Although I have been a Slow Food Member for the past two years I'm a little ashamed to admit that I have not been an active member.  That all changed yesterday when I attended my first event.  The event that inspired me to finally get off my ass and participate was a dinner hosted by Slow Food Boston at 606 Congress.  The dinner was a whole locally raised lamb, which Chef Gregory Griffie prepared within the nose to tail philosophy.  Needless to say it was an event which I could not miss. 

When I first arrived and got a look at the menu I was surprised by the distinct lack of any sort of offal.  As much as I love lamb shanks and shoulder, I was here to taste all of my lamb.  My darkest fears were averted when servers holding trays of kidney's, heart and testicles began to arrive.  I was pleased to see the Chef's nod to St. John's with deviled kidney's served with little pieces of toast.  The kidney's were especially delicious, although the hearts were tasty as well.

I have to admit, although I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from a Slow Food Boston dinner.  I was struck by exactly how posh the restaurant was.  The space was beautiful and the staff were  friendly and charming.  The wines (which were paired with each course) worked well with the food and were all either organic or biodynamic.  The man who paired and introduced all the wines was very engaging and had fun with both the wine and the event.  I always breathe a sigh of relief when confronted with a wine person who manages to break free from the stiffness that seems to envelope the wine industry.

The courses were all lovingly prepared, but the one that I continue to think of the following day was the lamb breast au gratin.  The meat was braised and pressed and ended up tender with a perfect amount of fat still clinging to the meat.  The lamb breast was served with white beans and kale it was a dish I know I will be thinking about on my next crisp New England evening.  Although the weather yesterday was warm and even balmy this dish was still the highlight of the evening. 

The event has inspired me to get more involved with my local chapter of Slow Food.  Beyond the food and setting the people Ross and I sat next to were lively and charming and made the evening even more memorable.  The rest of the table were all from Allandale Farm and although I didn't get to chat with them as much as I would have liked the snippets of conversation we exchanged are still with me today (brief conversations about tattoos, and the sex appeal of male farmers).  Hopefully I'll be able to get over to their farm this weekend with my Mum (who is visiting) and Ross.

It warms my heart to see people getting excited about nose to tail eating, I'm looking forward to more of these events in the future. 

A great night all around.