Tag: Holiday

  • Tour Boston’s Beautifully Decorated Hotel Lobbies

    Today, we suggest a walking Friday Link and a tour of Boston's beautifully decorated hotel lobbies. We try to visit some of our favorites each year to see what they've done and enjoy the various ways each place shows their holiday spirit.

    DSC_1036 - Version 22012-12-12-gingerbread-house- sheraton-boston-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    From a beautiful gingerbread house reaching to the ceiling in the Sheraton Hotel on Dalton Street (above) to a gingerbread village at the Taj on Arlington (below), these hotels and their talented staff members work their magic to make a holiday traveler feel at home. And, we've found most to be very welcoming to neighbors who stop in to take a peek.

    DSC_0992 - Version 22012-12-11-gingerbread-village-taj-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We always find the Lenox hotel lobby with its seating area around the fireplace to be a warm and welcoming place, but this time of year it sparkles with holiday decor.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c34084315970b-500wi

    The Fairmont (above from 2011) glows with golden trim and holiday red and green.

    The Mandarin Hotel and the Four Seasons both opt for a more contemporary take on the season.

    Over on BostonInno, we read about (but haven't yet visited) the Christmas trees hanging upside down from the lobby ceiling at the Liberty Hotel.

    These are great places to take a break on a chilly winter walk. And, during events like First Night, they can be more stops on your schedule. 

    Do you have a hotel lobby to add to our list? What's your favorite and how is it decorated?

    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 & 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.

  • Tour Boston’s Beautifully Decorated Hotel Lobbies

    Today, we suggest a walking Friday Link and a tour of Boston's beautifully decorated hotel lobbies. We try to visit some of our favorites each year to see what they've done and enjoy the various ways each place shows their holiday spirit.

    DSC_1036 - Version 22012-12-12-gingerbread-house- sheraton-boston-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    From a beautiful gingerbread house reaching to the ceiling in the Sheraton Hotel on Dalton Street (above) to a gingerbread village at the Taj on Arlington (below), these hotels and their talented staff members work their magic to make a holiday traveler feel at home. And, we've found most to be very welcoming to neighbors who stop in to take a peek.

    DSC_0992 - Version 22012-12-11-gingerbread-village-taj-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We always find the Lenox hotel lobby with its seating area around the fireplace to be a warm and welcoming place, but this time of year it sparkles with holiday decor.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c34084315970b-500wi

    The Fairmont (above from 2011) glows with golden trim and holiday red and green.

    The Mandarin Hotel and the Four Seasons both opt for a more contemporary take on the season.

    Over on BostonInno, we read about (but haven't yet visited) the Christmas trees hanging upside down from the lobby ceiling at the Liberty Hotel.

    These are great places to take a break on a chilly winter walk. And, during events like First Night, they can be more stops on your schedule. 

    Do you have a hotel lobby to add to our list? What's your favorite and how is it decorated?

    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 & 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.

  • Tour Boston’s Beautifully Decorated Hotel Lobbies

    Today, we suggest a walking Friday Link and a tour of Boston's beautifully decorated hotel lobbies. We try to visit some of our favorites each year to see what they've done and enjoy the various ways each place shows their holiday spirit.

    DSC_1036 - Version 22012-12-12-gingerbread-house- sheraton-boston-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    From a beautiful gingerbread house reaching to the ceiling in the Sheraton Hotel on Dalton Street (above) to a gingerbread village at the Taj on Arlington (below), these hotels and their talented staff members work their magic to make a holiday traveler feel at home. And, we've found most to be very welcoming to neighbors who stop in to take a peek.

    DSC_0992 - Version 22012-12-11-gingerbread-village-taj-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We always find the Lenox hotel lobby with its seating area around the fireplace to be a warm and welcoming place, but this time of year it sparkles with holiday decor.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c34084315970b-500wi

    The Fairmont (above from 2011) glows with golden trim and holiday red and green.

    The Mandarin Hotel and the Four Seasons both opt for a more contemporary take on the season.

    Over on BostonInno, we read about (but haven't yet visited) the Christmas trees hanging upside down from the lobby ceiling at the Liberty Hotel.

    These are great places to take a break on a chilly winter walk. And, during events like First Night, they can be more stops on your schedule. 

    Do you have a hotel lobby to add to our list? What's your favorite and how is it decorated?

    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 & 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.

  • 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
  • My Silly, Little 4th Burner Multi – Pot Scores Again!

    A while back, I bought a Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot thinking I would use it when a big meal was crowding my small cooktop. It quickly found a place in this cook’s heart and I wrote about, Loving this Odd Little Cooking Pot. Since then I keep finding more instances when it scores as the perfect answer to a kitchen chore. 

      DSC_0560 - Version 22012-11-22-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    For Thanksgiving, it worked well at its trick of fitting on a crowded stovetop. It’s seen here ready to cook rutabagas. Even with my giant roasting pan on the stovetop, it stood its ground. I often fit a 12-inch skillet in front of it.

      IMG_6033 - Version 32012-11-21-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    But, before it reached that point in its turkey day to-do list, it had already joined up with a China Cap Chinoise Strainer to strain turkey broth. And, post rutabagas this combo was used to strain the gravy. 

    I’m nominating this as the perfect holiday gift for someone who cooks for one or two people, someone who has a tiny kitchen like mine, or anyone who will make good use of this true multi-tasker. 

    Related Post:

    Another Trick from My Favorite, Little Cooking Pot

    The Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot now comes in colors too! Personally, I love the look of the stainless. What else is on your Food Lover’s Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs. and support this site!

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • My Silly, Little 4th Burner Multi – Pot Scores Again!

    A while back, I bought a Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot thinking I would use it when a big meal was crowding my small cooktop. It quickly found a place in this cook’s heart and I wrote about, Loving this Odd Little Cooking Pot. Since then I keep finding more instances when it scores as the perfect answer to a kitchen chore. 

      DSC_0560 - Version 22012-11-22-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    For Thanksgiving, it worked well at its trick of fitting on a crowded stovetop. It’s seen here ready to cook rutabagas. Even with my giant roasting pan on the stovetop, it stood its ground. I often fit a 12-inch skillet in front of it.

      IMG_6033 - Version 32012-11-21-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    But, before it reached that point in its turkey day to-do list, it had already joined up with a China Cap Chinoise Strainer to strain turkey broth. And, post rutabagas this combo was used to strain the gravy. 

    I’m nominating this as the perfect holiday gift for someone who cooks for one or two people, someone who has a tiny kitchen like mine, or anyone who will make good use of this true multi-tasker. 

    Related Post:

    Another Trick from My Favorite, Little Cooking Pot

    The Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot now comes in colors too! Personally, I love the look of the stainless. What else is on your Food Lover’s Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs. and support this site!

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • My Silly, Little 4th Burner Multi – Pot Scores Again!

    A while back, I bought a Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot thinking I would use it when a big meal was crowding my small cooktop. It quickly found a place in this cook’s heart and I wrote about, Loving this Odd Little Cooking Pot. Since then I keep finding more instances when it scores as the perfect answer to a kitchen chore. 

      DSC_0560 - Version 22012-11-22-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    For Thanksgiving, it worked well at its trick of fitting on a crowded stovetop. It’s seen here ready to cook rutabagas. Even with my giant roasting pan on the stovetop, it stood its ground. I often fit a 12-inch skillet in front of it.

      IMG_6033 - Version 32012-11-21-4th burner-little- pot useful-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    But, before it reached that point in its turkey day to-do list, it had already joined up with a China Cap Chinoise Strainer to strain turkey broth. And, post rutabagas this combo was used to strain the gravy. 

    I’m nominating this as the perfect holiday gift for someone who cooks for one or two people, someone who has a tiny kitchen like mine, or anyone who will make good use of this true multi-tasker. 

    Related Post:

    Another Trick from My Favorite, Little Cooking Pot

    The Kuhn Rikon 4th Burner Multi – Pot now comes in colors too! Personally, I love the look of the stainless. What else is on your Food Lover’s Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs. and support this site!

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Happy Halloween!


    IMG_5958 - Version 22012-10-27-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This was Penny's favorite Jack-o-Lantern this year!

    We hope all these Halloween decorations made it through the storm – or were taken in and return to be enjoyed by all of us city folks who don't have a space to decorate but enjoy seeing the craftmanship that others display.

    DSC_9429 - Version 22012-10-22-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    One happy Ghost! Is that a bat mouth?
    DSC_9613 - Version 22012-10-27-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This powerful fence spiked a bunch of skulls!
    DSC_9604 - Version 22012-10-27-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Ed loved the surprised expression on this pumpkin's face!
    DSC_9616 - Version 22012-10-27-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This skull eats wrought iron!
    DSC_9609 - Version 22012-10-27-jack-o-lanterns-halloween-decoaration-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    A hipster pumpkin with pierced ears!

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta