Tag: lock 50

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#SundayFunday – Party Like it’s 2018

Bull Mansion's beverage program boasts wine, beer, and kombucha. (Photo by Scott Erb and Donna Dufault for Mass Foodies)

Between the lively cities and snug towns, Central Massachusetts provides the perfect backdrop for ringing in the New Year. But, the scenery of snow-swept mountains and small-town charm, are nothing compared to the magic happening in the kitchens of some of the most admired places in downtown Worcester.

New Year’s Eve is all about starting a new resolution and if you must start one in 2018, include celebrating #SundayFunday with us and we won’t disappoint. Say goodbye to the last Sunday of 2017 by eating your way into 2018. Here are a few great spots to start your foodie resolution:

New Year’s Eve with Niche

Ringing in 2018 with chef specials and prix fixe menus is easy with the Niche Hospitality Group. The hardest part is selecting from one of their nine locations. From the Chef Specials and Experience for Two at Bocado Wellesley – a New Year’s Eve night celebrating tapas, platos and dessert a la carte or as a packaged dining experience – to the Four Course Prix Fixe Dinner at the People’s Kitchen of the Citizen – a menu filled with artisan cheese, filet mignon and Belgian chocolate tasting – there is dish to satisfy any foodie.

Full Listing of New Year’s Eve with Niche events

Small Plates at Lock 50

Start the New Year with a menu that gives you options – a lot of options. Lock 50 celebrates adventurous eaters with its Chef’s Tastings, a 5 or 7 course designed by the chef, Tim Russo.  Accompanying the tastings with wine pairings, selected by their house Sommelier, will set the tone for an impressionable 2018. If a chef tasting is a bit too adventurous, order a la carte and taste some of Lock 50’s best dishes like the Potato Gnocchi, the Crispy Pork Rings and Cape Cod Oysters and the Lobster Polenta.

Full Menu Listing for Lock 50

New Year’s Eve with Bull Mansion

Kick off 2018 with live music, world cuisine, specialty cocktails, performance artists and a champagne toast. Dinner seating will be throughout the first and second floors from 6 pm to 9:30 pm with international food stations celebrating American, Italian, Indian, Chinese and Jamaican cuisine. But the party doesn’t end with your last bite. After dinner, the Bull Mansion Ballroom will launch their musical performances to provide a great atmosphere to celebrate an epic #SundayFunday. Live music and international food…what else do you need to ring in the new year?

Full Ticket Information for New Year’s Eve with Bull Mansion   

New Year’s Eve Dinner – deadhorse hill

Ring in 2018 at the bay state house! Celebrating the new year in a historic setting is the best of both worlds. Join Chef Jared Forman and his team for a throwback menu celebrating fancy things. With a 4-course meal, deadhorse hill is ready to serve you a memorable night.

Reservation Details for New Year’s Eve Dinner at deadhorse hill

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The Inaugural Worcester Wine Festival Has a Secret Weapon: Restaurant Partners

Cru Night with Orma Toscana Rosso 2012 at Lock 50 in Worcester, MA

What makes a great festival? Three things: dialed-in vendors, amusing sponsors, and killer venues. Lucky for us, the Worcester Wine Festival has promised the trifecta.

By now, everyone has caught wind of the Grand Tasting set for Union Station on Sunday, October 8th, where over 400 desirable wines and a VIP lounge stocked with Voss Water will make for nothing short of premium hydration. Consider our tickets purchased and our calendars marked. But, everyone knows that the secret weapon for a worthy festival is a slew of extravagant parties to compliment the main event. Bring on the wine wizardry at its finest! Call them intimate, exclusive, or down right ritzy – we’ve got the scoop on the best parties for festival weekend.

Altea's pairing Croque Madame with an effervescent Cava pairing
Altea’s brunch pairing of a Croque Madame served with an effervescent Cava.

Six Worcester restaurants have already put their distributors to work in an attempt to attain elusive bottles for chefs to masterfully pair during the Worcester Wine Festival. On October 6th, The People’s Kitchen is set on Scarpetta and they’ve pledged to present a different locally baked bread with each saucy course. On October 7th, Lock 50 is taking it “From the Beginning” by highlighting some of winemaking’s original grapes, alongside five courses hailing from corresponding regions. Also on October 7th, just up the block at Bocado, guests will enjoy a Pig Roast with a coveted selection of Spanish wines. Mike Covino of Niche Hospitality Group explains, “Being part of this festival is important for the region and we are confident that our Bocado pig roast is going to elevate an imaginative dining experience for guests on the weekend of Worcester’s inaugural Wine Festival.”

If the private wine dinners, which run anywhere from $95-$150, aren’t in your budget, but you’d still like to be a festival insider – there are additional options. Lock 50’s Mimosa Brunch starts at 9 a.m. on October 7th and features an array of fresh fruit purees to start your morning for just $25 for four individual 187ml bottles of Prosecco and the ability to order from the menu to create your own pairing. Across town, Altea’s will kick off their own brunch, Bubbles & Brunch, on October 7th beginning at 11 a.m. Attendees will enjoy five paired courses with a French twist including spiced sugar beignets and crepes to remember. Owner, Oriola Koci shares, “We’ve been experimenting with bubbles in preparation for this exciting custom menu. The Worcester Wine Fesitval marks a whole new chapter for the potential of Altea’s bar program and we know the value, selection, and flavors will be memorable.”

Nothing gets us excited like an underground bartender battle. It just so happens that The Pint’s Godzilla Challenge falls on October 6th, the eve of the festival. Prime yourself for wine with a battle royale that pits Japan against New York, as Nikka Spirits take on Long Island Spirits in a test of elegance and technique.

Only a limited number of tickets are available for each of the private events on the festival’s website. Worcester’s top influencers will be there. Will you?

This article originally appeared on Worcester Wine Festival and is re-published with their permission.