bostonzest

Category: Friday Links

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2012) Falls on a Saturday…

    For the latest information, go to:

    When Saint Patrick's Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday so I was curious, would city and state workers in Suffolk County get Friday off or Monday? And will parking, trash, and liquor sales change for the day. You'll find those answers below.

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    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    What are your traditions for his yearly festival of all things Irish? 

    Who makes your favorite brown bread or Irish soda bread? Scones?

    Are you going to the parade on Sunday?

    (Here's how to get there via the MBTA.)

    Will you be wearin' the green? 

    (Here's a post on where to buy or rent all sorts of wearables!)

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    Here are a bunch of Friday Links for Saint Patrick's Day

    Boston Chowhounds had two recent conversations about where to find the best, full Irish breakfast.

    Full Irish Breakfast

    Boston area breakfast recap (for this one, start from the bottom since Irish breakfast discussion is there)

    And, they're  talking about Corned Beef & Cabbage.

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    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,  

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday." That means this year, no deal. Next year, they get Monday off!

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, so feed those meters and stick to your trash schedule. 

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's a Boston.com story on that from last year.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Health News Review, our Friday Link

    Today, we're pointing you to a wonderful resource, Health News Review. This is a site where experts examine and comment on those health and medical stories we all see and hear in the media.

    Health news review

    Reading about health issues, medical studies, and so-called "breakthroughs" can be difficult even for those trained to be critical readers. We are often left with more questions than answers. This site will help you evaluate those medical stories that may touch your life.

    Health News Review says it is dedicated to:

    • "Improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests, products and procedures."
    • "Helping consumers evaluate the evidence for and against new ideas in health care."

    We Love:

    • Their criteria for what users need in stories.
    • Their journalist & consumer toolkit.
    • Their careful analysis and clear writing.

    You can bookmark the site for those times when you hear a report and want to read a review of it.

    Subscribe to the blog or the reviews and get a regular dose of what's going on in this realm. Or, follow them on Twitter.

    What's on your health supplies shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Learn about Cash Mobs on Here & Now

    Our Friday link today is to a story on "Cash Mobs" that Robin Young did on her WBUR show Here & Now. 

    Here & Now

    Since we love to support local businesses, great feature reporting, and Public Radio, we think of this as a triple recommendation.

    Take a few minutes to click over and read the story or listen. Then, come back and tell us what you think of the concept. We think it's a great way to support locally owned businesses during those slower times. 

    And, when you need something that will send you online shopping, remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!  We're a small local business too, and that's how you can "Cash Mob" us!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Get Out and Count the Birds…

     Birds

    The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is our Friday link. This weekend, they invite you to join the annual check of our feathered friends.

    A big thank you to The Garden Club of the Back Bay for bringing this, and so many other wonderful opportunities to have fun and learn something new, to our attention. (That makes this a double Friday Link!)

    The Great Backyard Bird Count says:

    "Warmer temperatures and lack of snow in parts of North America are setting the stage for what could be a most intriguing 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, coming up February 17-20."

    We Say:

    This is the perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy nature.

    If you enter your zip code, the site will prepare a checklist of the birds you might see in your area. That can be fun to have anytime and a great start on the peaceful pastime of birdwatching. We're saving our list and will continue looking all year to see how many birds we find by this time next year.

    What's on your outdoor shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Illustration: courtesy of The Great Backyard Bird Count 

    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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentines’ Day

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    Don't be afraid of pink sparking wine! We'll let you in on what wine experts have always known– some serious and elegant wines come with a blush of color. There are also plenty of classy, but inexpensive, pink options.

    As regular readers know, we start every month with a glass of sparkling wine, and we share those choices with you. Today, we'll remind you of a few that are perfect for cork-popping on Valentine's Day. (Yes, we are our own Friday Link this week!)

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    If price is no object, consider a rosé from one of France's great Champagne houses. We've really enjoyed these two:

    Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé - This is one of Penny's all time favorite wines. It's price has really skyrocketed during the years we've been telling you about it. But, sometimes only the best will do and Billecart-Salmon has earned it's place at the top of the charts.

    Delamotte Brut Rose - Brix Wine Shop gave us the opportunity to taste this wonderful Champagne from Delamotte, the ledgendary house that produces Salon.

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    For a bit of France on a budget, slide out of the Champagne region and try a Crémant.

    We suggest a bottle of Louis Bouillot Rosé. Even the lable looks like a party! This is one of our favorite beach wines.

    For a real value sparkler, we'll move you to New Mexico. New Mexico you ask? Mais Oui!

    Gruet Blanc de Noir is coppery in color and rich with pinot noir flavor, and it's heritage comes from another of the great French Champagne families. They also make a bright pink rosé.

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    From there, head north to Soter Vineyards in Oregon. One New Year's weekend, we tasted four great sparkling wines. The Soter was one of them. These wonderful wines, from a highly respected team with a great Pinot Noir reputation, will always be on our list of favorites. Try the Soter Rosé to see how much finesse American sparklers can have. 

    We also say, "Olé" for the pink Spanish cavas like Segura Viudas Brut Rosé or their ARIA Pinot Noir Cava.

    Related Posts:

    If you don't have enough ideas here, go explore our entire wine post collection.

    And, we've gathered all of our Valentine posts at Valentine's Day 2012 – Romantic Dining in Boston 

    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 & 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Just Add Cheese, a Delicious Friday Link

    Just add cheese

    This week, we're sending you to a fun food site with a great philosophy: Just Add Cheese!

    What Meesh & Jacki from "Just Add Cheese" say:

    "Because we simply eat too much food to not talk about it, and it would be selfish if we didn’t share what we know with our fellow food enthusiasts, we’ve decided to track our adventures (and misadventures) in a blog."

    "…who doesn’t love cheese? It’s like the never fail, idiot proof way to make a bad dish miraculously better. No individual can deny the power of melted mozzarella, creamy brie or some shredded Monterrey jack…on anything!"

    What We Say:

    Here are two food-lovers who really get around town and share their experiences with you.

    You have to love any blog that has posts like:

    Friday Food Porn | Cheese Me Please

    Lamb Bam Thank You Ma'am

    Chihuly & Cheeseburgers at the MFA

    You can even follow them out-of-town to places like:

    Mile End Deli | Brooklyn, NY

    Duckfat | French Fry Nirvana | Portland, ME (one of our favorites)

    East Side Pockets | Must-Eat Falafel in Providence

    Enough said, click over and explore Just Add Cheese. We think you'll become another regular visitor!

    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

    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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • NorthEndWaterfront’s New Look for 2012

    Nothendwaterfront

    Over at NorthEndWaterfront.com, Matt Conti has been working hard and is now ready to show the world his redesign of this great community resource. If you live, work, or play in Boston's North End or Waterfront neighborhoods, you should subscribe to this site. 

    During the last year, Matt has been adding more photography and video to the solid news coverage he has always supplied. We read it daily and highly recommend it. We're making this redesign our Friday Link today!

    Thanks for all the great information Matt!

    Do you find new resources with our Friday Links? You can help keep them coming anytime you go to shop on Amazon. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot courtesy of NorthEndWaterfront.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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Training for the Wine Expo!

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    Today's Friday Link is to a piece we wrote in 2010, Staying Sober at Wine Tasting Events like the Boston Wine Expo. 

    Are you going to the Boston Wine Expo this weekend? Tell us what you're planning to bring, do, and taste? And, check back afterwards to tell us your reactions to the event and if any of our tips helped.

    We tell you:

    What to pack to help you stay sober, collect information, and enjoy large tasting events. 

    How to spit without making a mess of yourself and the event.

    How to plan your approach to the event and….

    How to tell when you've reached your capacity!

    Here's the link to: Staying Sober at Wine Tasting Events like the Boston Wine Expo. 

    Related Posts:

    Here's what we've been writing about wine.

    Fine wine glasses that are dishwasher safe? Because Ed insists on washing our stems, I can't swear to it, but the manufacturer says that the Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Forte Collection can go in the dishwasher. We do put our barware from the same line through the dishwaser all the time.

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2011 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 that are part of the places and services we cover. Often, those comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Reopening

    Gardner Museum

    We're making the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum our Friday Link, this week, to remind you that it's about to reopen. 

    Preview events for members are scheduled on Monday the 16th through Wednesday the 18th. It opens to the public on Thursday the 19th and for three days admission is free, if you snag one of the reserved time slots. The Gardner Museum site says, 

    "The Gardner Museum reopens in January, and admission is free Jan. 19-21! Timed tickets are required and limited, and must be reserved in advance. Reserve online, or by calling the Box Office at: 617-278-5156 ."

    Café G

    And, of particular importance to those of us who have missed the Café, the wonderful food from Chef/Owner Peter Crowley will be back. They're already taking reservations for the new Café G as it is now called.

    It has been relocated to the new wing of the Gardner and after years of working in very tight quarters, we're confident they have provided this fine chef with everything he needs to stretch his culinary reach.

    We'll be reporting back on our first visits to one of our favorite places in Boston.

    Related Posts:

    Hanging Nasturtiums at the Gardner Museum

    Romance at the Gardner Museum– Valentine's Weekend Destination 

    The Gardner Museum Cafe's Edible Nasturtium Menu

    Gardner Museum’s “Frank Hatch First Day Free!”

    If you are one of our readers from outside the Boston area, you can do your research on the Gardner Museum right there at home and enjoy your visit more when you get here.

    Details:

    Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115 (map & reviews)
    (617) 566-1401

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot: courtesy of the Gardner Museum 

    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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Eater Boston Year End Survey of Friends, Industry types, Bloggers, etc.

    Aaron Kagan, editor of Eater Boston, asked us to join a group of friends, industry types, bloggers, and readers to answer a few questions about our 2011 dining experiences in Boston. We are making the links to those questions our Friday Link. 

    And, we would love to hear your answers to any or all of them. Comment away!

       Eater

    Aaron gathered an interesting cross section from around the food community and the result is a great commentary on "the year that was" on the Boston restaurant scene.

    See how this crew:

    MC Slim JB, restaurant reviewer, Stuff Magazine, Boston Phoenix

    Marc H., publisher of Boston's Hidden Restaurants

    Tom O'Keefe from BostonTweet

    Rachel Leah Blumenthal from Fork it over, Boston! & restaurant reviewer, CBS Boston

    Damien S., community manager, Yelp Boston

    Devra First, restaurant critic, food reporter for The Boston Globe

    Answered these questions:

    What were your top restaurant standbys in 2011?

    Were there any restaurants that you broke up with in 2011?

    What are your dining world headline predictions for 2012?

    What was the best dining neighborhood in 2011?

    What and where was your single best meal in 2011?

    What was the biggest dining surprise of 2011?

    How would you describe 2011 in one word?

    What are the top restaurant newcomers of 2011?

    Want to read them all? Go here.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!





    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot from Eater Boston

    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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.