Five Pop-Up Dinners (and Other Notable Culinary Events)

A charcuterie bash at Bantam, a Night Shift beer dinner with Tony Maws, and a preview of JP Beer Garden at The Hawthorne.

jp beer garden

JP Beer Garden will be hosting a new pop-up dinner at The Hawthorne. Photo courtesy of Allana Taranto

Sportello Hosts Flour + Water’s Thomas McNaughton

Barbara Lynch’s Sportello will welcome chef, author, and three-time recipient of the James Beard Rising Star Chef award Thomas McNaughton for a five-course dinner party to celebrate the release of his latest cookbook, Flour + Water: Pasta. McNaughton, the chef-owner of San Francisco’s wildly popular Italian restaurant, Flour + Water, will work with the Sportello team on creating recipes from his latest cookbook, including celery root tortelli with balsamico and walnuts; pici with vin santo braised squab, panchetta and cabbage; red-wine rigatoni with beef cheeks & parsley; and more. Each course will be paired with Italian wines from Barbara Lynch Gruppo Wine Director Cat Silirie’s carefully edited list.

$125 per person (includes reception, 5-course tasting menu with wine pairings, and signed copy of the cookbook), Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m., 348 Congress St., Boston; 617-737-1234 for reservations.

JP Beer Garden Pop-Up at The Hawthorne

After a string of successful pop-up dinners at Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain, husband and wife team Owen Royce-Nagel and Lizzie Szczepaniak will move things over to Kenmore Square to showcase a preview of their upcoming Alsatian-themed beer garden. The Hawthorne is a sentimental destination for Royce-Nagel, who first started his culinary career on Garrett Harker’s opening team at Eastern Standard. The duo, along with friend Daren Palacios, will be making a variety of sausages (including a vegetarian one), pretzels, beer cocktails (by Katie Emmerson, Carrie Cole, and Jackson Cannon), and more. Beer pairings will be available and guests will get swag from Notch, Jack’s Abby, Harpoon, Allagash, and Cisco.

$20 per person/$30 RSVP at the door, Oct. 26, 3 – 6 p.m., 500 A Commonwealth Ave., Boston; 617-532-9150 or eventbrite.com.

A Sherry Celebration at Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard will host author Talia Baiocchi to celebrate the release of her new book, Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World’s Best-Kept Secret, with Cocktails and Recipes. Baiocchi will join Eastern Standard wine director Colleen Hein to share tales of her travels throughout Jerez, Spain, while guests sip on a range of Lustau sherries and custom sherry cocktails. Spanish cheeses (Garroxta, Manchego, Monte Enebro, Idiazabl) will be available to nibble on, as well as tapas like mushroom pinxtos, stuffed mussels, sticky pork croquettes, and more. Copies of Baiocchi’s book will also be available for purchase and signature.

Free event, Oct. 27, 5-7 p.m., 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston; RSVP to chein@easternstandardboston.com.

Charcuterie Party at Bantam Cider

Bantam will host a cheese and charcuterie party in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Cider Days, New England’s oldest cider festival in Western Massachusetts. In addition to their own ciders, Bantam Cider co-owners Dana Masterpolo and Michelle da Silva will be pouring a selection of small-batch examples from other producers around Massachusetts, and pairing them with Jasper Hill Farm cheeses and charcuterie from Seacrest Foods. Bantam’s charcuterie event is also a perfect excuse to swing by their Somerville taproom to sample new creations like their Sweet Scrumpy (an “adult farm stand cider”), a boozy ginger beer, and a wild-fermented, blackberry sour.

$35 per person, Oct. 24, 7-10 p.m., 40 Merriam St., Somerville; eventbrite.com.

Night Shift Beer Dinner at Kirkland Tap & Trotter

Chef Tony Maws is teaming up with Everett’s Night Shift Brewery for a four-course, family-style beer dinner at Kirkland Tap & Trotter. Seating will be at communal tables shared with representatives from Night Shift Brewing, who will guide guests through the progression of beers and food. Sample Night Shift selections like their new Young Guns IPA, Thunder Moon porter, and Harborside Gose (brewed with Island Creek Oysters), alongside Maws’ house-made charcuterie and ice creams, fried pork ribs, sausages, and more.

$95 per person, Oct. 28, 8 p.m., 425 Washington St., Somerville; 857-259-6585 or kirklandtapandtrotter.com.