Free Hot Chocolate on National Cocoa Day

Wednesday, Dec. 13 is National Cocoa Day and Fairmont Copley Plaza will celebrate with its Back Bay neighbor, L.A. Burdick Chocolates by serving complimentary Burdick hot chocolate from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the hotel’s Dartmouth Street entrance. The artisan chocolatier, famous for its European-inspired chocolate bonbons, hot chocolates and pastries, will have warm cups of its Dark Drinking Chocolate (robust & full-bodied) and Milk Drinking Chocolate (gentler yet still decadent & luscious) to brighten the morning for passersby, while supplies last. L.A. Burdick’s hot cocoa – named one of the “11 must-try hot chocolates around the U.S”. by Zagat – will be served snow or shine to mark this fun food holiday and spread holiday cheer to the neighborhood. It will certainly be a welcome surprise after Boston’s first snowfall this past weekend!

Fairmont Copley Plaza will toast the holiday season with a lavish four-course Holiday Bacchanal dinner featuring a special menu from Executive Chef Laurent Poulain — North Country bacon wrapped local monkfish, winter pickled vegetable salad with candied Marcona almonds and 50-year-old sherry, coffee braised all natural beef short ribs, and warm milk chocolate & coconut brioche bread pudding will be served. American Idol finalist (Season 13) Sam Woolf will provide live entertainment.

Join us on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. as we transform the hotel’s dramatic 105 year-old lobby into an elegant ambiance suited for contemporary times with guests dining at tables running the length of the space

Cocktail attire is suggested.

A Cheese Filled Evening

On Wednesday, April 4th, the cheese stands together at Post 390 for a very special Massachusetts Cheese Trail Farm-to-Post dinner. Executive Chef Nick Deutmeyer has invited his cheesiest friends to the restaurant and created a menu to showcase the best in Massachusetts cheesemaking. Representatives from local fromageries like Upinngil Farm, Ruggles Hill Creamery, and Westfield Farm will be on-site to discuss their cheeses while you enjoy a four-course dinner with each course showcasing a different maker. The evening kicks off at 6:00pm with a welcome reception over passed hors d’oeuvres featuring three Upinngil Farm cheeses, followed by a quartet of queso courses, and finishing with a bonus cheese from Shy Brother’s Farm (in case you get the munchies in the Uber). Tickets are $55 including tax and tip, and if you can’t make it, the Mass. Cheese Trail menu will be available during dinner service at Post for a limited time.

RECEPTION
Upinngil Farm (Gill, MA)
Upinggillar, Spinach, Bacon, Paté Brisée
Feta, Cucumber, Oven Roasted Tomato
Ayrshire, Herbed Butter Cracker, Jagerwurst

FIRST COURSE
Robinson Farm (Hardwick, MA)
Arpeggio “the aroma and flavor notes of the terroir in one bite”
Early Spring Asparagus, Sugar-Stack Ham, Foraged Morels, Caramelized Onion Soubise

SECOND COURSE
Ruggles Hill Creamery (Hardwick, MA)
Greta’s Fair Haven “fruity, peppery, and densely textured”
Chilled Roast Chicken, Marbled Rye, Pickled Green Strawberries, Cracked Black Pepper, Green Peas

ENTRÉE
Westfield Farm (Hubbardston, MA)
Hubbardston Blue Cow “surface ripened…very soft and creamy center”
Garlic & Herb Leg of Lamb, Duck Fat Fried Potatoes, Lemon Smashed Peas, Pan Drippings

DESSERT
Smith Country Cheese (Winchendon, MA)
Extra Aged Gouda “creamy, nutty parm-like cheese”
Strawberry & Almond ‘Shortcake’, Aged Gouda Ice Cream, Strawberry-Gouda Crumb, Rhubarb Jam, Toasted Almonds

TAKE HOME
Shy Brother’s Farm (Westport Point, MA)
Hannahbells “thimble-shaped morsels that pack a dramatic throw-weight of pungency and lingering flavor”

Celebrate Earth Day at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22 by turning off its lights from 5 p.m. through closing to conserve energy. More than a hundred candles will be placed throughout the dining room to illuminate the space for an unforgettable “Earth, Wine & Fire” candlelit dinner experience in one of Boston’s most beautiful restaurants.

A special à la carte menu by Executive Chef Graham Lockwood will feature sustainably sourced courses and replace the regular dinner menu for the evening. Each dish will highlight ingredients from New England farms and purveyors (see select farms noted below), and the menu’s wine pairings will spotlight New York State and Oregon wines that are produced and grown with sustainable and biodynamic farming practices. A three-course wine pairing will be offered for $30, or these wines can be ordered by the glass for $13-$18 depending on the selection. Those dining between 5-7 p.m.will receive a complimentary taste of rosé upon arrival. The regular bar menu will also be available.

Sunday’s customers will be some of the first to enjoy OAK as a non-plastic straw establishment. The restaurant is permanently ditching plastic straws starting this Friday, April 20. OAK has already been mindful to create cocktails that don’t require a straw, but for those that do and all other straw requests, Hay! Straws will be used moving forward, which are made from natural wheat stems and are 100% biodegradable. The special “Earth, Wine & Fire” dinner menu will be printed on plantable seed paper, and no single-use item (like cocktail napkins) will be offered to tables.

MENU

APPETIZER
Pea & Carrot, pea and ricotta dumplings, charcoal roasted carrots and pistachio – $14
Soter “Planet Oregon” Chardonnay

*   Carrots sourced from Ripley Farm, Dover-Foxcroft, ME

South Bay Blondes, egg yolk jam, pickled daikon, radish greens – $18
Brooklyn Oenology “Social Club White”

*   Oysters sourced from Onset, Cape Cod, MA

Pate en Croute, pickled vegetables, cranberry gastrique – $15
Forge “Classique” Riesling

*   Pork sourced from Alderbrook Farm, South Dartmouth, MA

ENTRÉE
Pan Roasted Monkfish, local bacon, Russian banana potatoes, pickled ramps – $29
Brooklyn Oenology “Broken Land”

*   Monkfish sourced from Georges Bank off the coast of MA

*   Potatoes sourced from Green Sunshine Farm, Hodgdon, ME

Braised Short Rib, cassoulet, haikuri turnips, radish – $32
Brooklyn Oenology Merlot

*   Beef sourced from Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME

Chicken Ballotine, wheat berries, spring dug parsnip, cipollini jus – $28
Forge “Classique” Pinot Noir

*   Parsnips sourced from Fish Boot Farms, Bowdoinham, ME
*   Wheat berries sourced from Maine Grains, Skowhegan, ME

DESSERT
Crème Brûlée, duck eggs, maple sugar, almond  – $10
Pacific Rim Riesling Vin De Glaciere

*   Maple sourced from Highland Sugarworks, Barre, VT

*   Cream sourced from Maple Line Dairy, Hadley, MA

Reservations are encouraged for this “lit” dinner and can be made here or by calling 617-585-7222.

Did someone say trivia? Abso-f-ing-lutely.

Kick up your Manolos because Sex and the City Trivia is coming to MJ O’Connor’s Park Plaza. Grab your girlfriends and test your knowledge of the fabulous four. We’ll cover everything from Post-it breakup notes to the wedding that never was.

Trivia will begin at 6:30pm – teams will be registered on a first come, first served basis and will close after the first 35 teams have signed up. Teams cannot exceed 6 people.

The Office Trivia is coming to MJ O’Connor’s Park Plaza!

Beers. Beets. Battlestar Galactica. Okay, so scratch the last two. But there WILL be beer, and if you got the reference, your trivia team needs you!

Trivia begins at 6:30pm, but MJ’s recommends your team arrives early to secure a spot. Registration is first come, first served and closes after the first 35 teams have signed up (team cannot exceed 6 people).

Don’t want to come? Fine. We’re sorry we annoyed you with our friendship.

Please note: an RSVP on Eventbrite does NOT guarantee a table or team. Teams cannot exceed 6 people. Trivia is 21+ with valid ID. 

If you’re going to cheat on your New Year’s resolution, shouldn’t it be with wine and cheese?

Get lost in formaggi and vino heaven, and join Eataly Boston’s annual Winter Wine & Cheese Fest!

Guests at this tasting festival will receive an all-access pass to wander through the entire store and taste a variety of artisanal cheeses and fine wines. At each station, you’ll learn about the characteristics and stories behind each cheese you’re enjoying and every wine you’re sipping directly from passionate experts. Experience an evening as the best of both Italy and New England come together with cheeses and wine sourced from top local and Italian producers.

Don’t miss this indulgent trip to Italy—without ever leaving Boston—for a Winter Wine and Cheese Fest designed by some of the best cheesemongers and sommeliers in the business!

All-Access Bracelets are $60

Ticket includes food sampling and tastings of an array of cheeses/salumi and wines.

Due to the nature of the event, we are unable to make menu substitutions to accommodate allergies or dietary restrictions.

All guests planning to consume alcohol must be able to produce valid government-issue identification to prove they are 21 or older.

To learn more about Eataly Boston, please click here.

Join Mandarin Oriental Boston for an evening of exciting wines from legendary Rhône Valley producer M. Chapoutier with regionally-focused pairings.

More information is coming soon! 

To learn more about the Mandarin Oriental, 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.