilis and saffron.

The Orecchiette ($15/$28) has greens, garlic scapes and housemade sausage. The pastas embrace a delicate elegance and both prove incredibly satisfying.

You will want to linger over dessert at Rialto, where pairing fresh seasonal fruits with expertly constructed pastries and a dusting of nuts are the main focus. The Rhubarb Rose Meringue ($12) with pistachio and strawberry-rhubarb sorbet was a flawless example.

Sfogliatelle ($12) was sent out with the chef's compliments. The raspberry mint sorbet and pine nut sauce was a refreshingly unique combination.

The Summer Fruit Crostata ($12) with brandied blackberries and a peach ice cream to finish off the trio was equally as exciting.

Rialto proved tonight why it continues to stand out among a crowd, whether you narrow it down to the Harvard Square scene, broaden the scope to include Cambridge and Boston dining alike, or look to the vast category of Hotel Restaurants and Bars nationwide. As with my lunch and cooking class last November, I will fondly remember this summer evening on the patio!

Finale Craft Beer Tasting

Ever since I returned home from New Orleans on Monday night I've had a slew of non-stop weekday events and dinners. Luckily, I took Tuesday off from work in advance so I could have a day to breath / unpack / upload photos before going at it again. On Tuesday evening I met my friend Michelle at Coolidge Corner in Brookline to attend a Craft Beer Tasting Event at Finale Desserterie & Bakery. Hosted by their pastry chef Nicole Cody and Craft Brewers beer expert Erika Soucy, these ladies did a fantastic job of planning the pairings and leading us through the tasting; which showcased five flavored craft beers each with a decadent pastry. They encouraged us to taste the dessert first, then sip beer and vise versa. Switching up the order surprises the palate and allows you to determine which order you like better with which pair. My favorite just so happened to be the first pairing of Lindeman’s Peche with a fresh Seasonal Fruit Tart. I love Lindeman's Framboise, but I had no idea they made a peach flavor! This light and fruity beer balanced nicely with the richness of the tahitian vanilla and bavarian cream in the tart. The next paring was an 8% alcohol, full bodied Bosteel’s Tripel Karmeliet which enhanced the very simple, cold and custardy Crème Brulee. The third pairing introduced me to a beer I can't wait to try again, a Wells Banana Bread which is a traditional ale from England. The bready mouthfeel and prevalent banana notes complimented the Bavarian cream, yellow cake and semi sweet chocolate icing in the Boston Cream Pie. The Schneider Aventinus Eisbock delivered a strong (12% alcohol) Germain ale with a hint of clove and spiciness. The Chocolate Symphony Squares offered three layers of sweet mousse to stand up to the beer with a Dark Chocolate first, followed by a white chocolate and finally a milk chocolate mousse. For the final round we tasted Atwater Vanilla Java Porter. It was lighter than I expected - a well rounded porter that was smooth and easy to drink. The pairing with the rich, flourless Dark Chocolate Decadence worked out well. I was actually pretty full at this point!

The event was well organized; with the pairings evenly paced and passionately spoken about. I enjoyed the exposure to some unconventional craft beers and who can argue with dessert for dinner?! Finale Coolidge Corner holds different tasting events on certain Tuesday evenings throughout the summer. If you are interested, check out the schedule for details about upcoming happenings.

Special thanks to Mindy Valone at CM Communications for the warm welcome and of course Michelle for inviting me as her guest!

Sweet Tooth

Lately, I've had an influx of cravings for sweet treats. Weeks at a time go by where these cravings are apparently in hibernation mode (don't think I'm busting out a pastry box every night for dessert.) But other days, make that weeks; particularly long days in the cubicle, excel sheets on end, meetings galore, it's all I can manage to walk home without Modern Pastry pulling me off Hanover Street with promises of classic Italian specialties, or LuLu's on Salem Street beckoning me over to her pastel pink sanctuary of sweets. The craving is not for just any type of desserts, but lavish, fancy, good looking dessert.

{Modern Pastry favorites}

Delicately placed atop creamy vanilla custard, sitting in a milk chocolate shell are vibrant red raspberries, tart blackberries and perfectly round blueberries, not a dusting of powdered sugar out of place. The crisp chocolate shell vessel ties it all together, holding the luxuriously thick and smooth custard as it cradles sugary bites of tart and sweet berries.

Chocolate Ganache

Soaked with rum and Strega liquor are light chocolate sponges, layered in threes alternating with whipped airy chocolate mousse and then topped with rich dark chocolate ganache finished with zig-zags of white chocolate ganache. A pretty unbelievable combination as the lightness of the mouse and rum sponges hold up nicely to the thick ganache draping over their layers. Delicate hints of sweet rum and qualities of the strega liquer including very faint notions of mint, fennel and saffron elevate this fancy chocolate treat.Lulu's Bake Shoppe serves plenty of sweets such as bagged candies and giant lollipops, and pretty amazing signature cupcakes.
My favorite (and I've tried many) is the Salted Caramel ($2.50).
Dense chocolate cake, layered with glistening chocolate frosting and circular swirls of deep golden caramel, this is as decadent as a cupcake gets. Oh and those crystals of salt pack a drastic punch of flavor in brilliant contrast with all that chocolate.

Runner up is the Chocolate Peanut Butter ($2.50).

PB + Chocolate always makes a stellar combination. Enough said.

What was the last really good dessert you ate?