Jeanne O'Brien Coffey
I'm a journalist and editor.
A versatile writer at home in the world, but with deep New England roots, I can cover anything from Hong Kong's gin cocktail craze to classic clam chowders with flair.
PROJECTS
Forbes
The Best Restaurant You've Never Heard Of Turns Up On Chopped
Evan Hennessey, whose favorite kitchen tool as chef/owner of Stages at One Washington is probably tweezers, is the first chef from New Hampshire on Food TV's Chopped -- and he was tasked with to impressing judges by cooking with leftover lo mein. How will that go?
elliman.com
Celebrity Chefs Talk Trends
Over the past decade, the annual Cayman Cookout, a luxe food festival curated by Eric Ripart of Le Bernardin in New York, has quickly made Cayman the culinary capital of the Caribbean. It has become a magnet for Michelin-starred chefs and an intimate setting for food lovers to see Ripert smooch a sting ray or Daniel Boulud’s young son playing in the sand in the front row of “Papa’s” cooking demo. Elliman magazine caught up with a few chefs and celebs to dish trends.
upserve.com
‘Our Industry Sets the Standard’: How Restaurants Changes Can Help End Sexual Harassment
After nearly two decades of advocacy for restaurant workers, Saru Jayaraman is finally getting a moment in the spotlight – literally. The president and founder of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a national organization representing more than 25,000 people who work in the industry, walked the red carpet with actor/comedian Amy Poehler at the Golden Globes in January, and had multiple-Oscar nominee Michelle Williams join a February ROC United press conference marking 2.13 day, the orga...
Wine & Spirits
Restaurant Review: Pagu
The lobster roll at Pagu takes a sharp turn from the New England classic, its fresh-picked lobster meat flavored with Asian pear and soy aioli, on a squid-ink-black roll leavened by sake lees. For her tapas-style menu, chef Tracy Chang pulls on memories of her grandmother’s Japanese restaurant as well as lessons learned during stints at Boston sushi giant O-Ya and Martín Berasategui in San Sebastián, the result a delightful collision of cultures and flavors. Larry Rubin’s drink list keeps pac...
Forbes
Dare To Serve A Foie Gras-Washed Cocktail And Other Luxe Options For Your Oscar Party
Foie-Gras washed bourbon, bitters or bubbles: pick your poison. The geniuses at Blyth & Burrows cocktail lounge in Portland want you get infusing right now to serve the most luxe drinks ever at your Oscar party.
nshoremag.com
Fresh Tuna Dishes in Gloucester
It’s a short trip from the dock to the table at Tonno.
rodalesorganiclife.com
5 Surprising Things You Never Knew About Those Peppercorns On Your Table
Supplying the world with black pepper—especially organic—is surprisingly involved, considering how pervasive the spice is. The tiny berries are picked by hand at thousands of small farms then dried in the sun before traveling halfway round the world to U.S. tables.
Nonetheless, there are few spices as common—black pepper is on just about every counter and in every cupboard. And after learning a few things about these tiny taste bombs, you may never take another grind for granted.
Below, five ...
Forbes
Chase The Eclipse In A Private Jet
While the hoi-polloi scrambles around like ants on the ground to experience just a few minutes of totality, VistaJet has a better idea. Why not start in Oregon and follow the moon as it blocks the sun from coast-to-coast.
Because it's a private jet, the entire experience is bespoke, of course. Get picked up from anywhere on the planet and request meal service from a top restaurant in any city across the globe. Follow totality from Oregon to South Carolina or select just part of the country. P...
Forbes
Jim Koch Of Sam Adams Explores The Lunatic Fringe Of Beer
It’s hard to imagine how a beverage that clocks in at 28 percent alcohol still qualifies as beer, but craft beer pioneer Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams, keeps pushing the boundaries. The fifth release of Utopias, his biennial display of the ways one can twist hops, yeast, malted barley and water, debuted a few days ago, and it is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Whiffs of coffee and toffee, a sexy, almost viscous mouthfeel, with hints of molasses, somewhat reminiscent of a Pedro Ximenez sher...
nshoremag.com
Charleston, South Carolina
Riding a bike on the beach is exhilarating—with the ocean glistening off to one side, the breeze gently pushes you forward across a broad strand of sand. Zigzag to avoid tide pools or splash through them as you see fit.
Cycling in the sand is something few New Englanders would attempt. On Plum Island or at Good Harbor Beach, even the fattest tires would be mired before a pedal or two. Not so on th...
nshoremag.com
Plates to Share in Salem
Tiny tastes are big business at Bambolina.
Beet and Burrata, a small plate at Bambolina in Salem, is an exciting play of textures and flavors. Chunks of sweet, earthy beets nestle alongside creamy, rich mozzarella, topped with crisp watercress, while slivers of pickled celery root add a tart component and pistachios contribute a salty crunch.
The generous vegetable dish, beautifully presented on a wooden slab, is perfect for sharing—although the light, creamy beet puree dressing will have din...
nshoremag.com
Secret Dining in Newburyport
The beverage pairing was just a few characters printed in Japanese, leading guests at 14 Seats, The Poynt’s secret supper club, to speculate that it would be sake. But server Hana Philcrantz was coy, saying, “You will never guess what is going to happen next.”
Truer words were never spoken, as Sean O’Connor, director of bars and beverage for Wolfe Management (parent company of The Poynt) sailed...
nshoremag.com
By Bike and On Foot in the Green Mountains
A line of bikes awaits just outside the grand entrance to the Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont, inviting guests to hop on to explore. There are a multitude of options within an easy few miles’ ride, from the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park to the elegant studio of Farmhouse Pottery—all with Mount Tom rising in the distance, ablaze in fall colors at this time of year.
The bikes are just one way Woodstock Inn mak...
nshoremag.com
Mess with New England Clam Chowder at your peril
The North Shore’s top toques offer creative takes on clam chowder.
nshoremag.com
Falling for Bourbon - Northshore Magazine - October 2016
Launch a new obsession or satisfy a connoisseur's palate with Elm Square Oyster Co.'s impressive American whiskey collection. By By Jeanne O'Brien Coffey....