Tag: Boston

Sunday Dog, Maya– Beyond Cute!

It’s one thing to “think” you’re cute, and another to “say” you’re cute. But, when your “cuteness” is so utterly obvious to the entire civilized world, it becomes a “fact.”

And, what’s even more remarkable is that, despite all of her undeniable gorgeousness, Sunday Dog, Maya couldn’t care less. She’s too busy just being a puppy!

After all, at 3-months old, there’s a lot of chewing that needs to be done. Maya even manages to make such a mundane job look inviting.

Then, there’s the always important sidewalk stiffing technique that is best mastered early in life. (She seems to have a preference for brick.)

Maya was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. As her person points out, “She’s an authentic Chihuahuan Chihuahua.” After living there for a few months, “I brought her back as my Mexican souvenir.”

This little (2.8 pound) beauty told us she loves living in her new home and is even learning to bark with a Boston accent.

Welcome to our city, Maya, and thanks for being this week’s Sunday Dog– you cutey!

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

And, make sure you have water for your Sunday dog when you set out for a stroll in the park. When you shop for water bowls or anything else, you support this site. It doesn't cost you anymore but Amazon puts a few coins in our tip jar.

Details:
Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Ed & 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.

June 10, 2012
Edible Boston Summer 2012 Issue is Out!

Just as I look forward to the local food each new season brings my way, I look forward to the new issue of Edible Boston for each quarter of the year. The new issue is out and is our Friday Link, today.

This is your alert to start looking forward to the Summer 2012 issue available at most of the local businesses that support this great publication with their advertising.

When my preview issue arrived, the first article I read was "Seta's Rules to Cook By," a feature on Chef Seta Dakessian. Many of you know her from her Seta's Mediterranean Foods stands at farmers' markets around Boston. You'll learn about Seta's background, food philosophy, and some of the rules this farm-to-fork chef sets for herself to achieve the wonderful balance you find in her food.

Publisher Ilene Bezahler said of this, her 25th issue, "I think it has solidified my transition from a magazine about food to a magazine about people and food. Food is the common denominator, of course, but the exploration into who produces our food, who has access to local food and where to find it seems to be as important as whether it tastes good or, for that matter, is good for us."

Also in this issue, you'll learn about: "Earth Mothers," a cover story on young female farmers; Everett's Nanobreweries; Feeding Boston, the growth of Boston Organics; and many more features, plus the tasty tidbits supplied by the regular columns.

How do you say thank you to a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you: let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine, grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. And, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, that you write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook! Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible 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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 8, 2012
Father’s Day Dining 2012 In & Around Boston

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Dad to a meal out on Father's Day, Sunday, June 17, 2012.

Here's a link to our " Dining around Boston on Father's Day, June 15, 2014 post.

Would your Dad love to get his hands into some great BBQ at Sweet Cheeks Q?

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. Updated info: June 10th!

Our picks:

On chowhound recently, one contributor said that, "Island Creek is the one to beat these days…" We agree. In our opinion, Island Creek Oyster Bar sets the standard for relaxed, comfortable dining with outstanding food and great cocktail and wine programs. We haven't given them nearly as much coverage as we should, considering how much we like the place. Here's a post from their early days, and they continue to set the bar high. So, if you want a table there, call right now.

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 17th. 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 adventure and 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!

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: © 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.

June 7, 2012
Boston Hazardous Waste Collection Dates for 2012

The City of Boston has announced the 2012 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 9, 2012 next on the list. It will be followed by a second collection date on June 30th.

June 9th, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

TVs & Computer Monitors

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for home pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Latex Paint

The city says, "*NEW* Latex paint is no longer accepted at drop-off days. Latex paint is not hazardous. Let latex paint dry out completely, then set it out with your regular trash."

Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Screenshot: From City of Boston website

June 6, 2012
Hiking with Your Dog in Greater Boston

This time of year, we always see a flurry of visitors to our post reviewing the book, Best Hikes with Dogs, Boston and Beyond. We thought we'd bring this gem to our newer Sunday Dog fans who might want to take a hike with their own Sunday Dog. Just click on that link to jump over to it.

Invest in this book and enjoy the weekends ahead by letting Jenna and Tasman guide you to some "hidden pockets of magic" in Boston and beyond.

And, because we wanted to have a little someone for all of you who tune in each week to see what local dog is in the BostonZest spotlight, we thought we would feature Miss Summer in her neat carrier. She spends her days with her person Rose walking other dogs. Sometimes Summer walks and sometimes she rides. It's a great solution if your small dog is not quite ready for a long hike!

And, there are companion books for hiking with your dog in other areas of the country. Click here to see if there is one for your next outdoor destination with your furry friend. Below are the direct links to Boston, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and outside New York City.

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

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Summer's photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

(Bookcover courtesy of Mountaineers Books, all rights reserved)

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.

June 3, 2012
A Frisky Italian Malvasia to Celebrate June!
This sparkling Malvasia from the Emilia region of Italy is a perfect way to celebrate the arrival of June. As we scour the vineyards of the world for interesting candidates to fulfill Our Sparkling Resolution – to greet each month by popping a bottle of bubbly – we couldn’t have found a more perfect fit, right in our own backyard.

Our first impressions: fruit, almonds, a briny nose, hints of Manzanilla sherry, light, subdued bubbles (frizzante).

We consulted an award-winning wine source, The Oxford Companion to Wine , Edited by: Jancis Robinson, that described Malvasia from Emilia as, “lightly sparkling dry to demi-sec.” It’s known as, “champagnino or ‘little champagne’, and where local trenchermen consider it the perfect accompaniment and digestif for the rich local fare.”

Well, alright, if it’s good enough for local trenchermen, than we must be in good company. Our local fare included pretzels, a cucumber & tomato salad, and our favorite shell-on roasted almonds from Fastachi.

The Malvasia Dell’Emilia’s also won points for its 11% alcohol, a trend we enthusiastically support. We say, “serve this sparkler cold and keep it cold,” (with a chilled sleeve on the bottle).

Who might like this wine?
- Riesling Lovers
- Anyone with a “Life-List” of Wine
- Trenchermen (of course)
- Italian Wine Fans
- Moderately Priced Wine Advocates
Malvasia Dell’Emilia – $18 @ TerraVino Wines in Brookline

Here's a look at the Wines We’ve Been Tasting

And, more about Our Sparkling Resolution

Thanks to everyone who begins their Amazon shopping for one of the links or products on our site. It doesn't cost you any more but Amazon puts some coins in our tip jar for everything you buy.

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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
June 1, 2012
We Love June in Boston!

June is often the most gentle and gracious time of year in Boston. I really enjoy being here this month. This valentine to June in our adopted hometown was inspired by a conversation over on Trip Advisor. The crew there were collecting things that were happening during the month. My two cents worth was to let everyone know why Ed and I think June in Boston is so special.

Most of the graduations are over. Just UMass Boston on June 1st and MIT on the 8th remain. Then, the locals and smartest of visitors have the city to themselves.

The greenery is glowing. The city seems to take a deep breath and relax. There is just something special about this lull before the July 4th activity that makes it a sweeter place.

It's a month to picnic and sit and read by the river. The weather is often the most comfortable of the year. Don't get me wrong. I love the rest of the year too, but June is special.

What's on your June fun-in-Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 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 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.

May 31, 2012
Pride: 40 Years of Protest & Celebration

This year's Boston Pride Week (June 1-10, 2012) is the perfect opportunity to visit the art gallery at the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE). On view, right now, is Pride: 40 years of Protest & Celebration.

(Photo courtesy of the History Project)

This is a joint project between the (BCAE) and The History Project. Drawn from The History Project’s archive, the exhibition traces the development of Pride in Boston from a sparsely attended protest to a massive celebration drawing hundreds of thousands of participants each June.

The pieces displayed in the exhibition, showcase the immense cultural and political changes that have affected New England’s LGBTQ communities over the decades.

(Photo by Joel Benjamin)

Accompanying Pride: 40 Years of Protest & Celebration will be Fierce Pride: 1992, an exhibition of portraits taken during the 1992 Pride Celebration by Photographer Joel Benjamin. These never-before-exhibited portraits reflect the rich diversity of LGBTQ communities and the role of Pride in creating a safe space for self-expression.

Click on any image to see a larger version.

As photographers, we are grateful when organizations like BCAE open their gallery space to photographic art. And, we applaud collections and archives like those compiled by The History Project that save and share the work across time.

What's on your summer fun shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Boston Center for Adult Education
122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (map)
Phone: (617) 267-4430

www.bcae.org

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © Courtesy of BCAE

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.

May 30, 2012
Memorial Day 2012, Let Summer Begin, Again!

This year, we had a taste of summer back in March and another appearance for Patriots' Day weekend. But, for many of us, the summer season is not officially open until Memorial Day!

Need to know what's open today? We have that information right here!

What's on your summer fun shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: 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 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.

May 28, 2012
Sunday Dog, Amber – “The Jewel of the Public Garden”

Boston’s most beautiful landmark has some serious competition. Her name is Amber, or as we refer to her, “The Jewel of the Public Garden.” While it’s not easy to upstage such a gorgeous place, this pup captured our full attention as we strolled the park’s pathways on a recent weekend afternoon.

As we approached, Amber came right over to say hello. But, as she flashed those big, bright eyes, we couldn’t help but detect a bit of concern in her face. It seemed one of her two people had disappeared (he’d actually gone to pick up some lunch) but Amber wasn’t buying it.

This two year old could be part Bernese Mountain Dog and part Neapolitan Mastiff, no one is really sure. Her mom was a rescue from Boston, helped through PetFinder, whose twelve puppies were placed with the assistance of a Wellesley rescue group. We think we see a bit of Rhodesian Ridgeback in that stance.

We’re not sure what Amber made of a very, large dog that trotted by, but this magnificent Clydesdale/Thoroughbred mix did manage to divert her attention for a short while.

Amber’s other person, who told us she’d been with them since eight weeks of age, confirmed what we’d already discovered– that Amber is, “the sweetest dog I’ve ever had.” And she is, without a doubt, very loyal to her family which soon became three again.

We left Amber showing off a satisfying smile that lit up the entire park. After all, she is, “The Jewel of the Public Garden.”

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

What's on your pet supply shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

May 27, 2012