Sunday Funday in Inman Square

UConn + Parlor Sports = Happy Vicky!

Wait, There's a Place in Cambridge I Haven't Heard Of?

I fancy myself as a Cambridge expert, and I'd like to think that other people do too.  So when I read an blurb in the Cambridge Scout magazine about a "secret" bar in North Cambridge called UpperWest I was really surprised.  I found them on Instagram and Yelp and was totally intrigued as I started looking through the pictures and five star reviews.  Then I went to their website where I got even more intrigued by their description as a 70s style basement of the Veteran's Club.  The website explained that you could make reservations, even just for drinks, so I immediately got us a resie (as JO and I like to say) for the following Saturday night.

UpperWest is located in the basement of a Veteran's Club.  The website tells you to go to the back of the green building so that's just what we did.  When you go in the back door you have to go down the stairs and open another door that opens into the bar.  When we walked in we were kind of surprised.  We didn't really have an idea of where we were going but the dimly lit, wood paneled room seemed frozen in time.  It kind of reminded me of the time when we went to State Park for the first time.  It was like entering a different world.  We were told our reservation would allow us to sit at one of the communal tables or the bar and obviously we chose the bar.  It took us a few minutes to figure out what was going on.

Basically, they have repurposed the "function" room at the Veteran's Club.  Lava lamps decorate the bar, there's a "lounge" area in the corner with couches and a coffee table, a bookcase of games and old cookbooks, a string of Christmas lights on the back wall, and awesome music playing in the background.  The "open kitchen" is really just a metal table set inside the bar space.  There's another metal table that serves as the cocktail station.  The wine and snack menu is written on a chalkboard.

We got a red wine flight to start and immediately wished we hadn't eaten beforehand.  Some of the snacks looked really good!  The chef was preparing mozzarella with lavender salt, smoked salt, oil, and balsamic.  It looked delicious.  The bratwurst were warming in the crock pot and the cheese selection looked killer.  After the flight, JO ordered one of the cocktails and it was really well crafted.

I definitely enjoyed hanging out in the 70s basement bar.  It had a great vibe and is definitely a great find!

Yes, it was 4 Degrees Out!

I hate the winter!!!!  We've been pretty lucky this year so I guess I don't have too much to complain about but still, I hate the winter!  Last weekend we got a snow storm, followed by frigid temps that froze everything to the ground.  Monday's windchills were in the negatives!  I had the day off but I couldn't face the outside world.  JO scored major points for going out to get coffee while I stayed under the blankets.

By the evening I had had enough of being stuck inside so we decided to brave the balmy 4 degrees and have dinner in the square.  We walked over to The Druid, which is maybe a four minute walk and that was a challenge.  It had been a while since we'd been there.  The Druid has great food, great beers, and reasonable prices but it can be hard to get a table.  I guess that becomes easier when it's almost zero out 😉

While we were eating dinner I got a call saying we would have a two hour delay the next day!  That came out of the blue and I was quite excited so I decided we needed to extend the evening.  We headed over to Puritan for a delicious dessert and some sparkling wine.

It's just so nice to know that even when Mother Nature is wreaking havoc, we still have so many great places to enjoy just a short walk from our house.

Say it's Not So City Girl

Last week, City Girl announced that they will no longer be serving dinner after February.  (They will continue with brunch service and rent out the restaurant for events during the week.)  This is a huge loss for our neighborhood.  We spent more than one snowstorm eating delicious food at the window table.  It was the type of place that you just felt at home and welcomed at every single time you went in.  I'm glad they are still going to serve brunch because the people are so nice and the space is so cute and perfectly Inman Square.  It would be really sad to see it go away entirely.

We headed over there last night for dinner and it was so bittersweet.  We chatted with Sammy, the regular server, and enjoyed our favorite dishes.  We are definitely going to try to come back a bunch more before the last day. 

I'm going to have to learn how to make prosciutto and peas for JO because I'm not sure what he's going to do without it!

The Longfellow Bar at Alden and Harlow

When I saw the pictures of the newest it spot in Harvard Square I knew we had to check it out!  Longfellow Bar is the new bar from the chef and owner of Alden and Harlow.  It is above Alden and Harlow, in the space formally occupied by Algier's Cafe.  Algier's featured two floors.  The first floor had a small bar, an open kitchen, and a few tables.  The second floor featured huge, arch windows and a cathedral type ceiling.  It was a cozy, old world feeling space I was wondering what the renovations would do to the space.

The pictures looked beautiful but wow, in person the renovations, especially upstairs, are even more gorgeous!  I was hoping with the snow it wouldn't be too crowded, but it was pretty full when we arrived.  We grabbed two seats behind the downstairs bar and ordered some drinks.  Our server said he had never worked in such a beautiful bar before.  I got the sparkling wine and it was delicious!  We were having a good time watching the snow fall outside.

That being said, when two seats opened up at the bar upstairs we didn't think twice.  (My pictures don't do this space justice so I definitely suggest clicking on the article link above.)

We didn't try any food but everything that the people around us were eating looked delicious.  (I am a little confused by the finger food concept.  Sitting in such a beautiful space I don't really want to eat with my hands but that's a minor gripe.) 

I love that they incorporated a part of the mural from Casablanca's, the restaurant that occupied the Alden and Harlow space for many, many years.

I fear we will never be able to get back in but on this snowy night in January, after a challenging week, it was perfect!  This place makes Harvard Square a destination again!

Women's March~ Year 3

On Saturday I wanted nothing more than to stay under the covers, ignore life, and sleep.  I barely had a voice and the previous week's stress was hitting me hard.  That wasn't an option though because it was time for the Boston Women's March!  I believe strongly that we have a very dangerous person leading our country and I believe I have to do my part to resist!  It was great to see such a large crowd.  Keeping up with everything can be exhausting but we have to remind ourselves that this is not normal and that we are stronger together!

Cheers to the Weekend

This past week was one of the hardest I've experienced in a really, really long time.  It was Miss Majorette week, I was in the middle of an intensive four week course, we had testing at school, I had several things I had to book, and my dad has some stuff he was dealing with so he stayed with us for the week.  And just for fun I got sick on Thursday and lost my voice on Friday!

In any event, I survived, with a lot of help from my friends and JO!  To celebrate we took my dad to Ole for margaritas and burritos! 

Black Puffy Coats Have Officially Become the New Winter Uniform!

I love everything about this Boston Globe article on the black puffy coat phenomenon!

Once I went puff I never looked back!  It's seriously the only way to get through the Polar Vortex, Bomb Cyclones, and four blizzards in six weeks!  Check out my "City Girl Essentials" post from 2013!  Who knew I was a trendsetter 😂

Friday Night in Inman

The cold weather has set in and I'm totally over it already.  We made the best of it by sticking around the neighborhood.

We had dinner at Casa Portugal.  We started ordering our food and the waitress said, "Oh the usual!"  I mean, why wouldn't we get the shellfish in a wine, parsley broth 😉

After dinner I wanted the night to continue so we headed over to Puritan and Co.  Thanks to the cold weather we were able to get two seats at the bar.  It's been a really long time since we've stopped in and when the bartender saw us he welcomed us back.  I love everything about Puritan.  They have completely mastered the rustic look and I would love for their designer to consult on our kitchen remodel! 

Our neighborhood is truly special and we are so lucky to live here!

Friday Night Ligts

Friday was calmer at school but it came with a surprise twist~ my allergies exploded and I could barely keep my eyes open because they were so itchy and watery and I couldn't stop sneezing.  One of my kids told me I should go to the nurse 😉  When I got home I had no interest in anything but it was Friday night and it was supposed to pour the next night so I rallied!

We had another delicious dinner at Sulmona!  I can't recommend this place enough.  The food is delicious, the atmosphere is great, and the prices are very reasonable.  We usually sit at the bar but we ended up sitting at a table with a window view and it was just what I needed. 

I didn't want to end the evening early so JO and I walked over to Catalyst for a drink by the fire.  We had done this once before and I remember really enjoying it.  Catalyst has a great modern, rustic feel and is super airy and open with tall ceilings and an open floor plan that doesn't break up the space.  The dining room is on the right when you walk in and the back wall features a large, wrap around bar. (JO and I made a mental note of how big the bar is for future nights out.)  The real gem, in my opinion, is the lounge area featuring couches next to the fire place! 

It was so relaxing and a big city win for us!

Aeronaut to the Rescue

Last week was supposed to be an easy, short week at school.  It was anything but an easy week!  Everything that could go wrong went wrong, unexpected meetings, lessons that didn't go the right way, and general craziness made me feel like I was run over by a truck when I came home on Thursday.  I wanted to curl up in bed but JO convinced me to go climbing.  I was motivated by JO but also by something else 😉 

When we were done climbing JO asked me what I wanted to do for dinner.  I didn't have an answer to that question but I did suggest we try to get into Aeronaut.  We were pleasantly surprised when we easily found two seats at the bar.   We enjoyed some drinks while doing some vacation planning which was the perfect antidote to the craziness of the day!  Our next trip is just six weeks away!

New Year's Eve at the Pops

We decided to do something a bit different this year for New Year's Eve.  We were both kind of scarred by our night out at Brass Union experience last year and were hesitant to try another event like that.  When we were at the Pops for the Psycho event on Halloween we saw an ad for the Pops New Year's Eve event hosted by Seth McFarlane.  This seemed like a perfect fit for us so we bought our tickets and were joined by some of our good friends.

We started the evening with dinner and I was surprised how quickly I was able to pick a place.  (I tend to hem and haw over restaurant choices for special nights out.)  Estragon, a tapas bar in the South End, immediately popped in my head.   I feel like tapas is the way to go on New Year's Eve.  It's a meal you can either speed up or slow down and tapas places usually have great, funky decor and atmospheres. 

Estragon features a really lovely, old world European style bar along the back wall.  (I want to go back STAT and have a drink at that bar!)  There is lounge seating in the back featuring purple and red couches with a picture of Salvador Dali hanging on the wall.  The dining room features funky colors, striped tables, and a checked floor.  In typical fashion when JO and I go for tapas, we ordered way too much food.  Our waiter tried to warn us but we ignored his warnings.  Everything was delicious and they didn't rush us at all.

After dinner we headed over to Symphony Hall for the show.  It was so fun taking pictures with the beautiful hall as the backdrop.  It was fun to be dressed up (without needed to be super dressed up) and drinking bubbles! 

We splurged for tables on the floor.  I can't believe how crammed the tables were, it seemed like a fire hazard.  (I'm really big on knowing my emergency exits and escape routes.)   Despite being crowded I'm really glad we had the table.  It made maneuvering around so much easier and we had excellent views of the stage.

Seth McFarlane was excellent, and he's now my new celebrity boyfriend!  I had no idea what kind of singer he is.  It was really fun to be doing something on New Year's Eve instead of just sitting at a bar.   

I was a big fan of the balloon drop at midnight although my video is too long for the blog!  Enjoy this clip of the finale number instead!

2019 got off to a great start and maybe we'll be back to close out the year next December!