Tag: Massachusetts

  • Formaggio Kitchen’s “Staff Picks” 2012 – Friday Link

    Screen shot 2012-12-05 at 12.07.07 PM

    We always find wonderful things at Formaggio Kitchen and their skill in choosing wonderful products goes way beyond cheese. So, when their staff picked their "Top 10 of 2012," we paid attention and want to share what we learned with you.

    On this list you'll find cheese, vinegars, olive oil, pasta, seasonings, tea, cakes, coffee, chocolate, and more. They added a few honorary mentions. That group included the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar we told you about yesterday. 

    Formaggio is the perfect place to shop for gifts for the food lovers on your list. We have so many personal favorite items that entered our pantry through a visit to this wonderful collection – the best things one group of people can find to please those of us who love to splurge on great food.

    Addresses and directions below the ad.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Formaggio Kitchen

    244 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts  (map)

    (617) 354-4750 

    Some items may also be found at:

    South End Formaggio

    268 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts  (map)

    (617) 350-6996 

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: Screenshot from Formaggio Kitchen's Cheese Blog

    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.


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  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2012

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    IStock_000011357895xmas   

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. 

    What's open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre offer the option of two different prix fixe Christmas Eve menus.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com  and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them.

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (update 12.14.12)

    Christmas Day Brunch (update 12.15.12) 

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day Just in case you are going there, (update 12.15.12)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (update 12.15.12)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (update 12.17.12)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    Update: 11/28/12 – The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    Update: 12/21/12 – Eater Boston has posted their list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    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: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2012

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    IStock_000011357895xmas   

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. 

    What's open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre offer the option of two different prix fixe Christmas Eve menus.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com  and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them.

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (update 12.14.12)

    Christmas Day Brunch (update 12.15.12) 

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day Just in case you are going there, (update 12.15.12)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (update 12.15.12)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (update 12.17.12)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    Update: 11/28/12 – The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    Update: 12/21/12 – Eater Boston has posted their list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    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: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2012

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    IStock_000011357895xmas   

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. 

    What's open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier and Sel de la Terre offer the option of two different prix fixe Christmas Eve menus.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com  and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them.

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (update 12.14.12)

    Christmas Day Brunch (update 12.15.12) 

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day Just in case you are going there, (update 12.15.12)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (update 12.15.12)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (update 12.17.12)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    Update: 11/28/12 – The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    Update: 12/21/12 – Eater Boston has posted their list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    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: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her “Perfect”

    DSC_0436 - Version 32012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Say Hello to Ruby – or as we like to call her, Perfect! This extraordinary 4 ½ year old was rescued a year ago from California via Petfinder and now calls the Bay State home. Ruby spends her time in Boston and Plymouth where she gets to walk wooded trails and play with lots of other neighborhood dogs.

    DSC_0445 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Perfect … uh, Ruby has a great disposition and has been this way since “day one.” Her people have been amazed saying, “She’s the easiest dog I have [ever had.]” And, “I’ve never seen anything like this dog!”

    DSC_0466 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    There’s no doubt that this little heart-stealer is very devoted to the guy in her life, “No matter where Ruby is in the house, she keeps her eyes on him at all times.”  

    Ruby is also quite clever. After repeatedly being put inside a very comfortable, designer crate to keep her safe and out of trouble when the family stepped out for awhile, she would always be standing outside the crate when they returned.

    DSC_0439 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

      A perfect dog often gets kissed which explains the red lipstick above Ruby’s Right Eye.

    Finally, making certain the crate door was secured, they pretended to leave but secretly watched from outside her room and saw Ruby using her nose, paw, and tongue to unlatch the crate and escape! (Sounds like she crate-trained her family)

    When she wants to go to sleep for the night, Ruby will stand and stare at her people until they get the hint, then it’s onto their bed. 

    From day-one Ruby, “never wet in the house, never did anything wrong, and never chewed anything.” Now that’s a “perfect” dog! 

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

    Would you like to adopt a beautiful companion like Ruby? There are some resources to help you make your decision and get your life together off to a great start. This book from PetFinder, Petfinder.com The Adopted Dog Bible: Your One-Stop Resource for Choosing, Training, and Caring for Your Sheltered or Rescued Dog is one of our favorites.

     

    Details:
    Words: Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her “Perfect”

    DSC_0436 - Version 32012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Say Hello to Ruby – or as we like to call her, Perfect! This extraordinary 4 ½ year old was rescued a year ago from California via Petfinder and now calls the Bay State home. Ruby spends her time in Boston and Plymouth where she gets to walk wooded trails and play with lots of other neighborhood dogs.

    DSC_0445 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Perfect … uh, Ruby has a great disposition and has been this way since “day one.” Her people have been amazed saying, “She’s the easiest dog I have [ever had.]” And, “I’ve never seen anything like this dog!”

    DSC_0466 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    There’s no doubt that this little heart-stealer is very devoted to the guy in her life, “No matter where Ruby is in the house, she keeps her eyes on him at all times.”  

    Ruby is also quite clever. After repeatedly being put inside a very comfortable, designer crate to keep her safe and out of trouble when the family stepped out for awhile, she would always be standing outside the crate when they returned.

    DSC_0439 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

      A perfect dog often gets kissed which explains the red lipstick above Ruby’s Right Eye.

    Finally, making certain the crate door was secured, they pretended to leave but secretly watched from outside her room and saw Ruby using her nose, paw, and tongue to unlatch the crate and escape! (Sounds like she crate-trained her family)

    When she wants to go to sleep for the night, Ruby will stand and stare at her people until they get the hint, then it’s onto their bed. 

    From day-one Ruby, “never wet in the house, never did anything wrong, and never chewed anything.” Now that’s a “perfect” dog! 

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

    Would you like to adopt a beautiful companion like Ruby? There are some resources to help you make your decision and get your life together off to a great start. This book from PetFinder, Petfinder.com The Adopted Dog Bible: Your One-Stop Resource for Choosing, Training, and Caring for Your Sheltered or Rescued Dog is one of our favorites.

     

    Details:
    Words: Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Sunday Dog, Ruby – Just Call Her “Perfect”

    DSC_0436 - Version 32012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Say Hello to Ruby – or as we like to call her, Perfect! This extraordinary 4 ½ year old was rescued a year ago from California via Petfinder and now calls the Bay State home. Ruby spends her time in Boston and Plymouth where she gets to walk wooded trails and play with lots of other neighborhood dogs.

    DSC_0445 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Perfect … uh, Ruby has a great disposition and has been this way since “day one.” Her people have been amazed saying, “She’s the easiest dog I have [ever had.]” And, “I’ve never seen anything like this dog!”

    DSC_0466 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    There’s no doubt that this little heart-stealer is very devoted to the guy in her life, “No matter where Ruby is in the house, she keeps her eyes on him at all times.”  

    Ruby is also quite clever. After repeatedly being put inside a very comfortable, designer crate to keep her safe and out of trouble when the family stepped out for awhile, she would always be standing outside the crate when they returned.

    DSC_0439 - Version 22012-11-22-Ruby-bichon-poodle-mix-rescue-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

      A perfect dog often gets kissed which explains the red lipstick above Ruby’s Right Eye.

    Finally, making certain the crate door was secured, they pretended to leave but secretly watched from outside her room and saw Ruby using her nose, paw, and tongue to unlatch the crate and escape! (Sounds like she crate-trained her family)

    When she wants to go to sleep for the night, Ruby will stand and stare at her people until they get the hint, then it’s onto their bed. 

    From day-one Ruby, “never wet in the house, never did anything wrong, and never chewed anything.” Now that’s a “perfect” dog! 

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

    Would you like to adopt a beautiful companion like Ruby? There are some resources to help you make your decision and get your life together off to a great start. This book from PetFinder, Petfinder.com The Adopted Dog Bible: Your One-Stop Resource for Choosing, Training, and Caring for Your Sheltered or Rescued Dog is one of our favorites.

     

    Details:
    Words: Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Leaves and Angles

    PMC_7223 - Version 22012-11-18-leaves and angles-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This week, we noticed how the colorful foliage called attention to the angles and the colors in the roof and stonework in this view of the Old South Church in the Back Bay.

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve been showing ways the colors of fall call things to our attention. 

    Other photos in this series are:

    You & Me or the Autumn Tree

    Puddle-luscious – Photo of the Week

    Red Leaf: Photo of the Week

    Boston Common Foliage as a Backdrop 

    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 Penny 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 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Leaves and Angles

    PMC_7223 - Version 22012-11-18-leaves and angles-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This week, we noticed how the colorful foliage called attention to the angles and the colors in the roof and stonework in this view of the Old South Church in the Back Bay.

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve been showing ways the colors of fall call things to our attention. 

    Other photos in this series are:

    You & Me or the Autumn Tree

    Puddle-luscious – Photo of the Week

    Red Leaf: Photo of the Week

    Boston Common Foliage as a Backdrop 

    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 Penny 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 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Leaves and Angles

    PMC_7223 - Version 22012-11-18-leaves and angles-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This week, we noticed how the colorful foliage called attention to the angles and the colors in the roof and stonework in this view of the Old South Church in the Back Bay.

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve been showing ways the colors of fall call things to our attention. 

    Other photos in this series are:

    You & Me or the Autumn Tree

    Puddle-luscious – Photo of the Week

    Red Leaf: Photo of the Week

    Boston Common Foliage as a Backdrop 

    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 Penny 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 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta