Photo: bekkasaurus/Flickr
LOCAL BITES
Margarita Me
Today marks Mexico’s 200th year of independence, so celebrate with a festive drink or two from Masa’s new fall cocktail menu. They’ll also have celebratory specials throughout September. Bottoms up!
The Dog Days Are (Almost) Over
The end of summer doesn’t mean the ends of hot dogs. If you’re dedicated to dogs, head to Spectacle Island September 18th for a Hot Dog Eating Contest hosted by Summer Shack. It’s free to watch, but there’s a small fee to test your race pace eating abilities. Ferries leave regularly from Long Wharf.
Chocoholics, Don’t Forget
The New England Dessert Showcase is fast approaching. Find out where and when you can indulge in chocolates galore.
Folk and Food with the Fam
If you like feasting on home-cooked food and listening to folk music, visit the Soule Homestead Harvest Fair and Joe Davies Folk Festival September 18th and 19th in Middleborough. Who doesn’t love a good hay ride?
Calling All Wine-Os
Make it a point to dine out the week of September 20th, which marks the beginning of Boston’s First Annual Wine Week. You can enjoy handcrafted wines from across the globe at the city’s top restaurants. Some of the featured bottles normally run upwards of $90, but you can sip for only $9/glass or $32/bottle. To complement the celebration, there are a number of tastings around town with wine experts who can answer your vino queries. Click here for participating restaurants, events, and the complete wine list.
Have a Tryst at Tryst
To celebrate its sixth year of business, Tryst Restaurant in Arlington is offering $6 appetizers every Sunday for the month of September. Show up between 4:30 and 9pm to make an economical meal out of their small bites.
A History Lesson in Honey
Enjoy the luscious taste of honey every Saturday and Sunday of this month from 12-4:30pm at Historic Deerfield. It’s a chance for you and your family to learn about all things honey, from its importance in colonial America to the bees behind every batch. You can also make a beeswax candle to take home and, of course, sample the sweet stuff!
Say (Delicious Vermont) Cheese!
Sample to your heart’s (and stomach’s) content at the Plymouth Cheese and Harvest Festival in Plymouth, VT, on September 19th. Some of the day’s events include tastings, wagon rides, a cheese recipe contest, BBQ and guided tours of the Plymouth Cheese Factory.
Is the Next Bobby Flay in Boston?
The Food Network is coming to Boston September 26th to hold an open casting call for The Next Food Network Star. Think you can woo a live audience with your culinary talents and smile? Get the details here on where to go and what to bring.
NATIONAL TREATS
Chinatown Meets Little Italy
For the upcoming Feast of San Gennaro in NYC, chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi give the usual Italian street food an Asian twist. At their technicolored stand you’ll find wok-fried mozzarella sticks, a roast pork sandwich that has been carefully infused with Asian flavors, and custard cream puffs.
Summer Leftovers, Solved
Can ‘em, and Philadelphia blogger, Marisa McClellan of Food in Jars, will tell you how. After all, her blog is dedicated to canned foods. McClellan can show you just how to put that leftover watermelon to long-lasting use.
Come On America, Eat Your Fruits and Veggies!
Scott Hensley of NPR’s Health Blog reports that Americans are even worse now than they were in 2000 about eating the recommended two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day. Read more about why you should listen to your mother and eat your broccoli, and see which state has the highest fruit intake.