Tag: Cambridge

Valentine’s Day 2012 – Romantic Dining in Boston
Planning a Valentine's Day Dinner that is as perfect as this lovely rose takes some planning.

UPDATE: This is an outdated post. Here is the 2015 version of this information!

Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times so check for details with the places mentioned.

This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus and don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation.

Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. We've noticed at least one fine dining venue that is going with a special Valentine's Day menu on, "February 10th, 11th, 14th, 17th & 18th" and another offering a restricted menu from the 10th to the 14th. So, you should be on the lookout for special menus beyond that one official day.

When A Valentine Lunch, or Dinner is on the Menu…
- Open table has a list of restaurants, and note if they have a special menu or if their regular menu is available.
- Gayot has lists of their Best Boston Valentines Restaurants, 10 Sexiest Restaurants, and Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in Boston.
- Boston Chefs has a list with some information at this link.
- Most Romantic Tables In Town from UrbanDaddy
Related Posts:

Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

Romance at the Gardner Museum- Valentine's Weekend Destination.

Romantic Dining in Boston with a Foreign Travel Theme (Some of our favorite restaurants offer an authentic taste of the cuisine they serve. A place where the decor, music, and food all bring you to another land.)

Valentine's Day 2009 – Dining in Boston

Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.)

Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
January 17, 2012
Pomelo Season: Readers’ Choice

Thanks to BostonZest readers, we remembered to look for pomelos last week. As the BostonZest archives grow and grow, we're letting readers' choices guide us to favorites from the past. If you come across a post you think should get a new spotlight, let us know. This post is from our archives but the fruit is around and still wonderful.

Here's the beautiful, heavy, lush pomelo we brought home from Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge. We added a tangerine and lime to give you an idea of the size.

Add a comment to let us know if you spot Pomelos where you shop. Sometimes they can be hard to find.

Here's an even better measure of the size– this one is just 17 inches around. And, this is not the largest one we've had, it's average!

Inside is the prettiest pink citrus fruit!

The rind is very thick, and you can break the fruit into lovely pieces that are perfect when mixed with some romaine lettuce, toasted almond slices, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

To learn more about Pomelos, here are links to those previous posts our readers were viewing…

River Street Whole Foods has Pomelos

Florida Pomelos At Costco

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2008-2011 Penny Cherubino

December 28, 2011
Phone Book Attack: Here’s an Opt-Out Link

Last weekend, Back Bay homes had piles of unwanted phone books dumped on their front steps. The photo above is a single family home, so you can imagine how many were left at buildings with 40 or 60 apartments.

How do Bostonians feel about this topic?

Click over to Universal Hub, and read the comments on the post, Our annual mid-winter ritual: The rotting of the abandoned phone books. Adam Gaffin also links to his 2008 and 2009 phone book conversations.

This week he took a poll. We got two different phonebooks yesterday – which to toss in the recycling? Go over and add your vote!

Did you know that you can opt-out of having phone books delivered to your home?

In response to complaints, the Association of Directory Publishers has set up an opt-out program at this site, www.yellowpagesoptout.com. We're making this site our Friday Link!

You do have to register, and then you can opt-out of the phone books from those businesses that belong to this group. We were able to elimate three deliveries with one visit.

Of course, if you live in a multi-family home, you will have to encourage your neighbors to join you in the opt-out effort.

Wider Pilot Progam Underway

The good news is that Brookline and Cambridge are working with the Product Stewardship Institute and Catalog Choice on a pilot opt-out project. The test will make it possible for residents to stop the delivery of unwanted phone books, catalogs, coupons, and credit card solicitations. It will also measure the number of requests and program efficiency. The Product Stewardship Institute will issue a project report in the fall of 2012.

Begin all your Amazon Shopping here to support BostonZest and the information we bring your way!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

December 23, 2011
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2011
You've Reached an Old Post! Go to:

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

It's time to make your reservations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays.

If you have inside info on a local restaurant's plans or a favorite Christmas Holiday tradition, add it in the comments below!

What's open on Christmas Eve?

This year Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday night. A quick check of Open Table for a 9 pm reservation found far more restaurants open than I might have expected.

As with any holiday reservation ask what is being offered. Some places will present their normal menu, some will have a restricted prix fixe, and some will add special items inspired by the holiday. And, don't be surprised if a non-refundable deposit and credit card number are required to make a reservation.

Holiday Traditions

Our friend, Jackie Blombach and her husband always have Tea at the Taj on Christmas Eve. She calls it, "My Favorite two hours of Christmas!"

Traditional Feast

If you hurry and grab one of the spots at the table, you could indulge in the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes at Grotto and sister restaurant Marliave. (Both will also offer a limited menu in addition to the feast.) The Grotto website says:

"The Feast of Seven Fishes, a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve throughout Italy. The Feast dates back centuries and the common belief is that participating in the Feast will bring good luck and fortune in the year to come. Marliave and Grotto will once again be offering our version of The Feast of Seven Fishes. The Feast is served over three courses and utilizes the great abundance of seafood available to us in Boston… "

Need a Holiday Food Break?

If you need a break from the whole Christmas scene, you could wander through Chinatown and enjoy an alternative to the traditional holiday menus. And, if Chinatown isn't quite the fit for your gang, but you would like to nibble your way through an Asian feast, we suggest Meyers+Chang on Washington Street in the South End. Chef Joanne Chang is planning to add some special treats for that night but assures us we will be able to enjoy an evening of great Asian food.

What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas ?

Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:
- Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons
- L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre (Back Bay) and Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
- Eastern Standard at the Hotel Commonwealth
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel
- Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
- Taj Boston Cafe at the Taj Hotel
- Market by Jean-Georges at the W Boston Hotel
More information after these features from AMAZON.

If information like this is helpful to you, vote for more of it with your shopping dollars by beginning all your Amazon shopping at BostonZest. Just click on any Amazon link or ad and start shopping for what you want. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it pays for the work we do.

More information and reservations:

Here's Open Table's Christmas Day page but remember, you can go to their main Boston page and request a reservation for the 24th, 25th, or 26th and see the full list of options for the time you prefer.

Boston Chefs has set up recaps for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates. So far, the ChowHounds and Trip Advisor crews haven't had much to say on the topic, but we'll post links if a good conversation from one of these forums gets started.

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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
December 2, 2011