Finally a Night for a Patio

Last night it wasn't horrifically hot so I insisted we eat at a patio.  We weren't planning on going out but we hadn't eaten outside in so long, that it was necessary.  Normally I would've suggested Harvard Square but we both needed to do some packing so we opted for Union Square and ended up at The Independent.

I love what The Independent has done with their patio area.  It's completely enclosed with lots of flower boxes.  It was so nice to sit outside and just relax.  I feel like we haven't done a lot this summer but it was nice to end on a high note and as JO reminded me, September is much better patio weather!

After dinner, we headed over to Gracie's for fluff cones!  On the walk home JO scolded me for biting, not licking, my cone which caused a melty, but delicious, mess.

Ole

On Friday night JO and I decided we needed a night out in the neighborhood.  It was hot again so we didn't want to walk too far so we headed to City Girl but we couldn't get in.  We were both kind of at a loss but quickly regrouped and headed over to Ole and were lucky enough to get two seats at the bar.

We got the guacamole and shared the Mexican paella which is so delicious.  I can't even describe it properly.  The flavors are so rich and the shrimp and mussels are cooked so perfectly.  The bar at Ole is really fun.  The bartenders are always chatting with you and it's a fun mix of ages and races.

It was so fun to enjoy the neighborhood and even funner since we would both be on our road trip in a few short days!

Olympics Viewing in Inman

I've been bouncing between Parlor Sports, The Rising, and Hops 'N Scotch during these Olympics.  We don't get all the cable channels that the games are on so I have to find somewhere to watch my soccer and basketball games.

I started out at Parlor Sports to watch UConnUSA play it's opening game.  My favorite quote was when Jon, the bartender, said with USA up 30 after the 1st quarter, "This is just like watching a Husky game."  He even brought out the torch to celebrate the victory!  We were back at Parlor Sports to watch one of the soccer games.

For the afternoon game I headed to The Rising where I taught the Irish bartender that UConn is in the state of Connecticut.  There weren't many people in the bar so he even put on the sound for me for the second half!


On Sunday, we went back to The Rising for the basketball game but there was soccer on and they couldn't change the tv so we headed to Hops N Scotch.  Holy brunch!  I'm not a brunch person but their menu is off the hook!  I had the breakfast pasta and JO got the croque madame.

We've had a blast cheering on all of our favorite players and teams all over Inman!

A Night Out in Inman

By mid-July I was in a total summer funk.  JO and my schedules weren't meshing, I was stressing about school, and it was so, so hot all the time.  We were headed off for a cruise and I was feeling nervous since I'd never been on a cruise before.

The night before the cruise JO suggested we go out to dinner.  It was too hot to leave the neighborhood and I couldn't think of a place I wanted to go, that's how much of a funk I was in.  JO took the reigns and led us towards Casa Portugal which was exactly what the doctor ordered.  Delicious food and great atmosphere make for the perfect combination to shoo away the blahs.

Shanghai Fresh

JO and I rarely venture out to the Cultural District that is Central Square, but JO needed to pick up a package at the post office so I went along for the walk.  After picking up the package JO suggested we go out for dinner.  I couldn't think of anywhere I wanted to go so when we saw Shanghai Fresh we went with it.

The Paris style bistro tables, with the Asian menu didn't exactly go together, but everything else worked.  The menu had a lot of options and the food was tasty.  The prices were very reasonable.  It was nice to get to explore a new restaurant and to have a place in Central Square that we would want to go.

Inman Funch

A couple times each summer, the Inman Square Business Association hosts Inman Funch, a fun lunch in the square!  I try to go whenever I can, because I love what the ISBA does for the neighborhood.  This Funch featured live music and street tacos from Ole!

A Night Out in the South End

JO and I decided to go out and explore the South End.  We were inspired by a Groupon for Estragon, a tapas bar in the South End, that we had heard a lot about.  We headed out on a Friday night and decided to take the Red Line to the Silver Line.  Big mistake.  The Silver Line towards the South End is actually really hard to find and is located across the street from South Station and doesn't run very frequently.  When we realized it would be a 20 minute wait for the next bus, we decided to walk.  It was really far, and we only made it to the SoWa Market area before we had to get an Uber, as there were no taxis within sight.

Estragon has a great atmosphere.  The decor is really colorful with lots of vintage touches.  We got several different dishes.  Although none blew me away, they were all really good and the service was great.

After dinner, we decided to explore and find a place for another drink.  The South End is strange.  It's pretty empty, really far away, and expansive in size.  We went blocks and blocks without seeing any real businesses and it doesn't seem like the best neighborhood at times.  Finally, we found a street with a few different restaurants and settled on La Motta's, a cute Italian restaurant featuring lots of exposed brick and a to die for patio.

I would definitely go back to La Motta's, although I doubt I will because it's so hard to get to.

4th of July Sunset

This year we passed on the fireworks down by the river.  The weather was perfect and we probably should've gone, but we passed.  Thankfully, Mother Nature put on a nice little display for us instead.

Dollar Oysters at Puritan

Apparently I'm turning into quite the procrastinator.  I've waited until the last possible moment, eight hours before we leave on our road trip, to catch up on my summer blogging.  I don't know what it was, maybe the weather (so many 90+ degree days, so much humidity, so much school stress), but I was in a bit of funk for a large chunk of the summer.  When the weather is nice, there's so much to do.  When the weather is bad, I'm just trapped inside.  I feel like we didn't get to do a ton this summer, but I'm definitely looking forward to our road trip that starts tomorrow.

I only had two things on my summer bucket list, and both involved Puritan and Company~ dollar oysters and pizza night.  We only got to dollar oysters but I'll still call it a success.

We went to Puritan on a Tuesday night to enjoy dollar oyster night.  I've been on a big oyster kick lately and Puritan didn't disappoint.  The bartender did comment, "I thought maybe you guys moved" which made me realize we haven't been in nearly enough.  The oysters were yummy, as were the fried clams that we ordered to go with them.