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) Scampo, at The Liberty Hotel, has chosen to extend its “Jazzy Cocktail Nights,” a weekly late-night live music series that pairs sophisticated sounds with elegant cocktails and savory bites. Designed for Bostonians looking for a new twist on the nightlife scene, the Thursday night series, from 10pm-1am, transforms Scampo’s bar and lounge area into a sleek hideaway that showcases the talents of some of the region’s top music acts whose genres include jazz, vocals, Latin rhythms, funk and blues:

May 18: Alec Hutson Trio, an eclectic group that plays folk, gypsy and jazz
May 25: Tony Leva Trio, a quintessential upright bass jazz group featuring musicians from Longy School of Music
June 1: Bonnie & The Hot Stuff, a multi-decade group spanning classic jazz, standards and torch songs
June 8: Dylan Jack Quartet, a well-known group playing upbeat jazz with a bass clarinet, upright bass, guitar and percussion
June 15: Belén Cusi, an Argentinian singer-songwriter specializing in Latin jazz
June 22: Josef Nadj, an electric violinist who leads a quartet that plays jazz fusion and will feature a special guest vocalist

With the new series comes a dedicated list of cocktails and bar bites available exclusively during the Thursday performances from 10pm-1am. For single-serve cocktails ($16 each), highlights include the Boulevardier, a stirred concoction of rye, Campari and sweet vermouth finished with an orange twist; Classy Champagne Cocktail served in a water glass with sugar cubes and a lemon twist; and, Roaring Violette with lychee, Violette, lavender, white wine and bubbles.

For those looking to take their imbibing game to the next level, there are sharable Punch Bowl Cocktails ($36) – that come shaken for two, served in festive brass pineapple-shaped vessels – like the Sparkling Jazz with Absolut, lime, Aperol and a prosecco float with floating orange pin wheels and Dubonnet Sangria with wine, fruit, anejo tequila and hibiscus with a ginger beer float and fresh fruit. For those with a late-night sweet tooth, there’s the Prohibition Milkshake ($36), a large format liquid treat of vodka, chocolate ice cream, crème de cacao, Kahlua and bubbles served with freshly made mini bacon doughnuts.

On the culinary side, there are a quintet of items that are available in addition to Scampo’s seasonal pizza offerings: Veal & Pork Meatballs in a 17-minute candeli sauce with shaved pecorino gremolata ($12); Fried Arancini with Pomodoro and parmesan ($10); Calamari a la Plancha with fennel salad and chipotle aioli ($10); Bruschetta with homemade ricotta, candied pistachios and warm guanciale ($11); and Lydia’s Stuffed Dates ($11).

2) This Sunday, from 5pm-1pm, Taberna de Haro will open in honor of BU Graduation. They are accepting reservations, whether or not you are a BU grad. Starting June 4, Taberna de Haro will also open every Sunday with a special menu consisting of cold tapas. All will be priced at $5 each.

Here's a sample menu of Sunday's Tapas ($5 each)
Gildas ~ 2 toothpicks full of salty briny things
Canapé de jamón ibérico ~ one perfect Iberian ham canapé
Manchego con anchoa ~ sheep cheese w anchovy, evoo
Montaditos de erizo ~ mini canapés of sea urchin paté
Mar y montaña ~ tomato bread, one fuet, one tinned mackerel
Patatas alioli ~ garlic potato salad
Chorizo picante ~ spicy hard chorizo, evoo, picos
Mojama y huevas ~ cured tuna & mullet roe, olives
Tomates con atún ~ fresh tomato, tuna, onion, sherry vinaigrette
Cogollo con queso azul ~ Gem lettuce wedge w Spanish blue cheese
Alcachofas con pimiento rojo, boquerón, alioli ~ artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, white anchovy, alioli
Arzua Ulloa con miel y nueces ~ Galician soft cheese with honey and walnuts


To make a reservation, please call 617-277-8272