Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.

Phantom Gourmet Beer & Food Phest
Nov. 8, Noon-midnight
Suffolk Downs
The brew masters have hand-picked enough local and international beers to fill a 400-foot-long hall. Of course, there will also be some phan-tastic food from favorite spots to keep you satiated amongst all those suds.

Dante’s Ball Brawl
Nov. 9, 2 p.m.
dante
Chef Dante de Magistris has organized a ball game, challenging local chefs to a meatball cook-off on the patio. Guests judge the entries, with the winner claiming the immodest title of “Best Balls of ‘Em All.” (more…)

Thanks to the infinitely patient staff at Sav-Mor Liquors, Chowder has been sampling additional pumpkin beers after the overwhelming response to our post two weeks ago. We assembled a six-pack of our confirmed favorites (Smuttynose) and some that readers suggested (Post Road).

Now that the empties are in the recycling bin, let’s discuss.

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Chowder may be talking turkey a lot these days, but one meat is our always-and-forever, and that’s pork. And while we’re all about the booming “snout to tail” movement, which puts everything from guanciale (smoked pig cheeks) and boudin blanc (an intestinal-looking pork sausage) to whole suckling pig on local menus, our first love is a big, honkin’ plate of falling-apart ribs.

Alas, this is New England, not Dixie. And while we’re blessed with a couple of standouts (Blue Ribbon, the Best of Boston winner, Redbones, and Poppa B’s), the pickings are still pretty slim. So I’m always stoked (sorry) when a new pit-smoked BBQ joint comes to town, and on Saturday night I finally made my way back over to Washington Square’s Roadhouse. (more…)

Unlike many summer-weary Bostonians, I hate fall. Not because I dislike crisp days or the crunch of leaves underfoot, but I hate what fall signifies. Before we know it, we’ll be sliding across icy sidewalks and shut in our apartments and offices until May.

But fall does have one saving grace that keeps me from completely losing my gourd—pumpkin beer. Now that the days have grown cold and we’re talking turkey, I’m fully embracing the gourd-laced offerings while I can.

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