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Tag: trip advisor

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2012) Falls on a Saturday…

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    When Saint Patrick's Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday so I was curious, would city and state workers in Suffolk County get Friday off or Monday? And will parking, trash, and liquor sales change for the day. You'll find those answers below.

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    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    What are your traditions for his yearly festival of all things Irish? 

    Who makes your favorite brown bread or Irish soda bread? Scones?

    Are you going to the parade on Sunday?

    (Here's how to get there via the MBTA.)

    Will you be wearin' the green? 

    (Here's a post on where to buy or rent all sorts of wearables!)

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    Here are a bunch of Friday Links for Saint Patrick's Day

    Boston Chowhounds had two recent conversations about where to find the best, full Irish breakfast.

    Full Irish Breakfast

    Boston area breakfast recap (for this one, start from the bottom since Irish breakfast discussion is there)

    And, they're  talking about Corned Beef & Cabbage.

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    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,  

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday." That means this year, no deal. Next year, they get Monday off!

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, so feed those meters and stick to your trash schedule. 

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's a Boston.com story on that from last year.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

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    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 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 add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2011

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    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!

    IStock_000002198510XSmallWhat'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:

    More information after these features from AMAZON.

               

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    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.