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Food in New England Editor’s Favorites Massachusetts

Massachusetts Is a Haven of Colonial Foods, Taverns, and Traditions

Traveling brings an array of pleasures as well as daily needs, like where to find a good restaurant and a taste of local food. New England’s roots in the Colonial period, its ethnic variety and its sophisticate chefs make the region a mother lode of wonderful local cuisine. Food tourism includes a variety of activities – not only dining. Massachusetts offers spectacular seafood on Cape Cod for the family vacation; ethnic food tours in Boston; authentic Colonial-period taverns; and working chefs who teach classes on schedules that accommodate vacation schedules. Below are some Editor’s Favorites; check back for frequent updates.

Fanizzi's By the Sea Clings to
the Tip of the Tip of Cape Cod

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If you think that the storied town of Provincetown, at the tip end of Cape Cod, is fun only in the summer, you need to think again. In the cold months, the streets quiet down; the views continue to be spectacular; and local people stretch and relax at local joints. One of these is Fanizzi's By the Sea, located on Commercial Street in the East End in a picturesque, sea-weathered house. Take a seat in the main dining room and observe one of the most spectacular views of Cape Cod Bay -- the salt sprays only a few yards from your table. Or enjoy a drink and a comfort food classic in the cozy bar, where the lull of the tide sets the tone. The menu offers everything from Cape seafood classics, to fresh salads, to elegant international entrées, to burgers. Fancy-schmancy drinks include the chocolate hazelnut sensation, banana bomb, and Chi-Chi-Tini. The food is satisfying, the pace is relaxed and the views are outstanding. Now is the time to head out to the Cape. Phone: 508-487-1964

From Russia With Love

Russian food, with its hearty root vegetables, is just the thing to get anyone through a New England winter. Where in the Boston area can you find the best Russian borsch, pirozhki, and caviar? What is the Russian way to drink tea and vodka? Let the Brookline Food Tour “From Russia with Love” answer those questions on this 3-hour walking tour. Taste authentic Russian specialties: light fluffy blintzes, delicate Siberian dumplings, imported caviar, mouth-watering desserts, and half-dozen more. Take a shopping tour at Whole Foods Market; learn how to make traditional Russian dishes and find out the unique Russian ingredients that can spark up your everyday meals. Visit treasured Russian food stores and restaurants: Russian Village, Babushka Deli, and Vernissage; discover “hidden” Russian food in The Fireplace and Athan’s; and enjoy interesting personal stories about their owners. Phone: 617-821-7667.

Gillette Is a Place of Expanding Offerings
in Sports and Food

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Even during the height of football season, Gillette Stadium on Foxboro is not just a place for sports viewing – no matter how riveting. The Stadium is also an anchor for the vast and expanding Patriot Place, a huge shopping, dining and entertainment complex. The complex has an even dozen eating places of all descriptions. To mention just a few: Bar Louie is a hip neighborhood restaurant and bar specializing in oversized sandwiches, artfully created martinis. The Blue Fin Lounge, located at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, offers a fireplace, antique bar, a patio, along with delightful delicatessen style sandwiches and a full bar. Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro specializes in creatively inspired food and fine wine from around the globe. The menu offers small plate choices designed to be shared. The wine list offers wine by the glass or creative wine flights. The CBS-themed eatery, the network's first foray into the restaurant biz, is a three-story, 1,500-square-foot complex serving upscale grill fare alongside 130 high-def TVs.

Home Cooks, Here Is Your Leader

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Lori Leinbach, founder of the Culinary Underground’s School of Cookery for the Home Chef in Southborough, approaches cooking with a no-nonsense tone that rings out brazenly in the Underground’s set of principles: “Commit to cooking good food and know you can do it…. The bedrock of any art is technique…. You don’t need a gigantic range of tools, but what you have should be choice and cared for properly…. And make sure your ingredients are the best you can afford. These are your artistic media.” Whew! The school backs up its big talk with lots of classes to get your going, among them The Chili Cure, Dry Heat Cooking, and Got Appetizers? You can choose among scheduled classes, custom classes, series of classes, or short classes. Be not afraid. Phone: 508-904-6589.

Local and Delicious

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At the Brookline Farmers’ Market, just off Beacon Street, shoppers can find good, wholesome farm-fresh food right in the middle of the city. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, cheese, eggs, ice cream, plants, cut flowers, tarts, home baked pies, breads, preserves, strawberries, plums, apples, blueberries, peaches, pears, cherries, and nectarines, honey, turkey, beef, and lamb will be available, and market goers and feel good about supporting local farmers and taking home delicious, healthy food. Location: Coolidge Corner, off Beacon Street. Time: Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to dusk; June through October, 2009. Cost: Free. Information: 617-566-8005. Click here for a full listing of farmers’ markets in Massachusetts.

Mediterranean Cuisine Is All About the Spices

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Under the direction of owner/chef Chef Ana Sortun, Oleana Restaurant on Hampshire Street in Cambridge serves Arabic-influenced foods of the Mediterranean, leaning strongly lean towards Turkish. The dishes are layered with flavor and unusual spice combinations. Details such as spice blends, pressed coffees, and homemade ice creams set Oleana apart. Rich in wood, stone, and iron; the interior is a contrast of earth tones with soft lighting, shades of blue and tabletops of golden onyx mosaic. In cold weather, the wood stove roars. In warm weather, Oleana's garden blooms and buzzes with outdoor dining. The wine list spotlights Mediterranean style wines. Siena Farms, named after the baby daughter of Sortun and and her husband Chris Kurth, grows all the vegetables served at Oleana during the growing season. Phone: 617-661-0505 Website:

Paint and Wine Do Mix

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The Harvest Gallery Wine Bar on Main Street in Dennis offers a luscious combination of visual arts, wine and entertainment. This intimate, diverse gallery featuring contemporary art by more than 30 Cape Cod artists also presents a full service wine bar, beer, and seasonal specials and desserts - all accented with live music. Located next to the Cape Cod Center for the Arts, Harvest Gallery Wine Bar is a mellow but stimulating place to enjoy the arts and the senses. Win bar is open Thursday through Sunday. The website lists the live music schedule. Phone: 508-385-2444.

A Stone's Throw From the Interstate Is
a Seafood Store of Your Dreams

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New England is among the world’s best places to enjoy seafood, but it is not always obvious to visitors where they can make purchases for home cooking. One important answer to that puzzle is in New Bedford, on Washburn Street, just a stone’s throw from Interstate 195. The place is Kyler’s Catch , a seafood retailer that will bring joy to the heart of anyone shopping for the best-quality seafood on legs (so to speak). Visit the store and confer directly to any of the workers there, who will gladly help you with your order and questions. Do not fear if you are new to cooking seafood – Kyler’s employees can help you (the store also offers recipes on its website). Kyler’s Catch also ships fresh seafood daily Tuesday through Friday, by FedEx Priority, to arrive the next morning. Open daily except Mondays. Phone: 888-859-5377.

A World-Class Vineyard in a Sleepy Beach Town

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The quiet town of Westport, Massachusetts, is home to an award-winning Winery that produces what “O” Magazine calls one of the “Top Ten Wines of the World under $20. Westport River Vineyard and Winery is a family-owned vineyard best know for its sparkling wines, but the estate is also home to an art gallery, the company store, and a 19th Century farmhouse. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, tour the grounds, and take a trip into the wine cellar to learn about the ancient craft of wine-making. The vineyard is open for tastings Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday and Monday, 1 – 5 p.m., with free public tours given on Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. For more information call 1-800-993-9695.

An Afternoon of Chocolate, More Chocolate,
and Only Chocolate

Among the best of life’s good things is, of course, chocolate, and The Langham Hotel at 250 Franklin Street in Boston is hosting a Deluxe Chocolate Bar every Saturday afternoon for your uninhibited pleasure. Enjoy such delicacies as made-to-order chocolate crêpes, a chocolate fountain, and croissant bread pudding. For those looking forward to the future the Chocolate Bar will feature a liquid chocolate bar serving signature Chocolate Bar cocktails. Closed in the summer; reopens in mid-September 2009. Phone: 617-451-1900 ext. 7125

Beach Blonde Beer on Tap at This Brewhouse

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The ancient art of beer making is on display for the curious during brewery tours every Tuesday and Friday at Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinney’s Lane in Hyannis. The tour is free, and children are welcome if they are supervised (must be 21 or older to sample). The business opened a new, 15 barrel brewhouse this year, and the staff is going to be proud to show it off. While you are there, taste the company’s signature Beach Blonde ale. For fans of the suds, it’s a great overture to a visit to Cape Cod. Tours are 11 a.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. on Saturdays, throughout the entire year. Phone: 508-790-4200.

Blue Blinds Bakery Welcomes the Munchies
24 Hours a Day

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As of the end of 2008, the town of Plymouth has a 24-hour-a-day bakery. For most of us, that, and the bakery’s address, are all we need to know. The establishment is the Blue Blinds Bakery at 7 North Street, occupying a house that was a restaurant in the 1930s. (The Mayflower connection – in Plymouth, there often is one -- is that John Cook, a voyager on the Mayflower, once owned this land, which he sold in 1653 to the man who built the house). Owners of the bakery in Plymouth have researched the house’s history and created a timeline for customers’ enjoyment and edification, along with a large mural of Plymouth history. The bakery features the use of whole wheat and gluten-free ingredients. All of the breads are made with organic ingredients, as are a large proportion of the pies and cakes. History, art, culture, and muffins – all under one roof, night and day. Phone: 508-747-0462.

Royalty Would Feel Well-Treated at the Student Prince

Atmosphere is warm and relaxed; food is authentic German The Student Prince Café -- also known as The Fort – in Springfield is an authentic German restaurant open since 1935 (and named after the lighthearted operetta of Heidelberg student life). Most of the woodwork in the bar area is original; about 20 steins adorned the bar when it opened and the collection has grown. The month of May is May Fest, when the dining rooms are decorated with spring flowers and grapes and an old-fashioned May Pole. Guests enjoy Mai Bock Beer, May wine, homemade bratwurst, and other specialties. Also in May and June, the restaurant combs local farms to serve fresh new asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, and shad. A staple on the menu is homemade Indian pudding. The atmosphere is always relaxed, warm, and welcoming. Phone: 413-788-6628.

Rural Nantucket Is Home to This Brewer / Distiller / Vintner

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A day trip through the lovely country side of Nantucket can get a spirited boost with a stop at the family -operated Cisco Brewers, Nantucket Vineyard, and Triple Eight Distillery . Founded by Dean and Melissa Long in 1997, the distillery was named after its ultra pure water source, well #888. In addition to its flagship product, Triple Eight Vodka, the distillery produces Triple Eight Orange Vodka, Hurricane Rum, Gale Force Gin and Notch (“not scotch”) single malt whiskey. ) Located on the pastoral route to Cisco Beach, Nantucket Vineyard was established in 1981. Combining old world techniques with state of the art technology, the vineyard’s wine selections include delicious vintages that you won't find anywhere else. The owners encourage visitors to their operation, at 5 and 7 Bartlett Farm Road. Open daily, with tours by appointment. Phone: 508-325-5929.

Stroll down to Run of the Mill
For Good Food and Local Flavor

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If you are a savvy traveler in unfamiliar territory and you need a meal, your first order of business is to find out where the local people like to eat. In Plymouth, one of the top entries on the locals’ favorites list is the Run of the Mill Tavern on Spring Street. The warm, welcoming eatery is tucked into a hillside alongside Town Brook and right next to Jenney Grist Mill, a functional mill where you can also enjoy a fascinating glimpse into the early Industrial Age in American (see more about the mill in Great Things To Do in Massachusetts). Back to the tavern, it is known by insiders as a place for a friendly atmosphere and a good meal. People praise the burgers; the big, fresh salads; and especially the stuffed quahogs, which is a must-try food for anyone visiting from outside New England. There is live entertainment on some weekend nights by Zydeco, pop, classics, rock, and country bands (call ahead to learn about music dates). The wait staff at this little gem is always quick, helpful, and friendly. Phone: 508-830-1262.

Wines Inspired by the Beauty of Cape Cod

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Located on the outer-most tip of Cape Cod, the folks at Truro Vineyards in North Truro fancy themselves to be the pioneers of maritime grape-growing on the Cape. Its gorgeous seaside location lends a dream-like quality to the vineyard and its restored 1830’s farmhouse, wherein guests will find a gift shop and tasting room. Starting in May, Truro is open Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m., and free tours will be given at 1 and 3 p.m. starting Memorial Day weekend. For information call 508-487-6200.