Boston Ballet's My Obsession and Better Sorts Social Club

 By the middle of October I was really hitting my city living groove.  I was excited for a Thursday night "Me Ballet Date."  The only problem, where to eat beforehand?  Since nothing has reopened in the Teatro space (oh how I miss Teatro...I really don't understand why they closed) I've struggled to find a place to eat before shows.  I tried The Last Hurrah but I didn't love that.  The food menu is a bit limiting and although I will spend any night sitting at one of those round tables by the windows, it just didn't have the pre-ballet vibe I was hoping for.

Well, I have excellent news!  After a 2.5 year hiatus, Better Sorts Social Club reopened just in time for my first ballet.  This was the last big outing we had before the world shut down in 2020.  I really loved this place and was getting pretty worried that it wasn't going to reopen.  A few days before the ballet, I was at my wits end looking for a place to eat, when I decided to check their website.  Even though they have a pretty small snack menu I felt like I could make it work.

It felt so nice to walk up the stairs into the beautiful lounge space that is Better Sorts.  I love how cozy this place is.  The olive velvet bar chairs complement the tile backsplash of the bar.  The cozy corners and nooks are still there, and just like before, the lighting is absolutely perfect (if you like dim lighting.) I grabbed a seat at the bar and enjoyed some snacks and a glass of prosecco. It was just like I remembered.

After dinner I headed over to the Opera House for the first ballet of the season.  My Obsession featured three acts, including a repeat of last year's hit Rolling Stones piece.  It was a fantastic city night and I found myself hitting my stride and smiling as I walked towards the train station on the way home.

Harvard Square's Oktobest

 We concluded the long weekend by going to Harvard Square's Oktoberfest, which features the Honk parade.  The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and the parade did not disappoint.

We walked home through Harvard Yard so we could check out the leaves.  (I always have high hopes for seeing the leaves up in NH but our fall schedules never work out.  So this was kind of like leaf peeping :-)

Happy Honk! and a Stop at Alden and Harlow

 Somerville is known for many things, and one of the best known, is Honk Fest.  Honk Fest happens every year during Indigenous People's Weekend. It brings social justice street bands from all over to the city for three days of music and parades.

JO and I made sure to head over to Davis Square on Saturday to check out all of the music.  Throughout the day, bands were playing all over the square.  We had so much fun enjoying the music, dancing, and singing.

And of course, we found ourselves back at Five Horses Tavern for dinner.

After dinner we found ourselves in a bit of a predicament.  We could get an Uber home but they were a bit pricey or we could try our hand at walking home.  We decided to enjoy the reasonable weather and give walking home a shot.  Of course, we both agreed that if we found a place for a drink on the way home we wouldn't say no.

Well, we tried several spots before we found one that had a spot for us at the bar.  And it was our lucky day because we found two spots at the bar at Alden and Harlow.  If you know, you know what an accomplishment that is for a Saturday night at 8:00 pm.  It was the perfect way to end a perfect fall day! (P.S.~. I've been really into pisco sours lately and I'm not sad abou that!)

Ali McGuirk Album Release Show at The Crystal Ballroom

 Now that I was finally feeling like myself again, I was ready for some serious city living!  The long weekend was the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

We kicked off one of the best weekends to live in Somerville (it was Honk Fest- more on that soon) by going to Ali McGuirk's show at the Crystal Ballroom in Davis Square.  We started by grabbing dinner at Five Horses Tavern (which I've really been enjoying!) They have a great vibe, great menu, and great drink selection.

Then we headed over to the venue. The Crystal Ballroom is a great place to see a show.  It's a cozy, intimate venue and you can get really close to the stage.  Of course, Ali McGuirk did not disappoint.  I can't say enough good things about this singer.  She has a soulful, jazzy style that is reminiscent of Joss Stone or Norah Jones.  Plus, the musicians she gets to play with her are some of the best in the city.  We brought a friend of ours who had no idea who she was and he left a fan!

Ignite Fest

 In the fall, it seems like there is a festival of some sort every weekend in my neighborhood, and I'm here for it.  The last weekend in September found us venturing out to check out the Ignite Fest.  This "fest" celebrates the diverse food of Union Square and brings in "light" art to complement the food.  

For most of August, I wasn't feeling much like City Vicky.  I was definitely out of sorts.  I missed Cambridge.  It was so hot.  The trains weren't really running so I felt a bit trapped.  Then school started and my funk just turned into feeling overwhelmed about school.  Ignite Fest changed that for me.  I think it's the day I fell in love with my new neighborhood.

We walked down to the plaza, not knowing what to expect.  We figured it would be a small thing and we would be back home after a short visit.  We ended up staying for three hours.  Many of the local restaurants had food tents.  There were flamenco dancers and fire performers.  There were circus arts performers.  The "light" art scattered around the neighborhood was really fun to check out.

My favorite part was the "neighborhood" dance party complete with dj to close out the night.  

On our walk home I realized that my city meter was once again filling up!

Reminiscing at The Commander

 We continued our anniversary weekend with dinner at Nubar at The Commander.  It was a special night and we really enjoyed remembering how great our wedding was.  

Toscano's

 The end of September is always a special time for us.  It's our anniversary time and we always make time to enjoy some quality time in Harvard Square.  We decided to kick off romance weekend with dinner at Toscano's. 

I can't remember the last time I ate inside Toscano's.  We were seated in the dining room area which was perfect.  I love all the carved wood and statement lighting.  You can't go wrong with anything on the menu and I really think this is one of the best priced restaurants in the city.  

Plus any night that ends with an espresso martini is a good night in my books!

Juliet Reopens and The Neighborhood

I had a random day of in September and I took full advantage of the chance to enjoy the day in the neighborhood.  Speaking of the neighborhood, JO and I finally had brunch at The Neighborhood!  (see what I did there :-).  This place is always packed and I can understand why.  And who can say no to a $5 mimosa. 

Juliet recently reopened in their new space in our neighborhood.  JO and I were excited to check out the new space and one rainy night in September we headed over and grabbed two seats at the bar.  The new space is a lot bigger than their old space but it hasn't changed the coziness quotient at all. We each picked a wine and enjoyed the cheese plate. 

We Got into Back Bar

 A couple weeks into school, I came home on a Friday and actually wasn't dead tired.  We took advantage and hit up Back Bar right when they opened.  It's so hard to get into this place so I was excited!  I love how they do theme menus.  I love all the details they put into their drink book.  I wish I could remember what my drink was because it was really yummy!

It's Been a Hot Minute

 Well, it's almost November and I've finally managed to find some time (on a Friday night) to catch up on this blog.  School's been crazy.  Life's been crazy.  You know the drill!  I'm going to do my best to recap the past month and half because I'm feeling a lot more like City Vicky, and that's always a good thing!

I'll kick it off with the last day of summer vacation.  It was a beautiful summer day and I was trying to fend off the school stress for as long as I could, so I suggested we head into Harvard Square for lunch.  I wasn't sure where we would end up.  After meandering around a bit, we walked past Charlie's Kitchen and saw that they had open tables.

We enjoyed the sun, they oysters, and the best priced lobster rolls in the city!