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.
We have been visiting Provincetown for many, many years and we've seen the town change over the years. On a recent morning, Penny took photos of some of the places we are always recommending to friends when they travel to our favorite home away from home.
We often sing the praises of Utilities If you find the place you rented doesn't have good wine glasses, a sharp knife, a cutting board or any home essential, this is the place to find a quality item that you will be happy to take home with you.
You will often see us wearing shirts and hats with fabulous Provincetown graphics. Those all come from Birdie Silkscreen Studio. Once upon a time, we owned a company that created silkscreen designs. We know how difficult it is to do that well and we are long time fans of this graphic artist.
If it is something odd that you need or if you are looking for a way to spend a bit of time inside on a rainy day, make your way to Marine Specialties. This year we found and bought some fish net that we could use to block off the stairs to the deck and keep our dog Poppy contained.
We both have shoes that we've bought at Cape Tip Sportswear. Ed swears by them as the source of his running shoes and the sales they have before and after the prime season are always great.
Supporting independent bookstores is important so make sure you visit and make a purchase at Provincetown Book Shop.
Forgot to pack a sun hat? Visit Mad As A Hatter and you'll find exactly what you want.
There was a time when we brought the wine we wanted to P-town. Now we have two favorite wine shops in town. Glass Half Full is in the center of town.
Perry's Wine and Liquors is in the West End. Now we bring wines back to Boston with us because both these shops have excellent.
This spice olive mix at Arax Market is a favorite with the BostonZest team.
Board member Klunco asked, "There are so many little grocers in a small area and was curious if anyone could give a run down of the strengths or must try items at each?" The responses from a number of regulars, who have won my trust over the years, were detailed and fabulous.
I had to admit that I do tend to buy the same things in the same places. The Chowhounds have inspired me to get out of my rut and do more comparison shopping. I tend to buy ingredients like those in the photo above. However, on a recent visit, I brought a friend who was drawn to the prepared foods and gave them rave reviews.
I made a quick visit last week, specifically hunting for Rose Harissa, and once again was thrilled with the outstanding service at each shop.
If you want to try something like the authentic string cheese soaking in a brine bath shown above, ask about it. Where does it come from? How do I store it? How do I prepare it? I did that many years ago and when a discussion popped up on Serious Eats, I was able to sell my editor on a feature on this treat. I just had to stop by and review what I knew with the experts in the shop.
My current favorite falafels from Fordee's.
I now have a list of prepared foods that I'll buy on my next visit based on the recommendations offered by other food lovers. I also plan to do a few taste-offs. I'll get fewer of my old favorites and try the comparable product from one or two other places.
One bonus Chowhound tip: like any public forum there are great resources, people with a single agenda, trolls, and time wasters. Over the years, I've learned which members I can rely upon for good information and which ones will waste my time with worthless or inaccurate ramblings. I read Chowhound on an RSS feed and watch the source of comments. I click right through to my favorites and don't read or respond to those who offer nothing of value to me.
This spice olive mix at Arax Market is a favorite with the BostonZest team.
Board member Klunco asked, "There are so many little grocers in a small area and was curious if anyone could give a run down of the strengths or must try items at each?" The responses from a number of regulars, who have won my trust over the years, were detailed and fabulous.
I had to admit that I do tend to buy the same things in the same places. The Chowhounds have inspired me to get out of my rut and do more comparison shopping. I tend to buy ingredients like those in the photo above. However, on a recent visit, I brought a friend who was drawn to the prepared foods and gave them rave reviews.
I made a quick visit last week, specifically hunting for Rose Harissa, and once again was thrilled with the outstanding service at each shop.
If you want to try something like the authentic string cheese soaking in a brine bath shown above, ask about it. Where does it come from? How do I store it? How do I prepare it? I did that many years ago and when a discussion popped up on Serious Eats, I was able to sell my editor on a feature on this treat. I just had to stop by and review what I knew with the experts in the shop.
My current favorite falafels from Fordee's.
I now have a list of prepared foods that I'll buy on my next visit based on the recommendations offered by other food lovers. I also plan to do a few taste-offs. I'll get fewer of my old favorites and try the comparable product from one or two other places.
One bonus Chowhound tip: like any public forum there are great resources, people with a single agenda, trolls, and time wasters. Over the years, I've learned which members I can rely upon for good information and which ones will waste my time with worthless or inaccurate ramblings. I read Chowhound on an RSS feed and watch the source of comments. I click right through to my favorites and don't read or respond to those who offer nothing of value to me.
If your plans for the upcoming July 4th holiday include hosting or contributing to a cookout, potluck, or picnic, here are some healthier alternative dishes plus a few tweaks to longtime favorites.
Dress your potato salad or coleslaw with a tasty vinaigrette. Add a punch of flavor with prepared mustard (great with potato salad), herbs, or spices. I use mustard seed or celery seed in my coleslaw. You not only lighten the calorie and fat count, but also lower the food poisoning potential if you don’t use a dressing that contains raw egg.
Bruschetta with chopped tomato and scallion and olive oil.
Other healthier menu items to consider are grilled kabobs, shrimp, chilled soups, bruschetta, ceviche, satay, cobblers, meze, poached salmon, Scandinavian open faced sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or summer rolls.
When you are invited to a potluck meal, bring something that will offer you (and any other guests being careful about what they eat) a break from the usual fare. A platter full of fruit presented on skewers is easy to transport, serve, and eat. A big jug of gazpacho with a tray of toppings can be a welcome addition to a summer menu.
If you are better at shopping then cooking, you can purchase fruit platters at most supermarkets. It can also be fun to simply have a great big bowl of something that everyone adores like fresh, in-season strawberries.
And, if you want to take shopping to another level, check out our post on our traditional Strawberry Shortcake dessert bar we've served to friends and neighbors on July 4th.
If your plans for the upcoming July 4th holiday include hosting or contributing to a cookout, potluck, or picnic, here are some healthier alternative dishes plus a few tweaks to longtime favorites.
Dress your potato salad or coleslaw with a tasty vinaigrette. Add a punch of flavor with prepared mustard (great with potato salad), herbs, or spices. I use mustard seed or celery seed in my coleslaw. You not only lighten the calorie and fat count, but also lower the food poisoning potential if you don’t use a dressing that contains raw egg.
Bruschetta with chopped tomato and scallion and olive oil.
Other healthier menu items to consider are grilled kabobs, shrimp, chilled soups, bruschetta, ceviche, satay, cobblers, meze, poached salmon, Scandinavian open faced sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or summer rolls.
When you are invited to a potluck meal, bring something that will offer you (and any other guests being careful about what they eat) a break from the usual fare. A platter full of fruit presented on skewers is easy to transport, serve, and eat. A big jug of gazpacho with a tray of toppings can be a welcome addition to a summer menu.
If you are better at shopping then cooking, you can purchase fruit platters at most supermarkets. It can also be fun to simply have a great big bowl of something that everyone adores like fresh, in-season strawberries.
And, if you want to take shopping to another level, check out our post on our traditional Strawberry Shortcake dessert bar we've served to friends and neighbors on July 4th.
While we talk about the things we do, the people and places we like, and send you links to other resources, this anniversary makes us realize we don't talk about BostonZest as a site very often. We registered the address on May 20, 2004 and began publishing links to our freelance work and a few new BostonZest exclusive posts from time to time.
In 2007, we switched hosting platforms and began to publish BostonZest work on a regular basis. Above is one of our first posts from the current era of the site published in January of 2008. It is still showing up on our web analytics on a regular basis.
In May of that year, inspired by Tammy from Boston Food & Whine, Penny pledged to post every day for a year. We kept that seven-days-a-week schedule for more than five years.
BostonZest Has a Deep Archive
We're thrilled that many of the nearly 2500 pages in our archive are visited by longtime readers as well as first-timers. That interest has inspired us to occasionally feature some of the more popular pages at the top of our site and to then send out word to our followers on twitter. Also, some of that frequently viewed content needs an update, so we'll be redoing those during the next year.
Do You Have a Favorite BostonZest Piece?
Or have you discovered one of our past posts that needs an update? Add your suggestions in the comments below. Tweet them with a link to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll try to get your faves on the schedule.
Most of all, as we think about this anniversary, thanks for reading BostonZest and a special thank you to those who shop on Amazon from here or support us in other ways. We appreciate your emails, tweets, retweets, and comments.
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!
While we talk about the things we do, the people and places we like, and send you links to other resources, this anniversary makes us realize we don't talk about BostonZest as a site very often. We registered the address on May 20, 2004 and began publishing links to our freelance work and a few new BostonZest exclusive posts from time to time.
In 2007, we switched hosting platforms and began to publish BostonZest work on a regular basis. Above is one of our first posts from the current era of the site published in January of 2008. It is still showing up on our web analytics on a regular basis.
In May of that year, inspired by Tammy from Boston Food & Whine, Penny pledged to post every day for a year. We kept that seven-days-a-week schedule for more than five years.
BostonZest Has a Deep Archive
We're thrilled that many of the nearly 2500 pages in our archive are visited by longtime readers as well as first-timers. That interest has inspired us to occasionally feature some of the more popular pages at the top of our site and to then send out word to our followers on twitter. Also, some of that frequently viewed content needs an update, so we'll be redoing those during the next year.
Do You Have a Favorite BostonZest Piece?
Or have you discovered one of our past posts that needs an update? Add your suggestions in the comments below. Tweet them with a link to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll try to get your faves on the schedule.
Most of all, as we think about this anniversary, thanks for reading BostonZest and a special thank you to those who shop on Amazon from here or support us in other ways. We appreciate your emails, tweets, retweets, and comments.
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!
We have been out and about trying the food on some of the new food trucks and unable to resist a few special favorites from the veterans of the scene. Here's what we've been eating!
At City Hall Plaza, we enjoyed some slices from the Sweet Tomatoes Pizza Truck. We always like to start a pizza test with pepperoni and plain cheese. These two slices will bring us back to test more of their menu.
Our first taste from the truck representing Biryani Park Sri Lankan/South Indian restaurant from Malden was the Chicken Biryani (shown above). It was great with the chicken cooked on the bone for full flavor and a sweet garnish of carmelized onions. We can't wait to try more of their menu items. (Click on any photo for a larger version)
This scallop roll and clam chowder are from the Boston Shuckin' Truck! These folks offer grilled items that are a welcome change from fried seafood. The chowder was nice and thin (we are not pasty chowder fans) with an herbal undertone.
At Captain Marden's Cod Squad Truck, we recommend one of their salads if you're in a hurry. This one had a piece of masterfully poached salmon. Update: The Boston Shuckin' Truck has disappeared from the Boston street scene.
We continue to be attracted to their daily chowder specials. Here you see their shimp gumbo and crab and corn chowder. Both worthy of a second visit. Earlier, we reported on their Rhode Island, Rocky Point Clam Chowder and clamcakes.
We also could not resist a visit to the new Boston Super Dog Truck (formerly Boston Speed Dog) to see how Chef Greg's grilled pastrami tastes off a new grill. It lived up to our memories and it's nice to have him within easy reach without a car to get to Newmarket Square. Bring a friend, these portions are big enough to share!
Update: Sadly for his fans, Chef Greg died and the Boston Super Dog Truck is no more.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
We have been out and about trying the food on some of the new food trucks and unable to resist a few special favorites from the veterans of the scene. Here's what we've been eating!
At City Hall Plaza, we enjoyed some slices from the Sweet Tomatoes Pizza Truck. We always like to start a pizza test with pepperoni and plain cheese. These two slices will bring us back to test more of their menu.
Our first taste from the truck representing Biryani Park Sri Lankan/South Indian restaurant from Malden was the Chicken Biryani (shown above). It was great with the chicken cooked on the bone for full flavor and a sweet garnish of carmelized onions. We can't wait to try more of their menu items. (Click on any photo for a larger version)
This scallop roll and clam chowder are from the Boston Shuckin' Truck! These folks offer grilled items that are a welcome change from fried seafood. The chowder was nice and thin (we are not pasty chowder fans) with an herbal undertone.
At Captain Marden's Cod Squad Truck, we recommend one of their salads if you're in a hurry. This one had a piece of masterfully poached salmon. Update: The Boston Shuckin' Truck has disappeared from the Boston street scene.
We continue to be attracted to their daily chowder specials. Here you see their shimp gumbo and crab and corn chowder. Both worthy of a second visit. Earlier, we reported on their Rhode Island, Rocky Point Clam Chowder and clamcakes.
We also could not resist a visit to the new Boston Super Dog Truck (formerly Boston Speed Dog) to see how Chef Greg's grilled pastrami tastes off a new grill. It lived up to our memories and it's nice to have him within easy reach without a car to get to Newmarket Square. Bring a friend, these portions are big enough to share!
Update: Sadly for his fans, Chef Greg died and the Boston Super Dog Truck is no more.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
from here to support this site!