Melting in the Summer sun is no excuse to miss out on fine living! The Connoisseurs are back with a massive update of 21 new articles including our latest cookoff, The Connoisseurs "Chopped" Challenge!

Connoisseur Jon has been sampling some local gluten-free pizza joints with Liz and also venturing to Salem and the North End for dining adventures. But don't worry, he's still had plenty of oppurtunity to drink some tasty beers.

Connoisseur Javier has been nerding it up with video games as well as catching the latest comedy blockbuster at the movie theatre.

Connoisseur Tom has been very busy himself, sampling fine wines and sharp cheeses. He has also been able to share plenty of beer with his friends and even saved himself a flask of Scotch, all while testing his limits of caffeine tolerance.

Connoisseur Michael has been stuffing his face with cake and drowning his sorrows in various quality spirits but he remains hopeful for the next cookoff which, if all goes well, should be happening at the end of August!

You'll be hearing from us again real soon, in the mean time, we'll see you on the forum!

Winter is finally easing its grip on the reigon and The Connoisseurs are coming out of their hibernation.

Connoisseur Michael is drinking and eating very healthy, but still needs his morning cup of Joe to get him going. He promises some exciting cuisine down the road with some new culinary goodies.

Connoisseur Jon is venturing out of his cave to feast on the local food supplies and washing the delicious food down with plenty of tropical drinks.

Connoisseur Javier has temporarily taken to helping Uncle Sam count its many citizens. In his travels he has found both great food and great cinema.

Finally Connoisseur Tom, having spent a long Winter in his cave, dashed out as soon as he heard his favorite book was being made into a movie. However, the early Spring air still has a bite to it, so he's been fortifying himself with various delicious potions. He has also been continuing to woo Jenny with fancy things like wine on Valentine's Day, although it wasn't all awesome.

We hope you've made it out of whatever nest or cave you've been hibernating in so you can go out there and explore what the world has to offer! If you happen to run across anything worthy of our attention, feel free to visit us on the forum or even email us a guest review!

Happy 2010!

We would like to apologize for neglecting the website over the past three months, but we have been immensely busy.

We celebrated the holidays by sparring on the culinary battlefield in the first "food & drink" battle: The Connoisseurs Holiday Comfort Food & Drink Cookoff!

Connoisseur Tom has had plenty to celebrate as, on Christmas Eve, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Jenny, and she said "Yes"!

Connoisseur Javier has been adapting to his new nocturnal lifestyle by reading dark and spooky graphic novels and watching revisionist vampire movies. His own thirst for blood is being quenched by falafel close to home and fried chicken from south of the border.

Connoisseur Jon has been eating all the great food that this city has to offer, with mixed results. He also has been channeling Bob Villa in constructing a gluten-free gingerbread house, and has made plenty of time to play with his Christmas presents.

Connoisseur Michael has been drinking cocoa to stay awake so he he can drink more booze. But all this had wreaked havoc on his skin, so he shows us a trio of Michael's Little Helpers.

Our New Year's Resolution is to step up with the frequency of the updates. Wish us luck and see you in The Forum!

Autumn is upon us!

With Halloween just a couple days away, Connoisseur Javier has been filling his quota with scary horror movies.

Connoisseur Jon meanwhile has returned safely and full of delicious food from his visit to San Antonio. He was happy to return so he could eat at his new favorite burger joint and promptly get into an argument with Connoisseur Michael over the merits of a certain beer.

Connoisseur Michael, all the while, has been fueling his cantankerous nature with some of the best booze the state of Maine has to offer. He has also been seen attempting to channel the spirit of Julia Childs. More butter!

Connoisseur Tom has been fueling his inner nerd with a selection of Dungeons & Dragons themed sodas. He has also found a new way to get wired, which will come in handy as he teams up with Connoisseur Javier and Connoisseur Jon to tackle fourteen of the cheapest mass-market beers available in a blind taste test!

The Connoisseurs have some exciting plans for the coming season and hope to share some amazing and entertaining things with you in the near future!

Well, it would appear that our Summer Vacation is over, that means a healthy update for you!

Connoisseur Tom has returned from San Antonio with a stomach full of Tex-Mex cuisine, both good and bad. Without a single day of his trip warming to below 100 degrees, he resorted to some rather extreme ways to drink himself silly. He still made time to head out to the movies, and even do a little home cooking. He's happy to be home however, because Boston has some amazing food as well.

Connoisseur Javier has been working his butt off starting a new job and sadly departing the warm embrace of JP, but that means he should have a bunch of reviews real soon of his new favorite local hangouts. He's been catching some movies, both mainstream and far from it. If I know Connoisseur Javier, he's dreaming of dining out every chance he gets.

Meanwhile Connoisseur Jon has been preparing himself for some unknown challenge with massive quantities of beer and cake. He's probably trying to expand his stomach for the next time he grabs a local burger.

Connoisseur Michael has been drinking some lovely wines and stuffing his face with hummus while all the while trying not to carry the smell of NYC around with him.

We have a new guest review from Connoisseur Michael's good friend Cristopher Parrish, so be sure to check it out. If you feel so inspired, we always welcome guest submissions, so send them on in!

The Forum is back up, and, once we have a little more time on our sides, we'll be moving the site over to the new layout which should be a lot more user-friendly.

Until next time, be a beacon of good taste, and taste some good bacon!

If waiting between updates it leaving you thirsty for more Connoisseurs goodness, your salvation is nigh! The Connoisseurs Forum (version 2.0) is being prepared as we speak and, in all likelihood will see the light of day before our next update; God-willing and the creek don't rise.

Speaking of slaking thirst, do we have the update for you! First and foremost, we are proud to bring you the American Premiere of some amazingly irresponsibly-marketed and super-cute wine starring none other than Hello Kitty!

If super cute isn't your thing, but you love sweetness nonetheless, might I suggest various and sundry variations on well-known sodas? Care for something a little stronger? No problem, we have organic wine and delicious cocktails, some truly superior liquors, and some truly hobotastic.

Hungry? We have whatever you need, whether you like it smoked, or prefer it to leave your mouth smoking. And who can say no to May edition of The Connoisseurs Out on The Town?

For after-dinner entertainment we have everything from horror movies, to popular video game franchises.

Another month and still The Connoisseurs have everything you need!

Spring has sprung and The Connoisseurs are hungry for all the promise that the season has to offer!

We have crowned a champion for our Amuse Bouche Cookoff! Who is it? Click the link and find out!

In this month's "Connoisseurs Out on the Town" review, we take on South Boston's Franklin Cafe.

Fancy-pants cookery aside, Connoisseur Michael has been hitting the bottle again.

Connoisseur Javier is hooked on a new international budget-title video game but has still had time to watch vampire movies and drink a fine assortment of beers.

Connoisseur Tom has been a busy little beaver. He has been rehashing recipes he learned while unemployed, while all the while drinking to his own success. All this work has him looking for an energy boost however. But he still makes time for fine dining.

Meanwhile Connoisseur Jon has been making himself seen in some of the area's fine eateries as well as the area's fine liquor stores, hunting down superior beer. He also takes us on a walk down memory lane to one of The Connoisseurs favorite "love-to-hate-it" restaurants. Chances are you'll need to rehydrate afterwards.

All this, plus a guest review from the mysterious Big Brother!

Be aware that the Forum crashed at the beginning of April. We will be rebuilding, and it should be back soon, in some form anyhow.

Live well!

A belated happy new year from The Connoisseurs! After an inexcusable three month absence, we have returned with fourteen new reviews and the promise of some new monthly features, starting in April, so keep an eye out for our monthly restaurant review: "The Connoisseurs Out on the Town".

As far as what we have for you this month, I can tell you that Connoisseur Javier has been keeping his eyes glued to the silver screen and has brought us reviews of some of this year's best Oscar-Nominated films, as well as one that may get a nod for next year's Academy Awards.

Connoisseur Michael more than makes up for his absence last update by bringing us the results of The Connoisseurs Christmas II Cupcake Cookoff! He also shares a complex recipe not for the faint of heart. All the while he has been making time to go out and enjoy himself more, but not enough time to buy the correct personal hygiene products... gross Michael...

Connoisseur Jon is giving us a sneak peak into his highly-acclaimed entry in the Cupcake Battle as well as a multiple suggestions as what not to wash it down with.

Meanwhile, Connoisseur Tom has found his way back onto the Employment Pony, but not before learning some valuable lessons about healthy, delicious, and inexpensive home cooking. He can now focus his creative energies on eating at fine restaurants and drinking himself back into the poorhouse.

Until next month, a hearty Huzzah from your beacon of good taste, The Connoisseurs!

Twas the night before Christmas Eve and all through our town, The Connoisseurs have been busy with no spare time to be found. So let us check in now with those four jovial men to see what they've been up to, what with Christmas here again.

Connoisseur Michael, with life more hectic than is fun, is drawing a blank, too much work to be done. Things should look up though, as things often do, with a cupcake-themed battle to be waged at Christmas II.

Connoisseur Tom, a recent victim of recession, has had much more time for his home cooking sessions. Times may be hard, but find holiday cheer, in some quality mixed drinks, and icy cold beer.

Connoisseur Javier has been busy as well; drinking and dining, and sending zombies to Hell. He listens to world music, and a long-promised CD, while roaming the wastelands in the world of Fallout 3.

With Connoisseur Jon ,Christmas is never a bore, he makes tasty sweet treats, that beat those from a store. If you think that is not enough holiday spirit, he'll raise not one pint, but two, then by God you'll hear it.

We all wish you the best during this season of giving, just never forget our credo: "Enlightenment can only be achieved through superior living"

Merry Christmas from The Connoisseurs!

The Connoisseurs are welcoming in autumn with open arms. Our next cookoff is approaching on the horizon, and it's almost time for Connoisseur Tom to bottle his first home-brewed beer.

This time around Connoisseur Tom has been dipping in to the alcoholic beverages, some grand, others not so much. Connoisseur Jon has been dining about town and in the suburbs while Connoisseur Michael has been convenience-cooking at home and staving off the colder weather's effects on his feeble body. Connoisseur Javier has spent the last month locked in his room playing Spore and listening to Metallica.

We have some big things coming down the pipe, and we can't wait to share them with you! Until next time, come on by the Forum, its the coolest!

The end of Summer is bringing with it a great deal of change and upheaval to the lives of The Connoisseurs. We have lost a dear friend of Connoisseur Jon's; Rob Davenport. He will be greatly missed.

Even through all the turmoil in our personal lives, we still find solace and comfort in the small pleasures of life, be it quality gluten-free pizza, delicious domestic sparkling white wine, a newly discovered musical artist, or an unforgettable breakfast right down the street.

Connoisseur Javier has been feeding his mind with trashy books, underground world music, and aspirations of greatness. Meanwhile, Connoisseur Michael has been feeding his yoga-addled body some much needed junk food, and Connoisseur Tom has been searching high and low for something good to drink.

The Connoisseurs remind you to not take your friends and family for granted, because the time will come when you need someone you can depend on. So count your blessings and live well!

Are the dog days of Summer getting you down? The Connoisseurs have the cure for you! We have liquid refreshment, ice cold, both alcoholic and not, to quench your thirst and cool you down! We've also been spending plenty of time in air conditioned movie theaters and have the skinny on three of the coolest Summer blockbusters!

If you love the Summer as much as Connoisseur Michael does, you'll love his grease-spattered review of two of the leading bacon brands.

Connoisseur Javier, meanwhile, has the craving for tropical food, even if the service is so slow he has to bring his latest graphic novel with him.

Be sure to stay cool all Summer long with The Connoisseurs! See what we're up to between updates by joining The Forum!

Summer has descended upon our fair cities with the ferocity of a rabid wolverine! The Connoisseurs have taken their time to bring you the latest and greatest update ever to grave these fair pages, so crank up the air conditioning, crack open a tasty brew, and settle in for some summer loving with your favorite Connoisseurs!

After much posturing and saber-rattling, the results are in and The Connoisseurs Game Meat Cookoff has been deemed our most successful yet. The full synopsis as well as, for the first time, full and detailed recipes of the submitted dishes are available for your perusal.

We all have our ways to beat the early summer heat, Connoisseur Tom goes traditional with cold and tasty beverages, while Connoisseur Javier retreats to air-conditioned movie theaters to watch the summer blockbusters and play videogames during the insufferable commercials that precede the previews. Connoisseur Jon prefers to meet summer head-on by going out to eat in some of the areas fine establishments, whereas Connoisseur Michael, who is miserable at all other times of the year, will pour himself a cup of quality coffee and sit down to a salty fruit salad. In his home of New York City he is know as something of a local eccentric.

The public has been knocking down our door with some amazing guest submissions, and we have a record-breaking set of three for your enjoyment. The parents of Connoisseurs Jon and Tom have both made the cut with an Iowa steakhouse on one end of the spectrum and a heartwarming and quirky film on the other. Jenny Lewis has once again roamed into the realm of cake sculpture with two porcine cakes; a suckling pig and a wild boar. Truly amazing stuff! If you or anyone you know would be interested in submitting a guest review, just send it along via the "contact us" link over on the left!

Connoisseurs Jon and Tom returned safely from San Antonio with tales of great food and the recipes to prove it. They also drank a lot... like A LOT.

Meanwhile, in New York City, Connoisseur Michael has been eating hamburgers of varying quality until he can't see straight. While up in Boston, Connoisseur Javier has been feeding his mind with books and some greatly anticipated new music. He's even had time to sneak out to the theatre.

Once back in the loving embrace of New England, Connoisseurs Tom and Jon decided a change of pace was in order, so they drank more booze... much more.

We've all been very busy but have made time to dine well both out on the town and at home. Javier has been reading like a maniac while Michael has discovered his new favorite headphones as well as a steady diet of butter are the recipe for a happy life.

Next week Connoisseurs Tom and Jon head down, with Big Brother as well as their significant others, Jenny and Liz, to San Antonio for a week to visit with their mother and to take a much needed vacation. They will endeavor to bring you the latest and gratest from the recently dethroned fattest city in America!

Connoisseur Jon has just returned from a second goodwill mission to New Orleans with some quality local eats from the Big Easy. The rest of us have been planning how best to win the hearts of our loved ones: Connoisseur Michael has a silver bullet for Valentine's Day success: Chocolate and Wine. Connoisseur Tom is more old-fashioned in his amorous gestures, preferring home cooking while avoiding horrible drinks. Connoisseur Javier takes a page from both books with great food and sumptuous beverage. We've also been watching some quality cinema and playing some of the most promising new video games out there.

As our Valentine to you, dear readers, our third guest submission, Enjoy!

December brought us, not only the holidays and Connoisseurs Jon and Tom's 27th birthday, but also marked the end of the first full year of The Connoisseurs! Well, now we are back after a month of revelry and overindulgence with our biggest influx of content to date! All four of The Connoisseurs have been busy in the kitchen cooking for holiday guests and keeping traditions alive. Not to mention The Connoisseurs Breakfast Challenge! If you need something to wash that down, might we recommend some delicious beer or Champagne? Now, we haven't been homebodies all month, we've gone out to eat, taken in some cinema, and even done some light reading. Also keeping up with our geeky undercurrent, we've been playing video games and staying up all hours of the night. Here's to a new year, and a very promising future for The Connoisseurs.

The Great Connoisseurs Seafood Challenge has arrived! Check out all the Benthic Mayhem here. This update also brings us The Connoisseurs geekier side with two video game reviews and a couple products marketed towards gamers. Also Jon brings us a review of a popular Boston eatery as well as a couple Belgian beers. On the topic of alcohol, Connoisseur Michael issues a challenge to the wine-drinkers of the world: Fight bureaucratic control of the Wine Industry!