SnoWin in Inman 2015

I used to really despise the snow, but ever since moving to Inman Square, I hate it a little bit less. That's because of the Snow Parties and the way the neighborhood never shuts down!  Back when I lived on the South Shore big snow storms would really get to me because I would be trapped in my apartment with not much to do.  That's certainly not the case now!

Last night we watched various places in our neighborhood update their status on Facebook and Twitter.  When Trina's posted that two of their staff were going to walk in and open up the bar we knew that's where we needed to go.  They wouldn't be serving food so we began calling around to see where we could eat dinner.  Surprisingly, only East Coast Grille was serving dinner, and we aren't huge fans, so we ate our leftovers before heading over to Trina's.  When I called Ole the woman who answered the phone was genuinely concerned for me and asked if I had food to eat.  She kept apologizing that they wouldn't be open.  It was very sweet.

On the walk over to Trina's we stopped to take in how beautiful our neighborhood looked with all the snow. We watched people cross country ski down Cambridge Street.  We watched people stop and make snow angels in the snow covered plaza.

As we approached Trina's we started to get nervous because there were so many people out and about.  Would we be able to get a table?  Trina's was packed, but we were lucky enough to get a table in the dining room.  It's as if the dining room had been transformed into Inman Square's living room.  Lots of people had brought cards or games.  There was a really magical feeling in the room and everyone was so happy!  We reminisced about the crazy year we had had, starting with thinking we would have to move, to us buying our place, and to now enjoying this blizzard in our neighborhood!  We thanked one of the bartenders for coming in to open up for the neighborhood and he said it was his pleasure.  He lives local and he wanted to give back.  We certainly enjoyed it!

After a few hours we headed home but not before we did a quick blizzard photo shoot!

JO has some work to do on his car

My car still looks better than I expected

Snowstorms are so much better in the city!

Snowpocolypse vs 2015

By Sunday night the Snow Panic was real.  I had decided to take the train to work Monday because I didn't want to mess with trying to find parking Monday afternoon.  I had survived the grocery store, although most of my blizzard supplies were cocktail ingredients and salsa.

My district always waits until the last minute to cancel, so you know it's a bad storm when they cancel at 3:00 the day before for not one but two days!   JO and I headed out for dinner at Trina's since they were having a "Snow Party!"  It was so fun to be out and about in our neighborhood and you had to love the special menu at Trina's!

After dinner we headed back home to watch the snow begin to pile up and the winds whip around.  I got excited when 1369 Coffee posted on Facebook promising to be open by 8:00 the next day!

This morning we headed over to 1369 to grab coffee and pastries and to see what the neighborhood looked like.

Now we're just relaxing and resting up for another night of SnoWin in Inman!

Parlor Sports with Dad

I talk about Parlor Sports all the time with my dad.  Since I hadn't seen my dad in a while I decided to combine watching the Huskies at Parlor Sports with a visit with my dad.  He was all about it!

On Sunday, we picked up my dad and headed over to Parlor Sports to watch the Huskies.  I had mentioned on their Facebook page that we were going to head in.  They were nice enough to have to have the corner tvs set to the UConn game for us when we walked in.

Our favorite bartender was working and came over to meet my dad.  They had a great conversation and made my dad feel really welcomed.  My dad loved it!

Added bonus, I walked over to the Whole Foods after the game to stock up for the storm.  I was in and out in 20 minutes and walked home.  I wasn't about to move my car from the good spot I had gotten before the Saturday storm!

Snow!

Saturday was the first real snowstorm of the year.  We got about 4-6 inches of snow with a dash of freezing rain.  I stayed inside all day, watching figure skating and catching up on school work.  By dinner time though, I was ready to take advantage of our neighborhood.

We headed over to meet up with some friends for dinner at Koreana.  We've only been here once before, during the biblical floods of several years ago.  JO and I both agree that this is a really good place, and we should probably go here more often.  The prices are pretty reasonable, as long as you don't order the meal that needs the in table grille.  JO got the Bipimbop, a delicious rice and vegetable dish served in a hot stone pot.  We had a really enjoyable evening enjoying the city life!

After dinner we headed home.  It was then that I started hearing about an "epic" storm headed our way on Tuesday.  Snowfall predications were being tossed around by the feet not inches.  Hurricane force winds might be headed our way.  General snow panic set in almost immediately, but so did the thought of at least one, if not more, snow days!

Via Matta and Blu

After another long week of school I suggested we go out for a night out in Boston Friday night.  JO did a little bit of research and picked two new places for us to try out.

Our first stop was dinner at Via Matta.  Via Matta is over by the Park Plaza hotel.  A few weeks ago, when we dropped off flowers at the French Consulate, we walked down this really cute side street behind the park.  It's a really cute street, lined with trees strung in white lights.  We had seen Via Matta and it looked so cozy so I was excited to try it out.

I have to say, this was a great find!  The atmosphere is really cozy and a bit sophisticated.  The lighting is really soft and colors are light browns and beiges.  It's really a calm, tranquil restaurant.  One side of the restaurant has floor to ceiling windows that look like they open all the way up in the summer.  I'm thinking they have a pretty nice patio.  It seems like it's pretty easy to get a table here, which is good to know.

They don't have a huge menu but everything on it looked good.  I got the clam pasta which was pretty good.  The tomato sauce had the tiniest ever kick to it which was really nice.  I think they served a bit too much pasta with the dish, but that's not bad.  JO got the gnocchi and it was delicious!

The meal came and went quickly.  They didn't rush us or anything but the experience felt a bit quick.  In any event, dinner was good and we enjoyed the experience.  I think we will definitely go back.

After dinner, we walked over to Blu, which is located in the Equinox building next to the Ritz.  We had discovered this place back on New Year's Eve when we were looking for a restaurant that still had dinner reservations.  We ended up staying in our neighborhood but we both wanted to check this place out.  Blu, is on the 4th floor and offers stunning views, especially of the Paramount and Boston Opera House.

We were worried we might not get seats at the bar, but this was not a problem at all.  It was pretty empty so we easily got two seats at the bar with the beautiful view behind us.  I'm a little surprised they didn't have the seats at the bar facing the view.  The bartender was really friendly and the drinks were very reasonably priced.  We sampled the Kahlua tiramisu and it was amazing!  A guy sitting at the bar got the crab cake and I can't even describe how good it smelled!  We had fun talking about how awesome the city life is and our April vacation desert road trip.

We will definitely back to visit Blu, preferably in the near future!

Bukowski's Reopens

Oh happy Inman Square day!  Last Tuesday Bukowski's finally reopened.  JO and I had high hopes for the revamped bar.

The old Bukowski's was a bit of a dive bar with mediocre food and a loud atmosphere.  To be honest we hadn't gone to Bukowski's all that match in the past few years.  Sure, it was good in a pinch and we loved that it was usually open holiday nights for a quick snack.

While it's been closed though the neighborhood has definitely felt it's absence.  There's one less place for people to go and the other restaurants and bars got a bit more crowded.  We watched the renovations with excitement as the interior got a huge facelift.  Then, it was announced that the chef from the Rattlesnake was going to be working on the menu and our hopes grew.

Bukowski's finally opened last Tuesday and JO and I raced over there after work in hopes of getting in.  I really like what they have done with the interior.  It's much brighter, although a bit smaller.  It has a nice modern feel.  We were lucky enough to get a table against the back wall.  The renovations made the space feel a bit smaller but that didn't bother me.  The beer/drinks menu is just as good as it was before.

The quality of the food has definitely improved, but the menu is rather limited.  It consists of some appetizers, a few salads, and lots of burgers (like camel, elk, antelope, etc.)  I'm not a burger person so I wasn't thrilled with the lack of choices on the menu.  The did keep the white trash dip from the old menu, but the new incarnation is nothing like the old version.  The weird pita chip things got really soggy and the dip lacked the liquidy American cheese taste that the old one was famous for.

JO loved his antelope burger.  I got the plain burger and it was served a bit rarer than I would have liked.  I did like that I had the option of a salad instead of fries.  The salad was really good and was served with a salad dressing made from beer.  I wish you could get chicken or shrimp on the salad but I didn't see that as a option.

Overall, I was disappointed in the new Bukowski's but I'm glad it's open again.  And I can imagine sitting by the big, open garage doors in the summer.

Viva La France

On Friday night JO and I headed over to the French Consulate in Boston to drop off flowers.  We wanted to show our respect and condolences to the people of France.  Over the past few days I had wished I could do more for my French family.  The flowers weren't much but it helped me feel like I was doing something to show my support.  The Consulate is only open until 5:00 so we had to leave the flowers outside.  We said a few words and walked through the park to Marliave for a french dinner.

We met a few of our friends at the restaurant and they sat us in the upstairs dining room.  Marliave is one of my favorite restaurants in the city and it had been a long time since we had last been there.  Since we were celebrating all things French we had to get the escargot.  The food is always delicious.  We also got to try the Tres Curiuex drink that we tried to make on New Year's Eve.  The ones on NYE were good but the real deal is out of this world!

Yesterday the Consulate posted a picture of the condolence book and you could see our flowers in the background.  I'm so glad they found their way inside.  I really hope that things can return to some sort of normal in France.  Of course, it will be a "new normal" but for the people of France, and frankly the world, I hope for peace.

Boston 2024

Last Thursday night JO and I decided to head out for dinner.  We needed to get our minds off of the tragedy in France.  We went to The Druid and surprise, surprise it was super crowded.  There were two seats at the bar so we took them, ordered some food, and started talking about how the USOC was going to name the bid city for 2024 later that night.

That's when I got a text message from a friend letting me know the announcement had been made a bit early and Boston had won!  JO and I started celebrating right there in The Druid.  I know I am in the minority but I think having the Olympics in Boston would be amazing.  I can't even imagine how amazing it would be to live in the host city during those two magical weeks.

I know some people complain about the construction.  The bid was built around existing transportation projects that are already in place.  These projects will happen with or without the Olympics.

I know a lot of people who say, "I love the Olympics but not in my backyard."  Someone has to host the Olympics. Boston has what is needed to host the Olympics, in a sustainable way.  Boston is a great city, with lots to offer, and we can host the Olympics!

I encourage anyone who is hesitant about the Boston 2024 bid to attend one of the community meetings being held over the next several months.  Learn more about the ways the bid incorporates things that are already in place or in the works, with or without the Olympics.

After dinner, we headed over to Parlor Sports to toast to Boston winning the USOC bid for 2024.

Brunch- Parlor Sports Style

We ended vacation with brunch/UConn Huskies at Parlor Sports.  This year's UConn schedule is a strange Sunday/Wednesday only schedule so it makes going to Parlor Sports a bit tough.  We were both exhausted and thought about skipping the game.  With our crazy January schedule we wouldn't make it back until the end of the month, and we both agreed that was too long to wait.

I was a bit nervous that we wouldn't be able to get in because of the NFL playoff games but we got two seats at the bar no problem.  Our favorite bartender was working and quickly put one of the tvs on ESPN2 for the UConn game.  We had fun catching up with him since it had been a while since our last visit.  We talked about how we love that Parlor Sports has been on some "Best Of" lists but at the same time we hate it because more and more people are heading to Parlor Sports to watch the games.  We talked about the "old days" when Parlor Sports was a second dining room for Trina's.   My favorite part of the afternoon was when I ordered a mimosa and it was served in a pint glass!  I loved it!

This place is really such a great part of Inman Square and pretty much sums up why the Square is such a great place to live!

Snow Falls in the City

We had big plans for the last Saturday night of vacation.  We had planned on going to the Lawn on D for the Fire and Ice Festival but in true New England fashion the forecast went from a pleasant night to winter storm advisory in a flash.

I was pretty disappointed about not being able to go to the Fire and Ice Festival that featured a giant ice maze, outdoor bars, and fire pits (and I love, love, love fire pits!)  It took a lot of prodding on JO's part to get me to go out for dinner.  He had to remind me that nights like these are why we live where we live.  We can still go out and have a good time without having to walk to the T or get in the car.  I'm glad I didn't let my aggravation with the weather get in the way of a fun, snowy night in Inman.

We ended up at City Girl Cafe.  I opted for a pizza this time around and I'm glad I did.  I had forgotten how good their pizza is!  After dinner we decided to continue to evening with a drink at Puritan and Co.  We were lucky to find two seats at the bar.  Our usual bartender wasn't there so we spent some time getting to know the new bartender.  We had fun talking about how great Cambridge is and watching the snow fall.

Paris Strong

My heart is heavy today.  Hearing the news this morning, as I drove to work, made me sick.  This would be horrific in any city, but for me, the fact that this happened in Paris is sickening.  I grew up in that city. I spent so many summers visiting the Eiffel Tower, wandering around art museums, and running around in the parks.  Paris was, and is, my second home.

As soon as I could I checked in with my best friend who lives just outside of Paris.  I could feel her pain in the words she wrote back.  I remember that empty, sick feeling I felt after the Marathon bombings.  Terrorism had struck my city, not a far away city, but my city.  And now it has struck my friend's city.

I am sending all of my love and support to the city of Paris and the country of France.  Evil will not win! The people of France are strong!  They poured into cities around the country to proclaim, "We are not afraid."  As silence fell over the crowd, pens and pencils were held high in the sky.  Freedom is more powerful than hatred.

My heart is with you Paris.

#pencilsupfromCambridge

New Year's Eve 2014

New Year's Even kind of snuck up on us this year.  We had been invited to a party in Boston, but we weren't sure if we wanted to get stuck on that side of the river after ball dropped.  Then we got sick and kept putting off making it plans.

The night before NYE JO suggested we go out to dinner in Boston.  I mentioned I heard they were having a $10 part at Brass Union.  We decided that would be our plan but then Brass Union was sold out and we couldn't pick a restaurant to go to.  I felt stressed about picking a spot.  That's when we saw Ole had reservations.  Our good friend was able to come down and join us.

After dinner we headed back to our place.  We tried our hand at some cocktail making thanks to the Marliave's bartender sharing the recipe for the ever popular Tres Curieux!  Some more friends joined us and we had a lot of fun ringing in the new year with great friends!

I'm looking forward to lots of fun things in 2015, including an epic desert road trip!  Can't wait!!!

Looking back at 2014, here are my top 10 memories (with some ties):

1.  Buying our apartment- being permanent Inman Square residents feels so nice
2.  UConn wins the men's and women's basketball championships!  Seriously, it was awesome!
3.  London- I had a blast, minus the epic trip to the airport on the way home (but even that was funny looking back on it)
4.  My best friend visits- we had a great time living it up in Boston!
5.  Parlor Sports gives us a gift- so our bartender just wanted us to have an autographed bottle of Geno Auriemma wine
5.  Winter night in Harvard Square at the Red House- it was the perfect example of city living!
6.  Christmas Vacation gets extended- after suffering from the flu I got two extra days off to enjoy SnoWin in Inman
7.  Zelda Bar Golf- a great surprise party for JO and a great night with great people
8.  Marathon Monday- the city was back and stronger than ever
9.  Summer in Fall- an epically gorgeous October day and a lounge crawl in the Seaport
10. tie- Calling All Crows benefit weekend- great music, great service project, winning the raffle, drinks at the Hawthorne.
10. tie- Holiday Outing- upside down trees, the Liberty Hotel, and dinner at the Grotto
10. tie- July 4th on the 3rd- getting stuck in the pouring rain and grabbing a drink at West Bridge

The Brattle Theater

Thankfully, JO and I started feeling better earlier this week.   We decided to do some shopping in Harvard Square before going to see Lost in Translation at The Brattle Theater.  I love the Brattle.  It holds a special place in my heart since JO and I went here on our first date.  We headed back the next day to watch The Thin Man, a film noir/comedy.  There are some really fun movies on the upcoming schedule so I'm sure we'll be back a bunch this winter.  Although it wasn't a huge city adventure, it was nice to get out of our apartment.  We were both suffering from cabin fever, big time!

Christmas Eve Eve

I had made it to Christmas Vacation!  And I was still standing!  I couldn't believe it.  We decided to celebrate with dinner at Casa de Portugal and drinks at Puritan.  Our bartender was happy to see us.  I had to laugh when he said to us, "There's been a change to the tap menu (then looks at me) but I'm sure it won't matter to you" in reference to my bubbles I always order.  We had a great time celebrating the start of vacation, as JO had off most of the same days off as me.  I still couldn't believe I had made it through December.  My schedule was out of control, I hadn't been sleeping well, and my back was still hurting (I'm off to the physical therapist in early January.)

That excitement was short lived though, as we both woke up the next day with colds that would last for six straight days.  Ughh... but Christmas Eve Eve was a lot of fun!

Calling All Crows Benefit Weekend

My favorite singer, Chad Stokes, started a charity seven years ago called Calling All Crows.  He kicked off the charity with a benefit show at The Brattle Theater.  Each year since, the weekend before Christmas has been reserved for the Calling All Crows Benefit Weekend.  We've gone to all but one of the concerts and two years ago, JO and I participated in the pre-concert service project, a rally for marriage equality.  We really enjoyed that experience and were happy to participate in this year's service project- working at IMEC, an organization that packages up medical supply equipment for countries in need.

We spent Saturday morning and early afternoon working alongside other "crows" and Chad Stokes and his wife Sybil.  I love that he participates in the service projects.  He really practices what he preaches.  IMEC is a really cool non-profit organization.  They take gently used medical equipment from hospitals and doctors offices that closing or upgrading, clean and fix up the equipment, and ship it to countries in need.  We spent our time organizing furniture that would be used in medical offices.

After the project we headed home for a quick nap before heading to the House of Blues for the benefit concert.  Since we got their early, we entered a bunch of the raffles, and got a good spot near the stage.

The opening band, Lucius, was quite good and worth checking out again.  Finally, it was time for Chad Stokes to take the stage.  He played a great mix of his new solo stuff, State Radio classics, and Dispatch songs.

We had a great time and ended the night by winning an autographed tour picture!

I was psyched after we found out we won that picture that I wanted the night to continue, so we headed over to the Hawthorne Bar for a quick drink.  Once again, we got great service.  We had taken two standing spots near the main bar, but were only there for a few minutes before the hostess came over to tell us two seats had opened up.  Since we were only grabbing one drink we didn't move, but it was really nice that they offered.  We ended up also grabbing the grilled ham sandwich with a side of frisee salad.  Yummy!

With only two more school days before vacation I was feeling like I was going to make it!

Ole and We Finally get a Tree

It was December 16th and we still didn't have a Christmas tree.  We had both been so busy that we were just not able to schedule a time to go and get one.  Perhaps the lack of a Christmas tree was contributing to my lack of holiday cheer.

JO came home from work, just as I was heading out to grab dinner at Ole with a friend, determined to get a tree.  So off he went while I went to enjoy a delicious dinner at Ole.  I was so glad when my friend suggested we go to this place, as it had been quite a while since I had been there.

We munched on the "made fresh to order" guacamole as we sipped on our margaritas.  Ole is definitely a restaurant we don't go to enough.  The food is always really delicious.  It was great to catch up with my friend, who I hadn't seen since Thanksgiving.  There was an end in site to this crazy December and it was nice to be reminded of the fun in the city that was waiting me at the finish line.

When I got home JO had decorated the tree with cat toys in an effort to get them to jump into the tree.  We hung up our stockings and had fun with the kittens!

Kitten in the tree- look closely

Christmas kitten!

Yulefest

Yulefest was our 5th 5K for the fall/winter season.  I had had to miss the Winter Classic the week before because my back was hurting but I was determined to partake in Yulefest!  I love the Cambridge 5K races and this one always has a huge after party.

I woke up on race day and felt good, and it wasn't freezing, so I decided to go for it.  I hadn't run since Veteran's Day so I wasn't expecting a great race so I was pleasantly surprised to go sub 30 minutes for the second straight race.

After the race, we grabbed brunch at Tory Row, before hitting up the after party.  It wasn't freezing so we spent a lot of time enjoying the dj and the atmosphere before heading home to recuperate.

When it came time to grab dinner I was craving Pad Thai so we decided to drive (gasp...we drove somewhere to get dinner) to Porter Square to go to Sugar and Spice, the sister restaurant to the now gone Spice and Rice that used to be in Inman.  Sure we have Ginger Exchange now, but it's really not that good, especially when compared to Spice and Rice.   We gorged ourselves on gyoza, miso soup, crab rangoons, and a giant order of Pad Thai before heading home to get some rest after a long, but fun day!

The Nutcracker

After being inspired by our trip to see Swan Lake we were back at the ballet for The Nutcracker.  After a long week at school it was definitely nice to have a city outing to look forward to.  Once again, we grabbed dinner at Teatro before heading to the Opera House.

I couldn't resist getting pictures with the giant bear and rabbit before grabbing some champagne and heading to our seat.  (And no, I don't go the ballet just for the bubbles :-)

I have such fond memories of going to the Nutcracker with my mother when I was younger.  It was a tradition for several years after we moved to the South Shore.  I love the changes they have made to the production.  The ballet was beautiful and I'm looking forward to going to another production at some point.

A Much Needed Holiday Outing

After the great feeling I had going to the Olympics debate in Boston it all went downhill.  My back started hurting more, I became super stressed with work, and my holiday spirit was shot.  JO was a bit worried about me so he suggested a surprise night out one Friday night in the middle of the month.

JO planned a great city night.  The first stop was the Liberty Hotel to check out their upside down Christmas trees.

On Friday nights they play music in the lobby area and I kind of felt like I was at a club.  We were really lucky to get two seats, cushy armchairs no less, so we grabbed a pre-dinner drink.  We loved these two giant St. Bernards that were at the table next to us.  It was so great to get back into the city.  For literally twelve straight days I was running, running, running with no break and no city.  This is the perfect recipe for a grumpy me!  I could feel my mood changing just sitting there, people watching.
















JO still wouldn't tell me where we were going for dinner but I had a good guess.  The Grotto, one of my favorite restaurants in the city, was nearby.  I was right.











You cannot go wrong with anything you order at The Grotto.  Everything is perfection, even a simple salad with balsamic dressing.  I, of course, got the gnocchi with short ribs and was not disappointed!

It was the perfect way to get my city meter back up and a great way to start the weekend!  I really, really needed it!

I almost forget these adirondack chairs we spotted on our walk back to the T.  Definitely a city photo op!

Off the Page at the ICA

A while back I saw an ad in the paper for a new debate series presented by the Boston Globe called Off the Page.  I was totally sold when I saw that the first event would be held at the ICA and would be debating Boston hosting the 2024 Olympics!

I know I'm in the minority but I think it would be absolutely amazing for Boston to host the Olympics!  The thought of the Olympics taking place in my backyard is just too awesome!  I know there are a lot of people worried about logistics and budget but I think we can do it!  We have tons of venues already plus lots of housing thanks to all of the colleges and universities in the area.

A friend of mine joined me so we decided to grab dinner at Atlantic Beer Garden before hand.  I am always amazed at how empty the Seaport can be.

After dinner we headed over to the ICA for the debate.  There was a representative from both sides and two moderators from the Globe.  The guy from No Boston Olympics seemed really hung up on the fact that we would have to build a Velodrome.  He must have said Velodrome 30 times in an hour and a half.

It was so fun to be in the city on a Monday night, and so easy to get home via Uber!

East Coast Birthday Bash

A good friend of ours recently moved to the West Coast.  We always looked forward to her end of November/early December birthday night out in the city.  She had a knack for picking great places and it was always a fun time.  A group of us decided to keep up the tradition by going out for an East Coast Birthday Bash in her honor.

The original plan called for us to all meet at Eastern Standard, but JO and I arrived first to a completely packed bar.  It was way too crowded and noisy in there so we made an executive decision and switched the venue to the Hawthorne Bar, just down the street.  This was a risk since I've only ever looked in the windows.  I really didn't know much about the bar, other than it looks nice from the outside, but they had room for eight so we took it.

I have to say, the staff was really nice here.  They only had a standing room table available, but as the night progressed they came and told us they could seat us in the back lounge.  I really appreciated that.

I love the way this bar is set up.  It offers a great mix of couches and arm chairs with tables.  They've completely nailed the modern rustic look, and for a basement bar it does not feel at all dark.  The lighting is soft and lots of mirrors open up the space.  My only complaint, and it's very minor, is that they give you three paper menus.  I couldn't keep them straight and had a hard time figuring out which one to look at to find wines, beers, and cocktails.

I feel like our friend would have really liked this bar! It was a great night in the city, with good friends!

I love that I coordinated my outfit with the arm chair!

Harvard Square Tree Lighting

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the tree lighting at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.  This year marked the 9th year JO and I have gone to this event together.  There's always a live band playing Christmas carols and it's what I use to officially kickoff the holiday season and this year was no different.

After dinner we headed over to Kennedy's on the Square, what was formally known as First Printer.  I actually really liked First Printer so I was a bit disappointed when the space was reinvented as Kennedy's but the menu intrigued me so I was willing to try it out.  I really wanted to like this place but it everything we tried seemed to be missing an ingredient or two to really make it pop.  Plus the decor is a bit strange- giant pictures of JFK.  I know JFK went to Harvard but it just doesn't seem to make sense at all.  I'm glad we tried this place, just to say we did, but I can't imagine we'll be headed back anytime soon.

Puritan and Company

It had been a while since we had been into Puritan.  In fact, I think it might have been in July.  It had been so long that when we stopped by Puritan a week before Thanksgiving for a quick drink the bartender welcomed us back.

I can't say enough good things about Puritan.  From the delicious food, yummy drinks, and friendly staff everything is just perfect.  I'm glad we went in when we did because the bartender let us know that they were having a two year anniversary party the night before Thanksgiving.  Of course we went! They made some delicious, free appetizers and had a fun drink menu to celebrate the occasion!











Then, a few weeks later, it was atmosphere snowing and I decided we had to go get a drink and watch the snow fall (and not accumulate)!













A night at Puritan is always the right answer!

Paint Bar- Newbury Street

It's been a while since I last did a painting.  I usually do the paintings at the Urban Art Bar or at a Paint Nite event, but this time I decided to check out the Paint Bar on Newbury Street.

I have to say, of all of the painting events I've done this was my favorite.  The painting was pretty much fool proof.  The space, although small, was well lit and well organized with assigned seating based on how many people were in your party.  The bar offered a nice selection of beer and wine at good prices.

Plus, I absolutely love the way my painting came out!  It was a really nice way to spend a school night.  It definitely took away my work stress!

The final product!

ThanksgivingFest 2014

Last year, when we thought we might have had to move, I was really sad at the thought of no longer having our huge kitchen to host ThanksgivingFest at.  Luckily, we're here to stay and it made this years ThanksgivingFest even more special.

As I've said before, I am not a huge Thanksgiving fan but I absolutely love this tradition.

The Harvard Art Museums

A long time ago, when I was teaching on the South Shore, I went on one of the best field trips ever to the Fogg Art Museum in Harvard Square.  Maybe it was because it was my favorite class of all time, maybe it was because I spent the day in the city, or that the art teacher was mostly in charge, but I loved this museum.  When JO and I moved to Cambridge I was all about going to visit the museum again.  That was until it closed for renovations, right after we moved, for six years!

Over the last six years we've watched the renovations.  It was a pretty massive project so the museum held some community days, prior to the official opening, to say thank you to the community of Cambridge.  Even though it was free you had to sign up online ahead of time and the time slots got filled quickly.  We were lucky to get a 2:00 p.m. pass for the second community day.

The museum is beautiful and I was glad to see they kept the inside, Italian themed courtyard area I remembered so fondly from that field trip.

They have combined all three Harvard museums into this one space so there is a lot to look at.  In fact, we stopped after two floors, saying we will save the rest for another day.  

The color in this painting is just amazing

 In addition to the art, they had a mariachi band perform in the courtyard.  They were really good!