Category: Friday Links

Universal Hub for Award Winning Local Coverage

Universal Hub (UH) is our Friday link. We think you should resolve to really know what's going on in Boston in 2012. You can do that by visiting, subscribing, following, and retweeting, the award winning coverage over at Adam Gaffin's site.

People ask us how we know so many things long before the story is picked up by traditional media around town. UH is the answer. Penny visits there so many times a day that if you enter the letter u in her Chrome browser Google fills in the rest– www.universalhub.com.

The world is starting to realize (and we think envy) the hyperlocal community that Adam has created. This month 415 Heat named Adam Gaffin one of the "Top Social Media Strategists to Watch in 2012."

They said, "Adam Gaffin is the hyper-local journalism wizard behind Universal Hub, a site he founded in 2005 to bring Boston-area news to citizens through a collective online effort. He also coordinates the Boston Blog Network, which helps other local bloggers connect with online advertisers, and consults small, local media and news outlets."

They listed a very elite group including: Liz Herson from the New York Times; John Pepper, Founder and CEO of Boloco; Scott Monty, who leads social media at Ford; and social media guru Chris Brogan.

Last March, Adam was also named the winner of the first #Boston Shorty Award, Twitter says, "The Shorty Awards honor the best people and organizations producing short-form, real-time social media content."

When local TV newscasts are wasting the little air time they have on "interesting" videos from around the world (that most of us have already seen on the web) and PR vidoes being passed off as news coverage, we have to support the people who are in the trenches delivering real news that is of use in our daily lives. Go check out Universal Hub!

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

December 30, 2011
Phone Book Attack: Here’s an Opt-Out Link

Last weekend, Back Bay homes had piles of unwanted phone books dumped on their front steps. The photo above is a single family home, so you can imagine how many were left at buildings with 40 or 60 apartments.

How do Bostonians feel about this topic?

Click over to Universal Hub, and read the comments on the post, Our annual mid-winter ritual: The rotting of the abandoned phone books. Adam Gaffin also links to his 2008 and 2009 phone book conversations.

This week he took a poll. We got two different phonebooks yesterday – which to toss in the recycling? Go over and add your vote!

Did you know that you can opt-out of having phone books delivered to your home?

In response to complaints, the Association of Directory Publishers has set up an opt-out program at this site, www.yellowpagesoptout.com. We're making this site our Friday Link!

You do have to register, and then you can opt-out of the phone books from those businesses that belong to this group. We were able to elimate three deliveries with one visit.

Of course, if you live in a multi-family home, you will have to encourage your neighbors to join you in the opt-out effort.

Wider Pilot Progam Underway

The good news is that Brookline and Cambridge are working with the Product Stewardship Institute and Catalog Choice on a pilot opt-out project. The test will make it possible for residents to stop the delivery of unwanted phone books, catalogs, coupons, and credit card solicitations. It will also measure the number of requests and program efficiency. The Product Stewardship Institute will issue a project report in the fall of 2012.

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

December 23, 2011
Favorite Holiday Sparklers from Cava to Champagne– Our Friday Link!

Our favorite sparkling wines for your holiday shopping list make up today's Friday Link.

During the past four years, we’ve been saluting each new month with a glass of bubbly– it’s Our Sparkling Resolution.

Here are some of our favorites, beginning with the more budget-friendly…

Always on hand, it’s that good! Nino Franco Prosecco

A relatively inexpensive sparkler for beginners and experts alike,
Segura Viudas Brut Rosé

An inexpensive sparkler with nice balance, Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine

Looks like a party! La Rosée 2009

A lovely way to greet your guests, Adami Prosecco

An old friend, in more ways than one, Argyle Brut

Excellent growers choice, Pierre Peters Champagne

Getting a bottle of Movia Puro Rosé open could be the hit of the party!

Sparkling Wine Can Be a Small Luxury or a Big One, Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

To help you with your shopping for New Years Eve, we’ve added a Sparkling Wine Tab (Top of Page) to make it easier to keep up with Our Sparkling Resolution selections.

Enjoy!

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Fine wine glasses that are dishwasher safe? While Ed insists on washing our stems, I can't swear to it but the manufacture 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.

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Words: Penny & Ed 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.

December 16, 2011
Gibson House Museum Holiday Open House

The Gibson House Museum Holiday Open House is our Friday Link. The staff and volunteers have decorated the house in appropriate Victorian style. On Sunday, December 11th, they are opening their doors to friends and neighbors from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission will be free for this event.

They invited us in while they were decorating, so we could give you a sneak preview.

If you can't make the open house on Sunday, or if you have a holiday guest who would love to see what the homes in the Back Bay looked like a hundred years ago, you can take a guided tour of the Gibson House. And if you do that while the decorations are in place, you'll have a bonus dose of holiday spirit at no extra charge!

We hope you've enjoyed another year of recommendations and tips from BostonZest. If you have, you can support the site by using links like this to start your Amazon shopping from here.

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

December 9, 2011
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2011
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UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

It's time to make your reservations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays.

If you have inside info on a local restaurant's plans or a favorite Christmas Holiday tradition, add it in the comments below!

What's open on Christmas Eve?

This year Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday night. A quick check of Open Table for a 9 pm reservation found far more restaurants open than I might have expected.

As with any holiday reservation ask what is being offered. Some places will present their normal menu, some will have a restricted prix fixe, and some will add special items inspired by the holiday. And, don't be surprised if a non-refundable deposit and credit card number are required to make a reservation.

Holiday Traditions

Our friend, Jackie Blombach and her husband always have Tea at the Taj on Christmas Eve. She calls it, "My Favorite two hours of Christmas!"

Traditional Feast

If you hurry and grab one of the spots at the table, you could indulge in the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes at Grotto and sister restaurant Marliave. (Both will also offer a limited menu in addition to the feast.) The Grotto website says:

"The Feast of Seven Fishes, a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve throughout Italy. The Feast dates back centuries and the common belief is that participating in the Feast will bring good luck and fortune in the year to come. Marliave and Grotto will once again be offering our version of The Feast of Seven Fishes. The Feast is served over three courses and utilizes the great abundance of seafood available to us in Boston… "

Need a Holiday Food Break?

If you need a break from the whole Christmas scene, you could wander through Chinatown and enjoy an alternative to the traditional holiday menus. And, if Chinatown isn't quite the fit for your gang, but you would like to nibble your way through an Asian feast, we suggest Meyers+Chang on Washington Street in the South End. Chef Joanne Chang is planning to add some special treats for that night but assures us we will be able to enjoy an evening of great Asian food.

What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas ?

Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:
- Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons
- L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre (Back Bay) and Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
- Eastern Standard at the Hotel Commonwealth
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel
- Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
- Taj Boston Cafe at the Taj Hotel
- Market by Jean-Georges at the W Boston Hotel
More information after these features from AMAZON.

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More information and reservations:

Here's Open Table's Christmas Day page but remember, you can go to their main Boston page and request a reservation for the 24th, 25th, or 26th and see the full list of options for the time you prefer.

Boston Chefs has set up recaps for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates. So far, the ChowHounds and Trip Advisor crews haven't had much to say on the topic, but we'll post links if a good conversation from one of these forums gets started.

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Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photo: from iStockphoto.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.
December 2, 2011