Category: We recommend!

Summer Events with Your Own Sunday Dog

Outdoor summer events can be fun to share with your pup as long as you make sure the event is safe and comfortable for your dog and that he will be a great ambassador for canines while in attendance.

Our little Maggie Mae (photo above) loved going to concerts and had a taste for opera. Poppy will share a blanket with us this summer and we'll see what kind of music she likes best.

There are a few, free, outdoor events, like the Esplanade concert and fireworks on July 4th, that prohibit dogs, but many of the spaces where events like this are held are dog friendly. That includes most other free concerts and movie nights at the Hatch Shell.

These are perfect opportunities to gather friends, a blanket, a picnic, and your dog for a relaxed evening outside.

Concerts

Speaking of the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra is playing on Wednesday nights 7-9 pm from July 16th to August 27th. They also have concerts scheduled in other spots around the city.

You might enjoy seeing this orchestra at 6 pm on July 9th in City Square, Charlestown; July 13th at Pinebank Promontory, Jamaica Plain; or July 27th in Copley Square.

Boston Harbor Hotel’s Summer in the City series offers live bands playing blues, soul, or the songs of the Rat Pack era Tuesday to Thursday through August. Naturally, dogs are not allowed on the restaurant patios. But, the sound carries and you can find a place to sit on the harbor side of the hotel and enjoy.

BostInno has published their "The Complete List of All the Summer Series Happening in Boston That You Need in Your Life." Not all of these are dog friendly. Some are inside or in places where your dog is not welcome but there are a few more good ideas for music here.

Movie Nights

Boston Harbor Hotel offers Friday night movies, while the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park hold a Sunday Night series. Free Friday Flicks at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade's schedule can be found here.

Photo by Katherine Hala used under this creative commons license.

Shakespeare on the Common

Twelfth Night is the play of the year for the Shakespeare on the Common Theatre Company. This year, you can pick your night to see this offering between July 23 and August 10th.

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
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino,

Hatch Shell concert artwork courtesy of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra

Boston Harbor Hotel photo courtesy of the hotel

Shakesspeare on the Common photo by Katherine Hala

June 22, 2014
Travel Tip: Pack an Apron, Old Shirt, or Chef’s Jacket

One way I pack lighter is to add some protection to my travel clothes. I just seem to attract spots and stains. At home, I use a chef's jacket both when I'm cooking and when I'm eating with family and close friends.

When we travel, I have an old, black Chefwear® jacket that I tuck into our ready-to-go suitcase. You can see it drying (in the photo above) after it was given a spot cleaning on a recent trip.

If you don't have a chef's jacket, you might pack an old, flannel shirt or at least an apron. If you're making coffee in your room or dining on room service at a hotel or cooking in a rental kitchen, you can keep your travel clothes cleaner with a sacrificial spot-catcher.

Related Posts:

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: The Tool Roll

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: The Spice Box

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: Hotel Rooms Too!

AeroPress, Our Travel CoffeeMaker

Use Your Lid: Keep it Simple in the Kitchen

And, here's a link to all our Tips & How To posts

What's on your Kitchen Shopping List? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Chef Works Basic Chef Coat

Chef Works Striped Bib Apron

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.

June 17, 2014
Travel Tip: Pack an Apron, Old Shirt, or Chef’s Jacket

One way I pack lighter is to add some protection to my travel clothes. I just seem to attract spots and stains. At home, I use a chef's jacket both when I'm cooking and when I'm eating with family and close friends.

When we travel, I have an old, black Chefwear® jacket that I tuck into our ready-to-go suitcase. You can see it drying (in the photo above) after it was given a spot cleaning on a recent trip.

If you don't have a chef's jacket, you might pack an old, flannel shirt or at least an apron. If you're making coffee in your room or dining on room service at a hotel or cooking in a rental kitchen, you can keep your travel clothes cleaner with a sacrificial spot-catcher.

Related Posts:

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: The Tool Roll

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: The Spice Box

Cooking in Vacation Rentals: Hotel Rooms Too!

AeroPress, Our Travel CoffeeMaker

Use Your Lid: Keep it Simple in the Kitchen

And, here's a link to all our Tips & How To posts

What's on your Kitchen Shopping List? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Chef Works Basic Chef Coat

Chef Works Striped Bib Apron

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.

June 17, 2014
Get Your Galleria Umberto Visit in Before Their July Vacation

What could be better than a table by the Mill Creek Fountain in the North End Greenway Park and a box full of pizza and arancini from Galleria Umberto Rosticceria?

Fans of this Boston treasure know that their official hours are short (Mon-Sat: 11:30am-2:30pm) and get even shorter as things begin to run out. When the dough is gone, they shut down. And, they take the month of July off. This year's posted dates for the Galleria Umberto vacation are 6/29-7/28. That means you need to get there in the next couple of weeks or wait until August.

We used one of our recent picture perfect spring days to walk to the North End and enjoy the simple but delicious food from this longtime Boston favorite. The pizza is Sicilian style with thick crust and an abundance of sauce and cheese. It's filling but suprisingly lighter than it would seem.

The arancini are filled with a mixture of meat, cheese, and peas and are about the size of a softball. They are fried but with a skillful hand that assures they are not greasy.

There are other items on the menu. We'll get around to covering those on another day. This visit was about the two items that most of the people in those lines-out-the-door are ordering.

Calzones in the warming case never stay there long. Everything is in a constant flow as food moves from the cooks in the back room into boxes for takeout or trays for dining-in that are handed to customers.

There is a really great piece of writing over on Serious Eats about Galleria Umberto's pizza. Carey Jones wrote, "Pizza flies out from the kitchen, enormous pans appearing every three or four minutes, smacked down on the counter, slices scooped up so quickly the cheese hardly has time to ooze over the side."

Simple, old world, fresh, ready, hearty, warm describes the food and the people. If you're a regular, you may get a hug or a conversation in Italian with your order. Regulars also have cash in hand because this is a "cash only" establishment.

Many locals also know that you can phone ahead with your order and go to the left of the main line, pull out your cash, and pick up your order. You'll see lots of locals picking up boxes of 10, 15, or 20 slices of pizza and a stash of other goodies.

You can dine in, if you choose, and have beer or wine in a paper cup with your food. But our crowd often has dogs in tow so we do this on really nice days and we eat in the park. Part of the clan finds a table on the Greenway or at least they stand ready to pounce on a table the moment one is free.

We keep a photo of the menu on our phones to put together our order. With decisions made and cash gathered, we make the call and tell them yes we do need napkins, forks, knives, and plates. They generously add those to your order. (And, they do supply ample napkins – they know their food.)

Then, one or two of you can walk down Hanover Street, pick up your feast, and return to the park for an outstanding picnic by the fountains.

Galleria Umberto

289 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113 (map)
617-227-5709

Cash Only!

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: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Otto Pizza, Coolidge Corner: Our First Look (At This Location)

Sicilian Slices at Boston's Galleria Umberto

Sicilian Slice Crawl in Boston

June 16, 2014
Get Your Galleria Umberto Visit in Before Their July Vacation

What could be better than a table by the Mill Creek Fountain in the North End Greenway Park and a box full of pizza and arancini from Galleria Umberto Rosticceria?

Fans of this Boston treasure know that their official hours are short (Mon-Sat: 11:30am-2:30pm) and get even shorter as things begin to run out. When the dough is gone, they shut down. And, they take the month of July off. This year's posted dates for the Galleria Umberto vacation are 6/29-7/28. That means you need to get there in the next couple of weeks or wait until August.

We used one of our recent picture perfect spring days to walk to the North End and enjoy the simple but delicious food from this longtime Boston favorite. The pizza is Sicilian style with thick crust and an abundance of sauce and cheese. It's filling but suprisingly lighter than it would seem.

The arancini are filled with a mixture of meat, cheese, and peas and are about the size of a softball. They are fried but with a skillful hand that assures they are not greasy.

There are other items on the menu. We'll get around to covering those on another day. This visit was about the two items that most of the people in those lines-out-the-door are ordering.

Calzones in the warming case never stay there long. Everything is in a constant flow as food moves from the cooks in the back room into boxes for takeout or trays for dining-in that are handed to customers.

There is a really great piece of writing over on Serious Eats about Galleria Umberto's pizza. Carey Jones wrote, "Pizza flies out from the kitchen, enormous pans appearing every three or four minutes, smacked down on the counter, slices scooped up so quickly the cheese hardly has time to ooze over the side."

Simple, old world, fresh, ready, hearty, warm describes the food and the people. If you're a regular, you may get a hug or a conversation in Italian with your order. Regulars also have cash in hand because this is a "cash only" establishment.

Many locals also know that you can phone ahead with your order and go to the left of the main line, pull out your cash, and pick up your order. You'll see lots of locals picking up boxes of 10, 15, or 20 slices of pizza and a stash of other goodies.

You can dine in, if you choose, and have beer or wine in a paper cup with your food. But our crowd often has dogs in tow so we do this on really nice days and we eat in the park. Part of the clan finds a table on the Greenway or at least they stand ready to pounce on a table the moment one is free.

We keep a photo of the menu on our phones to put together our order. With decisions made and cash gathered, we make the call and tell them yes we do need napkins, forks, knives, and plates. They generously add those to your order. (And, they do supply ample napkins – they know their food.)

Then, one or two of you can walk down Hanover Street, pick up your feast, and return to the park for an outstanding picnic by the fountains.

Galleria Umberto

289 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113 (map)
617-227-5709

Cash Only!

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: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Otto Pizza, Coolidge Corner: Our First Look (At This Location)

Sicilian Slices at Boston's Galleria Umberto

Sicilian Slice Crawl in Boston

June 16, 2014
Provincetown Harbor Beach Public Access Points

Last month, on the Trip Advisor Provincetown Forum, someone asked about access to the Harbor Beach.

I thought it would be a quick research project and that the town would have a map or a listing. But, after spending a few minutes searching and agreeing with the replies from fellow Provincetown lovers, I forgot about it.

When Ed, Poppy, and I visited this spring, we noticed new signs that had popped up on some access points. That made me curious and I did some deeper research.

There on a post about Earth Day, I found that TheYearRounder's Guide to Provincetown had listed 18 access points along Commerical Street.

Scan down on this post and you'll find a bullet point list.

TheYearRounder is one of my must-read sources of Provincetown information and I highly recommend you add it to your reading list if you plan to spend time at lands end.

Sometimes the right of way will look like this with a sign and obvious path.

Other times the tip off will be signage and trash barrels close to the beach like this spot next to one of our favorite places – Devon's restaurant.

Related Posts:

Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes At Devon's in Provincetown

Dinner at Devon's in Provincetown

Here's a link to all of our Provincetown posts

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Dinner at Devon's in Provincetown

Describing Provincetown, MA

Provincetown in Early Spring

June 6, 2014
Provincetown Harbor Beach Public Access Points

Last month, on the Trip Advisor Provincetown Forum, someone asked about access to the Harbor Beach.

I thought it would be a quick research project and that the town would have a map or a listing. But, after spending a few minutes searching and agreeing with the replies from fellow Provincetown lovers, I forgot about it.

When Ed, Poppy, and I visited this spring, we noticed new signs that had popped up on some access points. That made me curious and I did some deeper research.

There on a post about Earth Day, I found that TheYearRounder's Guide to Provincetown had listed 18 access points along Commerical Street.

Scan down on this post and you'll find a bullet point list.

TheYearRounder is one of my must-read sources of Provincetown information and I highly recommend you add it to your reading list if you plan to spend time at lands end.

Sometimes the right of way will look like this with a sign and obvious path.

Other times the tip off will be signage and trash barrels close to the beach like this spot next to one of our favorite places – Devon's restaurant.

Related Posts:

Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes At Devon's in Provincetown

Dinner at Devon's in Provincetown

Here's a link to all of our Provincetown posts

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Dinner at Devon's in Provincetown

Describing Provincetown, MA

Provincetown in Early Spring

June 6, 2014
Parker House Boston Cream Pie, To Go Please!

Boston Cream Pie comes up as a frequent topic on Trip Advisor’s Boston Board.

Visitors see this as a bucket list taste of Boston. I added my two cents to a recent conversation, where someone planning a visit asked if it was possible to get a piece of pie without eating a full meal at the Parker House. However, I decided that more research was needed.

Ed, Poppy, and I took a walk to the Parker House and found the gift shop that was reputed to sell the pie to go. It’s called Morsel’s and is located next to the 60 School Street (map) entrance to the Omni Parker House.

As you may know, the Parker House is said to have invented this creation. It’s so popular, that they have it ready to go in the coffee/gift shop attached to the hotel. It’s priced at $8, at the time of this post.

It was not on display when I went in, but signs in the window said they sold it, so I asked the woman behind the counter. She asked how many I wanted. “One,” I replied, and she went to a refrigerator to get the dessert.

“And, how many forks?” She tucked the two requested forks and a supply of napkins into a small bag that was perfect for carrying the cake in its protective, domed container. She was charming and had obviously mastered “Boston Cream pie to go” hospitality.

We took our Parker House Boston Cream Pie to the Brewer Fountain Plaza (map) on the Boston Common for tasting.

This famous confection was lighter than you might expect with a nice moist cake, moist cream filling, and a good chocolate coating. Ed liked the addition of coconut to the sides. The portion was large enough for the two of us to happily share. And, we cleaned the container right down to the last flakes of coconut.

How does it compare to our favorite version of this dessert from Flour Bakery? We still rank Flour’s version as our #1 in this area. Their non-traditional addition of coffee syrup makes for an even moister cake.

But, the Parker House Boston Cream Pie will be a welcome snack when we are looking for a sweet downtown. And, we’re happy that those who come to eat it as a part of their Boston experience are going to enjoy a very good version of this historic dessert.

By the way, if you’re one of our readers from out of the area or a baker who would like to recreate this classic, the Parker House has shared their recipe. Download Parker House Boston Cream Pie Recipe.

Related Post:

Flour Bakery’s Boston Cream Pie, A Big Hit!

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

10 Tips for Shepherd’s Pie

A Taste of History

Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!

June 5, 2014
Parker House Boston Cream Pie, To Go Please!

Boston Cream Pie comes up as a frequent topic on Trip Advisor’s Boston Board.

Visitors see this as a bucket list taste of Boston. I added my two cents to a recent conversation, where someone planning a visit asked if it was possible to get a piece of pie without eating a full meal at the Parker House. However, I decided that more research was needed.

Ed, Poppy, and I took a walk to the Parker House and found the gift shop that was reputed to sell the pie to go. It’s called Morsel’s and is located next to the 60 School Street (map) entrance to the Omni Parker House.

As you may know, the Parker House is said to have invented this creation. It’s so popular, that they have it ready to go in the coffee/gift shop attached to the hotel. It’s priced at $8, at the time of this post.

It was not on display when I went in, but signs in the window said they sold it, so I asked the woman behind the counter. She asked how many I wanted. “One,” I replied, and she went to a refrigerator to get the dessert.

“And, how many forks?” She tucked the two requested forks and a supply of napkins into a small bag that was perfect for carrying the cake in its protective, domed container. She was charming and had obviously mastered “Boston Cream pie to go” hospitality.

We took our Parker House Boston Cream Pie to the Brewer Fountain Plaza (map) on the Boston Common for tasting.

This famous confection was lighter than you might expect with a nice moist cake, moist cream filling, and a good chocolate coating. Ed liked the addition of coconut to the sides. The portion was large enough for the two of us to happily share. And, we cleaned the container right down to the last flakes of coconut.

How does it compare to our favorite version of this dessert from Flour Bakery? We still rank Flour’s version as our #1 in this area. Their non-traditional addition of coffee syrup makes for an even moister cake.

But, the Parker House Boston Cream Pie will be a welcome snack when we are looking for a sweet downtown. And, we’re happy that those who come to eat it as a part of their Boston experience are going to enjoy a very good version of this historic dessert.

By the way, if you’re one of our readers from out of the area or a baker who would like to recreate this classic, the Parker House has shared their recipe. Download Parker House Boston Cream Pie Recipe.

Related Post:

Flour Bakery’s Boston Cream Pie, A Big Hit!

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 Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

10 Tips for Shepherd’s Pie

A Taste of History

Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!

June 5, 2014
Dining around Boston on Father’s Day, June 15, 2014

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Dad to a meal out on Father's Day, Sunday, June 15, 2014.

Would your Dad love to get his hands on some great Island Creek Oysters at Row 34?

For Father's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurant suggestions.

Open Table always does a great job guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chef's has a special list from their members.

Updates:

06.05.14- Chowhound conversation: Outdoor lunch, Father's Day, Metro West

Our Picks:

Row 34 in the Fort Point Neighborhood. Wouldn't Dad love to slurp a few Island Creeks or Row 34 oysters? And, match those beauties with the perfect brew from one of the taps or the current cask beer?

Here's more on what we enjoyed at Row 34.

Sweet Cheeks Q in the Fenway may seem to be just for the meat lovers in the clan, but they put out some great veggies and a tray of hot and cold scoops (as they call them) with a remarkable farm salad that will put a smile on any one with a preference for vegetarian fare. And, remember to order the crazy-good biscuits. (You may want to treat Dad to a doggie bag of them for the rest of the week!) Check out our Sweet Cheeks posts:

Sweet Cheeks BBQ: A First Look

Sweet Cheeks Q- Great Northern Brisket

Salt & Pepper Potatoes at Sweet Cheeks Q

Bourbon Beer? at Sweet Cheeks

How about simple Italian-American food in a very comfortable setting. We suggest Artu in the North End or on Charles Street in Beacon Hill. Here's one of our favorite menu items.

If you'd like to treat Dad to something really special, consider the ultimate hamburger at the Bristol Lounge at the Four Season's Hotel. Lunch there for just the two of you, some quiet afternoon, could be a great IOU if you can't be together on the 15th. Here's what we wrote about that burger.

Another great spot to share a meal, any day of the week, is Coppa in the South End. You can even top off your meal with a quick shopping trip to South End Formaggio across the street. We always do! And, that will let you create a super take-home gift that Dad can help select. Need more convincing? Take a look at:

Friday Lunch at Coppa, an Italian Seduction

Coppa Italian Grinder: A Best Bite

Coppa- A First Look

And, if you're thinking of an adventure in the South End, how about a guided tour of the food trucks gathered at the SOWA Open Market each Sunday. No resevations needed! Check out:

SOWA Market: Where to Find Food Trucks!

Photo of Evelyn's Drive-In, Tiverton Rhode Island courtesty of that great resouce for finding all the dining traditions Boston has to offer, Hidden Boston.

Our final suggestion is a trip down memory lane. Take Dad someplace where he used to take you if you have an old favorite that survives to this day. For Penny, this might be Evelyn's Drive-In. For Ed, The Bubbling Brook in Westwood. This day would be about remembering and laughing as much as about the food.

And, for the best gift, let Dad choose something from his Wish List. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn't shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon shopping trip.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino and Evelyn's courtesy of Hidden 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 add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

June 3, 2014