BEHIND THE BAR

Fun Fact:
In my other incarnation, I've worked as a video game writer and designer for over twelve years. When not behind the bar, you can find me at home working on a fantasy novel that I can call my very own.

What is your favorite drink to make?
For me, I just love delving into the classics. There is something profound about working with a recipe that has stood the test of time. We have a drink on our menu that I invented called the Fashionably Late, which is an update on the Old Fashioned. I just love watching people that don’t normally drink bourbon light up when they taste it. It's a great drink for winter.

What is the most underrated spirit?
Apertifs and digestifs

What is your bartender pet peeve?
That’s a great question...I have to say it's when people snap their fingers at you when you're working hard behind the bar. Believe me, bartenders see you, they knows you want a drink, trying to get their attention like you would the family pet is not going to score you points when the bar is packed and the drinks are flying.

What's the best pick up line you've overheard at the bar?
Are people still using pick up lines? Funny, but Bina Osteria isn't really a 'pick up line' sort of place. I've had people buy drinks for each other, but have never really seen anyone that was strictly on the prowl. With the bar the way it is, meeting someone is as simple as joining in on a conversation. It almost acts as its own icebreaker, and people really seem to use it as that.

What's your favorite Boston Bar (other than Bina)?
Wow, that's a tough one, because if Boston has anything, it's lots of great bars. I have to say one of my favorites for atmosphere and execution has to be Eastern Standard. The food is fantastic, the service is great and the bartenders really know what they're doing. They are great at recommending drinks and will really work with you until they find your sweet spot. Overall, it's a great experience every time I visit there.

What drink do YOU order at that bar? And what do you eat with it?
I like to start off with one of our great cocktails. If I'm in the mood for the Old World, it's usually a Fashionably Late or our Limoncello Margherita; if it's the New World I'm after, our versions of the Caprese or the Elderflower Aviation are to die for. Once it's time for dinner, however, it's all about the wine, and Bina has some that are just out of this world. For me, I have to say I absolutely adore our Chenin Blanc by Domaine de la Bergerie; it's crisp and bold with a clear finish that really pops with subtle sour apple and a hint of pear. You have no idea how many people literally fall in love with this wine as soon as I get them to try it...and I'm always getting people to try it.

As for the food, Bina is all about rustic Italian and the celebration of the ingredients that goes with it. I love to start off with a bowl of the Etruscan soup, which is warm chick pea served with a swirl of faro. There is just something so wholesome about it that really hits the spot. I usually it up with one of our great pasta dishes like the Paccheri that comes with guinea-hen ragout and porcini mushrooms or go for the gusto with our Bistecca. It's the potatoes with horseradish that sell that dish for me. The snap of the fresh horseradish really makes the beef filet sing. When it comes to dessert, you have to try the Chocolate Cake, our version of chocolate lava cake. It's topped with berry sorbet that literally starts to melt down into the cake. It is literally out of this world!