Wednesday, December 15: Dan Butler might have downsizing on his mind, but his Piccolina Toscana is still doing it big for the holidays.
His 20-year-old Trolley Square restaurant emerged from a renovation and rebranding in October as Piccolina (“petite”) with a new selection of small plates and tapas. But on Wednesday, the Toscana Kitchen, led by chef Robbie Jester, will indulge in the centuries-old Italian holiday tradition of Feast of Seven Fishes.
Festa dei Sette Pesce will be a wine dinner, but not your typical wine dinner. There is no set start time: Make your reservations for any seating between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. and get your delicious fish fresh from the kitchen. Pair your courses with a pre-selected bottle of vino, or choose your own wine, cocktail, beer, etc. It’s totally whatevs.
Can’t make it Wednesday? Toscana will host the dinner again on Christmas Eve. The cost for both is $75 per person with wine and $55 without.
Reservations are required, so click here to do ’em up online. Or call the restaurant at 654-8001.
Thursday, December 16: It’s not every day you get the chance to dine with a Super Bowl champion. It’s even more rare to dine with a Super Bowl Champion who also revitalized the local moribund football franchise, set into action the events of “Invincible,” turned a grocery worker into a future Hall of Famer, oh, and who has a penchant for the waterworks.
Dick Vermeil makes wine, too.
Join Vermeil, the former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles (and Super Bowl XXXIV winner with the St. Louis Rams), on Thursday at BBC Tavern in Greenville as he hosts a night of Vermeil Wines. Vermeil will be available for photos and autographs.
The special four-course wine dinner pairs the coach’s Napa Valley wines with a vigorous food lineup. Here’s a peek at the menu:
First Course: Maine Lobster Tail stuffed with Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Meat, paired with Vermeil Sauvignon Blanc
Second Course: Pan Seared Sea Scallops served over a shittake mushroom risotto with a wild mushroom cream sauce, paired with Vermeil Propriety XXXIV Blend
Main Course: Filet Au Poivre with a cognac cream sauce, served with roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus, paired with Vermeil Cabernet Sauvignon
Dessert: Individual chocolate football filled with pastry cream and fresh raspberries, served with a dense flourless chocolate cake, paired with Vermeil On THEdge Zinfandel
The dinner gets underway at 6:30, and reservations are going for $150 per person, proceeds of which help benefit the Mary Campbell Center and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Seating is limited to 50 people, and I have a feeling this will fill up faster than a Wilbert Montgomery off-tackle rush. Call the Tavern at 655-3785 for more.
Beer me: Q: What to get the man who has everything? A: Beer. (It’s always beer.)
The good folks at McKenzie Brew House have taken the hassle out of holiday shopping with their Craft Beer Basket, a $39 package of beery goodness. Each basket (actually a festive red ice bucket) comes stuffed with two McKenzie pint glasses, food pairing suggestions, two McKenzie Sunday Passports, good for deals and discounts, and three craft beers, the creations of brewer Ryan Michaels and Gerard Olson.
They are:
Saison Vautour: A Great American Beer Festival gold medal award-winner three out of the past four years, this bottled version of McKenzie’s Belgian-style farmhouse ale is fermented and aged in wine barrels. Brewed with 25% malted rye for a spiciness that compliments this golden beer’s dry, bitter and tart refreshment. (7% ABV)
St. Romain Strong: A unique twist on a legendary style, this East Coast-style barley wine was aged 17 months in French oak wine barrels. A big, fruity ale with a wild, tart acidity. (9% ABV)
Oer Faute: A strong, dark lager aged over a year in American oak. Sour acidity adds complexity to the rich depths of this beer, which boasts big dark fruits and a firm dry finish. (9.5% ABV)
The Craft Beer Baskets are available now at the restaurant’s Malvern and Chadds Ford locations. Click your way here for more information.
