Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) From May 1st through May 31, MET Restaurant Group will host its 12th Annual Soft Shell Crab Festival, serving the delicious crustacean four different ways at MET Back Bay.

Hailing from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, soft shell crabs have tantalized the taste buds of seafood lovers across the globe. The MET has explored a variety of flavors and techniques that reveal the best of this seasonal seafood, and each night guests can choose from three different styles including Meunière, Fried and Sautéed Soft Shell Crab ($28 each). For an afternoon delight, MET is offering a Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boy for $15.

To make Reservations, please call 617-267-0451

2) History meets modern day with the upcoming opening of North Square Oyster Bar on May 15th. The oldest public square in the country, the North End’s North Square, will soon be getting a modern facelift with upcoming seafood-focused restaurant North Square Oyster from Nicholas Frattaroli. Owner of North End gastropub Ward 8, Nicholas Frattaroli aims to blend the old with the new- paying homage to the location’s storied history while creating a lively, fresh dining destination for locals and tourists alike.

Helmed by Chef Douglas Rodrigues, formerly of Clio and Liquid Art House, the menu will feature creative New England seasonality with a focus on seafood. Ranging in size and flavor from Boston staples to more chef-driven choices, the menu will be divided into raw bar; hot and cold small plates; “on bread” sandwiches and burgers; large-format entrées; and desserts. A variety of oysters will be sourced from local favorites, including Wellfleet on Cape Cod and Island Creek in Duxbury, in addition to west coast gems, such as Hama Hama and Hog Island in California. Rodrigues will offer five versions of mignonette sauce along with wasabi, horseradish, and an innovative, Japanese-inspired kosho cocktail sauce to complement the oyster selection.

Menu highlights include:
Sea Urchin with Holland asparagus, wasabi, plum, chive blossom, and lily bulb
Brown Butter Lobster Roll with chives and homemade vinegar chips
Clam Chowder Boule with kombucha sourdough boule and bacon
Foie Gras Pate with whipped terrine, cherry, celery marmalade, and toast scoops
Scituate Lobster Pie with spring mushroom, ragu, Scituate lobster, sherry, tarragon, black truffle
30-Day Aged Steak Tips with rosemary fingerling potatoes, charred onion, ramps, and au jus
Pork Belly Cotton Candy with lime-spun sugar, black lime, chartreuse jelly, and raspberry sorbet

“I have always wanted to do a seafood concept as it's my favorite type of restaurant to eat at. We are looking forward to bringing fresh seafood and a strong raw bar to a historic setting in such a special neighborhood. I'm thrilled with the team we have in place and look forward to being a part of the fabric of the North End when we open our doors this spring," says Frattaroli.

Ward 8’s General Manager Mike Wyatt will oversee the bar program as beverage manager to develop a creative, carefully curated cocktail menu. With a full liquor license, North Square Oyster will serve a variety of local, New England-based spirits, craft beers, and seafood-friendly wines. The classic cocktail menu will center on quintessential martini service with spirit and garnish choices that will be approachable to both cocktail novices and veterans alike.

3) Capo introduces dinner and a show on Monday evenings with an all new Comedy Night at Supper Club at Capo. The Supper Club at Capo is South Boston’s destination for live entertainment, where premier bands and DJs take the stage Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Supper Club at Capo is adding Monday night Comedy to their entertainment lineup, featuring a rotating schedule of Boston’s most talented comedians, hosted by Boston comedian Will Noonan.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite and at the door for $15 per person and include admission to comedy night in the Supper Club at Capo. Now through Memorial Day, guests who present their EventBrite receipt can redeem $15 towards an entrée of choice from Executive Chef Tony Susi’s menu of rustic Italian dishes. Guests can enjoy their included entrée in either Capo dining room or downstairs Supper Club the night of the event. The full dinner menu will be available in the Supper Club on Monday evenings starting at 7:00 p.m.

The upcoming Monday Night Comedy lineup includes:
Monday, May 1
Christine Hurley, Dan Crohn, and Dan Zollo
Monday, May 8
Graig Murphy and Lamont Price
Monday, May 15
Tom Dustin, Harrison Stebbins, and Chris Pennie

For reservations, please call 617-993-8080.

4) On Sunday, May 14, from 11:30am-3pm, Bar Boulud invites families of all sizes to spoil mom with a festive three-course Mother’s Day brunch created by Chef de Cuisine Michael Denk and Pastry Chef Robert Differ.

Featuring fresh, local ingredients that are guaranteed to make Mom swoon, Chef Denk’s Mother’s Day brunch menu will be served as follows:

To Share 
--Viennoiserie (selection of French pastries, Vermont creamery butter) Basket: $12
--East Coast Oysters (red wine mignonette, cocktail sauce) ½ Dozen $18; 1 Dozen $36
--Dégustation de Charcuterie (chef’s selection of pâtés and hams) $40
Appetizer
--Greek Yogurt Parfait (granola, rhubarb gelée, berries)
--Waldorf Salad (bibb lettuce, grapes, blue cheese, walnuts, bacon tuile)
--Pistou (artichoke, asparagus, peas, spring onion, basil pistou)
--Salmon Tartare (crème fraîche, dill, fava beans, rye, confit egg yolk)
add caviar: $10
--Pain Perdu (brioche French toast, caramelized bananas, malted milk Chantilly)
Main Course
--Coddled Eggs (jumbo asparagus, wild mushrooms, frisée, pomme rösti, sauce moutarde)
--Lobster Scramble (French-style scrambled eggs, tarragon, coral butter, brioche)
add caviar: $10
--Spring Risotto (wild mushrooms, green garlic, fiddlehead ferns, ricotta, preserved lemon)
--Pan-Seared Halibut (carrots, fava beans, Parisienne gnocchi, carrot broth)
--Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb (pearl couscous, bell peppers, housemade pita, natural jus)
Dessert
--Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (lime-graham crust, strawberries, Grand Marnier Chantilly)
--Trois Level Chocolat (dark, milk and dulce chocolate mousse, chocolate biscuit, praline gelato)
--Citron Sundae (Meyer lemon sorbet, ginger croquant, raspberry compote, meringue)
Sides
--Asparagus $12
--Mushroom Fricassée $13
--Super Green Spinach $10
--Pomme Purée $10

COST: $65 per adult; $35 per child

To make a reservation please call 617-535-8800