Skiing is Synonymous with Scaring Five Year Olds, At Least for Me

A while back there was a Groupon for $50 worth of Funspot tokens for $25.  JO absolutely loves this place, and I have to say, I do too.  Funspot is the "world's largest arcade" featuring lots of carnival games and tons of old school pinball and arcade games.  Recently we realized that the Groupon was about to expire so we made plans to do an overnight trip to New Hampshire over my February vacation.

Because JO is always looking to challenge people, aka me, to be better and take risks he convinced me that we should do some skiing on this trip.  With the exception of trying cross country skiing once, and it didn't go very well, I have never been on skis.  I don't like to go fast and I don't like to fall.  I really wanted to say no but JO was really excited so I caved and said I would give it a try.  I put together this lovely "ghetto" skiing outfit: windbreaker pants, leggings, slipper socks from Old Navy, and sunglasses for goggles.  Who needs Oakley goggles when you have three year old, scratched to hell Ann Taylor Loft sunglasses.

We got up super early to head out to Mt. Sunapee.  The weather was gorgeous and we rented skis outside of the park to avoid the crazy lines.  I was actually kind of excited when we got to the mountain.  I have to say, we got a super deal.  My learning class came with a all day pass to the South Peek and JO got to ski free on the entire mountain because he was "sharing his passion" with me, which basically meant he had to walk me to my class.  The mountain looked beautiful.

After nearly injuring myself putting on my ski boots, yes you read that correctly, I managed to get my skis on and headed off to my class.  We started on a ramp, maybe two feet high, with hardly any incline.  This terrified me and I cried twice trying to do my snow plow down the hill.  Luckily I was wearing sunglasses so no one could see my mini-meltdown.  A few minutes later we were told to ski over to the baby bunny  hill.  To get there you had to ski up a very small ramp.  Most people were flying right up it.  It was just a ramp.  For some reason I kept sliding backwards as I attempted to get up the ramp.  All of a sudden I totally frozen, had what I can only describe as a panic attack, and started shaking and crying so violently that several mothers of young children came rushing over to try to help me.  My instructor came back, realizing something must have been wrong, and I promptly dropped out of the class.  If I couldn't make it up the entrance ramp how would I even begin to get down the hill.  I walked back to the ski rack to calm down and wait for JO.  

Of course, when JO came back he was able to convince me to try again.  This led to one of the lowlights on my life's highlight reel, almost wiping out an entire class of five year olds on the magic carpet ride.  As I was skiing down the bunny hill it became painfully obvious that I could only turn right.  I went careening towards the magic carpet, sheer horror on the faces of the five year olds.  They had no where to go and neither did I.  Thankfully, JO managed to throw himself in between the children and me.  I came to a stop before injuring anyone, or myself.  

I spent four more hours trying to master the left turn to no avail.  JO wants me to try this whole skiing thing again, but when you make a young child scream in terror you know you don't belong out there.  

After skiing we went to the Lake House for dinner, a perfect rustic setting for dinner by the lake, before headed back to the hotel to rest up for a day at Funspot.  Funspot was more fun than skiing, that's for sure!  I have to say, the more time we spend by Lake Winnipseauke (I'm not even going to attempt to spell that correctly) the more I love it.  It's certainly not the city life but it's so beautiful, and the mountains remind me of our National Parks adventures.

 

SnoWin in the City

Yup, it snowed again!  This winter certainly hasn't been as bad as the winter of three years ago, but it has been awful.  Three years ago we were getting slammed by 15+ inch storms every week for several weeks straight.  There wasn't anywhere to put the snow and the neighborhood was a disaster.  Thankfully, this year we haven't gotten huge snow totals but I feel like it snows at least once or twice per week.  I really can't handle anymore snow, but of course three more inches are expected tomorrow.
This past Saturday we got another big storm.  Earlier in the week we got another storm that forced a delayed opening and an early release and had the biggest flakes I have ever seen.

With all of the focus on that storm the Saturday storm seemed to have come out of no where.  It was supposed to be just a few inches but by Friday the forecast was calling for 8-12 inches.  Since we couldn't beat it, we decided to embrace it.

Our friend cabbed it over from Boston and we headed over to Puritan and Co. for dinner.  There were no tables available so we sat at the bar.  I actually really enjoyed sitting at the bar for a change.  The restaurant recently got it's full liquor license so it was fun to watch the drinks being mixed.  Of course they were served in mason jars.  Puritan is definitely a little more upscale than the other offerings in our neighborhood so it made the evening feel really special.  We could see the snow falling outside and we were out in our neighborhood with a good friend.

As usual, the food was delicious.  We were treated to a mini-appetizer as a thank you for coming out in the snow.  I once again got the chicken dish, this time made with brussel sprouts and roasted carrots.  Everything about this dish is perfect, and emblematic of the modern-rustic vibe Puritan targets.

The evening was going so well, and we strongly considered staying right where we were, but our friend asked if would be willing to meet her out in Harvard Square.  After some consideration, we decided to go on a snowy adventure into the Square.  We ended up at the Red House and I'm so happy we did.

JO and I went to The Red House last summer, when we were being nocturnal to beat the heat wave and happened to notice that the bar area would be perfect for a cold winter's night.  It went on our winter bucket list, and the other night we checked it off.  We were lucky enough to get a table right next to the fireplace, perfect for such a cold, snowy night.

The Red House is a really interesting place.  It really transports you out of the city and onto the beach, during the spring and summer, with their exquisite patio decorated with white Christmas lights and into a countryside living room, during the winter, with their rustic bar room.  The room is small, only a few tables and a bar that seats about six.  The highlight of the room is the beautiful fireplace and on this night it belonged to us.

We had a great night with great friends.  City living at it's best.  We even walked home, because why not?  Snowstorms aren't so bad if you can go out and live it up!

Valentine's Day Traditions

JO and I are really fortunate.  Celebrations like our anniversary and Valentine's Day involve a lot of tradition, and as a result, very little planning or stressing.  Our anniversary features drinks at the Kendall, where we stayed for our wedding, and dinner at Nubar at the Commander, where we got married.

Valentine's Day includes dinner in Harvard Square followed by Casablanca at the Brattle.  We decided to eat at The Grafton.  It's been ages since I ate here last.  The Grafton features a great atmosphere and delicious food.  The prices are pretty reasonable for Harvard Square, and the menu has a lot of variety from pizzas to sandwiches to entrees.  We started with the appetizer special of fried oysters with bacon aioli.  Although the portion was rather small, just four oysters, they were impeccably prepared.  The bacon aioli was stunning and worked so well with the oysters.  I had the short-rib pot roast and it was also cooked perfectly.  We both agreed that The Grafton should be added back into our restaurant rotation, although that rotation is getting pretty full.

After dinner we headed over to the Brattle for the annual showing of Casablanca.  This movie is absolutely perfect in every way.  There isn't a moment wasted.  Every piece of dialogue, every shot, has a purpose.  I'm usually not a huge movie person but Casablanca seems to float by.  Just as soon as it has started it seems to be over.  It's the perfect movie to see on the big screen in an old-fashioned theatre like the Brattle and I look forward to this showing every year.

After the movie it was still early and we toyed around with the idea of staying out a bit longer, but it was getting pretty cold, and with more snow on the way for the next day, we decided to head home to secure a parking spot.

Olympics

I admit it, I'm an Olympics junkie.  I love everything about the Olympics:  the non-stop action, the pageantry, the tradition, the heart wrenching stories, the sequins, everything!  Last Olympics we spent a few nights watching the action at Parlor Sports and it was a lot of fun so we decided to do it again.

Parlor Sports has a great sense of humor, from their chalkboard signs

to the "Olympic torch" they pass around once per night while the Olympic Anthem blares through the surround sound.

Watching the Olympics at Parlor Sports is certainly a lot of fun.  As I said that night, "My sports bar has an Olympic torch, does yours?"

More Snow Day Fun

It's starting to become common place around here.  Snow days, delayed openings, and early releases are becoming more regular than working a full week.  A few weeks back a big storm was predicted for a Wednesday.  The snow panic was definitely setting in and I was anxiously awaiting the phone call to let me know school would be cancelled.  It was time for dinner, but still no call.  The thought of trying to get to work the next day was making me stress out so when Parlor Sports posted a funny picture with the caption, "We're open.  You have tomorrow off.  Let's celebrate together" it seemed like the thing to do.

One of the things I like most about this place is the way the bartenders take time to get to know their customers.  We had a really nice chat with the bartender and he assured me I would have the day off tomorrow.  We watched a great college basketball game, although it would have been better with the Huskies on the tv.  It was nice to relax, and take my mind off the fact that school still hadn't been cancelled.  We spent the night talking about how awesome our neighborhood is and how much we want to stay right here!

Sure enough, I got a 5:00 a.m. wake up call letting me know school was cancelled.  I love snow days!  We decided to embrace the snow and make a snowman before spending the night catching up on the DVR.

Exploring Kendall Square

It seems like every year Groupon offers deals for various outdoor skating rinks.  A few years ago we skated on the Frog Pond which was really fun, totally city, but completely crowded.  For someone not super confident on skates having to focus on staying upright while not crashing into people proved challenging.  Last year we tried skating at the Charles Hotel rink and that was a lot of fun.  This year I saw a deal for the Kendall Skating Rink, which is a bit bigger than the one at the Charles Hotel, so I bought it.

Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of this winter has either been snowy or frigid, making ice skating outside not really a desirable way to spend a day.  So when I saw the forecast for Sunday was going to reach almost 50 degrees I knew what we should do!  We headed over to the rink, which is way over by Fuji.  We drove, shhh don't tell anyone.  We had a pretty tight schedule so driving was a necessity.

The rink is oddly shaped, with a tight turn at one end.  Even with the nice weather the rink wasn't super crowded, and for whatever reason, I felt really stable on the skates.  I had a really fun time skating in circles.

After skating we decided to grab lunch before running the rest of our errands.  We contemplated lunch at Fuji, but having just eaten lunch at Sugar and Spice* yesterday, we kept on walking.  We were on our way to the Cosi, on the other side of the Kendall, when we passed by Za Restaurant.  I've been wanting to check this place out for a long time.  The restaurant has a great, casual vibe and gets 4 stars for presentation.  Check out this "Mexican Salad."  The pizza reminds me of a thicker crust Venus Pizza (a local pizza place in the town I grew up in.)

tasted just like a 7 layer dip

On our way back to the car we passed Tatte Bakery, which opened recently, and serves Stumptown Coffee. I wanted to stop in and get a coffee, but having just chugged down a soda, I thought better of it.  I'll have to go back sometime and get a Stumptown coffee for fun!


*Sugar and Spice is the sister restaurant to Spice and Rice which closed in Inman about a year ago.  I really miss Spice and Rice and was really excited to go to Sugar and Spice yesterday.  Everything was exactly as it had been at Spice and Rice. Yummy!!!  Definitely a reason to frequent Porter more often.

Anthem and Granary Tavern

After a Friday night spent lounging inside, JO and I were both ready for a fun Saturday night out in the city.  Our friend was celebrating her 30th birthday at the Granary Tavern.  This group of friends is always fun to hang out with because they love the city life just as much as we do and it's always nice to be around like minded people.

We decided to grab dinner first and Faneuil Hall seemed liked the right location.  Sadly, there really aren't many choices in Faneuil Hall that don't cater to a younger crowd or offer overpriced food so our choices were limited.  We ended up with reservations at Anthem.  I've been here a few times before so I was pretty confident it was a good choice.

The pros:  A great atmosphere geared towards a "not young 20s" crowd.  That's definitely a downfall of many places in Faneuil Hall at night but this place has none of that.  The floor to ceiling windows in the main floor dining room allow for great people watching during dinner.  The menu has a variety of offerings from flatbreads, to sandwiches, to entrees.  I also love their champagne cocktail, one of the best in the city, in my opinion.  We got the Korean BBQ chicken wings as a starter and they were delicious- they had a great balance of sweet and spicy without being over the top.

The cons:  Really dim lighting.  I love soft lighting in a restaurant, and with the floor to ceiling windows dim lighting is a must to be able to enjoy the views outside.  That being said, it's almost downright dark in the corners of the dining room.  Another con, I hate that they changed their soft taco appetizer.  That's really the main reason I wanted to go there.  The old version featured your choice of several meats including lobster, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and pico.  The new version features pickled serrano peppers, cabbage slaw, and chipotle aioli.  Just not the same.  The Greek Salad with shrimp.  The shrimp were simple boiled shrimp that lacked flavor and had a strange texture.  The salad itself had a great mix of veggies and iceberg lettuce base which I'm a fan of.  The problem was with the dressing.  It was a pepperoncini vinaigrette and it was just too sweet, surprisingly, for the salad.

Overall, despite some hits with the food and lighting, Anthem is still a fun place to go if you need/want to grab dinner or drinks in the Faneuil Hall area.

After dinner we headed over to Granary Tavern to meet up with our friends.  The tavern features lots of exposed brick and metal work.  The bar spans the entire back of the restaurant and they also have a downstairs with a bar and tables.  We had gone here last year for another friend's birthday and spent most of the evening downstairs.  I remember it being really nice with lots of space to spread out.  Unfortunately, the downstairs was reserved for a private party so we had to stay upstairs and it was pretty crowded.  I will say the hostess really worked hard to give us a table in the bar space, although it took over an hour for one to free up.  The tavern is a really fun place to go with a big group of people.  There is music playing but it's not so loud that you can't hear the conversation.  If you can get downstairs it's even better.  It's not a place I would go typically, but it's always fun to go out of your comfort zone.