JO and I hit up the roof deck at Daedalus a few weeks ago. It was a lovely Sunday night and neither of us wanted to waste it so we headed into Harvard Square. We were really lucky to get a table on the roof deck and it was actually cool enough to wear a sweater, if you were smart enough to bring one :-)
I love Daedalus, and it's my usual go-to recommendation when people ask me for restaurant recommendations. That being said, they must have changed chefs or something and I'm starting to get worried. The menu has been changed a bit. My beloved Cobb Salad (if you can actually have a beloved salad) and the fried artichoke hearts are no more. The menu is lacking some variety and the food was good, but not as good as it had been in the past.
One thing that has improved is the roof deck. I wrote about the changes a while back and they really are great. There are more spaces for "just drinks" so I think the tables turn over a bit more so more people can eat up there. The corner of the deck seems more open without the tables and the atmosphere is just fabulous, as always.
Even with the changes in the menu I will never pass up a chance to spend some time on the roof deck. It's what city living is all about!
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
We're Being Invaded- by Breweries
There's been an invasion in Cambridge, East Cambridge/Somerville line to be specific, lately. It's not bugs or critters, thank goodness! It's an invasion of breweries. It started with Aeronaut, ok they aren't in Cambridge but they are nearby and have been very successful since opening last year. Within a two mile radius from us we now have, or in the near future will have, Slumbrew, Lord Hobo Brewery, Lamplighter Brewery, and at least one more that I can't remember.
A while back JO and I decided to have a city adventure and set out to find the Slumbrew brewery. It's about a 25 minute walk from our house, in the Boynton Yards area. We had to do a little bit of wandering through a business park at night to get there so I was pretty happy when we finally arrived at our destination.
The brewery has a large bar, several tables, and lots of counter space along the back wall. You can see the brew tanks behind the bar. The lighting is soft and there was good music playing. Since I love Happy Sol I ordered that but I think JO tried one of their other beers. We had already had dinner but checked out the food menu just to be "informed." The menu looked good and I could definitely see us coming back for dinner after a crazy day at school.
I love how these areas in Cambridge are being transformed and gentrified and making our neighborhood even more enticing than it already is!
A while back JO and I decided to have a city adventure and set out to find the Slumbrew brewery. It's about a 25 minute walk from our house, in the Boynton Yards area. We had to do a little bit of wandering through a business park at night to get there so I was pretty happy when we finally arrived at our destination.
The brewery has a large bar, several tables, and lots of counter space along the back wall. You can see the brew tanks behind the bar. The lighting is soft and there was good music playing. Since I love Happy Sol I ordered that but I think JO tried one of their other beers. We had already had dinner but checked out the food menu just to be "informed." The menu looked good and I could definitely see us coming back for dinner after a crazy day at school.
I love how these areas in Cambridge are being transformed and gentrified and making our neighborhood even more enticing than it already is!
Quebec City
JO had a great idea for a spontaneous trip to Quebec City to beat the heat we were experiencing in Cambridge. We had had to cancel a West Coast trip at the last minute and I think we both were hoping to do a little traveling so this trip also filled that void.
We left around 10:00 a.m. on a Sunday and were in Quebec City by 4:30. The drive was long, but manageable. The only downside was that once we crossed the Canadian border we had to turn off cellular on our phones so we actually had to use handwritten directions and paper maps. Oh the horrors!
We stayed right in the old city at the Hotel Champlain and so we were exploring by 5:00 pm. I was actually worried that we might not be able to find a place to eat, thinking things might close early on a Sunday, but that wasn't the case. Everything stayed open late and we were able to do a lot of exploring that first night.
The old city is enclosed by a wall and you are able to walk all around that wall. It's a really neat way to take in the views and see what the city has to offer. After walking around the wall we headed down all of the streets, visiting shops, scoping out restaurants, and watching the street performers. JO was really excited to check out the Castle, which is now a the Fairmont Hotel Frontenac so we headed over that way. The Castle is so cool and it is kind of like walking back in time when you are on the grounds. We headed inside, checked out the art at the gallery, and "somehow" ended up at the hotel bar (you know I love a good hotel bar) 1608.
1608 is a really classic, old time bar that reminded me a lot of the Last Hurrah at the Omni Parker in Boston. The bar is a semi-circle in the middle of the circular room facing the St. Lawrence River, so you get some nice views our the almost floor to ceiling windows. We grabbed two seats at the bar, grabbed some drinks, and toasted to being on, and having the ability to take, a spontaneous adventure.
After our drinks we continued exploring the old city before settling on a restaurant with a nice patio for dinner. One of the things I loved most about Quebec City is all of the patio dining. Every restaurant has a patio, which is usually pretty large and sometimes two levels, so you can get an outdoor table with ease. The patios are usually really well decorated and adorned in flowers and plants which just adds to the atmosphere. Plus, the weather was perfect for dining outside and we made sure to take full advantage of it while we there.
We wanted to continue the night so we grabbed dessert and bubbles on another patio before heading back to our hotel for the night. Quebec City loves their uplighting and I kind of wish Boston would do something like this. The uplighting gave the city such a neat feeling!
The next morning we headed to the Park de la Montmorency to see the waterfalls.
Then we spent the rest of afternoon driving around Ile d'Orleans, a decent sized island just a short drive from Quebec City. Orleans is known for it's wineries, cheese shops, and chocolate shops. We pretty much ate our way around the island, stopping at everything we saw. We had a lovely lunch on the patio of one winery overlooking the grape fields and St. Lawrence River.
On our drive back JO may have used this giant potted plant as a rotary (although in his defense we went back to see if anyone else did the same thing and sure enough we saw someone drive around it like a rotary, but I still don't think it's a real rotary!)
We were pretty tired after all that eating so we took a nap at the hotel before going out for dinner. We headed just outside the old city walls to explore the strip of restaurants we had seen on our way into the city. We had another fun patio dinner before heading back to explore the boardwalk and lower part of the city. Quebec City is a city made of different levels along the cliffs and the lowest part is known as "Little Champlain." I love the quaint feel of Little Champlain. It's so calm and cozy and adorable. We grabbed some gelato and walked around keeping an eye out for the art in the alley ways. Eventually we walked up the long flight of stairs back to our hotel.
The next day we didn't exactly know what to do so we set out walking towards the Citadel, because everyone said we should visit it. We ended up taking the wrong route along the boardwalk, and it was actually a bit warm, so when we did actually end up at the Citadel we ended up passing on the tour. By this point we had already walked a bunch but we decided to head towards the Fine Arts Museum, which ended up being a bit further than we thought it would be.
The main exhibit was actually on loan from the MFA in Boston but we did enjoy looking at some of the other galleries. By this point my feet were really hurting so we headed down Rue de Jacque Custeau to check out the shops and patios there. We found a lovely two tiered patio, with an awning to keep the sun at bay. Lunch was perfect!
By the time we got back to the hotel my feet were throbbing and when I checked my Iphone I realized we had walked eight miles. Our plan for our last night was to not do as much walking, but we ended up walking almost another four miles exploring the craft show along the docks, avoiding the rainstorm, dining in Little Champlain at a great Italian restaurant, and grabbing another drink at 1608.
The next morning we headed home, recharged and just in time for the heat wave to have left Cambridge! I loved everything about Quebec City, well maybe not the 11 miles of walking in the wrong shoes, but everything else was perfect! I loved how you were in a foreign country that speaks a foreign language but everyone can speak English, the plentiful outdoor dining, the stunning views, and the spring/fall like weather. I would love to go back again!
We left around 10:00 a.m. on a Sunday and were in Quebec City by 4:30. The drive was long, but manageable. The only downside was that once we crossed the Canadian border we had to turn off cellular on our phones so we actually had to use handwritten directions and paper maps. Oh the horrors!
We stayed right in the old city at the Hotel Champlain and so we were exploring by 5:00 pm. I was actually worried that we might not be able to find a place to eat, thinking things might close early on a Sunday, but that wasn't the case. Everything stayed open late and we were able to do a lot of exploring that first night.
The old city is enclosed by a wall and you are able to walk all around that wall. It's a really neat way to take in the views and see what the city has to offer. After walking around the wall we headed down all of the streets, visiting shops, scoping out restaurants, and watching the street performers. JO was really excited to check out the Castle, which is now a the Fairmont Hotel Frontenac so we headed over that way. The Castle is so cool and it is kind of like walking back in time when you are on the grounds. We headed inside, checked out the art at the gallery, and "somehow" ended up at the hotel bar (you know I love a good hotel bar) 1608.
1608 is a really classic, old time bar that reminded me a lot of the Last Hurrah at the Omni Parker in Boston. The bar is a semi-circle in the middle of the circular room facing the St. Lawrence River, so you get some nice views our the almost floor to ceiling windows. We grabbed two seats at the bar, grabbed some drinks, and toasted to being on, and having the ability to take, a spontaneous adventure.
After our drinks we continued exploring the old city before settling on a restaurant with a nice patio for dinner. One of the things I loved most about Quebec City is all of the patio dining. Every restaurant has a patio, which is usually pretty large and sometimes two levels, so you can get an outdoor table with ease. The patios are usually really well decorated and adorned in flowers and plants which just adds to the atmosphere. Plus, the weather was perfect for dining outside and we made sure to take full advantage of it while we there.
We wanted to continue the night so we grabbed dessert and bubbles on another patio before heading back to our hotel for the night. Quebec City loves their uplighting and I kind of wish Boston would do something like this. The uplighting gave the city such a neat feeling!
 |
| This is actually a manufacturing plant but you would never know |
Then we spent the rest of afternoon driving around Ile d'Orleans, a decent sized island just a short drive from Quebec City. Orleans is known for it's wineries, cheese shops, and chocolate shops. We pretty much ate our way around the island, stopping at everything we saw. We had a lovely lunch on the patio of one winery overlooking the grape fields and St. Lawrence River.
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| Life is good! |
On our drive back JO may have used this giant potted plant as a rotary (although in his defense we went back to see if anyone else did the same thing and sure enough we saw someone drive around it like a rotary, but I still don't think it's a real rotary!)
We were pretty tired after all that eating so we took a nap at the hotel before going out for dinner. We headed just outside the old city walls to explore the strip of restaurants we had seen on our way into the city. We had another fun patio dinner before heading back to explore the boardwalk and lower part of the city. Quebec City is a city made of different levels along the cliffs and the lowest part is known as "Little Champlain." I love the quaint feel of Little Champlain. It's so calm and cozy and adorable. We grabbed some gelato and walked around keeping an eye out for the art in the alley ways. Eventually we walked up the long flight of stairs back to our hotel.
 |
| Just some "alley art" made out of garbage bags and lit up with blue lights |
 |
| The view of the castle from Little Champlain |
The main exhibit was actually on loan from the MFA in Boston but we did enjoy looking at some of the other galleries. By this point my feet were really hurting so we headed down Rue de Jacque Custeau to check out the shops and patios there. We found a lovely two tiered patio, with an awning to keep the sun at bay. Lunch was perfect!
By the time we got back to the hotel my feet were throbbing and when I checked my Iphone I realized we had walked eight miles. Our plan for our last night was to not do as much walking, but we ended up walking almost another four miles exploring the craft show along the docks, avoiding the rainstorm, dining in Little Champlain at a great Italian restaurant, and grabbing another drink at 1608.
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| Double Rainbow |
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| These were delicious! |
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Noir
One of my must dos in the summer is spending some time at the Legal's Outdoor Bar in Harvard Square. I love the casual atmosphere, the people watching, and the way the patio just makes me feel like I'm a real city person. I have nothing to really justify this, but I love it!
So it was a little strange when JO and I headed over that way for a drink after meeting friends for dinner in Harvard Square and I picked Noir instead of Legal's. Not sure why I did this except that the Noir Patio looked so pretty and inviting. Noir also makes great cocktails and I tried a new one- the Old Cuban. It's an old fashioned daiquiri and it was delicious!
We spent our time on the patio talking about things to do on our spontaneous trip we were leaving for the next day. It had just gotten too hot in Cambridge and we had no choice but to go on an "emergency beat the heat" trip to Quebec City Canada.
So it was a little strange when JO and I headed over that way for a drink after meeting friends for dinner in Harvard Square and I picked Noir instead of Legal's. Not sure why I did this except that the Noir Patio looked so pretty and inviting. Noir also makes great cocktails and I tried a new one- the Old Cuban. It's an old fashioned daiquiri and it was delicious!
We spent our time on the patio talking about things to do on our spontaneous trip we were leaving for the next day. It had just gotten too hot in Cambridge and we had no choice but to go on an "emergency beat the heat" trip to Quebec City Canada.
Amelia's Trattoria and Firebrand Saints
Early on in my "August Funk," JO suggested a nice night out. The heat wave was breaking it was actually somewhat bearable to be outside again so I agreed. I desperately wanted patio dining, and normally this would be a night that we would hit up Tommy Doyle's, but sadly it went out of business last year. We haven't been able to find a suitable replacement. We were hesitant to go to Harvard Square because we knew, with the nicer weather, everyone would be out.
We started walking towards Kendall Square, maybe secretly hoping Tommy Doyle's would actually be opened :-). We ended up at Amelia's Trattoria, a small Italian restaurant, off a side street in Kendall. I've been before and really enjoyed it. They have a cute outdoor patio and we were able to get a table easily.
We decided to split several appetizers and it worked perfect. I loved the antipasto- roasted red peppers, olives, cheese, artichokes...all of my favorite things. We also got a salad and the meatballs and it make a perfect meal.
When dinner was over we didn't want to head right back so we decided to find a place for an after dinner drink. I had been wanting to check out Firebrand Saints, more for their crazy oyster deal, than for anything else, so we headed over there. I was too full for oysters but we enjoyed drinks on their lively patio. I love the white lights that are strung across the top of the patio, connecting the restaurant to the side of the street. The patio is large with lots of seating and I enjoyed the music. It was very low key, definitely a place to kick back and enjoy a night out. I definitely want to go back for the oysters soon.
I had a great time, but with weather predicted to return to heat wave levels, I knew it wouldn't last long!
We started walking towards Kendall Square, maybe secretly hoping Tommy Doyle's would actually be opened :-). We ended up at Amelia's Trattoria, a small Italian restaurant, off a side street in Kendall. I've been before and really enjoyed it. They have a cute outdoor patio and we were able to get a table easily.
We decided to split several appetizers and it worked perfect. I loved the antipasto- roasted red peppers, olives, cheese, artichokes...all of my favorite things. We also got a salad and the meatballs and it make a perfect meal.
When dinner was over we didn't want to head right back so we decided to find a place for an after dinner drink. I had been wanting to check out Firebrand Saints, more for their crazy oyster deal, than for anything else, so we headed over there. I was too full for oysters but we enjoyed drinks on their lively patio. I love the white lights that are strung across the top of the patio, connecting the restaurant to the side of the street. The patio is large with lots of seating and I enjoyed the music. It was very low key, definitely a place to kick back and enjoy a night out. I definitely want to go back for the oysters soon.
I had a great time, but with weather predicted to return to heat wave levels, I knew it wouldn't last long!
The Independent
This July, like the last few, I've headed out to Notre Dame University for the baton twirling National Championships. I always have a good time spending quality time with my twirling family, but I don't love the 18 hour drive, and the occasional tornado that we experience. Plus, I hate being away from the city for 10 days.
JO and I decided to go out for a city dinner the night before I was leaving and we found ourselves at The Independent in Union Square. I love their new patio. They enclosed in with wood paneling and greenery. You can't see the "riff raff" that sometimes frequents the area and it makes for a really nice way to spend a night.
I've had a recent obsession with oysters and the Independent has a good oyster plate. We enjoyed our food and drinks, although I kind of wished I had gotten the purple gin cocktail the woman next to me had gotten, and talked about how we would spend the rest of our summer when I got back. It was a great way to spend my last city night for the next several days.
JO and I decided to go out for a city dinner the night before I was leaving and we found ourselves at The Independent in Union Square. I love their new patio. They enclosed in with wood paneling and greenery. You can't see the "riff raff" that sometimes frequents the area and it makes for a really nice way to spend a night.
I've had a recent obsession with oysters and the Independent has a good oyster plate. We enjoyed our food and drinks, although I kind of wished I had gotten the purple gin cocktail the woman next to me had gotten, and talked about how we would spend the rest of our summer when I got back. It was a great way to spend my last city night for the next several days.
How is it Almost September?
I really don't understand what happened to the month of August. I was cruising nicely through the summer back in July. The weather was good, I was going to Harvard Square, and I was getting back into running and climbing. Life was good. Then, August came, and as a teacher friend reminded me "August is pretty much just one long Sunday for teachers." All of my school stress came rushing back as did the heat and humidity that had made July so enjoyable. Add in injured feet and I really was a disaster.
I found myself lounging on the couch, soaking in the air conditioning, worrying about school, and not doing anything at all, other than lots of napping. I can't even fathom being as busy as I was last May and June. I've basically spent all of August perseverating over this. I've had tons of time to update this blog and instead I just watch another episode of Food TV.
I'm working on taking advantage of the last few days of vacation and since it's too hot outside to do anything that means working on catching up on this blog!
I found myself lounging on the couch, soaking in the air conditioning, worrying about school, and not doing anything at all, other than lots of napping. I can't even fathom being as busy as I was last May and June. I've basically spent all of August perseverating over this. I've had tons of time to update this blog and instead I just watch another episode of Food TV.
I'm working on taking advantage of the last few days of vacation and since it's too hot outside to do anything that means working on catching up on this blog!
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