Great Places to Eat in Massachsuetts - Your Curated Restrauant Guide

Posted on December 6, 2016February 28, 2017 by Staff Writer

Great Places in Central Massachusetts for Holiday Gift Ideas for the Foodie on Your List

It’s that time of year again, time to find holiday gifts for everyone on your gift list. We know shopping for some people is easier than shopping for others….but if you have a “foodie” on your list, well that may be the most difficult task of all. Sure you can give gift cards to their favorite restaurant but if you need something a little more unique, we’ve assembled our Great List of Holiday Gift Ideas for the Foodie on your List to help you out. Hope this helps!

As with all our Great List articles, we will concentrate our efforts on locally-owned, Central Massachusetts establishments. We are lucky to have so many local farms, way too many for us to list but our friends at Central Mass Grown lists them by town so take a look at their site for something close to you. Many of these farms are open right through the winter and they have lots of fresh, specialty items that would make wonderful gifts.

Got a BBQ lover on your list? Shop online at Alicia’s Homemade for interesting and tasty barbecue sauces, rubs, seasonings, hot sauces and more. Trust us, one won’t be enough so we suggest to buy a variety, assemble a gift basket of your own and give it as a gift!

Looking for something very unique? The Grafton Country Store, Bolton Orchard, Ed Hyder’s and the St. Joseph’s Abbey Gift Shop all have loads of specialty items that will certainly fit the bill.

Chef’s Best dinners from Mass Foodies is another great gift for someone who enjoys a unique dining experience. This dinner series gives a chef carte blanche to create his or her best dishes without hesitation and serve to an intimate group of diners. Programming at these dinners also includes a Q&A and an open discussion with the chef about their own personal journey within the food industry.

Here are a few more gift ideas in and around Central Massachusetts that the Foodie on your list will certainly appreciate.

Pecorino

Pecorino is filled with food and food related items, wine, cheese and so much more you will have a hard time deciding exactly what to buy. How about the Italian Dinner tote filled with wine, pasta, sauce and a whole lot more? Or a Do-It-Yourself Cheese Making kit….or an organic box of chocolate or cheese slates, utensils, and more.

Lock 50’s Chef Tasting Menu

OK we said let’s go beyond gift cards but believe us, this is way beyond just a gift card. Give the gift of incredible tastes when you purchase a Tasting Menu dinner at Lock 50 for that special Foodie on your list. Available every night, Chef Tim Russo creates a series of ultra-creative dishes, not on the regular menu. The guest does not know in advance what dishes are coming beyond that the experience will progress from starters through main course dishes to dessert. It requires the guest to be confident in the Chef and show a willingness to go beyond their normal eating comfort zone….and it is perfect for the Foodie on your list.

Worcester’s Best Chef

Worcester’s Best Chef is celebrating its 10th year and is an obvious choice for the Foodie on your gift-giving list. They can enjoy samplings from some of the area’s finest Chefs, vote for their favorites and watch an Iron Chef-type cook off at the end of the evening! And this being the 10th anniversary, WBC is bringing back many of the winners of past years for a very special event your Foodie will love!

111 Chop House Wine Dinners

Today wine dinners have become more common and are a nice way for both wine experts and novices to enjoy food, wine and the company of others. 111 Chop House has a series of seasonal wine dinners each featuring the wine of a different vineyard, country or region paired perfectly with a menu developed by their Executive Chef. Awarded Wine Spectator’s prestigious “Award of Excellence” every year since 2001, expect a wine dinner at The Chop to be special. These ticketed events can be purchased in advance and given as a gift to a food loving person on your list.

Posted on November 4, 2016November 8, 2016 by Staff Writer

4 Great Markets That Will Enhance Your Home Dining Experience

Pecorino's in Grafton, MA (Era Photography)

Restaurant dining experiences have become more and more interesting…..Chefs and restaurant owners everywhere are trying to differentiate themselves from the competition by enhancing the experience for their customer with farm to table dinners, exotic dishes made from interesting ingredients, wine and cocktails paired to each course and more.

But how about when you are dining at home? What can you do to bring some of that same excitement into your kitchen?

For good reason, most of us are a bit intimidated when it comes creating anything that is too far outside our comfort zone. Even for those adventurous enough to try, all the YouTube videos and Food Channel instruction in the world can’t help our true lack of culinary skills. And forget about pairing wine or picking specialty cheeses that go with our meals. Luckily for us, Central Massachusetts has plenty of fine specialty markets, butcher’s and other ethnic markets that we can rely to help guide us in our quest to create new and exciting dishes to enjoy at home.

Lowe’s has been serving the Northborough area with great butchered meats and specialty foods since 1952. S&S Farms in West Boylston brings together a farm stand, butcher shop and deli to offer up hard to find meats and other homemade prepared meats to enjoy. In Worcester, Golemo’s has incredible traditional Polish offerings, Tom’s International Deli for gourmet European meats, cheeses, smoked fish and other specialty foods and the shop and bakery at Bay State Shawarma for Mediterranean groceries, pies, baked goods and more.

There are dozens of specialty markets with helpful staffs willing to help educate us if we are willing to push the limits…here are a few of our favorites. But don’t take our word for it, go out and explore these great markets and push yourself to create meals at home that rival even the best restaurant meals you have had.

Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace

For more than 30 years, the Ed Hyder family has provided a great variety of premier quality international imported foods, spices, specialty foods, marinated meats, cheese, olives, oils, fine wines and more! Sure you can run into Ed Hyder’s to “pick up a few things”, but why would you? Stay and explore everything this shop has. Enjoy a wine tasting, sample some olives, ask questions and find out how to create some new favorite dishes at home. Someone from the Hyder family is sure to be in the store ready to help with suggestions or recipes!…. And don’t forget to take home some of Ed Hyder’s Famous Hoomus to be enjoyed with your favorite glass of wine.

Pecorino’s

A self described “country cheese and wine shop” Pecorino’s in Grafton is truly a destination shopping experience. They offer a wide selection of gourmet cheeses and cured meats, some local and some imported. Every piece is cut to order and you can sample before you buy! They also have a nice selection of artisanal honey, bread, olive oil, jam, pasta, charcuterie, cured olives, paté and more. Their wine selection features smaller, family owned wineries from all over the world, some unusual and always adventurous. Pecorino’s is the perfect place to learn about cheese and wine, pairing it with other foods and enjoying meals at home that rival fine dining experiences.

Bahnan’s

Family owned and operated, Bahnan’s imports specialty foods from all over the Middle East. Explore aisle after aisle from Greece, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Bulgaria, Iran, Macedonia, Albania, Armenia, Turkey and more! Step out of your comfort zone, pick up some ingredients you’ve never cooked with before and try something new!

Living Earth

Best known as a market that provides healthy shopping options for its patrons, The Living Earth Natural and Organic Food Market is a family owned business that also has a huge variety of hard to find and unusual products all ready to go for your next exploration into food preparation. Consider their fresh, organic produce that is available year round, locally sourced during the growing season from area farms, as well as gluten-free choices, vegan and vegetarian products and GMO-free products everywhere!