Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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24 | JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2015 nshoremag.com mozzarella, accompanied by a colorful array of heirloom to- matoes and topped with arugula and intensely flavored basil oil, making for a satisfyingly deca- dent salad. Most of the restaurant's pastas are available as half orders, giv- ing diners a chance to slip one in between appetizer and entrée—or to try more than one. The truffled marscapone gnocchi are pillowy light—topped with mushrooms, fava beans, and shaved pecorino tartufo, they are sheer delight on a plate. The Canneloni Di Vitello is more like an entrée than an intermezzo—long tubes of pasta redolent of rosemary practically hang off the sides of the plate, filled with tender, intensely fla - vored veal that has been braised for four hours and then topped with a simple but flavorful mix of spinach and white beans. Other main courses include the aforementioned signature steak, inspired by one that owner Faro was served in Italy. For a light finish to the meal, try the house-made gelato or sorbetto, choosing from an ever-changing roster of seasonal flavors. A more decadent option is the addictive zeppoli, crunchy on the outside, airy on the inside, accompanied by a bowl of rich crème Anglaise for dipping. To round out the experience, linger over a hot beverage from the tea cart, which carries more than a half-dozen fine teas. Staff will gladly let diners sniff samples in order to find the perfect libation. Many Italian specialties, includ - ing a selection of the restaurant's sauces, pastas, and sweet treats, are available in the adjoining Tus- can Market, so the Tuscan experi- ence can follow you home. drink Beyond Bellini Sparkling cocktails take center stage. photograph by Anthony Tieuli North Shore mixologists are experimenting in bold ways with sparkling wine. While timeless classics like the Kir Royale and the Bellini bring a festive air to any occasion, more complex concoctions involving a host of liquors, from bourbon to brandy, are showing up on sophisticated drink lists. At Opus in Salem, the cocktail list always includes bubbly options, says general manager Danny Gid- dings. "Putting prosecco in anything is a good idea," Giddings says. "Sparkling cocktails are fun." Summer has a few more offerings, but even in winter they have a selection, he adds. Beverage manager Ramona Shah, who worked previously at some of the Boston area's top cocktail haunts, coordinates closely with her team to put ex- citing and sometimes challenging drinks on the menu. The staff employs a vast array of house-made syrups and house-infused liquors—everything from pumpkin syrup to cinnamon-infused whiskey to pork belly rye. Shah says the eclectic menu at Opus opens a world of cocktail possibilities, and she has been gratified that customers are trying the experimental drinks that make bartending fun. "Having new guests come in and helping them find something they weren't even aware of is what makes it all worth- while," says Shah, whose resume includes stints at Saloon in Davis Square and Stoddard's Food & Ale in Boston. That can include guiding them away from some of the well-known artificially flavored liquors, Giddings says. The bar's apple vodka, created in-house using fruit from Brooksby Farm in Peabody, is a perfect example of an artisanal substitute for a certain garishly colored apple libation that rarely sees the light of day at Opus. That Brooksby Farm apple vodka was also the in- spiration for one of the bubbly cocktails on the restau- rant's current drink menu, which changes seasonally. Shah says she wanted to make something spar- kling that was a little richer for the cold weather, and she came up with the Red Wedding—named for a particularly gory episode of the TV series Game of Thrones. It draws its depth from the apple vodka, mixed with St. George Raspberry Liqueur and Licor 43, a Spanish concoction with 43 different ingredi- ents. Shah says the St. George is very potent and the Licor 43 ties it all together with spice and vanilla notes, strengthening the backbone of the drink. RED WEDDING Makes one drink 1 oz. House-infused Brooksby Farm Cortland Apple Vodka 1/2 oz. St. George Raspberry Liqueur 1/4 oz. Licor 43 Richer Pour Prosecco Pour the fir t three ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a flute Top with Richer Pour Prosecco and garnish with dehy- drated apple sticks, or an apple rose for a special guest. OPUS HOUSE-INFUSED BROOKSBY FARM APPLE VODKA 3 Cortland Apples 34 oz. New Amsterdam Vodka Thinly slice three clean, whole Cortland apples using a mandolin. Combine with vodka and let sit, covered, in a dark spot for about three days. Taste periodi- cally until it reaches the desired flavor BY JEANNE O'BRIEN COFFEY LOCATION 87 Washington St. Salem 978-744-9600 salemopus.com