The Smoke Shop

Yes!!!!  The Smoke Shop, the new BBQ place that took over the Tommy Doyle's space in Kendall, finally opened.  JO and I happened to be looking for a place to eat on Monday night when a tweet about the opening came up on my feed!  We quickly mobilized and headed over and were lucky to get two spots at the bar.

They have completely redone the space.  The outdoor patio area is now an enclosed bar with floor to ceiling windows that open up to give you that inside/outside feel.  The bar is pretty big, I'd say enough seating for twenty or so people.  The color scheme is black and white with stainless steel and red accents.  I'm disappointed in the loss of the huge patio area, although they will have several outdoor tables, but that's the only thing I'm disappointed about.

The menu is standard BBQ featuring plates and sandwiches.  You can also pick your sides from about eight choices and there are several appetizers.  The beer selection is quite good, as well.  The bartender was friendly, and prompt.  He did seem a little confused by the beer JO chose but I think that was just opening night confusion and not a sign of any kind of problem.

We ordered a rib plate with two sides and I loved how it was presented on a silver cafeteria tray.  Bonus points for the red and white checked placemat.  Let me tell you, I'm not a huge BBQ fan but I loved, loved, loved everything.  The ribs were sweet and tender.  The mac and cheese was delicious, with just a hint of a kick from the pimento pepper and the beans were smokey and bacony.

I can't say enough good things about this place and I can't wait to go back!

Granary Tavern

Our friend from Portland was still in town when the weekend rolled around so I was more than happy to meet up with her, and some other friends, for one last dinner in the city before she headed home.  I met the group in the Seaport before we headed to Granary Tavern, near Faneuil Hall.  I have to say, this place is a hidden gem.  It's got the modern, rustic thing down solid, and the upstairs has a really nice open feel.  The best part of the restaurant, though, is the basement dining room that features exposed brick and stone and it's own bar.  Having never eaten here before I wasn't expecting much, after all, this place is located right outside Faneuil Hall.  I was pleasantly surprised with both the Greek Flatbread and the Cobb Salad.  Additionally, the beer prices were rather reasonable and the service was good.  It's a nice place to hang out, and they didn't seem to rush us at all.  They even have a patio that looks out towards the Greenway.

WuBurger

WuBurger recently opened up on the outskirts of Inman Square.  It features burgers and fries and boozy milkshakes.  The first time we went I got a really tasty roast beef sandwich with onion strings.  I really enjoyed it so when we headed over there before the dance party I knew that's what I was going to order.  To my dismay, they took it off the menu.  I'm not a huge burger person, and their burgers look awfully messy, so I went with the fried chicken sandwich.  The sandwich was great and the WuSauce is an excellent addition to any sandwich but I'm downright mad about the lack of the roast beef sandwich.   I also found the bartender (we sat at the bar because there weren't any available tables) to be a bit annoying.  He kept interjecting into our conversation, adding his opinions about bicycle safety and traffic in the square.  With so many great places to go in Inman, I'm not sure if WuBurger will find it's way into our restaurant rotation.

Cambridge Dance Party- It's Officially Summer

Cambridge is such a cool place to live!  Once a year, to kick off summer, the city shuts down a huge swath of Mass Ave., gets a DJ and professional lights, and throws a crazy dance party!  Each year the party gets bigger and better.  I look forward to this event every year, even if we got trapped in some kind of crazy dance that only the "youngins" knew about.  It involved a lot of happy moshlike movements and when we tried to get away we found ourselves trapped by a conga line :-)

Summer Afternoons in the City

When the weather is nice in the summer, I like to take advantage, and roam around Boston.  It's fun to walk around without any real destination or place to be.  I love to window shop on Newbury Street or play tourist at Faneuil Hall.

To celebrate the start of vacation I headed to Newbury Street, after a relaxing morning in Harvard Square.  I wanted to check out some stores for our summer road trip.  JO doesn't seem to understand why I need cute, summer hiking clothes, but I do :-)  After getting some ideas at The North Face, Patagonia, and Athleta, I was pretty hungry.  My original plan had been to head home for lunch but the patio at Piattini Wine Cafe was too nice to resist.  I can't say enough good things about Piattini- great, large patio on Newbury Street, yummy food, really reasonable prices, and I always seem to wind up with a patio table when I go.

It was a perfect way to start vacation!

Summer Mornings in Harvard Square

Summer mornings in Harvard Square are what I live for when I'm on vacation.  It's just such a great way to start the day.  This vacation started with five nice days in a row, which meant five straight mornings sipping coffee and reading a book in Harvard Yard.  We have a couple of trips planned for this summer, which will be super fun, but it means these summer mornings are limited, and extra precious this year.

School's Out for Summer!

I made it!   The bell rang on the 21st and I flew out of school to greet vacation!  Usually JO and I celebrate summer vacation by going out for dinner and drinks but since we hadn't been climbing in a while I decided to go climbing before dinner.  I love going climbing during the summer because I don't have to stress about getting home to go to bed.  I definitely climb better in the summer because I'm more in the moment and can really focus on just enjoying the climbs.

Our original plan was to hit up Aeronaut after climbing but it was packed, and super loud, so we went for plan B- patio dining in Union Square.  We ended up at Brass Union.  It was a perfect night to be on a patio.  I can't even explain the relief when the year ends.  Being a teacher is like running a marathon at a sprint speed and when it's over you're just absolutely spent!

Wentworth by the Sea

My in-laws are really rocking retirement.  For Father's Day they rented a suite at the Wentworth by the Sea and invited us over to enjoy the place.  The Wentworth is a lovely, grand historic hotel with lots of charm.  Their room was in the lower level hotel, by the water.  We spent the afternoon sitting by the pool, snacking and catching up.  We moved to an outdoor table at the restaurant for dinner before heading inside for dessert in the lounge.  I only had two days left of school and after a day by the water, it definitely seemed like summer was within reach.

A Reunion at The Hawthorne

Our friends moved to Portland a few years ago so when they are back in town everyone gets together to catch up.  I was excited when our friend picked The Hawthorne.  I love the relaxed, yet sophisticated, atmosphere.

I tend to get intimidated by limited cocktail menus that encourage you to order off the menu.  I really wanted a cocktail, because Hawthorne is known for their cocktails, but the first time the waitress came around for orders I was too nervous so I just ordered a glass of Cava.  The Cava was lovely, and I do love bubbles, but watching everyone else with their fancy cocktails I was determined to order something the next time.  My next order I asked for something with gin and mint and the waitress said, we have a gin gimlet, you'll like it.  I didn't just like it, I loved it!  It was perfectly balanced and very refreshing.   We also sampled some appetizers.  My favorite was the pretzel bites with honey mustard.  Delicious, although horribly overpriced at $10 for three pretzel bites.

Just like the other two times I've been here, I was really impressed with the service we got.  When we arrived there was only two, round standing tables available.  That was fine but when the lounge seating upstairs opened up the hostess let us know in case we wanted to move.  I'm glad we did because the couches and chairs, around a coffee table, enabled us all to catch up.

On our way out I noticed that they had a small patio.  Perhaps we'll have to go back :-)

Ferry Street Food and Drink

I hadn't seen my dad in forever so we squeezed in a visit on a Friday night of an extremely jam packed weekend.  My dad usually wants to go to one of three places- Annie's (a small Mexican/Italian place at the end of his street), Margarita's, or John Brewer's.  It was a little surprising when my dad suggested a different place, Ferry Street Food and Drink.  We had been there once last year and had a good experience so I was excited to check it out again.

Ferry Street reminds me of the Druid, only larger and with better service.  The interior features lots of wood paneling and mismatched old fashioned chairs.  The large windows are screened in so you can get a nice breeze when the weather cooperates.  The menu is small but with a nice variety.  I ordered the cucumber salad and deviled eggs and both were good but I wish I had ordered what my dad got.  He ordered the rigatoni with banana peppers and chicken.  The pasta was cooked just right and the banana peppers offered a nice tang to the sauce.

While the food was good, what got this place on my blog was the service.  My dad has clearly been in a bunch and everyone was so nice to him.  They checked in to see how he was doing and were just so pleasant to him.  My dad loved showing the place off to us, much like I love showing off our neighborhood spots to him.

It was a Lone Star Taco Kind of Day

The last week of school is brutal.  It's busy and not busy all at once.  You're not really teaching anything, and since you don't want to correct anymore papers, it's pretty much just busy work.  You're just holding down the fort and hoping the kids don't lose it, all while trying to pack up the classroom in such a manner that you don't have to sacrifice too many of your precious summer days setting it all back up again.  And have I mentioned the filing.   The filing is a killer and requires that lots of other people do their jobs on time, which lets face it, they can't.  It's not really their faults, because there are 1.2million things going on and no one can spare any time to actually work on what they are supposed to work on.

So it was no surprise when I came home Monday, of the last week, in a bad mood.  I felt so defeated and exhausted.  This time, when JO asked me where we should eat, I had an answer already prepared, Lone Star Taco in East Cambridge.  I was determined to sit on their patio and eat guacamole until I wasn't worried about my filing anymore!  This would be no small feat, as the patio consists of just a few tables, and I have never once driven past Lone Start Taco without the inside, and outside, overflowing with people.

The patio Gods must have realized that the universe owed me one because we easily got two seats outside.  Lone Star features lots of "boutique" tacos for lack of a better description.  Each taco features interesting toppings and sauces.  It's not your regular taco bar.  We started with the guacamole and margaritas and each tried an order of tacos.  I feel like this was so long ago, but it was really just two weeks, but I can't remember which tacos we got and I don't understand why the only picture I have is this:

a half eaten container of chips.  Everything was yummy, and delicious, and perfect.  Although, I probably should go back again to make sure my love of everything wasn't unduly influenced by the last week of school.

To cap off the evening, I realized that Slumbrew was actually on our way home, so we made a pit stop for some Happy Sol before headed home.

Two Classics

Classic spots.  Every city has them.  Those restaurants that aren't fancy but are steeped in history.  Those places that are "must visit" even when you aren't a tourist.  JO and I hit up two such spots recently- Mr. Bartley's Burgers and The Barking Crab.

We hit up Mr. Bartley's Burgers one night when I had to run some errands in Harvard Square.  The printer wasn't working at school and I only had a few days left in the year to get my kids' National Parks projects printed.  I was feeling pretty frustrated so when JO asked me where we should eat I didn't have a good answer.  I was kind of disappointed when JO picked Mr. Bartley's Burgers but my disappointment quickly went away once we got a table.  I forgot how fun this place is.  There are typed up signs letting you know what famous person sat at your table and if you don't chuckle reading their menu than there's something wrong with you.  Plus, I'm not really a burger person, but these burgers are fantastic!  I kind of already want to go back!

That weekend, I was having major Summer Fever and I felt liked steamers were the only cure.  We decided to head to The Barking Crab because really, it's always summer there.  We were lucky to get one of the last spots in the covered dock, ordered some drinks and steamers, and did some fabulous people watching.  We decided to extend our visit by ordering lunch, as well.  I went with the fish tacos and they were the best I have ever had.  The fish was perfectly fried, and the aioli was creamy with a kick.  Just like Mr. Bartley's, there is nothing fancy here, I mean you grab your own silverware from the communal container on the picnic table, but the atmosphere is fabulous.  Even if you aren't on vacation you feel like you are.  

Picnic by the River

I've said it before, but we do not take advantage of the Kendall waterfront (aka- the Charles River path) enough.  One Monday, early in June, it was absolutely beautiful so I decided we should go on a picnic.  We bought some slices at All-Star and headed over to the river.

It's a bit longer of a walk than I remembered but we found a bench, and the views were spectacular.

It was so nice to just sit out and enjoy the city.  We got out to eat a lot, and I love that, but it's nice to just take advantage of these great city spots.

Freedom Run 5K

We ran our last 5K of the season at the beginning of June.  The temps cooperated, although it was pretty humid, and I ended up with my best time yet!

Kikas Tapas and State Park (Again!)

There is no tired like June tired when you are a teacher.  I came home from school super exhausted with my give up pants on but JO convinced me to rally.  Since we were mobilizing late we weren't sure where we could go.  I had been craving tapas for a while, and Kikas Tapas had posted a picture of their patio, so we decided to try it.

I had never been to Kikas Tapas, and wasn't exactly sure of where it was, so I was super excited to find it nestled in "restaurant row" in Kendall Square.  Kikas Tapas is joined by EVO, Za Pizza, an Indian restaurant, and Commonwealth on a side street in Kendall with huge, expansive patios.  There was outdoor seating as far as the eye could see and no crowds at all.  #winning

We got a table on the patio and started perusing the menu.  There were lots of choices at a variety of price points so we had lots of options.  We got the serrano ham, artichokes, braised beef, and something else that I can't remember.  Each dish was good.  It wasn't the best tapas I had ever had but it was good and the patio was great.  The inside looks really neat too.  It would be a good place to check out in the winter.

After dinner, I was feeling my school stress melt away a bit so when we walked past State Park we had to go in for the Old Cuban.  We got two seats at the bar and just relaxed and it was lovely!

Hiking at Gunstock and Bukowski's

This year JO and I were super proactive about our spring hiking.  Last year our schedule filled up and we were left with only one day to go hiking.  This year we blocked out six different days back in the winter.  It started off great with our April Vacation hike in the White Mountains but then Mother Nature got involved and it either rained or was super hot on four of the days we had set aside.

Thankfully, we were able to get a hike in over Memorial Day.  We had chosen Gunstock, again, because I really wanted lake views and steamers afterwards at the Town Dock.  Well, we got a nice six mile hike in and a picnic in a cloud, but it was too cloudy to see anything and when we got done with the hike it didn't seem like Town Dock weather so we headed home.

The hike was awesome.  I'm aiming to do a nine miler in Yosemite this summer so I've been trying to up my distance.  I felt really good after the six mile hike so I'm getting there.

When we got home we met up with some friends at Bukowski's, because nothing says Memorial Day weekend like burgers!  I want to like this place, I really do, but I'm not into eccentric burgers (although everything we've tried has been super high quality) and I don't want to order hot dogs.  I wish they had just a few more "normal" things on the menu.  I love their open garage doors and I love the renovations they did.  I imagine it's a good place to grab a drink but I favor other neighborhood spots more for that.  The company was great, and in the end, that's all that matters.

Perfect Patio Weather- Take Two

The next weekend was Memorial Weekend and for the first time in a long time we weren't renting a house on the Cape with our friend.  It felt a bit weird to not have something to look forward to for the long weekend, but with the crazy schedule we had had it felt nice to get to stay in one place for three full days.

After a really long day at work I wanted to go out and celebrate the long weekend.  We ended up heading into Harvard Square because I figured it would be empty.  Graduation had already happened and lots of people leave the city for the holiday.  We were sorely wrong.  Sure the students are gone, but the alumni were out in full force, as it was reunion weekend.  Good thing we weren't looking to do anything sit down for dinner, instead opting for a Felipe's Burrito (so good) and an impromptu picnic in the park.  In my opinion, Felipe's has the best burritos around, and I love that you can get green salsa on it, even if said green salsa might make you cry.

It was just too beautiful not to stay out in the Square so we made our way over to the Charles Hotel,  our safest bet for an outdoor seat, where we could pick from the Legal's outdoor bar or Noir.  Legal's was jammed so we grabbed the last table at Noir.  I have to say the service isn't the best here and they allow smoking on their patio, which I actually think is a health code violation, but the drinks are yummy.  They make the second best Old Cuban in the city and minus the smoking (which is pretty infrequent...I'm just more annoyed that they allow it), their patio is adorable.

It was so nice to be able to just sit and be in the moment.  I knew the rest of the weekend was going to be filled with a lot of school work so I wanted to enjoy the calm as much as I could.  I don't think people realize just how crazy the end of the school year can be for a teacher.  There's reports to be written, report cards to be filled out, filing upon filing to be done, pounds of papers to corrected, data to be organized and submitted, class lists to make, and a classroom to pack up.  One of our friends kept saying to me, "What do you have, like 15 days left?  Just think about that."  That's like to worst thing you can say to a teacher in June.  It's an eternity and not enough time at the same time and that combination can cause a dizzying amount of stress, even for someone like me who is super organized.

Perfect Patio Weather

Towards the end of May, I got really busy.  Every weekend was booked solid and I was having a panic attack about how much school work I needed to get down and the lack of city fun I was having.  One Friday night, I found myself with a spare three hours before I had to leave for the weekend, and the weather was gorgeous, so JO and I headed towards Kendall to find a patio.

I wasn't really feeling Cambridge Brewing Company, and without Tommy Doyle's, our options were a bit limited, until we remembered Amelia's Trattoria was around the corner.  Note to self, we easily scored an outside table at 7:00 p.m. on a Friday.  (Sidebar-  If you go out in Cambridge anytime after 6:00 pm on the weekend without a reservation things can get very dicey.)  While I sipped my prosecco and feasted on antipasto I could feel all of my stress melt away.

After dinner, we found ourselves walking home past State Park and I couldn't resist stopping in for a cocktail (they make the best Old Cuban in the city- dark rum, mint, simple syrup, and bubbles~ perfection) and some pinball.  You can't help but be in a good mood after visiting State Park!

I ended up having a lovely night and my city meter got filled.  Just what I needed!

MayFair

May Fair is one of my favorite annual events that happens in Cambridge.  I thought I might have to miss it this year because of school work, but I rallied and was able to make it.  It was absolutely lovely out and it definitely made me long for summer in the Square.  I love checking out all of the vendors and the chalk art.  It was nice to just forget about school work for a little while and enjoy the city life.

Plus, who doesn't love Keytar Bear!

Hiking and Dining with the Family

For Mother's Day, JO's mom organized an outing to The Barn at Gibbet Hill for exploring the "castle" and dinner at Rapscallion's in Acton.  Typically I like my hiking more adventurous and my dining more urban but we had so much fun I just had to share them on my blog.

Back in the trails at The Barn at Gibbet Hill is the remnants of an old castle that was never completed.  It's a short walk to get to the structure and you can explore in and around it.  There happened to be a CosPlay shoot which made it even more fun.

We then headed to a nearby State Park to do a little more hiking.

We finished the day with dinner at Rapscallion's on their patio.  A lot of the patios I've experienced out of the city have views of the parking lot or malls, which is always a downer, but this patio is set back from the street.  It abuts the parking lot, but doesn't face it, and there aren't too many people so it's not a distraction.  Your surrounded by beautiful trees and a grassy field.  You can still see the street but it's definitely a little ways away.  Each table has an umbrella and the chairs are those wrought iron metal ones that look so lovely.

Rapscallion's is a brew pub and the beer certainly didn't disappoint.  The food was also very good, everyone enjoyed what they got.  The flavors were fresh and clean and the portions were a good size.  It was a little suburban oasis and a perfect place to enjoy the lovely weather.

Breakers Viewing Party at the Rising

I love, love, love that our newest bar is a big supporter of the Boston Breakers, Boston's Women's Professional Soccer Team.  The Rising hosts a viewing party for each Breakers game and offers food deals before and after the game if you show your game ticket.  Additionally, they've hosted some Breakers meet and greets during the Copa Americana.  It's so extremely vital that the women's professional soccer team is supported and allowed to grow.  Although our schedule has only worked out once to get to a viewing party I plan on going more now that it is summer.  They put the game on the 100 inch tv in the dining room.  It was really fun to watch with other fans.

Pig Roast at Citizens Pub

April Vacation went by so fast, so it was nice to have something to look forward to the weekend after vacation.  Our friend organized a Pig Roast at Citizen's Public House in Fenway.  I'm not really a pig roast kind of person but the whole thing was actually a lot of fun, even if I didn't eat that much pig.

We had a large table in the corner of the restaurant and the waitstaff was really friendly and attentive.  The chef came out a few times to present the whole roasted pig and to explain the side dishes to us.  Before the pig was served we had appetizers that included shrimp, clams, and oysters.  I was a bit disappointed in the oysters, the didn't really have much flavor.  Everything else we had all night was delicious though.  The pig is served with tons of side dishes, my favorite being the cornbread stuffing.

Half way through dinner they took the head to prepare this charcrutiere board

 I was also a big fan of the gin, mint, and soda water drink they have there.  It was perfectly refreshing and not overly sweet.  I kind of want to go back just to get that drink again.

After dinner, we went to our friends brother's roof deck to take in the city.  Even though it was pretty foggy it was a spectacular view.