You can feel it in the air ...pumpkin coffee season. Sorry haze and French van., you take a backseat when September rolls around.
I scooped some Green Mountain p-spice at Hannies (yes I said Hannies) over the weekend and cut it with Equal Exchange’s mind, body, soul for a bitchen brew. What is it about this flavor that warms the cuckles of my heart? It is the embodiment of autumn. From the first squashy-nutmeg-y sip, I’m transported to the back roads of Vermont as the crimson sugar maple leaves fall around me. Ahhhh! I do not over-exaggerate, it’s that good. The flavor-happy Coffee Mill on Palmer Street in Lowell is offering p-spice now. And their’s is as good as Green Mountain. They pick random days to brew it, but it’s on tap as iced coffee right now! Several years ago I had great pumpkin ravioli at the Hancock Inn in N.H. I still remember the experience. Sily, smooth and fall-forward.
Anyone found any other great pumpkin stories?

Tapas hit the scene years ago. Any critic worth their Himalayan sea salt won’t go giddy over these Spanish bites. But in these parts they are hot, hot, hot. And look whose got em? Alpine Lane off Route 110 in Chelmsford. The mall formerly known as tired and ho-hum, is now home to Cafe Madrid. Croquettas, empanadas, salads and paella, the famed spicy rice dish, are the hallmarks of this Spanish spot. Beware: no liquor license yet. But they do have wine-free sangrias. And ... dessert from the Cheescake Factory! I know, I buried the lead. Coffee is from Colombian Octavo. Anyone got the drop on this bean juice? I’ve never heard of them, but I’m willing to be convinced. In other Chelms. food news, the owner of Cobblestones is still eyeing the empty Ground Round a few blocks east. Details are hush-hush, but slated to appeal to desperate housewives. That’s good news. Better than out-of-work plumbers. Food should be upper scale and trend-forward. The locavore lush Infusions Bistro and Legal’s Seafood rival Fishbones have kept the momentum churning for close to a year (that's 10 yr.s in restaurant time). Who did I miss?

We hear there is new management at Tyngsboro’s tiny Cafe Il Cipresso and that struck fear in our alfredo-friendly hearts. When a family-run neighborhood joint that did everything right (including price) is sold, the word shipwreck comes to mind. But I’ll withhold official comment until I dine at the Route 3A Italiano gem. New owner Deven Rogers, formerly of Blue Angus in Dracut, assures me the only thing changing is the decor. Italian paintings are gone in lieu of Tuscan murals. OK, but what’s the line on the kitchen? “We are making homemade pasta and not tampering too much with what everybody loves.” Sounds innocuous enough. I asked about pumpkin ravioli and Deven said that is on the way. Don’t wait too long, the autumn eating season is devastatingly short.
What’s being dished around your table?