Sangria Spectacular!

So it appears my birthday revolved around Sangria again this year. Honestly, I'm the least bit surprised. Some say Summer is all about Sangria, but I say - why wait! Spring surely starts Sangria Season - try saying that 5 times fast after a few glasses!

Sangria (white or red, pick your poison) is definitely one of my Spring/Summer go-to drinks. (Yes, many of you are thinking - I thought that was Margaritas. But for the sake of this post it's Sangria! Stay tuned for my Margarita recap later this summer.)

Before heading up to Gloucester on my birthday, Matt and I hit up the North Shore Mall for some birthday shopping. We were striking out left and right and decided to call it quits somewhere down the Nordstrom wing. Unsuccessful shopping and parched palettes called for drinks at Burtons.

Choo-Chew Tip #14 - Grabbing drinks at a new restaurant is a great way to check out the scene, before committing to a whole evening out.

And I'm so glad we checked out Burtons! We bellied-up to the bar and had some great drinks. I tried the Berry Sangria - amazing! There is a cozy lounge and gorgeous dining room. John, the manager, treated us to a round and we promised we would be back for dinner!

Other great Sangria Stops you must check out -

Cuchi Cuchi - a couple birthdays back we celebrated with Sangria and tapas at Cuchi Cuchi. Their White Sangria is full of fruity yumminess. You must check it out!

NYAJ - Sarah and I kicked off Spring a few weeks back with a couple of Mani/Pedis and a couple pitchers of Sangria for the perfect liquid lunch! Here's a recipe for their Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria.

15 Walnut - After a long evening out (see above picture), we headed to 15 Walnut for their late-night cure. The bartender felt I also needed to taste-test their Sangria (totally unprompted, I swear!). I will definitely be heading back for an adult-sized glass!

As mentioned in our Gloucester post, the Franklin's Sangria is Choo-Chew Approved!

Where do you go to sip Sangria?

Spring Has Sprung @ 15 Walnut

Last night Matt and I grabbed a spur-of-the-moment bite out at 15 Walnut and were happily surprised to find the spring menu in all its freshness and glory.

I started with the Spring Thai Soup with fresh local spring vegetables, lemongrass and ginger broth. Delish and vegan! For my entrée I tried the Spring Panzanella Salad with asparagus, pea shoots, spring onions, arugula and croutons. I opted sans prosciutto. I still haven’t decided if I liked it or not. Give me a rustic panzanella salad any day of the week, but it didn’t quite deliver to my expectations. My latest opinion is people who like peppery arugula and green goddess dressing will sing its praises. I, however, pushed it around a bit and felt a little guilty when the server cleared our plates.

Matt of course had Caesar salad and shocked the waiter when he ordered a burger instead of his go-to roasted chicken. It was cooked perfectly and rightly paired with a few Whale’s Tale Pale Ales.

The spring menu made me forget my allergies for a couple of hours and reminded me why spring is my 2^nd favorite season – fresh produce!

15 Walnut, oh how I've missed you!

After 7 hours at the Wrentham Outlets my bestie (and sister-in-law) Sarah and I headed home to unload our loot, have a drink and pick up Matt before heading out to Hamilton for the evening. After a private showing of all our goodies (Matt was thrilled), we hopped in the car and took off for 15 Walnut – my absolute favorite North Shore restaurant.

For those of you taking to the rail, there are a number of great restaurants in Hamilton within a stone’s throw from the train stop – 15 Walnut and Black Cow just to name a few.

15 Walnut (or as locals call it “The Nut”) recently reopened after a brief hiatus while they expanded and I was anxious to see the renovation and share the experience with our first Guest Diner - Sarah! Reservations are a must as it seems everyone is in the loop with just how fantastic this restaurant is and locals fill it up quickly.

I often ask myself - what feeds my 15 Walnut obsession? I think there are 3 reasons – the food, service and ambiance. I guess they have hit the trifecta.

The food – Their mantra is simple – “Everything on our menu is cooked from scratch with the best of what’s available each season.” 15 Walnut has won many accolades including North Shore Magazine’s 2010 Best New Restaurant and Best Burger. They pride themselves on many local ingredients fresh to the season. The farm-to-table model is quite popular as of late, but truly nothing tastes better than local cheeses, fresh Gloucester fish and just-picked produce. Being a vegetarian, 15 Walnut always has many delicious options that aren’t run of the mill. Chef Sam Hunt is totally my idol and this review definitely will not do justice to the amazing menu he puts together each season. You must taste it for yourself!

This night we enjoyed some great dishes. I always start with the 15 Walnut Salad which is red oak leaf lettuce, candied walnuts, local goat cheese, 30 day house made vinaigrette and fried shallots. Matt enjoys starting with the Caesar Salad (notice a trend). The order usually doesn’t even pass his lips as most of the servers know his dinner line-up. I had the Winter Potage soup (thick puree of winter vegetables finished with truffle butter, yum!) and Matt had his stand-by Roasted Bell & Evans Chicken. Sarah had the Eggplant Bolognese with pillowy gnocci topped with goat cheese that was to die for. Dessert was a sampling of Poached Fig Crème Brulee and Baked Pear Crisp with Maple Walnut Ice Cream. All that being said – my favorite part of the meal was the bottle (and additional glasses) of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

The service – warm, friendly and on top of their game (i.e. knowing when to remove plates from the table – über important to me). What more could you ask?

The ambiance – warm, open kitchen – big cozy booths – gorgeous bar – comfortable high tops and a large, center farm table – ideal for an outing with friends and family. Which leads me to the expansion. We had different views at our table. I loved the coziness of the original layout and find the new section to be pretty run-of-the mill. The transition from gorgeous granite bar to wood leaves little to be desired. The addition appears not thought-out and rather rushed. Matt and Sarah weren’t as turned off. It definitely won’t stop me from going again and again, but the homey neighborhood restaurant feel is definitely not the same.

The Nut is a must if you have never been. End of story.