Nothing is going to keep people away from today's sales at Macy's

Well, I hope no one's waiting around for this bone marrow...

(Updated to add that the sign says, "Human Bone Marrow. Do not XRay.")
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

This Wine & I Will Get Along, or, A Re-cap of Tuesday in the Tasting Room at Ivy

Last Tuesday, Nick, Jenny, Brad & I headed to Ivy in Downtown Crossing for "Tuesday in the Tasting Room." The event featured 4 Rosé wines that were each paired with hors d'oevres. Ivy did a great job putting this together; you had to sign up in advance, and the number of attendees was limited so we had room to move around and not feel cramped. All in all this was a great deal for $20/person, especially since they were very generous with refills and food.

After checking-in, we each received a card that listed a brief description of each wine and a few lines to jot down some tasting notes. I can't say that our reviews are on par with something one might read in, "Wine Aficionado;" however, I never said we were sophisticated.

The 1st tasting was Mulderbosch Rosé from South Africa, and is described as "layers of strawberry, cherry, roses & fresh peaches on the nose." (I'm not sure if "on the nose" is a phrase commonly associated with describing wine, or if it's a fancy way of wording that this Rosé smells like fruit...) Anyway, my distinguished panel of friends threw out "refreshing!" and "summery!" after tasting this one. The food pairing with this wine was a tasty roasted eggplant/veggie medley over crostini.

The 2nd tasting was las Rocas Rosado from Spain, which is "made from 100% Garnacha & offers up a fragrant nose of kirsch & strawberry." Or, as my group stated more succinctly, "not a huge fan." I believe the food pairing with this was a cheese croqueta; however, I'm not entirely sure. At this point in the evening, I began to suffer the same consequences that happen when I drink red wine (namely severe heartburn) and I more or less stuck to tasting Ivy's water at this point. (Inferior grade, yet potable.)

Moving on, the 3rd wine was Chateau Ste. Michelle "Nellie's Garden" Rosé from Washington State. According to the card, this Rosé "shows beautiful fruit aromas & flavors of strawberry, raspberry & subtle spice notes." Or as Nick said, "Good. I like this." Perhaps feeling poetic after several glasses of wine, Brad declared it to be "enduring." Nellie's Garden was served with a stuffed cherry pepper.

The 4th and final tasting was Jaboulet "Paralelle 45" Rosé from France. This wine was everyone's favorite and is professionally described as having "floral & crushed red cherry aromas, with full-bodied, ripe, mineral-driven fruit on the palate." Nick took one sip and exclaimed, "This wine and I will get along!" The hors d'oevres were to die for; deep-fried dates stuffed with risotto.

At the event, Ivy's staff was really friendly and the woman representing the wine distributor was more than willing to answer our questions. We've already signed up for the next tasting on July 14th, which is "Sparkling Wines from Around the World!" (The exclamation point is Ivy's, although I am rather excited about that tasting myself!) You can email events@ivyrestaurantgroup.com to sign up.

45 Province Not Adverstising its Greatest Asset

Last May, I wrote about the 45 Province building that was quickly being built. Well, yesterday while on my way to Chacarero, I noticed that there was a vehicle from the mayor's office and someone wielding a giant pair of scissors. I'm guessing there was some sort of grand opening official ribbon-cutting ceremony, or a Hagrid-type was getting a haircut.

The people with the giant shears are next to the car in the lower left-hand corner

Aside from the spa, library, catered kitchen, etc. I still think the greatest luxury would be living across from Chacarero. How is it not listed as a dining option under neighborhood highlights? Actually, where is Sam LaGrassa's too? This list needs a revision!

Deal or No Deal?!

I just received an email from Ivy Restaurant announcing a Pre-Marathon Carbo Load special.

On Sunday, April 19, Executive Chef Mark Cina is serving up bottomless bowls of spaghetti and meatballs for just $16.
Throw in a bottle of wine from our flat-priced $26 wine list and you've got yourself a complete meal for less than the cost of new running shoes.

Normally, I don't pay much attention to these offers, but I don't really see what the "deal" is. $16 is a lot of money for spaghetti and meatballs, even if you eat 2 bowls. Ivy's food is very good, but for bottomless pasta specials try "Pasta Mondays" at Cafe Porto Bello in Southie. For $9.95, you get soup, salad & bottomless pasta. Their food is excellent and the wine by the glass is usually filled to the brim. Mangia!

Free Downtown Crossing Wine Crawl

Last night, my friends Jen, Nell and I went on the First Annual Downtown Crossing Wine Crawl. The *free* event was sponsored by the Downtown Crossing Partnership, whose mission is:

The Downtown Crossing Partnership is a partnership of businesspeople and residents who work together to address neighborhood issues with one strong voice.
Our agenda is determined by our members, who share a collective vision of strengthening our neighborhood, the business environment and the natural vitality of this exciting urban area.
From ensuring clean, safe streets to promoting area events, the Downtown Crossing Partnership’s collaborative efforts are an urban success story.

The crawl started at 5:30 at Marliave, where we received our Wine Crawl Pass, a button indicating we were on the crawl, and a holiday savings pass good at many stores, restaurants & hotels in the Downtown Crossing area. (The holiday pass is also available on DCP's homepage.) By 5:50 or so, there were about 100 people gathered and a DCP representative briefly thanked us for coming and explained that we could visit the bars in any order we wished. Each bar we visited, had a variety of wines and appetizers to choose from, along with a designated spot for crawlees. Some bars even offered us 2nd glasses of wine (Max & Dylan's was especially generous.)

Cheers! (That's my man hand in the front)

We ended up going to 5 of the 7 crawl stops, stopping by Marliave, Lock Ober, Max & Dylan's, Mantra, and then Ivy for the wrap party. The crawl was so well organized and the bars actually looked happy to have us there, even though we weren't paying customers. This event was also a reminder that there are some other places to have dinner and drinks in the Downtown Crossing area besides Fajitas & 'Ritas (which is good, but it's nice to have variety.) I had never been to Mantra before, and was impressed by the layout and cool decor. Perhaps it was a little too trendy for me though, because the bathroom stalls feature two-way mirrors on the inside of the stall doors. The bathroom was empty when I went inside, but when I closed the stall door I could see 2 other women enter and start to fix their hair at the counter. Even though I knew they couldn't see me, it was still very unsettling to see them, and I was struck with performance anxiety for a bit!

Photo taken from inside the stall. You can see the stainless steel sinks through the door.

Also, I have to admit that on my way out of the bathroom, I couldn't help but wave enthusiastically at a closed stall door. Hopefully, I didn't give the girl too much of a fright!

The crawl was a fun time with friends and much better than my last documented Downtown Crossing experience.