Author: Ed

Valentine’s Day 2013 – Romantic Dining in Boston
Planning a Valentine's Day Dinner for someone special takes some planning. This year, February 14th falls on a Thursday but that doesn't mean you have to make that your big date night. You can plan a special evening of take-out and a great bottle of wine for Valentine's Day served up with a promissory note for a special weekend meal.

UPDATE: This is an outdated post. Here is the 2015 version of this information!

Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus and don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation.

Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. As you check the lists we provide, be on the lookout for special menus beyond that one, official day. That happened with some places last year.

When A Valentine Lunch or Dinner is on the Menu…
- Open Table has a list of restaurants and note if they have a special menu or if their regular menu is available.
- Gayot has lists of their Best Boston Valentines Restaurants, 10 Sexiest Restaurants, and Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in Boston.
- Boston Chefs has a list with some information at this link.
- Best Valentine Tables from UrbanDaddy
Check back because we'll update this list as some of the other area experts publish their choices.

1.30.13 Update: Lisa DeCanio over on BostonInno has her list of: Nine Romantic Valentine’s Dinners You Need to Make Reservations For Right Now.

01.31.13 Update: Elyse Andrews over at The Somerville Beat has published, Where to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the ‘Ville

012.01.13 Update: Kristen Nyberg & Jill Rose from North Shore Dish Have just posted their Valentine guide: February: The Sweetest Month?

Is Our Style, Your Style?

You won't find us out for the typical fine dining, prix fixe meal on any special day. If you love great food and are a bit more casual in style we might suggest some of our favorite ways to share a meal.
- Central Bottle is serving pink bubbles and $1. Island Creek Oysters at their Valentine Wine Bar. Nibble on great cheese and salumi, add a few oysters and sip an excellent wine. This is also perfect for gathering some friends and having good conversation.
- Sharing small plates at Coppa is our idea of a perfect time together. You might even turn this into an Afternoon Delight on V-Day.
- Stop into Petit Robert Bistro or Brasserie JO to share a wonderful profiterole dripping with chocolate sauce. Two spoons dipping away, sharing best bites can be very intimate!
- Share a Dim Sum style brunch at Myers+Chang. If the romance is new, this is a great way to experiment with one another's food choices!
Add your ideas in the comments below if this is the type of celebration that appeals to you.

Related Posts:

Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

Romance at the Gardner Museum- Valentine's Weekend Destination.

Romantic Dining in Boston with a Foreign Travel Theme (Some of our favorite restaurants offer an authentic taste of the cuisine they serve. A place where the decor, music, and food all bring you to another land.)

Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.)

Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2012 Penny Cherubino
January 24, 2013
Planet Oregon Pinot Noir, an Excellent and Very Green, Red Wine

Love Pinot Noir and the environment? Are you a fan of winemaker Tony Soter? Adore a great wine value? Then you'll want to pick up a bottle or two or three of Planet Oregon Pinot Noir.

At about $20 a bottle, this wine will put a smile on your Valentine's face when you match it with a great meal for that special day. What's more, with a wonderful story and impeccable environmental credentials, it will make every sip more satisfying.

This is a winery with a mission statement:

"Our Purpose is to Produce Persuasively Good Oregon Pinot For People Uninterested in Pomp, Pretense or Posturing. A Populist Product That is Pure and Positively Progressive. Only Oregon Pinot Noir. Passionately Produced But Practically Packaged. The Perennial Taste of Planet Oregon at a Palatable Price. "

We served it on Thanksgiving to rave reviews after Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits pointed it out to us. This is a wine that is big on flavor. The notes that Bauer sent out about it said:

"Planet Oregon Pinot noir is a lovely, garnet colored wine. A delectable aroma of fresh raspberries, just picked on a hot summer day, almost takes your breath away. An upfront juiciness follows through with mouthwatering flavors of raspberries, blackberries, and cherries, tinged with a suggestion of sweet baking spices and dried herbs. A pretty, easy to love wine, ready to drink. Close your eyes while drinking it and be taken to an Oregon vineyard on a perfect summer day."

In many fewer words let us say, we loved it from first sniff to final sip.

Yes, this is a great Oregon pinot at a great price. It has earned a reserved spot in our wine rack, welcome there anytime we see it on offer.

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

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.

Related articles

Wine Spectator magazine's cover story, with 15-page spread, is 'Oregon Pinot Noir'

Pinot Noir is one of Oregon's great, and profitable, blessings

Check Out Our Wine List for Thanksgiving & Holiday Gatherings!

Are You Drinking Wine Too Cold and Coffee Too Hot?

Uncorking 2013 with a Grower Champagne, Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs

January 23, 2013
Planet Oregon Pinot Noir, an Excellent and Very Green, Red Wine

Love Pinot Noir and the environment? Are you a fan of winemaker Tony Soter? Adore a great wine value? Then you'll want to pick up a bottle or two or three of Planet Oregon Pinot Noir.

At about $20 a bottle, this wine will put a smile on your Valentine's face when you match it with a great meal for that special day. What's more, with a wonderful story and impeccable environmental credentials, it will make every sip more satisfying.

This is a winery with a mission statement:

"Our Purpose is to Produce Persuasively Good Oregon Pinot For People Uninterested in Pomp, Pretense or Posturing. A Populist Product That is Pure and Positively Progressive. Only Oregon Pinot Noir. Passionately Produced But Practically Packaged. The Perennial Taste of Planet Oregon at a Palatable Price. "

We served it on Thanksgiving to rave reviews after Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits pointed it out to us. This is a wine that is big on flavor. The notes that Bauer sent out about it said:

"Planet Oregon Pinot noir is a lovely, garnet colored wine. A delectable aroma of fresh raspberries, just picked on a hot summer day, almost takes your breath away. An upfront juiciness follows through with mouthwatering flavors of raspberries, blackberries, and cherries, tinged with a suggestion of sweet baking spices and dried herbs. A pretty, easy to love wine, ready to drink. Close your eyes while drinking it and be taken to an Oregon vineyard on a perfect summer day."

In many fewer words let us say, we loved it from first sniff to final sip.

Yes, this is a great Oregon pinot at a great price. It has earned a reserved spot in our wine rack, welcome there anytime we see it on offer.

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

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.

Related articles

Wine Spectator magazine's cover story, with 15-page spread, is 'Oregon Pinot Noir'

Pinot Noir is one of Oregon's great, and profitable, blessings

Check Out Our Wine List for Thanksgiving & Holiday Gatherings!

Are You Drinking Wine Too Cold and Coffee Too Hot?

Uncorking 2013 with a Grower Champagne, Inflorescence Blanc de Noirs

January 23, 2013
Blue Cook’s Tape

I know, other people call it Blue Painter's Tape but I use it to keep track of food.

It's a trick I picked up from restaurant kitchens where it is essential to rotate product and get a quick inventory of the prep work to be done.

I keep a roll handy. Right now, I'm using an old drafting table tape dispenser that sits in my mortar next to the refrigerator. If I open a carton of stock, the date is added before I pop it into the fridge. When I freeze meals or ingredients, they are labled with blue tape. Even my dog's raw food has the date I made it and which meat it contains. (She loves lamb, rabbit, and duck!)

It also does a great job of keeping those open boxes resealed when you pop them back into the freezer.

Out in my "hallway pantry" –a set of wooden cd racks that hold jars containing dry goods– I can tell my salt from my sugar because of a blue label.

Grab a roll the next time you're at a hardware store. You may be surprised at how many uses you'll find for it at home. The tape clings well, even after freezing, and then comes off cleanly when you want to remove it.

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: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino (This batch taken with my iPhone!)

Related articles

An Organized Fridge is the Start of an Organized Kitchen

Kitchen Makeover: The Fridge & Pantry Edition! Part 2

What Is This And Where Did We Spot It? Play Attention to Detail

Chicken Soup for a Sick Friend

Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic

January 22, 2013
Blue Cook’s Tape

I know, other people call it Blue Painter's Tape but I use it to keep track of food.

It's a trick I picked up from restaurant kitchens where it is essential to rotate product and get a quick inventory of the prep work to be done.

I keep a roll handy. Right now, I'm using an old drafting table tape dispenser that sits in my mortar next to the refrigerator. If I open a carton of stock, the date is added before I pop it into the fridge. When I freeze meals or ingredients, they are labled with blue tape. Even my dog's raw food has the date I made it and which meat it contains. (She loves lamb, rabbit, and duck!)

It also does a great job of keeping those open boxes resealed when you pop them back into the freezer.

Out in my "hallway pantry" –a set of wooden cd racks that hold jars containing dry goods– I can tell my salt from my sugar because of a blue label.

Grab a roll the next time you're at a hardware store. You may be surprised at how many uses you'll find for it at home. The tape clings well, even after freezing, and then comes off cleanly when you want to remove it.

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: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino (This batch taken with my iPhone!)

Related articles

An Organized Fridge is the Start of an Organized Kitchen

Kitchen Makeover: The Fridge & Pantry Edition! Part 2

What Is This And Where Did We Spot It? Play Attention to Detail

Chicken Soup for a Sick Friend

Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic

January 22, 2013
Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!

Of course, Flour Bakery + Cafe has sandwiches … I knew that! But after focusing on the bakery side for so long, I hadn’t … well … tried one. Alright, settle down, settle down!

In my defense, your honor, you should know that I’ve always been fascinated by bakeries. As a child I can remember opening the bakery shop door and being overwhelmed by an "aroma wall" of freshly baked bread. It was intoxicating! And, along with cases full of pastries and other goodies, it was an experience that has come to define “bakery” for me.

So, when Flour Back Bay opened last week, Penny, Poppy, and I walked over to check out the new location and treat ourselves to the Double Chocolate Cookies and a couple of hunks of the addictive Boston Cream Pie (with echoes of tiramisu).

Maybe it was because we were looking around at the new digs or that it was lunch time, but suddenly I noticed … sandwiches.

The Roasted Lamb (top photo) with tomato chutney, greens, goat cheese and, of course, bread! The combination was superb – highlighted by the thinly sliced morsels of tender meat.

We added the Roasted Chicken sandwich that featured avocado, greens, and jicama which added the right amount of moisture and crunch.

Okay, I’m convinced! Flour is more than an alluring bakery and I’m looking forward to tasting all of the sandwich offerings. The real challenge will be matching the pastry with each one. This could take awhile.

The newest location or Flour4 as it has been nicknamed is here:

Flour Bakery + Cafe (Back Bay)
131 Clarendon Street, Boston MA 02116 (map)
617.437.7700

Bonus: Across the street Frieda Garcia Park has some nice benches and a place to eat for those of us who travel with 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: © 2012 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.

Related articles

Brookline Winter Farmers' Market in the Arcade Building, Coolidge Corner

Make Visiting "Palaces for The People" a New Year's Resolution

Watching the Frog Pond Skaters…

May We See More Mounted Park Rangers in 2013!

January 21, 2013
Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!

Of course, Flour Bakery + Cafe has sandwiches … I knew that! But after focusing on the bakery side for so long, I hadn’t … well … tried one. Alright, settle down, settle down!

In my defense, your honor, you should know that I’ve always been fascinated by bakeries. As a child I can remember opening the bakery shop door and being overwhelmed by an "aroma wall" of freshly baked bread. It was intoxicating! And, along with cases full of pastries and other goodies, it was an experience that has come to define “bakery” for me.

So, when Flour Back Bay opened last week, Penny, Poppy, and I walked over to check out the new location and treat ourselves to the Double Chocolate Cookies and a couple of hunks of the addictive Boston Cream Pie (with echoes of tiramisu).

Maybe it was because we were looking around at the new digs or that it was lunch time, but suddenly I noticed … sandwiches.

The Roasted Lamb (top photo) with tomato chutney, greens, goat cheese and, of course, bread! The combination was superb – highlighted by the thinly sliced morsels of tender meat.

We added the Roasted Chicken sandwich that featured avocado, greens, and jicama which added the right amount of moisture and crunch.

Okay, I’m convinced! Flour is more than an alluring bakery and I’m looking forward to tasting all of the sandwich offerings. The real challenge will be matching the pastry with each one. This could take awhile.

The newest location or Flour4 as it has been nicknamed is here:

Flour Bakery + Cafe (Back Bay)
131 Clarendon Street, Boston MA 02116 (map)
617.437.7700

Bonus: Across the street Frieda Garcia Park has some nice benches and a place to eat for those of us who travel with 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: © 2012 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.

Related articles

Brookline Winter Farmers' Market in the Arcade Building, Coolidge Corner

Make Visiting "Palaces for The People" a New Year's Resolution

Watching the Frog Pond Skaters…

May We See More Mounted Park Rangers in 2013!

January 21, 2013
Make a List of Your Dog’s Words!

Have you ever made a list of your dog's vocabulary – all the words that evoke a response?

Sit! Fetch! Down! Leave it! These are the type of words, commands really, that many people would think of when asked about the words dogs understand. But, those of us who live with dogs soon realize that they learn many words we never intended to teach. Each day, we discover a new word that our nine-month-old Poppy suddenly understands. (That's her in the photo playing with her lizzard Iggy.)

An Informal Survey

Have you ever found yourself spelling B-A-T-H because your furry friend will hide under the bed if you say it? For Molly, a Boxer and Jake, a Westie from Winthrop, spelling C-A-R is not quite enough because they recognize the “C” means car to them as their person begins to spell it. Sophie, a German Shepherd from the Back Bay, loves to R-I-D-E too. And, for her family T-R-E-A-T requires spelling.

Other Sunday dogs know other words:

Sunday Dog, Odis “Loves Everyone!” and his favorite word is present.

For Sunday Dog Jackson, Life Is Best with a Stick and you can guess what word alerts him to fun.

Fun Project

Creating a record of your dog’s vocabulary can be a fun family project. It can demonstrate the various relationships that exist with the animal. Who has worked on training, taught tricks, provided the food and care? All of these seem to come out with the words we use to communicate.

What's your dog's favorite word?

What word surprised you when you figured out your dog knew what it meant?

What words do you have to spell?

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: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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.

Related articles

Sunday Dog New Year's Resolutions for 2013

Sunday Dog Kona Hits Winter Fun Refresh Button!

Expanding Your Vocabulary

What Is This And Where Did We Spot It? Play Attention to Detail

Speak the Language Your Dog Understands

January 20, 2013
Make a List of Your Dog’s Words!

Have you ever made a list of your dog's vocabulary – all the words that evoke a response?

Sit! Fetch! Down! Leave it! These are the type of words, commands really, that many people would think of when asked about the words dogs understand. But, those of us who live with dogs soon realize that they learn many words we never intended to teach. Each day, we discover a new word that our nine-month-old Poppy suddenly understands. (That's her in the photo playing with her lizzard Iggy.)

An Informal Survey

Have you ever found yourself spelling B-A-T-H because your furry friend will hide under the bed if you say it? For Molly, a Boxer and Jake, a Westie from Winthrop, spelling C-A-R is not quite enough because they recognize the “C” means car to them as their person begins to spell it. Sophie, a German Shepherd from the Back Bay, loves to R-I-D-E too. And, for her family T-R-E-A-T requires spelling.

Other Sunday dogs know other words:

Sunday Dog, Odis “Loves Everyone!” and his favorite word is present.

For Sunday Dog Jackson, Life Is Best with a Stick and you can guess what word alerts him to fun.

Fun Project

Creating a record of your dog’s vocabulary can be a fun family project. It can demonstrate the various relationships that exist with the animal. Who has worked on training, taught tricks, provided the food and care? All of these seem to come out with the words we use to communicate.

What's your dog's favorite word?

What word surprised you when you figured out your dog knew what it meant?

What words do you have to spell?

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: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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.

Related articles

Sunday Dog New Year's Resolutions for 2013

Sunday Dog Kona Hits Winter Fun Refresh Button!

Expanding Your Vocabulary

What Is This And Where Did We Spot It? Play Attention to Detail

Speak the Language Your Dog Understands

January 20, 2013
Snow Scenes from This Week’s Storm

Our photos of the week are from this week's snow storm in Boston.

The archtecture in the Back Bay was made for snowy scenes. The crisp, white snow brings out the colors that are actually there but not always seen.

Not all the brick in the Back Bay Historic District is red in tone. This building had a new facade added and the brick of choice was a bright yellowish beige.

As I stood in the middle of two rows of trees on the outbound side of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, I remembered hearing Commonwealth Avenue Mall expert Margaret Pokorney explain that, at one time, a group was advocating for and actually succeeded in having a third row of trees planted up the center of this space.

Seeing the branches intertwined and loving the view down the open space makes me glad more intelligent minds prevailed.

Everyone seemed to be out taking photos. I hope that the other photographers joined me in taking a few moments to lower their cameras or phones and simply enjoyed the scene. The photos you etch into your heart and mind can be just as lasting as those in film, print, or digital form.

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: 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.

Related articles

What You Need to Know in a Boston Snow Emergency 2012 – 2013

Lantern in the Snow

Snow Day in Boston

What Is This And Where Did We Spot It? Play Attention to Detail

Where Is This and What Might It Hit If It Falls?

Make Visiting "Palaces for The People" a New Year's Resolution

January 19, 2013