Tag: Boston

  • Patio & Picnic Season Means More Dining Out Options

    As the temperatures rise, our dining options increase. We love dining on the patio at a select group of area restaurants and we are dedicated to picnics in parks, on a bench, on an oceanside deck, or high above the city on our roof deck.

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    We admit we prefer picnics that include a glass of great wine. Even simple fare, some bread, cheese, olives and fruit seem elegant with a splash of bubbly.

    IMG_7502 - Version 22014-06-19-coppa- boston-gnocchi-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

     

    One of our favorite patios is the one at Coppa in the South End. It's where we can be sure that the food will be as wonderful as the lovely days that draw us to outdoor dining. That's Coppa's "Ricotta gnocchi with nasturtium butter-cacio e pepe,"  in the photo above.

    IMG_75082014-06-20-Boccos- bento-box-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often pick up a picnic to go from a place like Bacco's Wine + Cheese and try to find a spot in the Public Garden away from the noise where we can relax and nibble an hour away. There, the sparkle has to be sparkling water but that's okay with us. 

    We're hoping to win a table on the patio at the new Tatte Bakery & Café on Charles Street one of these days. So far, we've had to order our food to go and make our way back to the Garden to dine.

    IMG_75902014-08-23thinking cup breakfast© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often make a stop at Thinking Cup on Newbury for breakfast while we're out walking. They make great breakfast sandwiches.

    While our selection of patios for dining is narrow, Eater Boston has put together a much more comprehensive map of options. Here's a link to their piece: These Patios Are Officially Open for the Season. They have pointed out a few places we've been meaning to try and the possibility of sitting outside will move them up on our list. 

    Happy Spring, get out and enjoy an al fresco meal at one of your favorite places.

    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  

  • 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. 

    CHE_8136 - Version 22013-06-21-back-bay-garden--© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    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. 

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    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.

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    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  

  • 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

    CHE_6996 - Version 22015-04-21-Faive-Rose-brut-nino-franco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    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.”

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d0773125970c-800wi

    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.

    Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at Tuesday, April 21, 20159.41.56 AM

    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.

  • 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

    CHE_6996 - Version 22015-04-21-Faive-Rose-brut-nino-franco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    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.”

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d0773125970c-800wi

    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.

    Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at Tuesday, April 21, 20159.41.56 AM

    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.

  • Someone Did a Ton of Laundry or …

    Either someone did a ton of laundry or one of the residents of a Back Bay condo broke down and cleaned out the empties in the laundry room. 

    IMG_8198 - Version 22015-04-27trash-back-bay-laundry-room-clean-out-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    This extra large bag of laundry product containers was put out for recycling yesterday.

    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 Penny Cherubino  

  • Someone Did a Ton of Laundry or …

    Either someone did a ton of laundry or one of the residents of a Back Bay condo broke down and cleaned out the empties in the laundry room. 

    IMG_8198 - Version 22015-04-27trash-back-bay-laundry-room-clean-out-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    This extra large bag of laundry product containers was put out for recycling yesterday.

    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 Penny Cherubino  

  • 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.

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    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 

  • 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.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834011570566136970b-800wi

    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 

  • The Back Bay Magnolias Are Slowly Blooming

    With last week's return to cooler temperatures, the opening of the magnolia buds along Commonwealth Avenue slowed, but it is happening! And, if we get a sunny day or two, we think the spectacular display should peak this week.

    CHE_6845 - Version 22015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    Right now, there are a few early bloomers ready for their closeups. The white magnolias, like those above and below, are the first to bloom and a few have already begun to drop their petals.

    CHE_6883 - Version 22015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    There is the slightest tinge of pink even in the whitest of the white blossoms. It's fun to notice things like that when you move in for a close view.

    CHE_6910 - Version 22015-04-19-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolias-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6905 - Version 22015-04-19-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolias-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6863 - Version 32015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6890 - Version 42015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    The next bloomers are the Magnolia stellata, or star magnolia with many small petals per bud.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017d42f1252b970c-800wi

    (This photo is from a past year.)

    Finally, the big show stoppers will be the thousands of Magnolia × soulangeana or saucer magnolia.

    And, an encore will be performed by the deep purple variety that's still showing tightly, closed buds on the few trees we can identify. 

    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: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • The Back Bay Magnolias Are Slowly Blooming

    With last week's return to cooler temperatures, the opening of the magnolia buds along Commonwealth Avenue slowed, but it is happening! And, if we get a sunny day or two, we think the spectacular display should peak this week.

    CHE_6845 - Version 22015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    Right now, there are a few early bloomers ready for their closeups. The white magnolias, like those above and below, are the first to bloom and a few have already begun to drop their petals.

    CHE_6883 - Version 22015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    There is the slightest tinge of pink even in the whitest of the white blossoms. It's fun to notice things like that when you move in for a close view.

    CHE_6910 - Version 22015-04-19-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolias-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6905 - Version 22015-04-19-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolias-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6863 - Version 32015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    CHE_6890 - Version 42015-04-16-spring-back-bay-boston-magnolia-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    The next bloomers are the Magnolia stellata, or star magnolia with many small petals per bud.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017d42f1252b970c-800wi

    (This photo is from a past year.)

    Finally, the big show stoppers will be the thousands of Magnolia × soulangeana or saucer magnolia.

    And, an encore will be performed by the deep purple variety that's still showing tightly, closed buds on the few trees we can identify. 

    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: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino