Toscano's

JO's parents were leaving on a month long "snow bird" trip to Florida.  Before they left, they wanted to squeeze in a birthday outing for JO and me.  I took this as a chance to book us a spot at Toscano's for lunch.  It had been a while since I'd been there and I really was craving their delicious food.  Now that I'm hunkered down now, all I want is their pasta with sausage and cream sauce and tomato and mozzarella salad.  It sounds way more appealing then my dinner of spaghetti o's!  Toscano's is a perfect spot for a family meal or catching up with a good friend!

Oscar Party at the Brattle

So this seems like years ago, but it was really only about a month ago.  JO and I enjoyed another members only Oscar Party at the Brattle Theater.  It was definitely a smaller scale event than in the past, because the Oscars were so early.  That being said, JO and I had a great time watching the show on the big screen (I have to say, the fashion was really tame.)

I do love the Brattle and look forward to this event every year.

It's Like the Worst Snow Day Ever

Before I start, please, please, please do your part to Flatten the Curve.  If we're going to come out of this, we all need to do our part.  If your young and healthy, don't go out in groups, don't interact with vulnerable people, wash your hands frequently, and practice proper social distancing practicing.

Well, I'm officially out of work until March 30th.  Yesterday, when I walked my class out of the building, it hit me that when we all meet again everything will be different.  Last night JO and I went out to eat one last time in our neighborhood, before we hunker down for a while. 

We had dinner at City Girl, where we've spent so many snowy nights enjoying our neighborhood.  It wasn't celebratory (it didn't help that City Girl is closing for good soon.) It was more a chance to be somewhere special to us, with our neighborhood.  We're fully stocked up with frozen and canned foods, beer and wine, and a new coffee pot is on the way. 

The Bitties are ready!

When we said our goodbyes to the owner of City Girl, we ended with our new salutation~ "Stay healthy."

After dinner, we tuned in to a Facebook Live show put on by Kris Delmhorst.  She had to cancel her concert at Passim but wanted to play some music for her fans.  I'm thinking a lot of musicians will be doing this, so if you're looking for some entertainment during these crazy times, check out Facebook Live and Concert Window.

My district isn't doing distance learning, so I've just found myself with at least 14 days of free time.  First goal- catch up on my blog!

Sub Rosa at Passim

Another new year means it's time again for the annual Sub Rosa- Songs of 3 Mile Island show at Club Passim.  I first found this show in 2016 when I saw a flyer on a pole in our neighborhood.  It was our gateway show for Club Passim.   From that one show we discovered the magic of Passim and those artists who call it home.  From that one show we discovered the music of Mark Erelli, Kris Delmhorst, Lula Wiles, Ali McGuirk, Zachariah Hickman, and so many more.  I look forward to this show so much because it brings together phenomenal music with stories of my beloved Three Mile Island.  My parents started taking me to the island when I was seven.  I've spent so many fall weekends there and I love hearing the artists share their stories of the island. 

This year's show did not disappoint.  From crazy sing alongs, to songs that tugged on your heartstrings, the show had it all.  It was a lovely way to spend a night.  If you've never seen a show at Passim I can't recommend it enough. 

Saturdays in the City~ Part 2~ Better Sorts Social Club

After dinner at Mariel, and having weaved our way through an overly trendy bar scene, I kind of wanted to end the night by relaxing somewhere.  My first instinct, given our location, was to go to the Last Hurrah.  Having been there a few times recently, I decided to suggest a place we hadn't been to.  Better Sorts Social Club is the new bar that opened up in the Highball Lounge space at Hotel Nine Zero and it's been on my list of places to try for a while now.

We grabbed two seats at the redecorated bar.  Gone is the library card catalogue bar (which I did love.)  It's been replaced by a really pretty black marble with rich shades of emerald green and gold softened by beautiful rustic tans and creams.  The space is airy, softly lit, and has almost a lofty feel since it's on the second floor.  The windows have curtains so you don't see the views (which confused me a bit.)  That being said, the curtains give the space a cozy feeling.  There are a variety of seating options including hightop communal tables, couches, and regular tables.  Apparently on Saturday nights they have live music.  On this night there was a trio singing covers of 90s and early 2000s music.  I loved the cover of Britney Spears "Toxic."  (Side note- this is the second time in less than two months that I've seen a singer cover "Toxic.")  The music was a nice addition to the evening and did not overpower the space at all.  I also loved that they kept the table games from the Highball Lounge days.

                                                  

I have to say, we really, really enjoyed our time at Better Sorts.  The atmosphere was awesome~ so low key and casual while still being kind of upscale with the decor and the artfully crafted cocktails.  It's also definitely a place where you can linger and hang out with friends.  I was even telling JO I thought we should do a birthday celebration there. 

Saturdays in the City~ Part I ~ Mariel

When pictures of this new, beautifully decorated restaurant with soaring ceilings and Instagrammable cocktails started showing up in my feeds I knew we had to check it out.  Mariel is another restaurant by the group behind Yvonne's Supper Club and Ruka.  Over vacation I tried to make a reservation for us but apparently the place is so popular we had to wait five weeks to get a table for two on a Saturday 😱

We arrived about fifteen minutes early so we hung out in the bar area until our table was ready.  The restaurant is beautiful.  They have nailed the Cuban theme with paintings, plants, pillars, and rich greens balanced with earthy tones.  The bar area is large with high top tables set up along the perimeter.  The bar area was also slammed at 6:30 so odds of getting a seat at it are pretty slim.  It was also a bit loud in the bar area, between the music and all of the people. 

The dining room offers a very different feel.  It's not a huge space but the soaring ceilings make it feel large and airy.  The same music that was playing in the bar, plays in the dining room but it's softer and adds to the ambience.  There's a perfect level of hustle and bustle that makes you feel like you are definitely at the "it" place without making it hard to talk to the person across the table from you. 

We tried out several different small plates.   Each plate was well put together, with a beautiful presentation, but certainly not out of this world.  I think my favorite dish was the donuts and "coffee" featuring hot rum donuts and a coffee cheesecake with a toasted, whipped marshmallow topping.

The drinks were the real star at this place.  JO enjoyed a gin and tonic and one of the mocktails and I tried the mojito, beautifully balanced and garnished,  and the signature frozen strawberry daiquiri.  It was delicious!

On our way out we had to weave our way through the crowded bar area.  I felt a bit overwhelmed by the fashion on display~ black jumpsuits with plunging necklines, sequins galore, and lots of high heels.  Overall I really loved the experience and would recommend Mariel but I would say the bar scene leans more towards "scene" and less towards "relaxing."

Bisq

January seemed really, really long.  Maybe it was the lack of a snow day to break it up or the taste of spring we got a few weekends ago, but January seemed to really drag.  A couple of Fridays ago I got home from a long day and really just wanted to crawl into bed and shut it down.  Thankfully, JO motivated me to go out and enjoy the neighborhood.  After a delicious dinner at Casa Portugal we extended the evening with drinks and dessert at Bisq.

Bisq (Bergamont in the Square) is the sister restaurant of Bergamont, a restaurant that consistently gets top notch reviews.  Bisq is a smaller version with a focus on small plates and an exceptionally curated wine list.  We've only been in a few times so we were excited to try it again.

We were lucky to get two seats at the small bar area in the back of the restaurant.  We struck up a conversation with the  person sitting next to us and she recommended the grilled pound cake and it did not disappoint.  The grilling added an extra level of delicious flavor and it paired really nicely with a sparkling pinot noir cava, which is becoming my go to choice of wine.

The atmosphere in Bisq was so cozy and delightful.  You can tell you are getting some artfully inspired dishes without any of the pretentiousness that can befall a place with food like this.