Category: Places

Ye Olde Clover Tavern on Boston Common

The Clover Food Lab truck near the Brewer Fountain Plaza on Boston Common is attracting customers from many eras!

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Words: Penny & 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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 14, 2012
Dragon Boat Weekend in Photos!
The Boston Dragon Boat Festival participants could not have imagined a better weekend than this one. And, we were very happy to have had two perfect days to capture photos for an upcoming project.
Click on any small photo to see a larger version in the space above. All photos © 2012 The Cherubinos, all rights reserved.

The time trials used to determine the seed order for the final races were held on Saturday. It was fun to watch the boats set up, start, and the teamwork onboard each dragon boat. We also enjoyed seeing the pre-race workouts and coaching. And, the people who are part of this sport.
Click on any small photo to see a larger version in the space above.

On Saturday, we walked back to Boston with Sheryl Mendlinger a member of the Wellness Warriors team. You'll see a lot of this crew and their pink boat in the photos. They won our hears and our cheers!

"It’s a cancer team for men & women– all cancers. And, we paddle on the Charles River,” Sheryl told us. “It’s just phenomenal! It’s one thing having to go through cancer, it’s another thing being on a team where you’re out there and you feel physically alive again.”
Click on any small photo to see a larger version in the space above.

Sunday was race day and the day of a culture festival on the banks of the Charles. It's an event that we highly recommend. And, if you're looking for a new obsession in life, we recommend dragon boats. The looks on the faces of almost everyone taking part in this sport make you want to try it.

We've put a full album of photos in our gallery over at SmugMug. The folks over there take care of all our photo printing and can put a photo on a full line of items from postcards to mousepads. We do our part and let them do theirs!

Here are the photos from the Saturday time trials.

Here are the photos from Sunday, Race day with a few of our favorites from the festival.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino, all rights reserved. Use requires written permission.

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.
June 11, 2012
Wood’s Seafood, Plymouth, MA for Lobster & More

Driving back to Boston from Provincetown, we have a tradition of stopping in Plymouth for lunch. Wood's Seafood on the town pier is the perfect place to enjoy one last lobster and seafood feast.

The good folks at Woods seem to have the old fashioned notion that being nice to customers while serving fresh, simple, well-prepared local food at a good price, is the way to go. This table full of lobster, steamers, chowder, and sides cost just over $30. A great value in this tourist town on a busy holiday weekend.

Hearing the banter with the staff, we've figured out that this is where locals seem to come when they have guests, for take out, and to buy fish for supper in the adjacent fish market. As our former favorites in the Town Pier cluster take on a plastic, Disneyesque atmosphere, and are not as good a value, Wood's is our go-to spot.

The dining area is tiny, just 50 seats, so you may want to have an alternative spot for feasting in mind or be prepared to wait for a table. The guys above took their food outside to the pier and used the concrete barrier for a table.

When we don't dine in, we prefer to picnic in the park just north the breakwater you see on the map for Wood's in our details. If you park in the big lot that leads to the breakwater, you can be halfway between Wood's and al fresco dining. After years of traveling with dogs, we are skilled at finding places were we can enjoy a meal without leaving a friend locked in a hot car.

This can also make a great daytrip destination. If you have vistors who want to see Plymouth, you'll know the great place for a lobster, clam plate, or other seafood shack meal.

Related Posts:

This summer we hope to add more Daytrips and Weekend destinations to our collection.

Here's more about Provincetown.

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Details:

Wood's Seafood

15 Town Pier, Plymouth, MA 02360 (Map & Reviews)

Phone: 800-626-1011 or 508-746-0261

www.woodsseafoods.com

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 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.

June 4, 2012
Messing About in Boats…

"There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

Kenneth Grahame from The Wind in the Willows

This and other photographs that appear on BostonZest or in the other sites and publications we supply are available in the BostonZest Gallery. If you want an image by Ed or Penny Cherubino that is not available for sale there, send us an email.

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Words: Penny & 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 a 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.

June 2, 2012
Sunday Dog, Amber – “The Jewel of the Public Garden”

Boston’s most beautiful landmark has some serious competition. Her name is Amber, or as we refer to her, “The Jewel of the Public Garden.” While it’s not easy to upstage such a gorgeous place, this pup captured our full attention as we strolled the park’s pathways on a recent weekend afternoon.

As we approached, Amber came right over to say hello. But, as she flashed those big, bright eyes, we couldn’t help but detect a bit of concern in her face. It seemed one of her two people had disappeared (he’d actually gone to pick up some lunch) but Amber wasn’t buying it.

This two year old could be part Bernese Mountain Dog and part Neapolitan Mastiff, no one is really sure. Her mom was a rescue from Boston, helped through PetFinder, whose twelve puppies were placed with the assistance of a Wellesley rescue group. We think we see a bit of Rhodesian Ridgeback in that stance.

We’re not sure what Amber made of a very, large dog that trotted by, but this magnificent Clydesdale/Thoroughbred mix did manage to divert her attention for a short while.

Amber’s other person, who told us she’d been with them since eight weeks of age, confirmed what we’d already discovered– that Amber is, “the sweetest dog I’ve ever had.” And she is, without a doubt, very loyal to her family which soon became three again.

We left Amber showing off a satisfying smile that lit up the entire park. After all, she is, “The Jewel of the Public Garden.”

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

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

May 27, 2012
Brasserie JO’s Salade Niçoise: A Best Bite
Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel is a wonderful spot for a hearty lunch. Ed's favorite there is the Salade Niçoise with medium rare tuna.

Each part of this dish gets the attention needed to make the whole an outstanding version of this classic French brasserie salad. The tuna is trimmed and tender, grilled with that balance of rare and sear that marks a good grill cook.

The greens are crackling fresh, the kind Ed would eat without dressing, by the handful, if he were in his own kitchen. Green beans, potatoes, pickled onion, chopped eggs are all allowed to let their personalities shine.

The next time you're hungry for a big, big salad, think about giving this one a try. Or, at the bar, you can share it with a friend followed by their famous profiteroles with a giant pour of chocolate sauce for dessert.

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Details:

Brasserie JO‎
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120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 (map)
The Colonnade Hotel‎
(617) 425-3240
www.brasseriejoboston.com‎
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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.
May 24, 2012
Stuart Street at Trinity Place: Where to Find Food Trucks

As these rolling restaurants expand their reach and numbers throughout the Boston area, we’re Food Truck Tracking– checking out some of their favorite nesting spots, and what you’ll find when you get there. -The BostonZest Team!

Stuart Street (Copley Square South At Trinity Place on the City list)

Location: From Copley Square walk past the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel on either Dartmouth or Trinity Place and you'll see a pod of food trucks. (map)

MBTA Link: Back Bay Station on the Orange Line and Copley on the Green Line plus all the buses that connect in this area.

More Info @: Boston's Food Truck Page, Hub Food Trucks, or on the Street Food Boston app.

How Many Trucks? Two or three (at-a-time) are scheduled here this season (April 2012 schedule)

Who's Here: This season, these trucks will be rotating in and out of this space– Go Fish, Grilled Cheese Nation, The Cupcakory, Mei Mei Street Kitchen, Staff Meal, Chubby Chickpea, The Dining Car, Bon Me, Chicken and Rice Guys, Lobsta Love, and Gourmet to Go.

What We Had: We made this a three-truck-lunch. Tacos from Staff Meal, Dumplings from Mei Mei, and a falafel plate with lots of sides from Chubby Chickpea. Update: The Staff Meal team have gone on to other adventures and the truck of deliciousness is not more.

Hours and Dates: A full lunch time schedule but no breakfast hours here, and dinner hours are only scheduled on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There are no Sunday hours on the plan.

Tips: Walk the line of menus before you decide. Come with friends and you can each order from a different truck and all the food will come out at about the same time.

Where to Eat: In fine weather, the park at Copley Square or the library steps are great picnic settings. The shady benches on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall are not very far away. Our favorite spot is the courtyard of the Boston Public Library, when it's open.

Where to Eat, Inside: Last winter we slipped inside Copley Place to enjoy a food truck meal on one of the benches.

Restrooms: The Boston Public Library, the City Toilet on the Boylston Street side of the Library, Copley Place, and click here for Universal Hub's Wicked Good Guide to Restrooms in the Back Bay.

Bonus Points for: We love multiple truck locations. It brings out more people and makes for a livelier scene. It also builds the community for the food truck folks and regular customers.

For More of our Food Truck/Street Food Coverage: click here. Or, anytime you visit BostonZest you can click on the "Food Truck/Street Food" tab at the top of the page.

Link: Boston Food Truck Location Map

Here are some of our favorite food truck picnic items. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Picnic Table Cloth (We cut it up into big placemat sizes)

Reusable Bamboo Utensil Set

DII Palette Check Indian Summer Napkin Set of 4

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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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 22, 2012
Are You Sure This is a Bike Path?

This biker seems to have reached the end of the trail.

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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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 19, 2012
Myers+Chang Dim Sum Brunch
Myers+Chang seemed like a great destination on a Sunday when we needed a good, long walk and wanted to enjoy some small plates of delicious stuff. We arrived near the end of the lunch rush, waited a few minutes, and got a corner table by the patio.

We settled in with a lovely glass of sparkling rosé and took turns adding items to our menu.

You'll see these sturdy, wind resistant champagne flutes showing up in our sparking wine and roof deck dining posts because, thanks to the great customer service provided by M+C GM Scott, we were able to purchase some.
Click on the thumbnails above to see the full version in the viewer window.

We nibbled our way through the Fresh Rolls, Dan Dan Noodles, Wok-Roasted Lemongrass Mussels, Wok Charred Brussels with Caramelized Onions and Bacon, and Thai Ginger Chicken with Rice Vermicelli.

Ed loved our server's offer of grilled bread to soak up the luscious sauce left, after the mussels were gone. If we hadn't been so full, we might have ordered a second round of those!

What's on your weekend shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's Joanne Chang's ever-so-rightfully-popular Cookbook, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe

Details:

Myers+Chang

1145 Washington Street,

Boston, MA 02118 (map & reviews)

(617) 542-5200

myersandchang.com

‎

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
May 14, 2012
A Sunday Dog Salute to Geese Wranglers at Work

Recently, we had the opportunity to photograph two geese dogs and their human teammates at work in the Boston Public Garden. They were trying to make Canada Geese understand that the lagoon is not a place to settle down for the summer.

If you should see this pair with their yellow vests off-leash in this park, please understand that they are there to do an important job. They are trained to voice commands and obey instantly when asked to stop, stay, or change their position.

One of their handlers works on the lagoon from a kayak and the other (the woman in the yellow jacket) stays along the shore. The dogs work both in and out of the water.

The object of the game is to keep the birds from feeling safe in this park without hurting them. This is called site aversion by the GeesePeace model program.

"You can take a break, I've got this one," said one dog to the other!

These pups were working so hard we never did get their names. If you are in a park where you see Border Collies working on geese control, please keep your own dog on leash and away from them. These herders move very fast and it would be easy to get in their way. They might also tempt your dog to chase them.

We were worn out just watching them as we said so long to two very tired dogs.

Thanks to this team and the Friends of the Public Garden for making the park a cleaner and safer place to walk. And, thanks to other teams working in other parks, golf courses, and open spaces. It will take a sustained and combined effort to undo the human mistakes that caused the overpopulation of these birds.

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

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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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 13, 2012