Category: We recommend!

Going to Provincetown? Reserve a Seat at Ross’ Grill

Thanks to finding a great puppy sitter, we were able to dine out in Provincetown on our recent spring visit. Naturally our first choice for a test run was brunch at Ross' Grill.

We want to put you on alert – grabbing a couple of seats at the bar in-season won't be as easy as it was for us in April. So go to the site and make a reservation before you arrive in town or call them as soon as you land in Ptown.

This is exactly what we recommended to a friend going to Provincetown for Memorial Day weekend. Why not insure an outstanding meal with great hospitality?

A bonus is the great harbor view.

And a wonderful deck where you can relax with a drink while waiting for friends or a table.

These wine specials are in addition to a fabulous and extensive wine list with more than 75 different wines served by the glass.

We actually have a tradition of choosing a pinot noir for our Thanksgiving meal at while sitting and sipping at this bar. Someone has a great taste in pinot and we love to let experts educate us and select the best wine.

Ross' has a history of outstanding bartenders. We asked for a recommendation and knew we were in the hands of a talented server with our first sips. In fact, one of our favorite bartenders over the years, César Gerena, now owns the restaurant.

Ed makes it easy for us to pick a pinot by ordering his favorite "Blackened Tuna Sandwich with Black Olive Tapenade." He loves a good pinot with that dish.

The "Chicken Liver and Pistachio Paté" is the perfect appetizer to share with the table or your dining companion. We both enjoyed this platter of delicious accoutrements that let us make each slice of bread spread with paté slightly different from the last.

Ross' Grill is at the end of Whaler's Wharf on the second floor.

You can check the current menu on line or on this menu board near at the entrance to the wharf complex.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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May 26, 2017
Going to Provincetown? Reserve a Seat at Ross’ Grill

Thanks to finding a great puppy sitter, we were able to dine out in Provincetown on our recent spring visit. Naturally our first choice for a test run was brunch at Ross' Grill.

We want to put you on alert – grabbing a couple of seats at the bar in-season won't be as easy as it was for us in April. So go to the site and make a reservation before you arrive in town or call them as soon as you land in Ptown.

This is exactly what we recommended to a friend going to Provincetown for Memorial Day weekend. Why not insure an outstanding meal with great hospitality?

A bonus is the great harbor view.

And a wonderful deck where you can relax with a drink while waiting for friends or a table.

These wine specials are in addition to a fabulous and extensive wine list with more than 75 different wines served by the glass.

We actually have a tradition of choosing a pinot noir for our Thanksgiving meal at while sitting and sipping at this bar. Someone has a great taste in pinot and we love to let experts educate us and select the best wine.

Ross' has a history of outstanding bartenders. We asked for a recommendation and knew we were in the hands of a talented server with our first sips. In fact, one of our favorite bartenders over the years, César Gerena, now owns the restaurant.

Ed makes it easy for us to pick a pinot by ordering his favorite "Blackened Tuna Sandwich with Black Olive Tapenade." He loves a good pinot with that dish.

The "Chicken Liver and Pistachio Paté" is the perfect appetizer to share with the table or your dining companion. We both enjoyed this platter of delicious accoutrements that let us make each slice of bread spread with paté slightly different from the last.

Ross' Grill is at the end of Whaler's Wharf on the second floor.

You can check the current menu on line or on this menu board near at the entrance to the wharf complex.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Waiting for Swan Boat Rides on Memorial Day Weekend

What Better Way to Welcome May then with a Paul Chollet Crémant Brut Rosé! – BostonZest

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

May 26, 2017
The Sleeping Bag Chronicles

We love visiting beaches in the shoulder seasons. Sometimes this means we have some surprisingly warm days, but often it means we deal with a bit of cold and wind.

For those days, Penny has found a solution. Or rather, she has taken a lesson from some wise neighbors at the beach.

Last April she was sitting inside reading while sharing the window seat with Poppy. It was too cold and windy to be out on the deck where Penny would spend every waking hour if she could.

Through the window she saw two women come out from one of the other apartments, spread sleeping bags on the chaise lounges on the deck, zip themselves in, and start to read. Brilliant Women! Women to be emulated!

This year we arrived with a cold weather sleeping bag.

Not only does it work like a charm on cool windy days, but it also opens into a queen size comforter, if we want to use it that way. This one is a nice, soft, flannel fabric and doesn't have any of the noisy, crinkly nylon that many other bags have.

When the sun warmed up the deck, the sleeping bag was still welcomed to keep toes warm and to serve as a comfy cushion.

It was "Poppy Approved" for sharing …

Both outdoors on sunny days and inside on rainy ones.

You might consider this as a great gift for anyone with a beach house, especially if they love to spend time outside in spring and fall or on chilly summer nights.

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: © 2017 Ed Cherubino

May 25, 2017
The Sleeping Bag Chronicles

We love visiting beaches in the shoulder seasons. Sometimes this means we have some surprisingly warm days, but often it means we deal with a bit of cold and wind.

For those days, Penny has found a solution. Or rather, she has taken a lesson from some wise neighbors at the beach.

Last April she was sitting inside reading while sharing the window seat with Poppy. It was too cold and windy to be out on the deck where Penny would spend every waking hour if she could.

Through the window she saw two women come out from one of the other apartments, spread sleeping bags on the chaise lounges on the deck, zip themselves in, and start to read. Brilliant Women! Women to be emulated!

This year we arrived with a cold weather sleeping bag.

Not only does it work like a charm on cool windy days, but it also opens into a queen size comforter, if we want to use it that way. This one is a nice, soft, flannel fabric and doesn't have any of the noisy, crinkly nylon that many other bags have.

When the sun warmed up the deck, the sleeping bag was still welcomed to keep toes warm and to serve as a comfy cushion.

It was "Poppy Approved" for sharing …

Both outdoors on sunny days and inside on rainy ones.

You might consider this as a great gift for anyone with a beach house, especially if they love to spend time outside in spring and fall or on chilly summer nights.

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: © 2017 Ed Cherubino

May 25, 2017
Pink Glera, Piselli, and the Patio at Coppa Enoteca for a Perfect Spring Afternoon

When one spring vegetable dish would not fit with an allergy, our server at Coppa suggested a new menu item – Piselli (Roasted snap peas, chermoula vinaigrette with fried shallot.)

Between bites and wipes of the sauce with bits of bread, we sipped a pink Glera. It was such a great combination that when a friend stopped to chat, we offered to order another round to share with him so he could taste it.

Any day on the patio at Coppa is a good day. We always order a few small plates and try to mix up our old favorites with new temptations.

This new menu item gets our best bite status.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny Cherubino

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May 24, 2017
Pink Glera, Piselli, and the Patio at Coppa Enoteca for a Perfect Spring Afternoon

When one spring vegetable dish would not fit with an allergy, our server at Coppa suggested a new menu item – Piselli (Roasted snap peas, chermoula vinaigrette with fried shallot.)

Between bites and wipes of the sauce with bits of bread, we sipped a pink Glera. It was such a great combination that when a friend stopped to chat, we offered to order another round to share with him so he could taste it.

Any day on the patio at Coppa is a good day. We always order a few small plates and try to mix up our old favorites with new temptations.

This new menu item gets our best bite status.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

May 24, 2017
Calming Cues for All Sunday Dogs

Who knows more about calming stressed dogs and cats than those devoted people who work in animal shelters. Lately, some of these folks are helping researchers develop a soundtrack to reduce the stress of this living situation for their charges.

Emily Weiss, Ph.D, CAAB, Senior Director, Shelter Research & Development for the ASPCA reported the results of a recent study from Hartpury College in the United Kingdom. “They examined dogs’ behavior with regular kennel sounds (control condition), classical music, pop music, the psychoacoustically designed dog music and audiobooks. And what they found was pretty cool: Dogs spent more time resting and less time in vigilant behaviors when listening to audiobooks vs. any other condition!” Pop music brought on the most barking in this study.

A Colorado State study, reported, “Results suggest that classical music leads to kenneled dogs spending more time sleeping and less time vocalizing than when exposed to other music types or no music.” The loser is this study was heavy metal music which increased body shaking, a behavior suggestive of nervousness.

Our Westie Poppy has her own calming music collection, loaded onto an old iPod, that keeps her company when she’s home alone.

Taking It Home

We have used music with all three of our dogs and some fosters. Our first Westie Sassy had a seizure disorder. We found that playing soft classical music seemed to help her during the recovery phase of her seizures.

We used the same CD of piano concertos when we fostered a wild boy Westie named Cooper. He was less excitable when we played the music. We even made a gift of that CD to his adoptive family, but soon found ourselves buying another copy for our Maggie Mae as she aged.

Maggie had very specific taste in music. She adored March of the Toreadors from the Opera Carmen. And whistling was always her thing. Any whistler could win her heart. When we left her behind at home or in a strange place, we would always leave music for her. Not only does familiar music soothe a dog, but it also helps to mask outside sounds that might cause the pup to bark.

Poppy, our third Westie, loves anyone who speaks with an accent. She is especially fond of Scandinavian and British-accented English. She’ll sit totally transfixed if we watch TV’s New Scandinavian Cooking. And, in a nod to the first study mentioned, audiobooks with British accents are among Poppy’s favorites.

Your Soundtrack

With this information at hand, you might want to see what sounds, music, voices, or genres calm your dog or cat. Are there times when you should don your headphones rather than expose your companion to your favorite heavy metal band or a violent movie filled with explosions and gunshots?

Can you prepare a mix of music or download an audiobook that will run on a loop and keep your animal company when you are away? There are recordings that are designed for calming dogs, but they did not test as better than classical music or audiobooks.

In addition to music, you might take a look at other parts of the soundtrack of your home. Dogs react to loud voices, fans, vacuum cleaners, banging doors, and so on. There may be other ways you can lessen stress for your animals by addressing some of these issues.

We know that sound causes stress for people, too. Examining and adapting the soundscape of your life may not only mean a happier dog or cat, but also a less stressed you.

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

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Hism master's voice from Google images licensed for reuse. Poppy sleeping ©2017 Penny Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

May 14, 2017
Calming Cues for All Sunday Dogs

Who knows more about calming stressed dogs and cats than those devoted people who work in animal shelters. Lately, some of these folks are helping researchers develop a soundtrack to reduce the stress of this living situation for their charges.

Emily Weiss, Ph.D, CAAB, Senior Director, Shelter Research & Development for the ASPCA reported the results of a recent study from Hartpury College in the United Kingdom. “They examined dogs’ behavior with regular kennel sounds (control condition), classical music, pop music, the psychoacoustically designed dog music and audiobooks. And what they found was pretty cool: Dogs spent more time resting and less time in vigilant behaviors when listening to audiobooks vs. any other condition!” Pop music brought on the most barking in this study.

A Colorado State study, reported, “Results suggest that classical music leads to kenneled dogs spending more time sleeping and less time vocalizing than when exposed to other music types or no music.” The loser is this study was heavy metal music which increased body shaking, a behavior suggestive of nervousness.

Our Westie Poppy has her own calming music collection, loaded onto an old iPod, that keeps her company when she’s home alone.

Taking It Home

We have used music with all three of our dogs and some fosters. Our first Westie Sassy had a seizure disorder. We found that playing soft classical music seemed to help her during the recovery phase of her seizures.

We used the same CD of piano concertos when we fostered a wild boy Westie named Cooper. He was less excitable when we played the music. We even made a gift of that CD to his adoptive family, but soon found ourselves buying another copy for our Maggie Mae as she aged.

Maggie had very specific taste in music. She adored March of the Toreadors from the Opera Carmen. And whistling was always her thing. Any whistler could win her heart. When we left her behind at home or in a strange place, we would always leave music for her. Not only does familiar music soothe a dog, but it also helps to mask outside sounds that might cause the pup to bark.

Poppy, our third Westie, loves anyone who speaks with an accent. She is especially fond of Scandinavian and British-accented English. She’ll sit totally transfixed if we watch TV’s New Scandinavian Cooking. And, in a nod to the first study mentioned, audiobooks with British accents are among Poppy’s favorites.

Your Soundtrack

With this information at hand, you might want to see what sounds, music, voices, or genres calm your dog or cat. Are there times when you should don your headphones rather than expose your companion to your favorite heavy metal band or a violent movie filled with explosions and gunshots?

Can you prepare a mix of music or download an audiobook that will run on a loop and keep your animal company when you are away? There are recordings that are designed for calming dogs, but they did not test as better than classical music or audiobooks.

In addition to music, you might take a look at other parts of the soundtrack of your home. Dogs react to loud voices, fans, vacuum cleaners, banging doors, and so on. There may be other ways you can lessen stress for your animals by addressing some of these issues.

We know that sound causes stress for people, too. Examining and adapting the soundscape of your life may not only mean a happier dog or cat, but also a less stressed you.

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

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Hism master's voice from Google images licensed for reuse. Poppy sleeping ©2017 Penny Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

May 14, 2017
Pecorino Caggiano From Formaggio Kitchen South End

On Fridays we link our readers to a resource that deserves applause. Today we are using the Pecorino Caggiano we bought this week at Formaggio Kitchen South End as an example of how and why you should use the Formaggio cheese shops as a resource.

Often our approach to buying cheese at Formaggio is to ask the cheesemonger, "What is great today?" In the right hands, cheese is a living organism that evolves from day-to-day. At any given moment, the Formaggio staff knows of something in that case that is extraordinary.

This time Penny had a few moments to read some of the descriptions before she chatted with the staff. The sign for Pecorino Caggiano intrigued her and she asked for a taste.

At first it seemed like a good but rather ordinary pecorino. But, as we have learned over the years, you have to let it warm in your mouth or hold a slice on a wrapper in your hand until it warms to get the full flavor. In this case, if you give it a moment, you experience an explosion of sheepy tang.

We had it for supper with a bit of fennel salami and a Clear Flour baguette.

Formaggio Kitchen, as a resource, is more than a store, they are also food educators. Above you see their page on this cheese. It tells you the story behind the product and suggests pairings. If you are in the shop, your cheesemonger will do the same.

Formaggio also has classes you can attend and an education section on their major product lines on their website.

We are very fortunate to have this resource in the Boston area.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

DCR's Universal Access Program + Accessible Recreation Fair, May 30, 2015

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May 12, 2017
Pecorino Caggiano From Formaggio Kitchen South End

On Fridays we link our readers to a resource that deserves applause. Today we are using the Pecorino Caggiano we bought this week at Formaggio Kitchen South End as an example of how and why you should use the Formaggio cheese shops as a resource.

Often our approach to buying cheese at Formaggio is to ask the cheesemonger, "What is great today?" In the right hands, cheese is a living organism that evolves from day-to-day. At any given moment, the Formaggio staff knows of something in that case that is extraordinary.

This time Penny had a few moments to read some of the descriptions before she chatted with the staff. The sign for Pecorino Caggiano intrigued her and she asked for a taste.

At first it seemed like a good but rather ordinary pecorino. But, as we have learned over the years, you have to let it warm in your mouth or hold a slice on a wrapper in your hand until it warms to get the full flavor. In this case, if you give it a moment, you experience an explosion of sheepy tang.

We had it for supper with a bit of fennel salami and a Clear Flour baguette.

Formaggio Kitchen, as a resource, is more than a store, they are also food educators. Above you see their page on this cheese. It tells you the story behind the product and suggests pairings. If you are in the shop, your cheesemonger will do the same.

Formaggio also has classes you can attend and an education section on their major product lines on their website.

We are very fortunate to have this resource in the Boston area.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

DCR's Universal Access Program + Accessible Recreation Fair, May 30, 2015

West West Blue Cheese & Brooklyn Brewery's K is for Kriek

May 12, 2017