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Summer in Massachusetts Preview Reception

May 20, 2013 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Last week, as part of my job, I helped put together a media reception that gave a little preview of summer in Massachusetts. I love planning events, and this one was a lot of fun, thanks to some great sponsors and to the fact that we live in a great place, especially in the summertime!

Boston Chops was our host for the evening, and they provided some fantastic snacks for us to snack on with wine from Travessia Urban Winery. Each is an example of a great Massachusetts business and demonstrate the great things happening all across the Commonwealth, especially when it comes to the culinary scene.

Generous gift bag sponsors included Salem’s Harbor Sweets, who shared their signature Sweet Sloops.

Harbor Sweets is launching its first new line since 2001 this summer. Salt & Ayre was inspired by conversations with loyal customers and with company friend/eminent cookbook author Lora Brody. Salt & Ayre boasts seven heavenly bite-size indulgences with flavor notes including Thai ginger, chai, caramel and Himalayan sea salt and its packaging will feature a new distinctive look and style.

The very sweet Robin of Robin’s Candy, which has locations on Newbury Street and in Great Barrington, gave guests gift cards to the store. I had the pleasure of picking the cards up on Newbury Street, and I have to tell you that Robin’s is absolutely enchanting. It’s like a magical candy land, a fun and delicious place for all ages.

Chewy, decadent, yet healthy cookies from Bonnievilles. These power cookies are made of whole food ingredients and leave out things like refined sugars. They are slightly sweet and pack a lot of flavor, definitely a treat you can feel good about!

It was great to spend the evening chatting with bloggers I know and some I had never met. There’s a lot going on in Massachusetts this summer; below are just a few of the things I’m most excited about (in addition, of course, to my annual Cape Cod weekend). For a complete guide to travel in Massachusetts, visit massvacation.com.

New England Brewery Tours provides an unforgettable beer experience and gives visitors an inside look at all the incredible things going on in New England’s beer industry. Visit breweries large and small and, along the way, enjoy gourmet food paired with local beer. www.newenglandbrewerytours.com

Cape Ann Foodie Tours launches the new Taste Gloucester tour, providing a tasty overview of the 400-year-old port city. From chowder to olive oil, to a special sandwich that Gloucester natives have been enjoying for decades, Taste Gloucester will expose guests to local treats they’d be hard pressed to discover on their own. The company’s 2.5 hour (roughly 1 mile) tours led by dynamic tour guides also include Rockport Sights and Sweets, Taste Newburyport, and Ales & Tales. Tours are $47 per person. www.capeannfoodietours.com

In summer 2013, The Wauwinet, the only Relais & Châteaux property on Nantucket, will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary with $25 meals, wines, spa treats and more. Guests can enjoy a $25 two-course lunch select dates in May and June (excl Sunday Brunch) and specially selected $25 wines at TOPPER’s, the on-site restaurant which was awarded a perfect score of 100 for its cuisine on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2013 Gold List. www.wauwinet.com

The Food and Wine Festival on Martha’s Vineyard in October celebrates local harvests from the sea and Vineyard farms. Enjoy wines from around the world, food prepared by local and renowned chefs; attend seminars and tastings and so much more. www.mvfoodandwine.com

Technorati Tags: Boston, Food, Massachusetts, summer, Travel, wine

Tags: Boston, Food, Massachusetts, summer, Travel, wine

Wine Country Restaurants – Spoonbar

May 17, 2013 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Healdsburg is full of great restaurants. Over the years, we have had fabulous experiences at places like Scopa, Barndiva, Dry Creek Kitchen, Willi’s Wine Bar, Bistro Ralph, and more. Healdsburg is a little like heaven.

With all of the restaurants available, it becomes difficult to choose. Always one to want to try new things while also wanting to return to old favorites, I end up spending a lot of time trying to figure out where to eat. In the end, it’s best to ask a local.

On our first night in Healdsburg, we had dinner with Two Shepherds winemaker William at Campo Fina. It was so fabulous I forgot to take photos. Or I was jetlagged and on lots of Cartograph Rosé. Actually, it was a little bit of both.

Campo Fina was so great, and we would definitely go back. When we asked for suggestions for our dinner the next night, Spoonbar came highly recommended. After a day in Napa Valley, we headed back to the wine hour at the Healdsburg Inn and then wandered Healdsburg for a bit before heading to dinner. We may have stopped at Cartograph and joined their wine club too. It was a great day.

Wine tasting pretty much always makes me want a cocktail or a beer. I love wine and wine tasting and talking about wine, but at the end of the day, mixing it up a little is nice, and Spoonbar was the perfect venue for cocktails. I ordered this pretty jalapeno number called Jalapeno Business: Charbay Raspberry Vodka, Clear Creek Loganberry, Lemon, Ginger, Raspberry-Jalapeno Foam. In addition to being pretty in pink, it packed a spicy punch with nice berry accents, perfect for sipping slowly. There was a definite burn.

We weren’t super hungry, thanks to the wine hour snacks, so we decided to order a few appetizers to share as we often do.

There was a grapefruit and avocado salad with brioche croutons that was fresh, tangy, delicious.

And a smoked trout mousse with homemade potato chips and Spoonbar’s Old Old Fashioned.

The best and most interesting dishes were also from the snack menu. Baked cheese gougeres were suspended in a pool of melted fontina. Each bite was light, fluffy, and cheesy, so decadent.

The rock shrimp and seeded granola was also really memorable for the combination of flavors and textures; sweet and salty, soft and crunchy. I would never think to combine shrimp and granola, but this just worked so well.

Spoonbar is a vast open space with windows out on to the sidewalk and a very cool vibe. We were on East Coast time and thus early diners, but I am sure once acclimated to Healdsburg time, we would be late night regulars. The restaurant was a perfect recommendation and a fantastic way to end a day of wine tasting.

The real end to the night came at another new favorite we visited twice on this trip, the lounge at the Hotel Healdsburg. Live music, great wines by the glass, and a super sweet staff made this relaxing spot the place we enjoyed nightcaps two nights in a row. Just a block from our home base on this trip, the Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza, the Hotel Healdsburg is a must-visit for anyone staying in town. It also happens to be home to Dry Creek Kitchen; come for dinner, stay for music. . . and be prepared to never want to leave!

What’s your favorite vacation dining memory?

Technorati Tags: California, Dining out, Food, Healdsburg, Northern California, Restaurants, Sonoma, Sonoma County, Travel, wine country

Tags: California, Dining out, Food, Healdsburg, Northern California, Restaurants, Sonoma, Sonoma County, Travel, wine country

Truett Hurst Winery

May 9, 2013 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | No comments

This winery is a beautiful, incredible must-visit. Several people we have met along the way on our Sonoma County trips have mentioned Truett Hurst to us, and while we spend a lot of time in the Dry Creek Valley, we somehow never made it to Truett Hurst until our April travels.

We started our Sunday with a beautiful breakfast at the Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza; really, their breakfast and wine hour are reasons enough to stay there! After an early morning wander around Healdsburg in glorious, warm sunshine, we stopped briefly at Mauritson for some Zinfandel tasting (and walked away with a beautiful Rockpile Rosé instead) where Truett Hurst was recommended yet again. It turned out to be the most perfect property to spend a sunny wine country day; we pretty much arrived and didn’t leave for hours.

The tasting room at Truett Hurst is in a cute little house and is rustic and very sweet. One of the big perks, in addition to some delicious wines, is that they have a refrigerator full of picnic items at great prices.

We were poured our first taste and encouraged to take our wine and wander the grounds. The sky was a perfect blue, and it was about 80 degrees; you didn’t have to twist my arm to go for a walk with my splash of Truett Hurst Sauvignon Blanc.

The tasting room is situated on a big parcel of land nestled up against a river that’s full of steelhead trout. We watched them swimming against the current, while I fought urges to stick my feet in the river. Since it’s an important habitat, swimming and wading are not allowed.

Gardens full of beautiful flowers and trees lead the way out to the river, where a number of tables and Adirondack chairs are set up for visitors to enjoy.

Perfect blue skies add the only decoration needed. This day was so beautiful, it hardly feels real now.

After a little wander, we returned to the tasting room to taste through Truett Hurst’s wine offerings.

Truett Hurst Rose

All of the wines were fantastic, but standouts included the Sauvignon Blanc, Salmon Run Rosé, and the peppery, absolutely amazing Red Rooster Zinfandel. We were spoiled with these wines, the hospitality, and surroundings at Truett Hurst. Sigh.

winery picnic lunch

Truett Hurst sells their wines by the glass so you can have a little more of your favorite/s. We decided we never wanted to leave this winery, so we grabbed some wine, meat and Cowgirl Creamery cheese, the winery gave us some crackers, napkins, and utensils, and we stretched out by the river for the rest of the afternoon. It. was.perfect.

Truett Hurst Winery