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Flavors of the Neponset Valley makes for a food lover's dream-come-true

Posted March 30, 2003

By Eric H.

Fitness guru Dr. Harvey Diamond almost ruined my night. The author of the 1984 best-seller "Fit for Life" elaborated on a local radio show about how important it is to combine foods. The most important aspect, he says, is to eat fruit on its own 20 minutes before a meal or a few hours after -- that way, the valuable nutrients can fully absorb and be utilized in your body, thus potentiating ultimate health.

I almost fell for it, but decided to put this plan off for about the hundredth time since 1984. This night, I was headed to the Flavors of the Neponset Valley (now in its fifth year), a food extravaganza featuring hundreds of different foods and drinks from nearly 50 local restaurants, and other food and beverage specialists mainly from the southwest suburbs of Boston. Held on March 29 by the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce in Norwood, Mass., at Cristina's Function Facility in Foxborough, Mass., the Flavors of the Neponset Valley seemed to create one big, happy group of participants. How could one go wrong with so much food in one room?

While Dr. Diamond was probably off somewhere eating melon wedges, I set my eyes on the artistic splendor of the myriad food creations-- much like a kid in a candy store. Combining slow smoked St. Louis ribs with vanilla creme brule with moulten chocolate cake seemed like a fine idea, indeed.

I started at Nick's Place, of Canton, by sampling its Greek baked lamb. The seasoned tenderness of this traditional Greek favorite was prepared expertly, perhaps the best in the metro Boston area -- very impressive considering all the fine Greek-American restaurants in the region.

Next up was Raffael's Banquet and Conference Facility, of Walpole, Mass. Its caesar salad consisted of crisps greens and a pungent, unique dressing that ranked near the top of our extensive quest for the perfect caesar. It's the kind of stuff you could eat forever. To the left of Raffael's, I detected the smell of steak at Centerfield's Bar and Grill, of Stoughton. The steak tips delivered on the promise of the aroma. Not having experienced great steak tips since a visit to the famous Newbridge Cafe in Chelsea in 1997, I was amazed at the melt-in-your-mouth quality of Centerfield's version. It certainly rivaled the Newbridge, which is the gold standard for steak tips in the Boston area. The rice pilaf that accompanied the steak tips was better than what the best Greek-American restaurants offer -- moist, flavorful and addictive.

Going from steak tips to high end, fancy food could have been a tough transition but I didn't let it get in the way of my taste buds. Coriander, a relatively new restaurant in Sharon, offered cured salmon that would have a place in Boston's finest restaurants. It made me wonder why we bother with broiled Atlantic salmon. The onion garnishes packed a pungent wallop in the most flavorful way.

Michele's, of Walpole, Mass., offered more high end, Boston-quality fare with an unforgettable red wine-flavored lamb shank and truly tasty bleu cheese polenta. This was so good, I almost felt like asking for both pans. Knowing more food was on the way, I decided this was not a good idea.

During this non-stop feast, I remembered an hour into the event that it is usually a good idea to consume liquid with a meal. I saw Sam Adams (not the former president) there, as well as other fine liquor businesses, but decided to test Real City Soda, of Boston. Its ginger ale put all others to shame -- you could actually taste real ginger.

Taking a slight break, I had the honor of meeting Michael Andelman, of the famed Phantom Gourmet television show, which expertly and lovingly reviews local restaurants on UPN 38 television. Michael is one of the most pleasant people you will ever meet. We talked about his father, Eddie, who is a local radio legend and about the restaurant selections on Route One in Saugus and Lynnfield, particularly the esteemed Kowloon Restaurant. It was such a pleasure meeting someone who really enjoys his work, and more importantly someone who just flat out enjoys life.