Earlier in the week I posted about possible Valentine’s Day date spots.  Today I have one Valentine’s Day gift idea for the food lover in your life (or you!) that will give again and again and do a world of good for hungry children in Massachusetts.

Taste of the Nation tickets are currently 20% off with this code: VDAY2012. The Taste of the Nation event is on April 19, 2012 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. It is an AMAZING gathering of chefs from around Boston, and it is absolutely one of my favorite events of the year.

Just check out this year’s honorary chef chairs:

Jody Adams, Rialto and Trade

Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery and Myers + Chang

Gordon Hamersley, Hamersley’s Bistro

Andy Husbands, Tremont 647

Taste of the Nation benefits Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which is dedicated to ending childhood hunger by making sure kids get the healthy food they need every day.

One hundred percent of ticket sales goes to this cause.

For a recap and photos of last year’s Taste of the Nation, check out my post. Hope to see you there this year!

http://traveleatlove.com/2011/04/take-the-pledge/

Technorati Tags: Boston, charity, charity events, events, Food, Share our Strength, wine

The Boston Sommelier Society is hosting its Winter Gala at one of my Boston favorites, Les Zygomates, and  they are offering a special ticket discount to readers of Travel, Wine, and Dine.

The Winter Gala will celebrate Boston’s fabulous wine industry with an evening of Champagne, wines from around the world, live jazz, and of course food from Les Zygomates.

Tickets are $99 each, but if you use the code traveleatlovemm, you can get them for $79. A portion of the event proceeds go to Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. Interested? You can visit the event page for more information and to register. Don’t forget to use the discount code!

Technorati Tags: Boston, events, wine

Since we already had plans to head to Killington, Vermont for the weekend, I brought the Port along. Port and snow go so well together!

The drive to Killington was rainy and foggy until we got close to Killington itself and started ascending the mountainous area. It was then that big snowflakes started to fall. Despite the weather when we arrived, it had been foggy and rainy all day, resulting in the slopes being closed down, and also in lots of ice and slush on unplowed roads. Unfortunately, our not-so-trusty GPS led us astray, down a very long driveway, and we got stuck. Not the best way to start the weekend. The homeowner had a plow, but he told us to call AAA. New England hospitality? Perhaps he should add a giant “Private Driveway” sign to the start of his property?

At any rate, after about 35 minutes of spinning wheels and backing down the driveway and zooming back up, we made it to the dry, salted road. My husband the driver for the win!

We arrived at our cozy house to baked ziti and salad and later, Port. I liked this Sandeman 10 year old Tawny Port the best. It exhibited flavors of both dried and ripe fruit with a warm vanilla undertone and a little bit of spice. It went perfectly with Whole Foods two bite brownies. Yes it did.

We spent the evening by the fire sipping Port, and then I had night one of the worst sleep ever.

Luckily, the next day dawned bright but chilly, and we had a leisurely breakfast while looking out over this.

Due to the icy conditions and general lack of desire to ski, a bunch of us decided to go snowshoeing instead. Those of us who needed to rent shoes did so, and we spent about four hours hiking around a pretty difficult terrain. By the time we were done, I had removed layers and was just enjoying the warm winter sun.

Blackberry pictures, unfortunately. . . I have snow shoed in the past with my camera, and it was not fun.

Throughout our hike we went over hills, past a frozen lake, and even saw some adorably furry animals like this pony.

We unstrapped our snowshoes along the way for a quick bite at the Mountain Meadows Lodge. Sweet potato and mushroom soup was just the thing to warm all of us up.

Après-snowshoe, most of our group took naps, and then we headed to hang out with the skiers at the Lookout. A few pre-dinner beers and some bar food in the very crowded bar, and we headed home for the night, well stocked with some very mediocre Chinese takeout.

We both had another horrible night of sleep, so we ended up not skiing on Sunday and instead, after fluffy pancakes at Blanche and Bill’s, headed home to nap.

Killington is a really fun place, and while the social scene would probably have suited me better five years ago, there are plenty of reasons to return, including dinner at the Killington Ledgewood Yurt.

Vermont still has so much damage from Irene, and I was happy to see businesses booming. If you’re planning a winter trip, Killington is a good place to start!

Special thanks to Killington expert Daisy for all of her recommendations in and around town!

Technorati Tags: Killington, Port, snow, snowshoes, soup, Travel, Vermont, wine, winter

My first experience at Sandrine’s was last spring, a wine dinner with Red White Boston that featured two fabulous women in wine, Maureen Martin from Clos du Bois and Janet Myers from Franciscan Estate.

I loved the event, which had a special menu paired with Clos du Bois and Franciscan wines. This past Tuesday night, I, along with a small group of Boston bloggers, had the opportunity to feast on items from Sandrine’s regular menu.

We all received a warm welcome from our server as well as Sandrine’s chef, Raymond Ost. Then we got down to the wine and food.

I started the evening with Trimbach Pinot Gris, a white wine from Alsace that was a perfect pairing with the starters we all shared.

{Moules Marinières  P.E.I. mussels sauteed in Riesling wine, with garlic, shallots & onions}

{Traditional Baked Alsatian Escargots}

{Tarte Flambée (Flammekueche) crispy flat bread topped with nutmeg-scented fromage blanc}

Everything we tried was delicious and perfectly-made. The escargots were garlicky and so tender, not the least bit rubbery or chewy as people often expect them to be. And the Flammekueche was light, cheesy, and smoky. I could have eaten the whole thing myself, but I knew I needed to save room for dinner.

When it came to ordering an entrée, I had a hard time deciding as Sandrine’s menu offers many appealing options. Did I want lobster risotto? Or the traditional, meaty Choucroute Garnie? I ran 15 miles earlier in the day, so I definitely wanted something hearty. I ended up going with the duck, which is something I have only eaten a few times. It was tender and flavorful with brandied cherries and a heavenly mushroom risotto. To pair with the duck, I switched to the red wine option our server had chosen for us, a Rhone blend which went great with the duck. It mirrored the dark cherry flavors in the dish and also had a nice smokiness to it. I love Rhone wines!

{Roasted Maple Leaf Farm Duck Magret  Mushoom risotto, brandied cherry reduction}

Dessert was another tough decision. Luckily the group was willing to share!

{Chocolate Kougelhopf  warm dense chocolate cake, caramel coulis,
vanilla ice cream and chocolate ganache}

The Kougelhopf, a luscious chocolate cake, was pretty incredible. It was almost like a molten chocolate cake but not quite molten. It is a must-order.

{Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème Peanut mousse, salted brittle}

But my Pot de Crème won me over even more. Rich and creamy chocolate, topped with a creamy peanut butter mousse and served with light peanut brittle, this was a sophisticated mix of pb and chocolate, one of my favorite dessert combinations.

The service at Sandrine’s was outstanding. Our server was charming, knowledgeable, very helpful, and fun to chat with. The cuisine of Sandrine’s is from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. Our server was from Lorraine while the chef is from Alsace, and I think the experience was extra-special because it was authentic.

Sandrine’s has a cozy, romantic vibe with a menu that is perfect for chilly weather. You will definitely not leave the restaurant hungry!

My dining experience was complimentary, but I would definitely return for dinner again in the near future. Perhaps Valentine’s Day? Or rather the day before Valentine’s Day, since we prefer to stay in on the holiday itself.

Thanks to Sandrine’s for taking such good care of us!

Technorati Tags: cambridge, Dining out, Food, Restaurants, Sandrine's Bistro, wine