Celebrate Pride and National Donut Day with OAK Long Bar + Kitchen

National Donut Day is this Friday, June 7, coinciding with Boston PRIDE week. Fairmont Copley Plaza is waving its PRIDE flag loud and proud outside in Copley Square, and to further celebrate with the community OAK Long Bar + Kitchen will give away complimentary mini PRIDE donuts to its patio customers from 4–8PM on Friday, with the purchase of any drink or food, while supplies last. The three-inch minis baked by OAK’s Pastry Chef Lindsay Le Blanc will be a Funfetti Brioche Donut with Rainbow Glaze.

Chef Lindsay is known for her creative donuts and crullers. Every weekend she bakes a new flavor for the Brunch menu’s “French Cruller” special. Last weekend’s cruller was Orange Creamsicle, and past flavors include Vanilla Bean w/ Peanut Butter, Mexican Hot Chocolate and Raspberry Hazelnut.

Eat, drink and be scary with Oak Long Bar on Halloween night! After all, it’s just a bunch of “hOAKus pOAKus.”

The Fairmont s throwing the chicest costume party in town, complete with a la carte on-theme drinks, spooky games, and dollar test tube shooters!  

$25 gains you entry the party between 7 and 10 p.m., one drink ticket for the punch bowl and unlimited spooky & sweet treats. The best costume wins Celtics tickets!

DRINK

The ticket includes one scoop from the spiked “Zombie Punch” bowl. Additional drinks are a la carte. The bar team is creepin’ it real with the following:

Four Halloween-themed cocktails available for $15 each, such as the “Monster Smash” (bribon tequila & midori) and “Witches Brew” (dos maderas rum, eden ice cider wine & pineapple).
$1 test-tube shooters in fall flavors like pumpkin spice & apple, and black cherry & cranberry.

FOOD

The ticket includes all-you-can-eat desserts from Pastry Chef Lindsay Le Blanc, such as spider web cupcakes and spooky sugar cookies. Additional food is a la carte. Chef Graham Lockwood is serving a to-die-for Halloween slider special:

$5 for a 2oz wagyu patty slider with a black bun, dijonnaise, tomato, Boston bib, B&B pickles

COSTUME CONTEST

Halloween costumes are encouraged! Two clever dressers will be awarded “Best Costume” prizes. *No face masks, weapons, or replica weapons of any kind are permitted*

1st prize: a pair of Celtics tickets to the Nov. 13 game vs. Wizards
2nd prize: a free tour & tasting for two at Eden Specialty Ciders in Newport, VT (transportation not included)
In addition to the above tricks, partygoers can play games such as graveyard ring toss, enter a raffle to win gift cards and swag, and watch clips from black & white horror films projected behind OAK’s bar.

For more on OAK Long Bar, please click here.

Join the Fairmont Copley Plaza for an early stress-free, potentially family-free (unless you decide to invite quirky Aunt Linda), and fun Friendsgiving celebration.

Let’s celebrate with a delicious Thanksgiving meal where you let the Fairmont’s kitchen do all the prep work, cooking, and cleaning. Try new wine pairings that may bring you inspiration for that perfect wine gift to bring to your “real” Thanksgiving dinner. Come share food, friendship, and thankfulness with the Fairmont and kick off this year’s holiday season.

The five course dinner is part of Fairmont Copley Plaza’s popular 140 Supper Club series where guests descend a century-old staircase and whisper a password to be immersed into a themed, intimate dining experience hosted by Executive Chef Laurent Poulain.

MENU

Smoked Duck
pistachio and foie gras pȃté, confit pickled shallots
Pairing: Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir

Cauliflower “Mac” Casserole
north country bacon, vermont smoked cheddar
Pairing: Wente Family Estates Riva Ranch Chardonnay

Baby Greens and Cucumber Wrap
roasted butternut squash, sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds, goat feta, cranberry tarragon and grainy mustard vinaigrette
Pairing: Four Graces Pinot Gris

Apple Cider Brined Grilled Turkey Cutlet and Leg Confit
roasted brussels sprouts and baby carrots, caramelized organic mushrooms, corn bread and brioche stuffing, sage turkey demi-glace, fine herbs
Pairing: Bonny Doon Grenache

Gingersnap Apple Crisp
cream cheese and walnuts, pumpkin ice cream, apple chip
Pairing: Trefethen Late Harvest Riesling

This winter, escape Boston’s frigid temperatures for a lively evening by Terra’s warm wood-fired grill.

This winter, escape Boston’s frigid temperatures for a lively evening by Terra’s warm wood-fired grill as you indulge in rustic food and Tuscan wine pairings! On January 30, award-winning Chef Dan Bazzinotti invites restaurateur and salumi producer Chef Cesare Casella to take over the Terra grill.

The five-course menu will revolve around seasonal ingredients and pork used from a whole pig raised at Chickering Farm – a demonstration of the versatility of this rich meat and the beauty of utilizing an entire animal. Guests will enjoy smoke-kissed plates (like house-made sausage and tableside prosciutti carvings by both chefs to start the meal) designed by Chef Bazzinotti and Chef Casella – a partnership made all the more special due to the duo’s personal connection and love for salumi.

Stay tuned for the full menu!

At this dinner, you will:

• Indulge in five courses of Tuscan-inspired, pork-centric dishes brought to you by award-winning chefs
• Learn about the importance of using whole parts of food
• Enjoy Tuscan wine paring with each course
• Experience the magical ambiance of our rooftop restaurant, Terra

To learn more about Terra, please click here.

Meet and mingle with other Francophiles while celebrating La Chandeleur!

Also called Crêpe Day, la Chandeleur is a French holiday during which people traditionally eat crêpes and drink cidre. Though la Chandeleur is often associated with the Catholic holiday of Candlemas, it actually stems from pagan traditions. And, of course, there is the traditional coin ritual: if you can flip a crêpe while holding a coin in your other hand, you and your family will not have to worry about financial problems. There is even a fun legend that ties Napoleon’s misfortune with his time in Russia with the flipping of the crêpes!

The French Cultural Center will observe this popular holiday with crêpes and a variety of delicious toppings. All ages are invited and welcome to attend!

Please note: When you register for a family, you are registering per family. You will be required to answer a question on the number of family members that will attend.

Early RSVP recommended.

To learn more about the French Cultural Center, please click here.

Galentine’s Day = a celebration of female friendships. Galentine’s Day Party at OAK = a fun night out to celebrate with food, drink & more!

Back for year two! OAK Long Bar + Kitchen and The Food Lens are joining forces again to throw a party for ladies to celebrate the ladies in their lives the day before Valentine’s Day, popularly known as Galentine’s Day. On Thursday, February 13, from 6:00–9:00 PM, join their soirée for a night of sipping, snacking, and sweets—all while supporting a local charity that serves homeless women.

Here’s how they’ll be honoring the ladies:

• With a tasting of standout rosés produced by lady vintners
• With signature Galentine’s themed cocktails
• With a sweets station from OAK’s pastry chef, Lindsay Le Blanc
• With cheese sourced from female purveyors, plus a charcuterie spread
• With delicious passed hors d’oeuvres and a bountiful raw bar
• With a chance to win a gift basket filled with tasty and pampering items from local women-owned businesses
• With a playlist featuring the queens of pop

Tickets are $55 and include all food, two specialty cocktails, the wine tasting, and a charitable monetary donation. *They will donate $10 from your ticket* to Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime shelter on Newbury Street offering a safe sanctuary, nutritious meals and critical support services for Boston women experiencing poverty and homelessness.

“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year!” – Leslie Knope. The holiday was created by the show “Parks and Recreation” and has since transcended the TV screen to become a beloved tradition of celebrating female friendships annually on February 13, whether that be your friend, sister, co-worker, mom, partner, or other! 

For more about OAK Long Bar + Kitchen, please click here.

ABOUT THE FOOD LENS

The Food Lens is a curated website that enables the culinarily curious to discover or rediscover Boston’s dining scene. Eternally curious and always hungry, female founders Molly Ford and Sarah Jesup have eaten their way through the city, culling the most authentic dining experiences Boston has to offer.

Ex’s and Ohhh’s they haunt us… So off to the Valentine’s Day themed Drag Brunch…

Hosted by Robyn Edges and Neon Calypso-OH-OH-OH

Whether you’re trying to find your squeeze or forget them, join Back Bay Social at our Valentine’s edition Ex’s and Ohhh’s Drag Brunch on Saturday, February 15th. Doors at 11am, Show at 1pm.

One, two, three they’re going to bring the mimosas to me.

We always want to come but we never want to leave!

Performances by Mizery Mcrae and Teasha.

Check out the brunch menu here

**** AN EVENTBRITE TICKET DOES NOT GUARANTEE A TABLE OR SEATING. PLEASE VISIT BACK BAY SOCIAL’S WEBSITE HERE TO MAKE A RESERVATION ****

Beverage Director Gregg Guertin takes you back in time to the way wine used to be.

During the next Terra Wine Dinner, Eataly’s Beverage Director Gregg Guertin takes us back in time to the way wine used to be—before the addition of pesticides, chemicals, and additives to today’s agriculture.  Each wine pairing during this multi-course dinner will be an expressive, unique, and raw example of grapes in their truest form so that you may taste distinctive characteristics of the grape varietals while appreciating terroir and the growers’ techniques. Along with natural wines, you’ll enjoy biodynamic wines—bottles which are made with a holistic view on agriculture and balance the resonance between vine, man, earth, and stars.

Just like the wine, the five courses prepared by Terra’s Executive Chef Dan Bazzinotti will also draw from primitive roots of cooking and ingredients while showcasing Terra’s wood-fired grill as the main attraction. These dishes will utilize meats from local farms using organic and sustainable methods; wild and sustainable Massachusetts seafood; and local, organic, and foraged fruits and vegetables showcased in their true form to create the perfect pairing with each wine.

During the dinner, you will have the opportunity to learn about the ingredients and stories behind our wines and food directly from our experts. Chef Dan will take you on a journey through all the dinner’s ingredients including the Frantoi Cutrera Primo organic olive oil from Sicily used in the preparation of local seafood; the Country Hen eggs that give our housemade pasta its bright, yellow color; the local, humane, non-GMO meat raised at Chickering Farm in Westmoreland, NH; and our fresh produce from local farms, foragers, and purveyors who strive to keep the quality intact.

Book your seat for another installment of a Terra Wine Dinner under the stars. Stay tuned for the full menu!

At this dinner, you will:

• Indulge in five courses featuring local, organic, sustainable ingredients cooked over the Terra fire
• Enjoy natural & biodymanic wine pairings with each course and learn about the distinctive characteristics of grape varietals
• Meet and chat with Executive Chef Dan Bazzinotti and Beverage Director Gregg Guertin about the stories behind each ingredient and wine pairing
• Experience the magical ambiance of Eataly’s rooftop restaurant, Terra

For more about Terra, please click here.

Ascend to Terra for a multi-course dinner under the stars (with wine pairings!) for a culinary tour of the valley.

Ascend to Terra for a multi-course dinner under the stars (with wine pairings!) for a culinary tour of the valley with one of the region’s most celebrated producers: Nino Negri. The former winemaker’s daughter herself, Sara Maule, who now resides locally, will guide you through this captivating landscape and introduce the traditions of Valtellina.

The Valtellina is an Alpine valley in Northern Lombardy, just below the border with Switzerland, that was carved out by the mighty river Adda.  The valley lies in between the Rhaetian Alps to the north and the Bergamo Alps to the south.

Nino Negri, located in this very valley, was established in 1897 is one of Italy’s most celebrated producers in the Valtellina.  The winery operates to this day in a centuries old castle, and uses the original cellars with natural underground temperature control to age their wines.

Each wine will be perfectly paired to savory courses like Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese, a traditional Alpine pasta dish. You will dive into flame-kissed flavors of the seasonal ingredients prepared over Terra’s famous wood-fire grill as you discover the stories and history behind the dishes and wine.

Get your tickets for this magical night of vino, food, and a storied tour of Valtellina—without leaving Boston—on April 1st!

For more about Terra, please click here.