Author: Ed

Eater Boston on “Where to Go to Avoid Restaurant Week”

In the past, we've tried to direct you to the places where you can dine out without running into Restaurant Week crowds and menus. This year, Rachel Leah Blumenthal over on Eater Boston has posted, Where to Go to Avoid Restaurant Week. And, she is keeping that post updated with new information, as it flows her way, from the Eater Boston community.

Click over to see not only places not taking part, but also some great deals that may be as good as Restaurant week without the downside.

Our yearly request for those of you who do love and take part in Restaurant Week – please add a bonus to the tip! The wait staff did not make the decision to take part in this event and they did not set the prices. They do, however, do as much work for you as they would if you were paying full price. Tips should not be on sale during Restaurant Week.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot: Courtesy of Eater Boston

Photo: iStockphto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 23, 2013
At The Market: Garlic

As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets.

Choosing Local Garlic

At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

Storing Garlic

You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 22, 2013
At The Market: Garlic

As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets.

Choosing Local Garlic

At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

Storing Garlic

You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 22, 2013
Panache or Striped Tiger Figs

Penny spotted these lovely Striped Tiger Figs among the fruit selection at South End Formaggio and added them to the cheese and salumi she was buying for our supper. The young woman ringing up our order said we'd have a delightful surprise when they were cut open.

She was right! What fun and what a lovely addition to any fruit or cheese tray.

What's more, these little goodies are as delectable as they are pretty. Once cut, they disappeared quickly.

Our research came up with some interesting information. David Karp writing for the Los Angeles Times this month said, these figs "…are being harvested commercially for the first time this month."

They have been known for a long time but are not a good drying fig so the commercial fig growers were not interested in them. Now that fresh figs are growing in popularity, this full-flavored variety should find a happy audience.

And, the other tidbit our research uncovered is that the white liquid that you see at the stem end in the first photo is related to the rubber that is used to make latex and might cause a reaction in people allergic to latex.

Fascinating fruit these figs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 21, 2013
Panache or Striped Tiger Figs

Penny spotted these lovely Striped Tiger Figs among the fruit selection at South End Formaggio and added them to the cheese and salumi she was buying for our supper. The young woman ringing up our order said we'd have a delightful surprise when they were cut open.

She was right! What fun and what a lovely addition to any fruit or cheese tray.

What's more, these little goodies are as delectable as they are pretty. Once cut, they disappeared quickly.

Our research came up with some interesting information. David Karp writing for the Los Angeles Times this month said, these figs "…are being harvested commercially for the first time this month."

They have been known for a long time but are not a good drying fig so the commercial fig growers were not interested in them. Now that fresh figs are growing in popularity, this full-flavored variety should find a happy audience.

And, the other tidbit our research uncovered is that the white liquid that you see at the stem end in the first photo is related to the rubber that is used to make latex and might cause a reaction in people allergic to latex.

Fascinating fruit these figs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 21, 2013
Do Not Block Intersection! State Law, $150 Fine

As one of the key alternate routes, traffic coming across the Harvard Bridge (Mass Ave Bridge) onto Massachusetts Avenue in both directions was under careful scrutiny at the start of the Longfellow Bridge Project.

We don't know if the new grid patterns painted on intersections and the addtion of signs to the lights was a direct result of having a police officer on every block. But, these things did happen at the same time.

Obviously, it will take more than signs. It will take enforcement and a few fines to make any progress towards the goal of avoiding gridlock by convincing Boston drivers to obey the law.

That law says, "The driver of a motor vehicle shall not cross or enter an intersection, which it is unable to proceed through, without stopping and thereby blocking vehicles from travelling in a free direction. A green light is no defense to blocking the intersection. The driver must wait another cycle of the signal light, if necessary." Here's a link that that section of the Massachusetts laws.

It is also illegal to stop in any crosswalk:

"…nor shall any such operator enter a marked crosswalk while a pedestrian is crossing or until there is a sufficient space beyond the crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle he is operating, notwithstanding that a traffic control signal may indicate that vehicles may proceed." Here's a link to that section of the Massachusetts laws.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 20, 2013
Do Not Block Intersection! State Law, $150 Fine

As one of the key alternate routes, traffic coming across the Harvard Bridge (Mass Ave Bridge) onto Massachusetts Avenue in both directions was under careful scrutiny at the start of the Longfellow Bridge Project.

We don't know if the new grid patterns painted on intersections and the addtion of signs to the lights was a direct result of having a police officer on every block. But, these things did happen at the same time.

Obviously, it will take more than signs. It will take enforcement and a few fines to make any progress towards the goal of avoiding gridlock by convincing Boston drivers to obey the law.

That law says, "The driver of a motor vehicle shall not cross or enter an intersection, which it is unable to proceed through, without stopping and thereby blocking vehicles from travelling in a free direction. A green light is no defense to blocking the intersection. The driver must wait another cycle of the signal light, if necessary." Here's a link that that section of the Massachusetts laws.

It is also illegal to stop in any crosswalk:

"…nor shall any such operator enter a marked crosswalk while a pedestrian is crossing or until there is a sufficient space beyond the crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle he is operating, notwithstanding that a traffic control signal may indicate that vehicles may proceed." Here's a link to that section of the Massachusetts laws.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 20, 2013
Washington Under Wraps…

Last week, scaffolding and then wraps were put in place around the George Washington Monument in the Boston Public Garden.

.

We asked Sarah Hutt, Collections Care Manager for the Friends of the Public Garden, what was happening with the sculpture. She told us it's having a regularly scheduled conservation cleaning treatment.

Here are the details of the project from Sarah:

"After about 7 years the protective Incralac coating which protects the bronze has worn off so it is removed, then a fresh coat is applied.

Once it has dried, it is covered with multiple layers of wax to protect it from the elements. By doing this work the statue's condition will stay stable, protecting it from damage from such things as acid rain and saving the cost of a full restoration.

Conservator Josh Craine from Daedalus Fine Art Conservators is doing the work. It will take approximately 5 days.

The work is being funded by the Adopt a Statue Fund and the Friends of the Public Garden's Henry Lee Conservation Fund."

Click over to this page on their website to learn more about how the Friends of the Public Garden has taken on the care of the 44 pieces of sculpture in three parks – The Boston Common, The Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 19, 2013
Washington Under Wraps…

Last week, scaffolding and then wraps were put in place around the George Washington Monument in the Boston Public Garden.

.

We asked Sarah Hutt, Collections Care Manager for the Friends of the Public Garden, what was happening with the sculpture. She told us it's having a regularly scheduled conservation cleaning treatment.

Here are the details of the project from Sarah:

"After about 7 years the protective Incralac coating which protects the bronze has worn off so it is removed, then a fresh coat is applied.

Once it has dried, it is covered with multiple layers of wax to protect it from the elements. By doing this work the statue's condition will stay stable, protecting it from damage from such things as acid rain and saving the cost of a full restoration.

Conservator Josh Craine from Daedalus Fine Art Conservators is doing the work. It will take approximately 5 days.

The work is being funded by the Adopt a Statue Fund and the Friends of the Public Garden's Henry Lee Conservation Fund."

Click over to this page on their website to learn more about how the Friends of the Public Garden has taken on the care of the 44 pieces of sculpture in three parks – The Boston Common, The Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 19, 2013
Sunday Dog, Maddox – A South End Fan!

The strangest thing happened last weekend, Poppy took us for a walk to the South End. I mean, the journey started out normal enough, but somehow our puppy, who’s visited this neighborhood many times in her young life, was actually leading the way.

After several direction changes, we turned a corner and ran right into a small, dark, and handsome Cockapoo named Maddox! Serendipity? I think not.

As it turns out, he’s a BostonZest fan who’s followed us for years! (And, apparently, Poppy has figured out how to follow those twitter feeds.)

Maddox is a pretty easy going guy who often enjoys sleeping in. In fact, his person usually has to wake him up in the morning, which they both seem to like.

At 10-and-a-half, Maddox still has fun with his favorite toy, a 5-legged octopus – which has obviously been through a lot of playtime. Every once in awhile he gets a super-squeaky but, of course, only breaks that out in the middle of the night.

As we said goodbye, this little guy pulled a face. Then, I swear, Poppy whispered something in his ear and he perked up again. Something tells me we’ll all be “walked” this way again, soon.

See ya, Maddox!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

August 18, 2013