What to Eat (and Drink) This Weekend
Dessert for a good cause, a casual brunch with mom, Somerville Porchbeer, and more.
Kenji’s Impossibly Delicious Impossible Döner Kebab
Former Bostonian and sandwich expert J. Kenji López-Alt, creator of Serious Eats’ the Food Lab, popped up last weekend at Cutty’s to represent his new San Mateo restaurant, Wursthall. López-Alt knows Cutty’s owners Rachel and Charles Kelsey from their Cook’s Illustrated days, and he teamed up with them to bring one of his most popular new items to Cutty’s all week: The Impossible Döner Kebab is an all-vegan sandwich with döner sauce, Turkish spices, pickled cucumbers and chilis, cilantro, and more, made with the meat-like, plant-derived Impossible beef. López-Alt is back in California, but the Impossible Döner Kebab is still on the specials menu at Cutty’s through Friday. Get there.
Cutty’s, 284 Washington St., Brookline, 617-505-1844, cuttyfoods.com.
2018 Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer desserts from Ruka, Cultivar, and Oak & Rowan. / Photos via Instagram
Baked Goods for Good
The sweetest fundraiser is well underway: the 19th annual Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer continues through Mother’s Day (which is this Sunday, May 13). All across Greater Boston, pastry chefs are using beautiful desserts to help raise money for breast cancer research. The local, 501(c)3 non-profit Bakes for Breast Cancer, Inc., has raised more than $2 million over the years to help find a cure for the prevalent disease. Restaurants from Area Four to Yvonne’s—and from Methuen to Athol to Seekonk—are donating a portion of sales from specials to the fund. Check out the full list of participating restaurants here, and eat dessert first.
Photo provided by Artifact Cider
New England Cider
New England Cider week returns to Boston October 24-29, but founder Jackson Cannon knows, rightfully so, that spring is the perfect time for fermented apples. His bar, the Hawthorne, is previewing the second annual celebration of New England cider this Saturday with Artifact, ANXO, Eden, Graft, Wölffer, Shacksbury, and more. The cidermakers are bringing cans of their spring releases, and more ciders that rarely make it far from the orchard. They’ll be on hand to talk about the juice and share more about Cider Week plans in the works for this fall. It’s free to attend the casual party, but the Hawthorne requests the courtesy of an RSVP.
New England Cider Week Spring Preview Party, Saturday, May 12, noon-3 p.m., the Hawthorne, 500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Facebook, Eventbrite.
Brewers from Winter Hill and Aeronaut enjoy the first pints of Somerville Porchbeer. Try it this weekend during PorchFest. / Photo provided by Aeronaut Brewing Company
Somerville Session Beer
Put on your dancing shoes: It’s time for PorchFest. The convivial, original event takes place all over Somerville on Sunday (organizers from the Somerville Arts Council postponed it from Saturday due to forecasted rain), with bands and musicians of all kinds out playing in their neighborhoods from noon-6 p.m. That calls for an easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing beer. It would be best if said beer is Somerville-made, and if it benefits a local, music-focused charity. Aeronaut and Winter Hill Brewing agree: The two local breweries have teamed up on a Somerville session ale, Porchbeer, this year, with 100 percent of proceeds going directly to the Somerville School of Honk. Both brewing teams developed the recipe together then brewed it individually, Aeronaut using its house IPA yeast strain, and Winter Hill fermenting its batch with a Kölsch yeast. The final version was blended together into a 5.2-percent alcohol pale ale with tropical fruit aromas and a clean finish. Pre-reserve cans online for pick-up ahead of the fest, or swing by either Somerville taproom beginning on Saturday to buy some there. Somerville Arts Council and participating porches are also working to have a limited amount of Porchbeer around during the festival, so look for that to keep things above-board—otherwise, make sure to bring a koozie.
AERO X WINTERHILL: Porch Beer 2018, pre-order release begins Thursday, May 10, 5 p.m., Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler St., Somerville, Winter Hill Brewing Co., 328 Broadway, 617-718-2337, Eventbrite.
Soluna Garden Farm at the Boston Public Market / Photo by Olga Khvan for “A Look Inside the Boston Public Market“
A Casual Mother’s Day Brunch
Fancy, formal brunch buffets are fine and all, but your mom probably just wants to hang out with you this Mother’s Day. Maybe she wants to hang out at a local food market, brewery, or distillery? Here are a few unique brunch options this Sunday: Take mom to the Boston Public Market where, in addition to New England farm and artisan products from 35 regular vendors, there will be a pop-up sterling silver jeweler in the house, plus Mother’s Day specials like a free cup of tea and a flower for moms from Soluna Garden Farm. For beer-loving moms, check out Lamplighter Brewing Co., which is collaborating with in-house café Longfellows on beerunch every Sunday in May. For Mother’s Day, the menu features waffles, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches by Longfellows, along with beer mimosas. Short Path Distillery in Everett also has regular tasting room brunch on Sundays, and this weekend, Caldwell Confections is offering caprese egg cups, puff pastries, chocolate covered bacon, and more, paired with house bloody Marys, coffee, and brunch cocktail specials using SPD spirits. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mom-like figures out there!
Boston Public Market, open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday, 100 Hanover St. (Haymarket MBTA station), Boston, bostonpublicmarket.org.
Sunday Beer Brunch Series hosted by Longfellows and Lamplighter Brewing Co., Sunday, May 13, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 284 Broadway, Cambridge, Facebook.
Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Short Path Distillery, 71 Kelvin St., Everett, 617-830-7954, Facebook.
