What to Eat (and Drink) This Weekend
Birthday steak, beer-washed cheese, so many New England IPAs, and more.
Cambridge Brewing Company and Jasper Hill Farm collaborated on Imaginary Day Willoughby Cheese. / Photo by Jennifer Trebino Wyllie
Imaginary Day-washed Willoughby
Jasper Hill Farm collaborated with Cambridge Brewing Company on the newest iteration of its buttery, classic Willoughby—the soft-rind cheese typically gets a salt-brine wash before it ages, but this time, the Vermont cheesemakers start with a cultured wash, then use CBC’s barrel-fermented wild ale, Imaginary Day. “That type of beer is exactly what we would want to pair with Willoughby,” says Jasper Hill’s marketing director, Zoe Brickley. Brewed with herbs and botanicals like yarrow, sweet gale, and heather—and no bitter hops—“It has floral aromas, a nice brightness. It’s not going to overwhelm the subtle cheese, it’s going to complement it well.” Wheels of the partnership are still available at the Cellars at Jasper Hill, inside the Boston Public Market, and Hopsters Alley has bottles of Imaginary Day, too. The CBC brewpub has the cheese on its board, and bottles of the beer available, and so does Deep Ellum. Imaginary Day Willoughby is also on shelves at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge.
Birthday Steak
Happy birthday, dear Bergamot, happy birthday to you! In celebration of seven years in Somerville, chef-owner Keith Pooler and team are turning Bergamot into a steakhouse for the weekend. Dry-aged ribeye, prime rib, a bavette cut, and more are on the a la carte menu, plus roasted Alaskan halibut, springtime pasta primavera, oysters on the half shell, beef tartare, and more. Steakhouse sides include creamed spinach, roasted mushrooms, asparagus, and other classics. Save room for crème brulée, cheesecake, and of course, birthday cake. The special menu starts tonight.
Birthday Steak, March 31-April 2, 5:30-10:30 p.m. (10 p.m. on Sunday), Bergamot, 118 Beacon St., Somerville, 617-576-7700, bergamotrestaurant.com.
Chef Alex Crabb and fried chicken and a biscuit at Asta. / Photo provided
Fried Chicken & Biscuits
Asta chef Alex Crabb treats his staff to fried chicken on buttermilk biscuits every so often, and eventually, they convinced him that more people should get to try it, says partner Shish Parsigian. Fried chicken and biscuits first popped up at the Back Bay restaurant last summer, and the special is back this month. Beginning this Saturday, find a simple fried chicken sandwich on a buttermilk biscuit ($10), paired with house-made lemonade ($3) and “something sweet” (this week, it’s a brownie, $2) every Friday and Saturday in April. It will also be available on Marathon Monday, beginning at 11 a.m.
Fridays and Saturdays in April, noon-2 p.m., Asta, 47 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, 617-585 9575, astaboston.com, Instagram.
Slumbrew Big Kids Table New England IPA. / Photo provided
New England IPAs
Last week, Somerville Brewing Company debuted something squarely in their wheelhouse, a Belgian-style Slumbrew ale made with Captain Crunch cereal. But this week’s release is pretty different—the brewery’s first go at a New England IPA. Quadruple dry-hopped with Citra, Cascade, Mosaic, and other hop varietals, Big Kids Table is hazy, soft, fruity—and boozy (8.8 percent!)—and it nails the style originated by the cult favorite Alchemist Heady Topper. The busy brewpub and beer garden is expanding with an additional full-scale brewpub at Assembly Row, so it’s no secret that Slumbrew is popular. But with this release, co-founder Caitlin Jewell says, “We think this is the beer where we’re pulling up a chair… to the big kids table.” Can’t get enough of these citrusy hop bombs? You can always go to Trillium, Bissell Brothers, and Tree House. Also, keep an eye out for Idle Hands Four Seam, Backlash Salute, Down the Road Queequeg’s Revenge (which will be on draft when the Everett beer hall opens), and, for good measure, Omnipollo Shploing, brewed at Dorchester Brewing Co. with Mosaic hops and Marshmallow Fluff.
Big Kids Table release, Friday, March 31, 11 a.m. with some distribution, 15 Ward St., Somerville, 800-428-1150, slumbrew.com.
Sulmona in Cambridge. / Photo by Eric Luciano
Brunch Begins at Sulmona
The latest from the team behind Amelia’s Trattoria debuts pizzette-filled brunch in Kendall Square this weekend. In addition to chef Delio Susi’s pies topped with pepperoni, funghi, and more classics, there’s Sweet Cheeks, with crispy pig cheeks, hot honey, and sunny-side up eggs. There’s also mascarpone-stuffed French toast, a charred vegetable frittata, and more. Check out the menu below.
Saturdays and Sundays beginning April 1, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Sulmona, 608 Main St., Kendall Square, Cambridge, 617-714-4995, sulmonacambridge.com.
