Birthday Outing

I spent my actual birthday standing with my fellow teachers in support of our union's continued efforts to bargain us a fair contract. Although not ideal, it was very inspiring to be surrounded by colleagues standing up for what we believe in.

We decided to go out for my birthday last Saturday night instead. We decided to start out night at Taranta in the North End. I love this restaurant. It's particularly special because we came here to celebrate after we got engaged. The upstairs dining room is softly lit and has exposed brick and stone work. There are only about 15 tables upstairs so it's really cozy. I also love the fusion aspect of this restaurant- Italian meets Peruvian. It makes for some nice flavor combinations.

We started our meal with the mussels. I think they might be even better than the ones at Daedalus and those are delicious. These are cooked with Marsala and pancetta Abruzzese and balsamic roasted shallots. The flavor is so rich you kind of want to dive into the broth with your bread. JO ordered the pork chop and it was out of this world. It was a double cut chop with a sweet reduction. It was delicious! I got the fusilli Avellinessi al cartoccio which is a fancy name for baked pasta that tastes like gourmet street meat. It has a delicious combination of pancetta, sweet roasted peppers, and roasted tomatoes. It literally smells like the food carts on Lansdown Street on game day. For dessert I got the Limoncello sorbet which has this perfect creamy consistency.

After dinner we decided to go exploring for a new place to get a drink. We ended up at the XV Boston Hotel. This hotel is right off of Tremont Street. The hotel doesn't have a bar but the attached restaurant Mooo does. The bar is white marble and the lighting is very soft. A couple of tables near by were served their food and I have to say this place gets points for presentation. The steaks are served with bone marrow butter served in a small container shaped like a steak bone. A sprig of rosemary sticks out. The steak knives are placed in corks on your table to keep the blade safe. The bar offers an exceptional wine and drink list although the bar tender seemed less than stellar. He got confused making one mixed drink so he just served it the way he had made it when it was clear he had been searching for another ingredient. He also drank right out of the shaker after pouring the drink into a glass. The atmosphere was very relaxed, perfect after a crazy week at school.

After drinks we headed back to the Park Street T station to catch the red line. Walking down the stairs to the train we heard a band playing. There was a full fledged concert going on in the T station.

Me vs. Gravity is a local high school cover band and apparently they have shows in the Park Street T station on Saturday nights. They are really upbeat and exude happiness. We couldn't help but dance. We were having so much fun that we skipped our train to listen to some more of their songs. Looking around at the other people in the station there wasn't anyone who didn't have a smile on their face. It was really the perfect ending to a birthday night out!

Going to the Cafeteria

A while back JO and I bought a Groupon for Cafeteria on Newbury Street. We headed in one rainy night back in February for dinner. I was looking forward to this place since I've heard good things about it. The place was packed when we arrived so we waited at the bar for a bit. They have a really fun drink menu.

The whole idea of this place is that they reinvent cafeteria food. Other than the name I didn't really get this from the decor or menu. The decor is so neutral it's a bit off putting. You're dining in a sea of tan and cream. The walls are bare except for a small metal "Cafeteria" sign.

We ordered the mussels and they were good but nothing special. Our main meals were good but again nothing special. We did enjoy all the crazy fashion we saw and spent much of dinner trying to figure out what the "Cafeteria" desired attire is. Track suits were big as were designer shoes and accessories. Odd!

February Vacation

Over my February break temps soared into the low 60s. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was and it made me appreciate just how mild this winter has been. I was talking with a good friend about how neither of us had had the winter blahs and we contributed it to the great weather we have had.

Wednesday was particularly gorgeous so I headed out to do some urban hiking. I walked into Harvard Square and took a lovely stroll around the River. It was so nice to see so many people out and about in the Square. I especially liked the people ice skating in front of the Charles Hotel. It looked kind of weird seeing as they were wearing t-shirts. I did some window shopping which is always fun.

On Thursday I met up with a teacher friend of mine for lunch. We decided to check out the Full Moon Cafe in Cambridge. I love the Huron Village area of Cambridge so when my friend suggested this place I thought it was a great idea. Little did we know that this is kid central in Cambridge. We couldn't believe how many kids were there. We looked so out of place without little ones in toe. The last thing I want to do on vacation is hang out with children. That being said the food was really good. The menu offers a lot of different sandwiches and salads and the portions are large.

Saturday night we met up with our friends to enjoy a cover band at Ned Devine's. I hadn't been there in several years and I forgot how fun it can be. We had a great time catching up with our friends. They even had the UConn game on one of the tvs so I lucked out and got to watch the UConn/Syracuse game.

Valentine's Day (Long Overdue)

In what has become the story line for this year, I've been super busy and thus fallen behind on my blog. No fear though- I've had plenty of city fun!

For the last four Valentine's Days we have gone to the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square to watch Casablanca. There's something really special about watching this particular movie on the big screen, in an old theater, the way it was meant to be. This is actually such a special tradition for us that we picked As Time Goes By from the movie as our wedding song. I was really looking forward to watching the movie, and hearing the song, this year but since the company that owns Casablanca is planning a rerelease this spring the Brattle wasn't allowed to screen it on Valentine's Day.

We decided to head to one of our favorite restaurants instead. Of course we stopped at the Last Hurrah at the Omni Parker for drinks first. It was a really perfect winter night...not too cold but cold enough to make sitting inside by the windows in the cozy lounge just perfect.

After drinks we headed over to the Marliave for dinner. I think this is my favorite restaurant in Boston. It's got a great atmosphere and the food is always delicious! This time we ordered a cheese plate. We had fun picking out our cheeses. I had been craving the ravioli dish for a while and it didn't disappoint. We spent a lot of dinner talking about how awesome this winter has been. No parking bans, no human sized snow mounds, and best of all no snow days.

Taking Time to Remember

Last Friday JO and I decided to head into the Square and watch Princess Bride at the Brattle. We ended up being pretty early so I decided to kill some time by reading the Life section of USA today. I clicked on the tab and was greeted by the news that one of the Farrelly brothers' children had died. I immediately panicked. I had had one of their children, Jesse, in 4th grade back in Duxbury. I quickly clicked on the link and found out that it was in fact Jesse Farrelly who had died. To say I was shocked was an understatement. The entire night all I could think of is how this amazing kid was gone.

Jesse definitely ranks in my top 10 favorite students of all time. I still tell Jesse stories to this day when I think of my past teaching experiences. I had taught Jesse for a good three months before I found out his father was Bobby Farrelly, the famous movie director. He had written his MCAS practice story about going to visit Gwenyth Paltrow on a movie set and I was complaining to a colleague about how exaggerated the story was. After my rant my colleague laughed hysterically as he tried to explain to to me that the story was in fact true. I had no idea. Jesse was so down to earth, so well adjusted. His mom would spend hours in the room each week volunteering her time to photocopy, hang up projects, etc.

My other favorite Jesse story is one I still tell my kids today in preparation for field trips. We had gone on a field trip and Jesse was assigned to my group. We were at the Harvard Natural History Museum and we were heading to a different wing of the museum. When we arrived at the next exhibit I realized Jesse wasn't with us anymore. I frantically ran back through the museum looking for him, the whole time imagining how I was going to be the top story on Entertainment Tonight because I lost Bobby Farrelly's son. Come to find out Jesse just wanted to be in a different group. I had to explain to him that you had to stay in your assigned groups.

Most of all though I remember how happy, friendly, and kind Jesse was. He was an amazing kid and a true joy to teach. He loved coming to school and he always worked his hardest. He also knew when you were a little stressed and would say just the right thing to make you laugh.

I don't know what changed for Jesse between 4th grade and now. I hope he is in peace now and I hope his family finds a way to move forward and remember all the great things about him. He truly was special and I am so lucky to have had the chance to be his teacher. Rest in peace Jesse Farrelly- you will be missed.

Chocolate, Cheese, and the Library!

This weekend was pretty much a mash up of fun city things!

On Saturday JO and I hit up the Chocolate Festival in Harvard Square. In keeping with this winter, it was absolutely beautiful out. We completed the chocolate scavenger hunt. It was fun to put our Harvard Square knowledge to good use. I've never been in LA Burdick Chocolate Shop before, a crime for sure. It's so cute in there and it smells absolutely delicious. Since we were on the scavenger hunt we got a free chocolate penguin.

After the scavenger hunt we decided to have lunch at Wagamma. I love this place! Great noodles, great soup, great everything! Lately we've been sitting in the window seats which give you a great view of the busy street. We headed back to center of the square for the chocolate tasting but by the time we got there the line was huge! We learned our lesson and will definitely head to the tasting early next year.

It had been a while since we had been in the Square and it felt good to walk around and take in all the sights. We headed home to prepare for our annual cheese fest. Last year we barely managed to get Cheese Fest in between snow storms. This year was much less stressful. It's always fun to see good friends...and who doesn't love cheese and wine!

On Sunday I spent the day with a good friend. We headed to the Prudential Center to visit the Skywalk Observatory. Before riding the elevator up 50+ floors we decided to have lunch at Wagamma (twice in the same weekend...score me!) I absolutely love the view from the Skywalk. You get a complete 360 view of the city. My Boston geography keeps improving :-)

After the tour we decided to walk around and grab dessert. Our wanderings led us to the Boston Public Library. I had never been in the library before so we decided to take a look around. Breathtaking is the only way to describe this beautiful building. I'll definitely be going back!

We ended up at the Met Bar. I came here a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the upstairs lounge. Lucky for us there was a table free so we grabbed it. Despite the slow service, the desserts were delicious. I got spiced donuts with chocolate mousse. I'm not usually a donut person but these were delicious.

I love the fact that I can share my great city with great friends!

Out and About

The last few weekends have been filled with fun city outings, just the way I like them!

Last weekend we hit up Trina's Starlite Lounge...shocking huh? This place is becoming our go to restaurant in the neighborhood. We almost went there for a dinner earlier this week after seeing a picture of the blue plate special on Facebook. I love everything about this restaurant. I especially love that we've been going there so often that the waitstaff recognizes us and gives us the "neighborhood" treatment.

It snowed all day Saturday, which I wasn't too thrilled about. We did enjoy watching people slip and slide on the snowy sidewalk. Luckily, the snow didn't prevent our friend's birthday festivities that night. We started at Woodward at the Ames Hotel. My good friend and I started our "Day of Fun" last year by having lunch on the patio here. I do have a certain affinity for hotel bars so I was glad my friend decided to start the evening here. I would say it's a cross between the Last Hurrah and the Bar at 9 Zero. It was very quiet and relaxed, which I enjoyed. The decor was a bit too black, brown, and white for me but other than that no complaints. I loved the view out the windows. It's certainly a place to go back too. I was surprised at how few people were there, but maybe that had to do with the weather.

After drinks we headed over to Anthem in Faneuil Hall. We had gone here last summer for another friend's birthday and it had been a really fun evening so I was looking forward to a return trip. I love that this place has none of the "young, ridiculousness" of most Faneuil Hall destinations. The decor and lighting set the mood for a fun, sophisticated evening. I have to say I have two favorites here- the appetizers and the champagne cocktail. The appetizers are so amazing. The crab cake is out of this world. Even the arugala salad on that plate was mouthwatering. We also had the tacos and homemade chips and both were super! The champagne cocktail is probably my favorite in the city. I don't know what their secret.

Of course, when the evening was over I was lucky enough to just have to jump in a cab and head across the river. I am really so lucky to live in Cambridge, so close to so many things.

On Sunday we decided to meet up with friends at their apartment in Boston to watch the Patriots game (we're going to the Ship!) I was in what I call an "Erghhy!" mood. Between the snow and a nightmare trip to the grocery store I was just grumpy. We were debating about how to get to our friends' place since parking can be tough in their neighborhood. In the end we decided to walk there which didn't do much to change my mood, or so I thought. By the end of the game I was pretty happy and not just because of the outcome. I felt so liberated that I could walk into Boston, hang out with amazing friends that 5 years ago I didn't even know, and take in the great view from the Mass Ave. bridge.

I am truly lucky to live in Cambridge! And yes, you read that right! I am lucky!!! I consider it a privilege and I'm not about to waste it!