Tag: NYC

Poured from On High, Txakoli Rose Is a Great Seaside or Seafood Wine

We are welcoming May with a slightly effervescent bottle of Txakoli Rosé. April was a rosy month for us. Txakoli Rosé returned to the wine list at Select Oyster Bar. We enjoyed it there, both before and after our vacation in Provincetown.

On our first day in Ptown, we asked our trusted, local wine merchants at Perry's Wine & Liquors if they had Txakoli. "It's coming in tomorrow," was the reply. We returned the next day to stock up for our own enjoyment and for any guests who happened to join us for a glass of wine and bit of cheese. (Some neighbors from Boston were in town during our stay and we may have added them to the list of fans of the Basque wines.)

Perry's was carrying the Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli Rose. We paired its casual sparkle with a variety of foods from Spanish cheese to lobster and scallops, throughout our days by the sea.

We loved and agree with the description of this wine from PJ Wine in NYC …

"Txakoli rose is like salted watermelon juice. It's like the ocean air drifting through a raspberry bush. It's like… well, it's like heaven. For summer drinking, for salty fried things, for any grilled thing from the sea with olive oil and salt, the straight Txomin Txakoli is one of our favorite drinks. In rose form, it's even better! Think of the refreshing San Sebastian elixir with cranberry tartness in place of the limes. Not sure who wouldn't like this wine, it's that good and refreshing. With just a tiny spritz of bubbles it's also an ideal aperitif, so go ahead and drink this all year long. – PJ"

Back in Boston, we slipped into a couple of bar seats at Select Oyster to enjoy Chef Michael Serpa's selection, UlaciaTxakolina Rose. On this visit, we matched it with shared plates of Gloucester Swordfish, Scallops Ceviche, and a side of Avocado Toast – another delicious combination.

Perhaps it's that the sea air is so close to where the grapes for this wine are grown. Or maybe it's the crisp flavor and low alcohol (11%) that make this gem a perfect match for spring, summer, and the best of living near the Atlantic Ocean. All we know is that we've become devoted Txakoli fans.

We've even purchased the special stoppers (traditional Spanish escanciadors) that aerate the wine as it's poured into a glass from on high. Above is Elisha behind the bar at Select doing the Basque high pour for us.

By the way, Elisha did ask if we preferred it served in wine glasses or in the traditional tumblers used in the Basque region for both the wines of Txakolina and the area's famous ciders. This is an easygoing, fun wine perfect for summer on the roof deck, patio, or a chair by the sea. Those places can be windy and have you clinging to your stemware. So relax, hold a Txakoli on high, pour it splashing into a tumbler, and join our Sparkling Resolution as we toast May and look forward to the warmer days of summer 2016!

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Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, today's post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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May 1, 2016
Subway Tips and Etiquette for Boston Visitors from Local Trip Advisors
What tips would you give a visitor to Boston on MBTA subway (and bus) etiquette? Over on the Boston Trip Advisor Forum, there is a small but dedicated group of locals who help visitors plan their time in the city. They recently took up that question. Here's a link to that conversation.

People who don't move into the train and backpacks and the annoyance they can be to other passengers began the topic. It was noted that some transit systems ask that backpacks be placed on the floor. Penny often wears a backpack that she will either take off or hold in front of her on the T. The only time we leave them on is if we have a seat and the backpack will only make us uncomfortable.

Adam Gaffin over on Universal Hub has been educating readers and collecting long lists of comments on this topic for years. Here's one survey on backpacks he did in 2007. The comments on this post range from stroller issues to people who cannot reach the high straps and need a lower place to hold.

Other topics touched upon by the Trip Advisors were:
- Leaving litter behind
- Keeping right on the escalators
- Waiting until people get off before you try to get on a train or bus
- Keeping music and conversations to yourself
- Offering a seat to others when appropriate
Pole hogs or as we call them, "Pole dancers" were one of the topics Penny added to the Trip Advisor conversation. The photo above by Mark Kent was taken in New York where the public transit system is, at least, trying to teach etiquette.

She also offered a tip to those who fear that if they move into a crowded train they may not be able to get off at their stop. She wrote, "Remember the name of the stop before yours and use that as your positioning stop. I do this all the time in rush hour. If I plan to get off a packed train at Hynes, I'll move into the train and move to a spot near a door at Copley. This way you flow with the crowd getting off at Copley and have a good choice of positions, sometimes even a seat by the door, when you reach your stop."

If you follow Universal Hub or are active on Boston social media, you may know the term manspreading. This is another issue that the NYC system has addressed with the poster above. Even the New York Times did a report and video on the topic.

The little puppet in the New York Times video had the best advice when he said, "If I'm lucky enough to get a seat on a subway, I employ a simple rule. I'm one person, I take one seat. I keep my legs in one seat. I keep my bag in one seat. I keep my arms in one seat."

Here's an additional video with all Johnny T's Subway tips. Perhaps Bostonians can learn something from a little guy from New York.

Related Post:

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

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: © 2011 Penny Cherubino, NYC subway sign by Mark Kent used under creative commons license.

Related articles

Boston's Number One Taxi

Boston Ethnic Markets Is Our Friday Link

Getting Us Outside: Another Way Dogs Are Good for Us
March 4, 2016
Subway Tips and Etiquette for Boston Visitors from Local Trip Advisors
What tips would you give a visitor to Boston on MBTA subway (and bus) etiquette? Over on the Boston Trip Advisor Forum, there is a small but dedicated group of locals who help visitors plan their time in the city. They recently took up that question. Here's a link to that conversation.

People who don't move into the train and backpacks and the annoyance they can be to other passengers began the topic. It was noted that some transit systems ask that backpacks be placed on the floor. Penny often wears a backpack that she will either take off or hold in front of her on the T. The only time we leave them on is if we have a seat and the backpack will only make us uncomfortable.

Adam Gaffin over on Universal Hub has been educating readers and collecting long lists of comments on this topic for years. Here's one survey on backpacks he did in 2007. The comments on this post range from stroller issues to people who cannot reach the high straps and need a lower place to hold.

Other topics touched upon by the Trip Advisors were:
- Leaving litter behind
- Keeping right on the escalators
- Waiting until people get off before you try to get on a train or bus
- Keeping music and conversations to yourself
- Offering a seat to others when appropriate
Pole hogs or as we call them, "Pole dancers" were one of the topics Penny added to the Trip Advisor conversation. The photo above by Mark Kent was taken in New York where the public transit system is, at least, trying to teach etiquette.

She also offered a tip to those who fear that if they move into a crowded train they may not be able to get off at their stop. She wrote, "Remember the name of the stop before yours and use that as your positioning stop. I do this all the time in rush hour. If I plan to get off a packed train at Hynes, I'll move into the train and move to a spot near a door at Copley. This way you flow with the crowd getting off at Copley and have a good choice of positions, sometimes even a seat by the door, when you reach your stop."

If you follow Universal Hub or are active on Boston social media, you may know the term manspreading. This is another issue that the NYC system has addressed with the poster above. Even the New York Times did a report and video on the topic.

The little puppet in the New York Times video had the best advice when he said, "If I'm lucky enough to get a seat on a subway, I employ a simple rule. I'm one person, I take one seat. I keep my legs in one seat. I keep my bag in one seat. I keep my arms in one seat."

Here's an additional video with all Johnny T's Subway tips. Perhaps Bostonians can learn something from a little guy from New York.

Related Post:

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

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: © 2011 Penny Cherubino, NYC subway sign by Mark Kent used under creative commons license.

Related articles

Boston's Number One Taxi

Boston Ethnic Markets Is Our Friday Link

Getting Us Outside: Another Way Dogs Are Good for Us
March 4, 2016
Luke’s Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Tell Penny someone will be serving real Maine lobster rolls on Newbury Street and she'll plan an entire weekend around eating them. My, but it was a delicious weekend with lobster rolls for lunch both Saturday and Sunday. We nearly went back a second time on Saturday, but Penny managed to rein in her lobster lust.

Over the weekend, a pop-up shop on the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth Streets included a visit from Luke's Lobster of New York City – and a few other fortunate places. This crew has taken their Maine background, along with smart business sense, and created a company with one simple concept. They make fresh, chilled lobster rolls the way folks in Maine have enjoyed them for generations. (They also make crab and shrimp rolls.)

This is a LOBSTER ROLL not a "lobster salad roll." Luke's menu says your lobster will be, "...served chilled atop a buttered and toasted New England-style, split-top bun with a swipe of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter and a dash of our secret spices." We love the next line, "Tell us if you'd like your roll WITHOUT mayo, butter or spices."

We opted for no mayo but with the butter and seasoning.

It was a dream roll. The lobster was sweet, rich, and tasted like Maine. (Perhaps it was cooked Penny's favorite way, in seawater.)

The lemon cut the butter making it lighter, and the seasoning was applied with a careful hand. This combo will be our Luke's choice each time we are where we can order one.

Luke's has also thought about the roll delivery system. "Did we wanted ours in hand or bagged to go?" they asked. We had them packaged to take to the park. Inside our brown carry bag were two white containers.

These cradled our treasure and delivered it perky and upright to our dining spot on a park bench.

For ease of eating, they provided one of those little cardboard trays that are used to serve hot dogs in other places and lobster rolls in Maine. (That's Ed in the photo tasting just the lobster for his first bite.)

Thanks to Lisa DeCanio over at BostInno for alerting us to this happening. Here's her piece with more information on the event and Luke's Lobster including the tantalizing thought that they might one day pop up in a more permanent Boston location.

And, here is a bit more background including the source of that great lobster from our former editor at Serious Eats. Good job, as always, Erin!

Hey guys, we'll even be happy to take a food truck or more pop-ups until you settle on a spot.

By the way, we have reported our Lobster Roll Chronicles since 2008.

Here are a few more places we recommend:

Jakes Seafood, Lobster Roll Chronicles

No Mayo Lobster Roll from James Hook & Company

Neptune Oyster Lobster Roll – A Best Bite!

Ocean Craving Satisfied with Lobster Roll Bonus!

Belle Isle Seafood Lobster Rolls

Bubala's Lobster Roll- Lobster Roll Chronicles

Lunch at the Bristol Lounge Is a Special Treat

Farmers' Market Lobster Rolls: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

And, you can buy those hot dog trays from Amazon in cardboard or plastic! Nice for BBQs or homemade lobster rolls.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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.

June 17, 2013
Luke’s Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Tell Penny someone will be serving real Maine lobster rolls on Newbury Street and she'll plan an entire weekend around eating them. My, but it was a delicious weekend with lobster rolls for lunch both Saturday and Sunday. We nearly went back a second time on Saturday, but Penny managed to rein in her lobster lust.

Over the weekend, a pop-up shop on the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth Streets included a visit from Luke's Lobster of New York City – and a few other fortunate places. This crew has taken their Maine background, along with smart business sense, and created a company with one simple concept. They make fresh, chilled lobster rolls the way folks in Maine have enjoyed them for generations. (They also make crab and shrimp rolls.)

This is a LOBSTER ROLL not a "lobster salad roll." Luke's menu says your lobster will be, "...served chilled atop a buttered and toasted New England-style, split-top bun with a swipe of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter and a dash of our secret spices." We love the next line, "Tell us if you'd like your roll WITHOUT mayo, butter or spices."

We opted for no mayo but with the butter and seasoning.

It was a dream roll. The lobster was sweet, rich, and tasted like Maine. (Perhaps it was cooked Penny's favorite way, in seawater.)

The lemon cut the butter making it lighter, and the seasoning was applied with a careful hand. This combo will be our Luke's choice each time we are where we can order one.

Luke's has also thought about the roll delivery system. "Did we wanted ours in hand or bagged to go?" they asked. We had them packaged to take to the park. Inside our brown carry bag were two white containers.

These cradled our treasure and delivered it perky and upright to our dining spot on a park bench.

For ease of eating, they provided one of those little cardboard trays that are used to serve hot dogs in other places and lobster rolls in Maine. (That's Ed in the photo tasting just the lobster for his first bite.)

Thanks to Lisa DeCanio over at BostInno for alerting us to this happening. Here's her piece with more information on the event and Luke's Lobster including the tantalizing thought that they might one day pop up in a more permanent Boston location.

And, here is a bit more background including the source of that great lobster from our former editor at Serious Eats. Good job, as always, Erin!

Hey guys, we'll even be happy to take a food truck or more pop-ups until you settle on a spot.

By the way, we have reported our Lobster Roll Chronicles since 2008.

Here are a few more places we recommend:

Jakes Seafood, Lobster Roll Chronicles

No Mayo Lobster Roll from James Hook & Company

Neptune Oyster Lobster Roll – A Best Bite!

Ocean Craving Satisfied with Lobster Roll Bonus!

Belle Isle Seafood Lobster Rolls

Bubala's Lobster Roll- Lobster Roll Chronicles

Lunch at the Bristol Lounge Is a Special Treat

Farmers' Market Lobster Rolls: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

And, you can buy those hot dog trays from Amazon in cardboard or plastic! Nice for BBQs or homemade lobster rolls.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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.

June 17, 2013
Luke’s Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Tell Penny someone will be serving real Maine lobster rolls on Newbury Street and she'll plan an entire weekend around eating them. My, but it was a delicious weekend with lobster rolls for lunch both Saturday and Sunday. We nearly went back a second time on Saturday, but Penny managed to rein in her lobster lust.

Over the weekend, a pop-up shop on the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth Streets included a visit from Luke's Lobster of New York City – and a few other fortunate places. This crew has taken their Maine background, along with smart business sense, and created a company with one simple concept. They make fresh, chilled lobster rolls the way folks in Maine have enjoyed them for generations. (They also make crab and shrimp rolls.)

This is a LOBSTER ROLL not a "lobster salad roll." Luke's menu says your lobster will be, "...served chilled atop a buttered and toasted New England-style, split-top bun with a swipe of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter and a dash of our secret spices." We love the next line, "Tell us if you'd like your roll WITHOUT mayo, butter or spices."

We opted for no mayo but with the butter and seasoning.

It was a dream roll. The lobster was sweet, rich, and tasted like Maine. (Perhaps it was cooked Penny's favorite way, in seawater.)

The lemon cut the butter making it lighter, and the seasoning was applied with a careful hand. This combo will be our Luke's choice each time we are where we can order one.

Luke's has also thought about the roll delivery system. "Did we wanted ours in hand or bagged to go?" they asked. We had them packaged to take to the park. Inside our brown carry bag were two white containers.

These cradled our treasure and delivered it perky and upright to our dining spot on a park bench.

For ease of eating, they provided one of those little cardboard trays that are used to serve hot dogs in other places and lobster rolls in Maine. (That's Ed in the photo tasting just the lobster for his first bite.)

Thanks to Lisa DeCanio over at BostInno for alerting us to this happening. Here's her piece with more information on the event and Luke's Lobster including the tantalizing thought that they might one day pop up in a more permanent Boston location.

And, here is a bit more background including the source of that great lobster from our former editor at Serious Eats. Good job, as always, Erin!

Hey guys, we'll even be happy to take a food truck or more pop-ups until you settle on a spot.

By the way, we have reported our Lobster Roll Chronicles since 2008.

Here are a few more places we recommend:

Jakes Seafood, Lobster Roll Chronicles

No Mayo Lobster Roll from James Hook & Company

Neptune Oyster Lobster Roll – A Best Bite!

Ocean Craving Satisfied with Lobster Roll Bonus!

Belle Isle Seafood Lobster Rolls

Bubala's Lobster Roll- Lobster Roll Chronicles

Lunch at the Bristol Lounge Is a Special Treat

Farmers' Market Lobster Rolls: Lobster Roll Chronicles

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

And, you can buy those hot dog trays from Amazon in cardboard or plastic! Nice for BBQs or homemade lobster rolls.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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.

June 17, 2013