Category: We recommend!

North Bennet Street School’s “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

The North Bennet Street School is a Boston treasure where students follow their hearts and make their career dreams come true. From May 18th to the 29th, 2015 the school presents, "Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship." (details below)

At this event, you can view dozens of one-of-a-kind objects created by North Bennet Street School students and alumni.

If you've been following along with us for the past decade, you know that this BostonZest team is a big fan of fine craftsmanship. We admit to having a fascination with this magical place and the people who make it so special. Here are a few examples of what to expect.

Title: Spice Cabinet Artist: Chris Anderson, Materials: walnut, holly, black locust, red cedar

Title: Samurai Chain Mail Bracelet Artist: John Gifford, Materials: 18-karat yellow gold

Title: 1580 Gasparo Da Salo (copy) Artist: Julia Felix, Materials: Ebony, Bosnian Maple, European Spruce

Title: The Robin and the Wren, Artist: Becky Koch, Materials: cave paper, goat skin

QUICK FACTS:

Once again, we must thank the information team at NBSS for putting together this great quick facts guide for our readers.

Event title: “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

Where: Windgate Gallery, North Bennet Street School, 150 North Street, Boston MA 02109

When: weekdays, May 18 through May 29, 2015 (closed Tuesday, May 19), and Saturday May 23

Hours: weekdays, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. (Friday, May 29, 8:00am – noon.) Saturday 9:00am – 4:30pm

Admission: Free

Handicap Access: Yes

Reservations: Not required for the main exhibition. Pre-arranged guided tours of the school available, provided reservations are made at least one day in advance.

Parking: Limited street parking (metered) and discounted parking at the Parcel 7 garage –http://www.nbss.edu/about/the-boston-area/visit/index.aspx#

Nearest T stop: Haymarket (Orange, Green lines)

Directions: via Google maps – http://goo.gl/maps/97sY4

More exhibition details: http://www.nbss.edu/about/news/student-and-alumni-exhibit2015/index.aspx
More about NBSS full-time programs and workshops: http://www.nbss.edu

In conjunction with the annual exhibition, a limited number of daily guided tours will be offered beginning Wednesday, May 20th. Tours must be scheduled at least one day in advance. For reservations, contact Chris Jankowski at 617-227-0155, x170 and cjankowski@nbss.edu.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover this amazing place full of very talented people.

What's on your Artistic shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your arts & craft needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Courtesy of North Bennet Street School

May 15, 2015
North Bennet Street School’s “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

The North Bennet Street School is a Boston treasure where students follow their hearts and make their career dreams come true. From May 18th to the 29th, 2015 the school presents, "Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship." (details below)

At this event, you can view dozens of one-of-a-kind objects created by North Bennet Street School students and alumni.

If you've been following along with us for the past decade, you know that this BostonZest team is a big fan of fine craftsmanship. We admit to having a fascination with this magical place and the people who make it so special. Here are a few examples of what to expect.

Title: Spice Cabinet Artist: Chris Anderson, Materials: walnut, holly, black locust, red cedar

Title: Samurai Chain Mail Bracelet Artist: John Gifford, Materials: 18-karat yellow gold

Title: 1580 Gasparo Da Salo (copy) Artist: Julia Felix, Materials: Ebony, Bosnian Maple, European Spruce

Title: The Robin and the Wren, Artist: Becky Koch, Materials: cave paper, goat skin

QUICK FACTS:

Once again, we must thank the information team at NBSS for putting together this great quick facts guide for our readers.

Event title: “Made by Hand: an exhibit of extraordinary craftsmanship”

Where: Windgate Gallery, North Bennet Street School, 150 North Street, Boston MA 02109

When: weekdays, May 18 through May 29, 2015 (closed Tuesday, May 19), and Saturday May 23

Hours: weekdays, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. (Friday, May 29, 8:00am – noon.) Saturday 9:00am – 4:30pm

Admission: Free

Handicap Access: Yes

Reservations: Not required for the main exhibition. Pre-arranged guided tours of the school available, provided reservations are made at least one day in advance.

Parking: Limited street parking (metered) and discounted parking at the Parcel 7 garage –http://www.nbss.edu/about/the-boston-area/visit/index.aspx#

Nearest T stop: Haymarket (Orange, Green lines)

Directions: via Google maps – http://goo.gl/maps/97sY4

More exhibition details: http://www.nbss.edu/about/news/student-and-alumni-exhibit2015/index.aspx
More about NBSS full-time programs and workshops: http://www.nbss.edu

In conjunction with the annual exhibition, a limited number of daily guided tours will be offered beginning Wednesday, May 20th. Tours must be scheduled at least one day in advance. For reservations, contact Chris Jankowski at 617-227-0155, x170 and cjankowski@nbss.edu.

This is a wonderful opportunity to discover this amazing place full of very talented people.

What's on your Artistic shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your arts & craft needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Courtesy of North Bennet Street School

May 15, 2015
Back Bay Hardware Is Moving June 1st

One of the longest standing and most useful stores on Newbury Street, Back Bay Hardware is moving a few doors East on June 1st. The new address will be 221 Newbury Street.

If you're a long time Bostonian, you may still call this store Parks True Value. The company has served the neighborhood since 1943. Even longer term residents may remember it as Parks Paint and Hardware on Huntington Avenue before it moved to Newbury Street in 1979.

Current owner Lex Stevens joined Parks True Value in 1995. He purchased the business in 2004 and renamed it Back Bay Hardware in 2010.

Another memory for long time customers is long time employee and everybody's pal Eric Chudnoff. We wrote about him back in 2008. For those who miss him, here's that post:

We All Rely On The Hardware Guy-Eric Chudnoff.

If you cringe, as we do, whenever you hear the words "moving day," just think about moving the thousands and thousands of items they've managed to pack into that small shop. Be a good neighbor. Stop in and buy a few things so Lex won't have to move them.

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: © 2015 Ed Cherubino

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May 12, 2015
Back Bay Hardware Is Moving June 1st

One of the longest standing and most useful stores on Newbury Street, Back Bay Hardware is moving a few doors East on June 1st. The new address will be 221 Newbury Street.

If you're a long time Bostonian, you may still call this store Parks True Value. The company has served the neighborhood since 1943. Even longer term residents may remember it as Parks Paint and Hardware on Huntington Avenue before it moved to Newbury Street in 1979.

Current owner Lex Stevens joined Parks True Value in 1995. He purchased the business in 2004 and renamed it Back Bay Hardware in 2010.

Another memory for long time customers is long time employee and everybody's pal Eric Chudnoff. We wrote about him back in 2008. For those who miss him, here's that post:

We All Rely On The Hardware Guy-Eric Chudnoff.

If you cringe, as we do, whenever you hear the words "moving day," just think about moving the thousands and thousands of items they've managed to pack into that small shop. Be a good neighbor. Stop in and buy a few things so Lex won't have to move them.

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: © 2015 Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Changes in Boston Dog Licensing for 2015

Petie Prances & Kicks Up His Heels with the Joy of Spring

The Witch Hazel Thinks It's Spring!

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May 12, 2015
Our Favorite May 2015 Activities and Events

May is one of those months when we like to get out and enjoy our city and perhaps schedule a few day trips or short getaways to places around the area. After this winter, we have worked to get our assignments ahead and will now take some time off to enjoy spring.

We already gave you the lowdown on What's happening around Boston in May 2015. That post puts the month into a planning perspective for you. This one is about our faves.

When if comes to events, we tend to enjoy the quieter side of the happenings roster. Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum on May 10th is more our style. It is the only day you are allowed to picnic on the grounds and they now have a small fleet of food trucks available for the event.

Food Truck Season

Speaking of food trucks, by May it's normally warm enough to dine al fresco and that means we can do more food truck sampling. The city seems to have lost interest in supporting this great aspect of Boston. So rather than recommend you use the city's site, we suggest you depend on Steve Leibowitz's site, Hub Food Trucks.

One of our favorite food truck spots is near the fountain at the Christian Science Plaza. It's listed as Belvidere on the schedules. In addition to more trucks and more choices, it has great seating for eating and fun people watching. Here's a link to the Hub Food Trucks schedule.

Community Gardens

It's planting and sprucing up season at community gardens throughout the area. We always plan a walk and photo shoot in the Fenway Victory Gardens in May. Here are some scenes from a past walk. From the Boston Natural Areas Network, here's a community garden locator.

For Other Tastes

Over on TripAdvisor's Boston Forum, Penny starts a monthly conversation on what's happening in Boston. The local volunteers who answer questions for visitors and share information among themselves add their favorites to that discussion. If you prefer big organized events, sports, and celebrity events to our quieter tastes, you may find great ideas at this link.

What's your favorite pastime or event in May?

Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

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: © 2012-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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May 4, 2015
We Toast the Month of May with Nino Franco Faive Rosé Brut

This month, we’ll toast the start of another calendar page and say “Happy New Month” with a Faive Rosé Brut from the wonderful family at Nino Franco.

In reading some of the great reviews of this wine, we found someone who agrees with our sparkling wine philosophy.

Charles Scicolone, a wine consultant that the New York Times called “The Maestro of Italian Wines,” includes Nino Franco Faive Rosé in a list of some of his favorite sparklers,

“Most of us think of sparkling wine as something that should only be drunk on special occasions or at Christmas and New Years, but I don’t agree. Sparkling wine can be enjoyed all year round and I especially like it in the summer and always with food.”

Last October, we first tasted this sparkling wine along with others from the Nino Franco line at Brix Wine Shop. At the tasting, we added a couple of bottles to our order because we have friends who we suspect will love this wine and we wanted to have some on hand when they visit.

Then, we opened a bottle at home and had it with food and without sharing our attention with some of our all time favorite Proseccos. We discovered that we love this Nino Franco wine for a whole set of different reasons. We added a few bottles to our next order from Brix to be sure to have some for our pals despite dipping into the supply from time to time.

Rosé as a Rite of Spring

We browsed our wine rack to pick a sparkler for May and remembered the strawberry notes and clean dry finish of the Faive. It seemed a perfect choice. Others agree.

Wine & Spirits 2013: “More red than rosé, this has the dark flavor of pomegranate …. There’s something oddly refreshing in it, a quirky rosé to chill for the beach, to serve with grilled shellfish.”

Independent Wine Review: “This “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length. Drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour.”

Sommelier’s Choice: “In many ways a wine that defies classification (not legally permitted to be labelled Prosecco, drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour and made differently to rosé Champagne) this “Faive” Rosé Spumante is defined by flavours of strawberries, wild raspberries and freshly picked nectarines. Almost completely dry and underpinned by an ever-present but subtle and nicely integrated mousse, this “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length.”

Charles Scicolone: “The wine is light salmon in color, with good bubbles, nice red fruit and a hint of pear.”

Tidbits About Faive Rosé Brut

Pronunciation: Fie-EE-vay

Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 12%

Importer’s serving suggestions: Faive should be enjoyed from the first spring days, over the summer until late autumn. Serve with small appetizing bites ranging from cheese, to lightly steamed shrimp and cheese straws.

What Does the Name Mean?

Faive: from the Venetian dialect, are the small gilded red tongues of flame and sparks rising towards the sky from a great fire, lightly and freely carried by the wind.

It certainly sparked some smiles around here. Happy new month!

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast …

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we’ve covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with the bottle alone courtesy of Nino Franco.

May 1, 2015
We Toast the Month of May with Nino Franco Faive Rosé Brut

This month, we’ll toast the start of another calendar page and say “Happy New Month” with a Faive Rosé Brut from the wonderful family at Nino Franco.

In reading some of the great reviews of this wine, we found someone who agrees with our sparkling wine philosophy.

Charles Scicolone, a wine consultant that the New York Times called “The Maestro of Italian Wines,” includes Nino Franco Faive Rosé in a list of some of his favorite sparklers,

“Most of us think of sparkling wine as something that should only be drunk on special occasions or at Christmas and New Years, but I don’t agree. Sparkling wine can be enjoyed all year round and I especially like it in the summer and always with food.”

Last October, we first tasted this sparkling wine along with others from the Nino Franco line at Brix Wine Shop. At the tasting, we added a couple of bottles to our order because we have friends who we suspect will love this wine and we wanted to have some on hand when they visit.

Then, we opened a bottle at home and had it with food and without sharing our attention with some of our all time favorite Proseccos. We discovered that we love this Nino Franco wine for a whole set of different reasons. We added a few bottles to our next order from Brix to be sure to have some for our pals despite dipping into the supply from time to time.

Rosé as a Rite of Spring

We browsed our wine rack to pick a sparkler for May and remembered the strawberry notes and clean dry finish of the Faive. It seemed a perfect choice. Others agree.

Wine & Spirits 2013: “More red than rosé, this has the dark flavor of pomegranate …. There’s something oddly refreshing in it, a quirky rosé to chill for the beach, to serve with grilled shellfish.”

Independent Wine Review: “This “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length. Drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour.”

Sommelier’s Choice: “In many ways a wine that defies classification (not legally permitted to be labelled Prosecco, drier than most rosé sparkling wines made in the Prosecco zone of production and purer in flavour and made differently to rosé Champagne) this “Faive” Rosé Spumante is defined by flavours of strawberries, wild raspberries and freshly picked nectarines. Almost completely dry and underpinned by an ever-present but subtle and nicely integrated mousse, this “Faive” Rosé bubbles on across an impressive length.”

Charles Scicolone: “The wine is light salmon in color, with good bubbles, nice red fruit and a hint of pear.”

Tidbits About Faive Rosé Brut

Pronunciation: Fie-EE-vay

Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 12%

Importer’s serving suggestions: Faive should be enjoyed from the first spring days, over the summer until late autumn. Serve with small appetizing bites ranging from cheese, to lightly steamed shrimp and cheese straws.

What Does the Name Mean?

Faive: from the Venetian dialect, are the small gilded red tongues of flame and sparks rising towards the sky from a great fire, lightly and freely carried by the wind.

It certainly sparked some smiles around here. Happy new month!

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast …

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we’ve covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino with the bottle alone courtesy of Nino Franco.

May 1, 2015
Where to Dine on Mother’s Day, May 10th 2015 Around Boston

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Northeastern, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2015 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed and some lovely flowers.

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 10, 2015.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

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

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Our picks and, for us, al la carte Menus Get Our Nod

Bistro Du Midi has a prix fixe menu in their formal dining room but there are also offering an al la carte menu in the Cafe. With the Swan Boats and Public Garden across the street, this can be a wonderful choice for lunch and a stroll and family photos in a beautiful setting.

Lineage in Brookline is also on the a la carte option plan. Boston Chefs says, "Lineage will be open early for brunch and dinner this Mother's Day, offering up a special a la carte brunch menu, as well as, their regular dinner menu."

The Red Dory in Tiverton, RI: Like many Bostonians, we are long time fans of chef Steve Johnson and miss his food and smiling face at Rendezvous in Central Square. If a road trip to a waterfront destination would make your Mother's day perfect, head to his new place, the Red Dory. We asked about his Mother's Day plans and he wrote, "Open M'sDay/no special menu except many recent seasonal updates + including Sunday Tapas supplemental menu – Cheers!"

For something different take Mom out on Saturday. Would she enjoy afternoon tea at the Courtyard restaurant inside the Boston Public Library? They say, "Join us for a special Saturday opening for Mother's Day! Enjoy our Afternoon Tea Menu complete with savory tea sandwiches and sweet confections from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm."

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

If you are meeting people from outside the city, you might consider La Morra in Brookline.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

We also love the Island Creek Team spot out in the Fort Point neighborhood, Row 34. Here's our post on this great addition to the city's dining scene.

And, for the best gift, let Mom choose something from her Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Related articles

SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

April 27, 2015
Where to Dine on Mother’s Day, May 10th 2015 Around Boston

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Northeastern, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2015 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed and some lovely flowers.

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 10, 2015.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

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

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.

As more great Boston food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!

Our picks and, for us, al la carte Menus Get Our Nod

Bistro Du Midi has a prix fixe menu in their formal dining room but there are also offering an al la carte menu in the Cafe. With the Swan Boats and Public Garden across the street, this can be a wonderful choice for lunch and a stroll and family photos in a beautiful setting.

Lineage in Brookline is also on the a la carte option plan. Boston Chefs says, "Lineage will be open early for brunch and dinner this Mother's Day, offering up a special a la carte brunch menu, as well as, their regular dinner menu."

The Red Dory in Tiverton, RI: Like many Bostonians, we are long time fans of chef Steve Johnson and miss his food and smiling face at Rendezvous in Central Square. If a road trip to a waterfront destination would make your Mother's day perfect, head to his new place, the Red Dory. We asked about his Mother's Day plans and he wrote, "Open M'sDay/no special menu except many recent seasonal updates + including Sunday Tapas supplemental menu – Cheers!"

For something different take Mom out on Saturday. Would she enjoy afternoon tea at the Courtyard restaurant inside the Boston Public Library? They say, "Join us for a special Saturday opening for Mother's Day! Enjoy our Afternoon Tea Menu complete with savory tea sandwiches and sweet confections from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm."

For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

If you are meeting people from outside the city, you might consider La Morra in Brookline.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

We also love the Island Creek Team spot out in the Fort Point neighborhood, Row 34. Here's our post on this great addition to the city's dining scene.

And, for the best gift, let Mom choose something from her Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

Details:
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com

Related articles

SELECT Oyster Bar: Our First Taste

April 27, 2015
Fresh Paint Day 2015 Is Sunday, April 26th

Today's Friday Link is to the Copley Society who will kick off their annual Fresh Paint fund raising event this Sunday by sprinkling the artist members of the group around the city to create fresh artwork.

Those creations will be auctioned off at their Gala event on May 9th.

We love using this event to enjoy a spring walk around Boston. We download a map from the Copley Society site or pick up one from the first artist we see. Then, we wander around visiting with the artists working on their contributions to the event.

What's on your Artistic shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your arts & craft needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2011 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Doin' the Pothole Dance!

April 24, 2015