Category: We recommend!

Organ Donation, Have That Talk with Your Family & Friends
They say we will all know someone who will need an organ donation or we will need one ourselves sooner or later. Back in 2008, we did our first post on this topic – How to Become An Organ Donor.

Since then, thousands of readers have found that post and spent time reading the details and using the provided links to learn more. Thank you to everyone who did that. Thinking about it, along with research, is the first step.

Back then, a friend in another part of the country had a family member who needed a heart to live. This year our inspiration is closer to home. We ran into a fellow dog lover and former neighbor on Boylston Street. She told us she may soon be a candidate for a heart and lung transplant. This time the need is closer to home and we are thinking of her, her family, and her pups often.

Have you talked to your family about becoming an organ donor?

Perhaps this holiday season, when people gather in the spirit of giving, would be a great time to express your wishes and fill out the necessary forms.

Here are the links you need to become an organ donor.

It can be as easy as scanning the QR code on the poster above. That will link you to the national site.

(Since many of our readers are from other parts of the country, we've included the national resources.)

Here's the page where the Massachusetts Registry answers questions about organ donation via your drivers license.

Here's the link to the New England Organ Bank. They have a page where you can sign up online. And, they provide links to other resources here.

Here is the United States government's site on organ donation.

Here's a link to all the state tissue donor registries.

How to bring up the subject?
- You could say that you read this post online and want to talk about it.
- Announce that becoming an organ donor is one of your New Year's Resoutions for 2013.
- Ask if anyone in your group knows someone who has had or needs an organ transplant.
- Register yourself before hand and pull out your drivers license to ask who else is an organ donor. You may be surprised at the response!
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: © 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.

Related articles

Spain has the highest number of organ donors

Pro or Against Organ Donation?

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

The Fenway Studios Door – Before and After!
December 21, 2012
Gift Ideas: 5 Little Kitchen Luxuries We’re Glad We Bought

Think of the things you use all the time in your kitchen but had to think about before buying, because they were little luxuries. We bet there are a few that fall into "things you don't know how you did without."

These items can give you ideas for great gifts for those close to you or something to splurge on with a gift certificate. Please tell us what falls into that group for you in the comments section or on twitter.

For us, here are 5 things that we love and don't regret spending the money on for a single moment. In fact, some of these have saved us money in the long run.

1. Home Espresso Machine

Ours is a Breville Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker
that we've had since 2008. Since buying this, we've had our coffee drinks at home most of the time and that's saved us hundreds of dollars we would have spent at coffee shops. We actually bought a reconditioned unit so it cost us much less than a new one. You can look for bargains like this at the Amazon Warehouse Sale.

2. Burr Coffee Grinder

If you are chopping coffee beans with a blade coffee mill, think about saving that for spices and trading up to a burr grinder. We decided on the Capresso 565 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. You can pay more for a more serious grinder or you can use more human power and buy a hand cranked item. Those are also great to use on the road. One example is the Hario Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder.



3. Good Quality Heavy Pots and Pans

Over the years, we've replaced the thin-walled pans we thought were a great buy when we set up housekeeping, with heavy, substantial pans from Le Creuset and All-Clad. No more burnt, scorched food or pans, and more home cooking which does save cash.



4. Great Wine & Barware Glasses

This is one area where we've gone a bit overboard and have too many great wine glasses for people who live in a small space. We have Riedel wine glasses, Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal glasses and Reed & Barton barware. We both use crystal double old fashioned glasses as our daily water glass and it really gives drinking your water a lift. Anyone want to buy some glassware? One 2013 resolution is to thin our collection.



5. Wedgwood Nantucket Basket Bone China for our everyday dinnerware. You've seen it all over these pages in our food photos. We were tired of replacing our everyday dinnerware every few years because of chips, crazing, and broken dishes. But, since Penny had once sold china for a living, she knew that bone china is vitrified like steel and is highly resistant to these problems.

We invested in a service for 8 about 16 years ago and have only had two or three pieces replaced since then. Since it's all white with no gold, silver, or pattern to damage, it is totally dishwasher safe. And, it looks great on our table. A little luxury with a long life span.

Remember, we'd love to hear what's on your list of the top 5 kitchen luxuries that you don't regret buying. Send us a tweet or post a comment.

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

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

The Secrets To Making a Spectacular Cup of Coffee: The Best Barista Reveals All! – Food News

10 Gifts for Coffee Lovers – Holiday Gift Guide from The Kitchn

Would you spend $40 a pound for a killer cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?

Surryano Ham from Virginia is Peanut-Fed Berkshire Pork

Formaggio Kitchen's "Staff Picks" 2012 – Friday Link

December 18, 2012
Gift Ideas: 5 Little Kitchen Luxuries We’re Glad We Bought

Think of the things you use all the time in your kitchen but had to think about before buying, because they were little luxuries. We bet there are a few that fall into "things you don't know how you did without."

These items can give you ideas for great gifts for those close to you or something to splurge on with a gift certificate. Please tell us what falls into that group for you in the comments section or on twitter.

For us, here are 5 things that we love and don't regret spending the money on for a single moment. In fact, some of these have saved us money in the long run.

1. Home Espresso Machine

Ours is a Breville Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker
that we've had since 2008. Since buying this, we've had our coffee drinks at home most of the time and that's saved us hundreds of dollars we would have spent at coffee shops. We actually bought a reconditioned unit so it cost us much less than a new one. You can look for bargains like this at the Amazon Warehouse Sale.

2. Burr Coffee Grinder

If you are chopping coffee beans with a blade coffee mill, think about saving that for spices and trading up to a burr grinder. We decided on the Capresso 565 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. You can pay more for a more serious grinder or you can use more human power and buy a hand cranked item. Those are also great to use on the road. One example is the Hario Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder.



3. Good Quality Heavy Pots and Pans

Over the years, we've replaced the thin-walled pans we thought were a great buy when we set up housekeeping, with heavy, substantial pans from Le Creuset and All-Clad. No more burnt, scorched food or pans, and more home cooking which does save cash.



4. Great Wine & Barware Glasses

This is one area where we've gone a bit overboard and have too many great wine glasses for people who live in a small space. We have Riedel wine glasses, Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal glasses and Reed & Barton barware. We both use crystal double old fashioned glasses as our daily water glass and it really gives drinking your water a lift. Anyone want to buy some glassware? One 2013 resolution is to thin our collection.



5. Wedgwood Nantucket Basket Bone China for our everyday dinnerware. You've seen it all over these pages in our food photos. We were tired of replacing our everyday dinnerware every few years because of chips, crazing, and broken dishes. But, since Penny had once sold china for a living, she knew that bone china is vitrified like steel and is highly resistant to these problems.

We invested in a service for 8 about 16 years ago and have only had two or three pieces replaced since then. Since it's all white with no gold, silver, or pattern to damage, it is totally dishwasher safe. And, it looks great on our table. A little luxury with a long life span.

Remember, we'd love to hear what's on your list of the top 5 kitchen luxuries that you don't regret buying. Send us a tweet or post a comment.

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

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

The Secrets To Making a Spectacular Cup of Coffee: The Best Barista Reveals All! – Food News

10 Gifts for Coffee Lovers – Holiday Gift Guide from The Kitchn

Would you spend $40 a pound for a killer cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?

Surryano Ham from Virginia is Peanut-Fed Berkshire Pork

Formaggio Kitchen's "Staff Picks" 2012 – Friday Link

December 18, 2012
Gift Ideas: 5 Little Kitchen Luxuries We’re Glad We Bought

Think of the things you use all the time in your kitchen but had to think about before buying, because they were little luxuries. We bet there are a few that fall into "things you don't know how you did without."

These items can give you ideas for great gifts for those close to you or something to splurge on with a gift certificate. Please tell us what falls into that group for you in the comments section or on twitter.

For us, here are 5 things that we love and don't regret spending the money on for a single moment. In fact, some of these have saved us money in the long run.

1. Home Espresso Machine

Ours is a Breville Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker
that we've had since 2008. Since buying this, we've had our coffee drinks at home most of the time and that's saved us hundreds of dollars we would have spent at coffee shops. We actually bought a reconditioned unit so it cost us much less than a new one. You can look for bargains like this at the Amazon Warehouse Sale.

2. Burr Coffee Grinder

If you are chopping coffee beans with a blade coffee mill, think about saving that for spices and trading up to a burr grinder. We decided on the Capresso 565 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. You can pay more for a more serious grinder or you can use more human power and buy a hand cranked item. Those are also great to use on the road. One example is the Hario Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder.



3. Good Quality Heavy Pots and Pans

Over the years, we've replaced the thin-walled pans we thought were a great buy when we set up housekeeping, with heavy, substantial pans from Le Creuset and All-Clad. No more burnt, scorched food or pans, and more home cooking which does save cash.



4. Great Wine & Barware Glasses

This is one area where we've gone a bit overboard and have too many great wine glasses for people who live in a small space. We have Riedel wine glasses, Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal glasses and Reed & Barton barware. We both use crystal double old fashioned glasses as our daily water glass and it really gives drinking your water a lift. Anyone want to buy some glassware? One 2013 resolution is to thin our collection.



5. Wedgwood Nantucket Basket Bone China for our everyday dinnerware. You've seen it all over these pages in our food photos. We were tired of replacing our everyday dinnerware every few years because of chips, crazing, and broken dishes. But, since Penny had once sold china for a living, she knew that bone china is vitrified like steel and is highly resistant to these problems.

We invested in a service for 8 about 16 years ago and have only had two or three pieces replaced since then. Since it's all white with no gold, silver, or pattern to damage, it is totally dishwasher safe. And, it looks great on our table. A little luxury with a long life span.

Remember, we'd love to hear what's on your list of the top 5 kitchen luxuries that you don't regret buying. Send us a tweet or post a comment.

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

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

The Secrets To Making a Spectacular Cup of Coffee: The Best Barista Reveals All! – Food News

10 Gifts for Coffee Lovers – Holiday Gift Guide from The Kitchn

Would you spend $40 a pound for a killer cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee?

Surryano Ham from Virginia is Peanut-Fed Berkshire Pork

Formaggio Kitchen's "Staff Picks" 2012 – Friday Link

December 18, 2012
“Life is a Toy” for Our Sunday Dogs and Cat

This week, we have two Sunday Dogs and one Sunday Cat coming your way with a special request.

Our own little girl Poppy has put on her best "Please, Please, Please!" face for this post. She was playing with some scraps of paper the other day and Ed laughed about how easily she was entertained, "Life is a toy!" he said. He is right.

Happy, healthy dogs and cats do think that life is a toy and they have great fun playing with their people and other creatures. So, Duchess Poppy is asking that you take some of the money you would spend on dog toys as holiday gifts and give a little to the people who help animals less fortunate than she happens to be.

That's Toto the Tornado Kitten under the Christmas tree. He's made a career of fundraising for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. They saved his life and found a perfect home for him. We wrote about Toto last summer.

We met Toby at an MSPCA event this year. Now tell me, can you resist those eyes and his request that you support his favorite animal welfare cause?

You may have your own favorite animal charity. Perhaps it's the rescue group or shelter that brought a wonderful companion into your life. We have a lot of friends who support Greyhound rescue groups. Over the years, we've been helped by a great non-profit called WestieMed when we've had rescued Westies in our care. We think of them when we have occasions to give a donation.

Here are the direct links to the donations pages of three options.

WestieMed

The MSPCA

ARLBoston

We will be giving in the names of our three girls – two gone but not forgotten, Sassy and Maggie Mae – and our dear, little puppy Poppy!

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: © 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.

Related articles

Sunday Dog, Zoe – the Cutest "Morkie" We've Ever Met!

Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her "Perfect"

Sunday Dog, Mack – an OEB that Loves to Snuggle!

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

December 16, 2012
“Life is a Toy” for Our Sunday Dogs and Cat

This week, we have two Sunday Dogs and one Sunday Cat coming your way with a special request.

Our own little girl Poppy has put on her best "Please, Please, Please!" face for this post. She was playing with some scraps of paper the other day and Ed laughed about how easily she was entertained, "Life is a toy!" he said. He is right.

Happy, healthy dogs and cats do think that life is a toy and they have great fun playing with their people and other creatures. So, Duchess Poppy is asking that you take some of the money you would spend on dog toys as holiday gifts and give a little to the people who help animals less fortunate than she happens to be.

That's Toto the Tornado Kitten under the Christmas tree. He's made a career of fundraising for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. They saved his life and found a perfect home for him. We wrote about Toto last summer.

We met Toby at an MSPCA event this year. Now tell me, can you resist those eyes and his request that you support his favorite animal welfare cause?

You may have your own favorite animal charity. Perhaps it's the rescue group or shelter that brought a wonderful companion into your life. We have a lot of friends who support Greyhound rescue groups. Over the years, we've been helped by a great non-profit called WestieMed when we've had rescued Westies in our care. We think of them when we have occasions to give a donation.

Here are the direct links to the donations pages of three options.

WestieMed

The MSPCA

ARLBoston

We will be giving in the names of our three girls – two gone but not forgotten, Sassy and Maggie Mae – and our dear, little puppy Poppy!

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: © 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.

Related articles

Sunday Dog, Zoe – the Cutest "Morkie" We've Ever Met!

Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her "Perfect"

Sunday Dog, Mack – an OEB that Loves to Snuggle!

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

December 16, 2012
“Life is a Toy” for Our Sunday Dogs and Cat

This week, we have two Sunday Dogs and one Sunday Cat coming your way with a special request.

Our own little girl Poppy has put on her best "Please, Please, Please!" face for this post. She was playing with some scraps of paper the other day and Ed laughed about how easily she was entertained, "Life is a toy!" he said. He is right.

Happy, healthy dogs and cats do think that life is a toy and they have great fun playing with their people and other creatures. So, Duchess Poppy is asking that you take some of the money you would spend on dog toys as holiday gifts and give a little to the people who help animals less fortunate than she happens to be.

That's Toto the Tornado Kitten under the Christmas tree. He's made a career of fundraising for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. They saved his life and found a perfect home for him. We wrote about Toto last summer.

We met Toby at an MSPCA event this year. Now tell me, can you resist those eyes and his request that you support his favorite animal welfare cause?

You may have your own favorite animal charity. Perhaps it's the rescue group or shelter that brought a wonderful companion into your life. We have a lot of friends who support Greyhound rescue groups. Over the years, we've been helped by a great non-profit called WestieMed when we've had rescued Westies in our care. We think of them when we have occasions to give a donation.

Here are the direct links to the donations pages of three options.

WestieMed

The MSPCA

ARLBoston

We will be giving in the names of our three girls – two gone but not forgotten, Sassy and Maggie Mae – and our dear, little puppy Poppy!

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: © 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.

Related articles

Sunday Dog, Zoe – the Cutest "Morkie" We've Ever Met!

Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her "Perfect"

Sunday Dog, Mack – an OEB that Loves to Snuggle!

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

December 16, 2012
Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2012 in Boston
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve. Are you looking for a place to ring in 2013 with a happy crowd? Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?

We fall into the food-loving, quiet celebration group, and we'll tell you about some places where that's possible.

But, we have to admit one of our more memorable New Year's Eves was spent at the bar at Hamersley's Bistro. We had planned to slip in and out for a quick, quiet dinner and managed to stay for a much longer time enjoying the company of a great group at the bar. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. This is perfect if you're meeting up with a group here in the city and the site even offers places like AKA Bistro in Lincoln for those who prefer a suburban location.

You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

Update 12.27.12: Eater Boston has added its Map of What to do on New Year's Eve.

Update 12.28.12: Grub Street Boston put up their, "Grub Guide: Where to Get Dreamy Takeout on New Year's Eve" Some good choices there.

There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
- Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
- Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
- Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
- Craigie On Main is planning two sets of seatings for two prix fixe menus. Call fast, these reservations will be snatched up quickly.
- Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
- La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.

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: Photo: 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 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.
December 14, 2012
Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2012 in Boston
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve. Are you looking for a place to ring in 2013 with a happy crowd? Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?

We fall into the food-loving, quiet celebration group, and we'll tell you about some places where that's possible.

But, we have to admit one of our more memorable New Year's Eves was spent at the bar at Hamersley's Bistro. We had planned to slip in and out for a quick, quiet dinner and managed to stay for a much longer time enjoying the company of a great group at the bar. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. This is perfect if you're meeting up with a group here in the city and the site even offers places like AKA Bistro in Lincoln for those who prefer a suburban location.

You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

Update 12.27.12: Eater Boston has added its Map of What to do on New Year's Eve.

Update 12.28.12: Grub Street Boston put up their, "Grub Guide: Where to Get Dreamy Takeout on New Year's Eve" Some good choices there.

There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
- Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
- Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
- Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
- Craigie On Main is planning two sets of seatings for two prix fixe menus. Call fast, these reservations will be snatched up quickly.
- Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
- La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.

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: Photo: 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 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.
December 14, 2012
Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2012 in Boston
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve. Are you looking for a place to ring in 2013 with a happy crowd? Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?

We fall into the food-loving, quiet celebration group, and we'll tell you about some places where that's possible.

But, we have to admit one of our more memorable New Year's Eves was spent at the bar at Hamersley's Bistro. We had planned to slip in and out for a quick, quiet dinner and managed to stay for a much longer time enjoying the company of a great group at the bar. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. This is perfect if you're meeting up with a group here in the city and the site even offers places like AKA Bistro in Lincoln for those who prefer a suburban location.

You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

Update 12.27.12: Eater Boston has added its Map of What to do on New Year's Eve.

Update 12.28.12: Grub Street Boston put up their, "Grub Guide: Where to Get Dreamy Takeout on New Year's Eve" Some good choices there.

There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
- Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
- Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
- Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
- Craigie On Main is planning two sets of seatings for two prix fixe menus. Call fast, these reservations will be snatched up quickly.
- Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
- La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.

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: Photo: 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 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.
December 14, 2012