bex77

 
I got to see "1776: The Musical" 1at the American Repertory Theater in Harvard Square this afternoon!  

It was a beastly hot day - in the 90s!  I dressed up in my gauzy floral summer dress and got a ride to Cambridge with Laurie M.  She arranged the entire outing and drove - a real treat for me who usually plans every step of most adventures. 
  

Welcome to my personal wake for Foodler this evening.  

Tonight is the final night before my favorite restaurant delivery service ceases to exist, having been absorbed by the more pedestrianly named GrubHub during some corporate shenanigans.  So I went for a little cruise around their website for the last time.  After 904 personal orders and 104 for work, I will be headed elsewhere the next time I want to order in.   

We've been together for nearly 10 years - my first order was from Cinderella's in Central Square on November 9, 2007.  My final order was October 9, 2017 from Beantown Taqueria in the same area.  

I ordered from restaurants around the corner and across the river, from places I know to places I learned about on Foodler and have never been inside.  There are lots of places long gone - Pu Pu Hot Pot, Dolphin Seafood, Snack Bar, Spice & Rice, Alfresco, Lady Siam, Cambridge Coffee & Pizza, Potato Freak.  Some places we placed one order and decided never again, others we ordered over and over... and over.  I never lost the thrill of not having to call to place an order or read my credit card - just click on "repeat order," tweak it a bit and hit SUBMIT.  

I remember the breakfasts, lunches, dinners, late night snacks and random indulgences like ice cream or chocolate cake.  I've had all sorts of food - pizza, burgers, omelettes, muffins, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes and home fries and fries and chips, wraps, subs, gyros, wings, smoothies, sushi, dim sum, turkey dinners, dumplings, soups and even Cream of Wheat!  I enjoyed Thai, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Greek, Swiss and more!  

I learned all the tricks to maximize the points earned for each order, and ended up with hundreds of dollars in free food over the years.  I am so sad to see that benefit go!  

I adored their "Best Bets" section, telling me what they thought I'd like to eat, based on my past orders.  I especially like the little green check marks telling me I'd ordered it before.  I often look for those on menus in restaurants and then slowly realize why they aren't there!  

It wasn't all good times - we had delivery drivers who wanted us to go out in the street to meet their car rather than coming up to the fifth floor, a few who "got lost" and made us wait 90 minutes for them to appear, wrong items, missing items... but the nice folks at support@Foodler.com always made it right.  I wonder what will happen to them.  

It seems just my luck that I tried a number of delivery sites - Doordash, GrubHub, AllMenus, BeyondMenu, MixMenu - and decided I like Foodler best, so of course, they are the ones who are disappearing.  *sigh  I may have to... cook more.  Argh!  

So Farewell Foodler. Thank you. It's been delicious!  

I've been sick with a wretched cough for nearly 2 weeks.  I have eaten so much soup and want to remember them for the next time the germs catch up with me.  These are from restaurants that deliver via Doordash, GrubHub or Foodler, or available by sweet-talking Hubby into picking up for me.  

Greek Corner - Avegolemono chicken lemon rice soup
India Palace - spicy chicken soup
Au Bon Pain - chicken noodle soup
Pandan Leaf - Thai chicken coconut milk soup
Asian House - Thai rice chowder
Mary Chung's - suan la chow show - spicy pork wontons soup with bean sprouts
Panera - French onion soup
Flour - beef chili (do not buy this again) 
Genki Ya - Miso soup 
Dumpling House - chicken corn soup 

Just Crust in Harvard Square has soups but I didn't make it there this time. 

Other soothing concoctions: 
The Neighborhood - The Cream of Wheat is soupy and comforting
Mary Chung's Yu Shiang Eggplant with shredded chicken has a spicy sauce that feels great on a sore throat and opens the sinuses

Here's to better health in the days ahead! 

-B

Following through on my resolution to post and comment more often, here's my first Dreamwidth-only post.  Whee!

Hubby and I had tasty Spanish tapas at the Dali Restaurant in Somerville!  

I keep forgetting to go there. I think it's been over two years.  Every time I go, I wonder why I am not there more often.  It is unique and delicious! And on my way home from work.  I have only been for "occasions" in the past, but hope to go more often.  

We had that secluded 2-top tile table tucked into the window well in the corner of the beautiful dining room.  I adore their eclectic decor!  It was empty when we went in at opening time (5:30 pm) but was almost full when we left a couple of hours later. 

We shared small elegantly displayed plates of seafood, spices, cheese, meats and fruity sauces:  
1) Ceviche - salmon, scallops and shrimp (served on a scallop shell nestled in a bed of fresh seaweed!) 
2) Garlic soup 
3) Fried Cheese with honey and sweet onions
4) Beef turnovers with olives, raisins and egg
5) Lamb chops in peach sauce 
6) Duck in berry sauce
7) Lamb meatballs
8) Beef tenderloin with dried fruit and creamy brandy sauce
9) Dessert - we shared churros with chocolate and dulce de leche sauces 

My favorites - #2, #5, #6 and #8!  The cheese was a little strong for my tastes, the beef turnovers unremarkable and I've had better ceviche (but it was a wonderful start to dinner on a warm day).  

The most amazing part was the non-alcoholic sangria!  This was the most festive, delicious drink option I've seen in a long time - a deep purple, fruity mix of flavors that was the perfect cold libation on the first warm day of spring!  They also have a creative cocktail list and wines and beers.  

If we're connect on Facebook, you can see 9 photos posted over there. 

The hostesses and servers are so pleasant!  Their pacing is perfect.  

If you want vegetarian options, almost half the tapas menu is creative veggie choices!  I need to explore more of those next time.  

They also have three versions of paella that are tempting but I never get past the tapas part of the menu.  

The parking meters around there run until 8 pm but have that new app thing, so you don't need quarters.  

It is on the pricey side, but well worth it for the creative cooking, beautiful interior and pleasant service.  

-B

Some quick notes for the record so I'll remember what we did to celebrate our 20th anniversary!

We started early and ran late, spreading the festivities out over more than a week!  

Sunday, October 23
We had a wonderful day in RI!  We had a delicious German lunch at Redlefsen's in Bristol, then headed off to the South Shore Beach in Little Compton.  It is so beautiful there!  We stopped at a farm stand going down, then at a farm coming back and another farm stand.  I found a yummy chocolate chip cookie, a honey crisp apple, caramel apple sauce and a wonderful butternut squash apple bisque at the farm.  I got a cucumber, a tomato, fresh corn and a pumpkin at the farm stand!   We had dinner at our favorite restaurant in the world - The Boat House in Tiverton.  I feasted on the raw bar sampler of oysters, clams and shrimp, then the baked stuffed lobster.  We shared the cranberry creme brûlée for dessert.  Yum! 

Wednesday, October 26 (the day)
I was off work.  We had breakfast delivered from The Neighborhood via Foodler.  We had the installation team in from NetBlazr, making real our year-long campaign to get away from Comcast.

We headed out about 6 pm to VOTE EARLY!  We went to the Police Station on 6th Street.  It was fast and easy, and such a relief to have it done.  We took the requisite selfies and posted them to Facebook.  

We had a special dinner at Helmand, the Afghani restaurant.  The service was it's usual lackluster thing but the food is so special I overlook it.  We had the pumpkin, which is, as a friend put it, "the best thing I ever put in my mouth."  I had the aushak soup and the quabalee lamb and rice dinner, had the ferreeeney for dessert.  

Thursday, October 27 
I was off work again.  We went to MGH for the last of my five-year check-ups with the radiation oncologist.  He said I look fine and don't need to see him again.  YAY!  I visited the Healing Garden one last time, and had my arm measured for the lymphedema study.  

We went off to Lake WInnipesaukee!  We headed to Shipley's in Alton Bay, but they were already closed for the season.  Argh!  We drove on the Patrick's Pub in Gilford. I had the onion hooks and the shepherd's pie and pumpkin cheesecake.  It's a pleasant place but the food is not that great.  I don't need to go back there.  

We went over to Weir's Beach to Kellerhaus, the candy and gifts store.  I got some cashew turtles, butter crunch and two bracelets!  Bling!  

We went to the Belknap Point Inn to check in and crash.  Despite the rain, I could still see the lake from the balcony!  I got to nap for a couple of hours, then we made our way in the rain and cold (40s) to Laconia for dinner at Tavern 27.  We shared tapas.  The Scotch eggs with the mustard mayo sauce was the stand out.  I had a great hibiscus iced tea.  We made it back to the hotel and turned in early.

Friday, October 28
At Lake Winnipesaukee 
We slept late and made our way back to Laconia in the pouring rain for the $6 buffet at Pizza Hut!  I was surprised how many choices there were - a salad bar, a pizza bar and desserts!  I especially enjoyed the dutch apple pizza dessert!  

I drove around "downtown" Laconia, trying to get the lay of the land up there, but it was too cold and wet to get out and explore.  So we went back to the hotel for another nap. 

We had dinner at the Lyons Den, just down the road from the hotel. We had a prime waterfront table with a view of the lake and the brand new marine patrol station.  I had the crab cakes to start, then the baked stuffed shrimp with peas and rice.  We shared the pumpkin mousse cake for dessert.  

We made our way to Meredith to the Lake Winnipesuakee Playhouse, an amazing refurbished barn turned into everything a theater should be!  We saw a staged reading of "War of the Worlds" with great foley work and wonderful actors.  

We checked out the spiffy new Cumberland Farms convenience store near Weirs Beach.  It is huge and had lots of different candy and munchies.  We went back to the room to nosh.  

Saturday, October 29
It was time to pack up and go off to our favorite breakfast place, Kitchen Cravings, near the airport in Gilford.  I had kielbasa!  We went on to Walmart to stock up on basics at low prices with no taxes.  We picked up coffee for Hubby at Dunkin then an iced chai for me at the Starbucks in Tilton, then hopped on I-93 and whizzed home in no time!  

I was amazed that we managed to have such a lovely retreat in the cold, wet weather, but the food and the play and the lake still made for a great time away! 

Monday, October 31
We had one last blast of anniversary treats with a trip to Malden to our favorite Asian restaurant, All Season Table.  I had the hot & sour soup, crispy honey ribs and a scallion seafood pancake!  So so good!  

So that's the story on our 20th anniversary!  Here's to many more! 

 Monday I celebrated being alive!  It's been four years since I finished radiation treatment for breast cancer, so being alive seems especially wonderful!  We went to NH and Maine!

I took a day off from work to have some fun before the crush of work to start the semester.  It was a perfect day outside - clear, 70s, breezy, so I poked around the internet to find a restaurant for brunch and something fun to do in Oqunquit.  Trip Advisor and Yelp were great for me! 

11:30 am We headed north.  

12:30 pm Brunch - We found the little airstrip in North Hampton, NH and ate at their Airfield Cafe.  It was a new find through Yelp (brunch near Seabook NH) and perfect in that "kitchy diner" way.  They have a huge breakfast and lunch menu.  I had Irish Eggs Benedict with corned beef hash instead of Canadian bacon.  And a raspberry lime ricky.  

1:30 pm We drove up to Ogunquit, Maine, found parking in the public lot and the cleanest public bathroom I've ever seen, then raced to make a boat tour.  

3 pm We got on the FinestKind Lobstering Trip for $18 each.  Captain Tom did a virtuoso job keeping the boat steady in the waves and showed us how to pull up lobster traps, measure lobsters and toss back the smaller ones and pregnant females.  The rocky coastline along there is spectacular!  

4 pm Early dinner at Barnacle Billy's Etc.  So so good.  We ate outside on their patio with the stunning view of Perkins Cove.  I had the lobster stew, bacon-wrapped scallops, and lobster sauté with a baked potato.

5:30 pm we headed South.  There was almost no traffic!  

7 pm We stopped at Brandano's, the local ice cream place, for a butter pecan soft ice cream... yum.  

This is the kind of day that will keep me warm all the way through to February! 

-B

We tried out the new location for what is reputed to be the best taco joint in the area.  The owners of the Lone Star Taco Bar and Deep Ellum in Allston have opened a new spot on the corner of our block!

They open 11 am for brunch and plan to stay open until 1 am.  

Lone Star Taco Bar
635 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02141 
     (corner of Lambert Street) a block East of the RR tracks if you're coming from Inman 
     #69 bus from Lechmere or Harvard runs along Cambridge Street
     Street parking with meters 

Check out the menu and the news spreading.  
http://boston.eater.com/2015/7/6/8900073/lone-star-taco-bar-opens-cambridge#4779434

N, a theater pal and I rolled in after work about 5:30 pm on a Tuesday night and got one of the last seats at a table in the front corner window well.  The news is definitely out that the place is open.  They announced they were doing this in June 2014, and everyone has been waiting impatiently for them to open.

They opened on Sunday, so I am just reporting and reserving judgement, hoping certain "new place artifacts" will smooth out.  

First off... this is a bar.  Maybe you like bars.  I mostly don't.  It reminds me of Highland Kitchen or Magoun Saloon.  Good food - too crowded and loud before I can finish eating.  

There was a handsome young man in a baseball cap outside on the street carding everyone who wanted to enter, including gray-haired old me! That's silly.  I hope it stops soon.  They turned away people with children.  Come on... card people at the table who order drinks and allow kids at dinner time?  I hope they're waiting for training for their waitstaff and can change this soon. 

Pet peeve - three pages of alcoholic drinks focused on cocktails, tequila and mezcal.  and no listing of their non-alcoholic offerings.  They don't have iced tea.  They were able to give me a limonada - the sparkling lemonade.  So it ended well but... come on folks.  Someone in just about every party should not be having alcohol!  Offer some festive choices!  They were serving margaritas in scotch glasses?  

Second peeve - we didn't have a waiter.  A very nice guy asked us about drinks.  Another lady brought us food, and the bartender.  A third lady asked us about dessert.  And we had the dreaded "now we're ready to go (and open a table for someone standing at the bar) and we can't find anyone to bring the check, or take it to be processed."  

The food falls into the "bar snacks" category.  We tried nine items: 

Salsa and chips
Guacamole and chips
Chili con queso and chips
Tuna ceviche and chips
Street corn 

Dallas Spicy Beef fried taco
Avocado and tofu soft taco
Sonoran dog - hot dog wrapped in bacon with refried beans, cheese, salsa, crema and spicy mustard

Flan with pepitas 

Everything is tasty, reasonably priced, small plate size.  I liked the street corn and the hot dog best. 
The place got loud by 6 pm - combination of peppy music and crowd noise.  
Their a/c was not keeping up last night.  

I think it's a great addition to the neighborhood, will likely be quite popular.  I'll go with anyone wanting to try it out!  But it doesn't seem like it's going to be a favorite of mine. 

Here are my photos.  (Sorry I can't figure out how to upload them here) Enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/bex77/posts/10206298012941755

-B







 

Here's the answer to the question, "What did we do for our 18th anniversary?"   We made it a weekend-long celebration with two delicious dinners!  

Saturday, October 25th 
Maine

We drove to Maine!  We spent our honeymoon in Maine, so it always feels right to make it back there.  It only takes an hour to sneak over the border into Kittery.  

We tried a new restaurant to us - the amazing Warren's Lobster House!  Why did I not know about this place?!  Many thanks to the vivacious Vickie for the recommendation!  It's a casual spot along the Portsmouth Harbor, easy to find on Rte 1, with a big sign, huge parking lot, waterfront dining, a huge seafood menu and a 60-item salad bar!  And they make the most delicious pumpkin bread ever!  

We got there at 5 pm and were seated right away.  It got crowded with people waiting by 6 pm, but never got too crazy at the salad bar. 

I had the salad bar.  It comes with all the dinners!  I adored it because it was not just lettuce and garnishes.  I had potato salad and raisin/carrot salad and pasta salad and beets and candied apple slices and edamame and hummus and pita and yum!  And crackers and spread cheese.  And pumpkin bread.  There was soup, too, but I didn't grab that.  I wish we had salad bars around us!  

I had a lobster sampler called "The Triple Play" with boiled claws, stuffed tail and fried popcorn lobster.  The popcorn was a waste… no taste of lobster just little crunchy bits.  The other two parts were a delight!  And the baked potato was perfect.  

N. tried the salmon and shrimp bernaise over rice pilaf.  HIs eyes rolled back in his head upon tasting the sauce.  

We grabbed more pumpkin bread from the salad bar or dessert.  So moist and flavorful!

The service was just right - friendly, efficient and helpful to newcomers.  The prices are very reasonable!  

The sign on the hostess desk says "NO CELL PHONES" which I found a little rude even if it might be a good policy.  No one was paying any attention to that, so I casually took photos of my food as always.  

We bought pumpkin bread to take home - one for the office and one for Vickie.  It's only $3.40 per loaf!   

Sunday, October 26th
Malden

We drove to Malden to eat at our favorite Asian fusion restaurant - All Seasons Table.  We took a couple of theater pals to introduce them to the wonders of this stunning place hidden in a random suburban seedy downtown storefront.  We got the perfect table in the back area, surrounded by orchids and zen decor.  We shared so many dishes!  I had their hot & sour, seafood scallion pancake, and the Mongolian lamb.  N. had the sirloin tips special.  I got to taste a basil tomato seafood Udon dish that seemed like Asian paella!  And several very tasty maki rolls.  N and I shared the fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert.  Every single dish makes me think, "Aha!  That's the way it is supposed to taste!"  

 
It's my birthday and I'll write if I want to! I am taking the day off from work!  

I am so lucky to have special people in my life to celebrate my birthday!  

It's a beautiful day!  The Facebook messages and texts and emails are rolling in! 

I started celebrating early!  

Sunday RI Adventure

The weather was perfect - clear with a few high clouds now and then, breezy, 70… it looked like the opening of "The Simpsons!"  The sun made everything look so crisp and beautiful!  It was especially appreciated after the muggy 90's and fierce thunderstorms of Saturday.

N and I made a day of it, heading out on a RI adventure!  I have never seen the roads so empty!  It was glorious to sail down I-93 and Rte 24.  

Lunch at Quito's

We started the day in Bristol with a parking spot right out front of Quito's, a fun seafood restaurant with a covered deck right on the harbor!  We shared a flight of chowders!  We got a great table right at the front looking out over the big boats and beautiful water.  It was great to compare the Manhattan, New England and Rhode Island versions of this classic.  I liked the tomatoey Manhattan more than I thought I might, did not really care for the clear broth briny RI and adore their New England.  N. had the grilled chili lime shrimp which I found tough, dry and hard to get off the skewers.  The stuffed quahog was not great either… the stuffing was packed down and dry even after a liberal dosing of lemon juice.  Our second course was better with crunchy clam fritters and coconut mango shrimp.  N's fish and chips had two huge squares of perfect fish.  

South Beach wading

We motored on along the little roads of Tiverton and Little Compton, past the cow pastures and wineries and beautiful bays to the fantastic secret South Beach.  N. played "I'm All About the Bass" for me until we crossed into the area were there is no cell signal or wifi, so we went off the grid!  They've stopped charging for parking!  We pulled most of the way down and got a beachfront parking spot. I took a bunch of photos and a video!  There were a lot of people in the water, so I decided to be brave.  I rolled up my pant legs, shucked my socks and clogs and waded in!  It was lovely! N. tried it too!  It was a little hairy getting back to the car through the stones and getting our feet cleaned off and back into our shoes, but we managed together.  After a quick look at the peaceful Tuniper Pond across the road, we headed back North. 

Farmstand colors

We pulled in at Walker's Farm Stand.  I hadn't been there before.  It's a quintessential family farm with a mix of their homegrown veggies and stuff from elsewhere, ith some cheeses and milk and goodies for the tourists.  I got a couple ears of corn, then popped in to Wilma's Bakery for walnut pumpkin bread and a fresh lemonade!  The displays in the farm stand were so pretty, I dashed back to the car for my phone and snapped a few photos, then walked down to the fields to look out over the bay and take some more! 

Grinnell's Beach Beauty

They've locked the gate and the bathrooms.  Bleh!  But the views of the little island and the big house and the boats and the water are still spectacular.  

General Store Treats

We went on to Fall River to find the Sky Beverage General Store.  It's a beautiful rehab of an old factory building with a convenience store, frozen yogurt shop, candy store and cigar shop!  We got a few Jelly Belly Beans with odd flavors like "Movie Popcorn" and made use of their strong wifi signal to upload photos.  

Dinner Delights

Then it was time to go back to Tiverton for an incredible dinner overlooking Mount Hope Bay at The Boat House.  We had the corner table overlooking the bay!  Sarah was our waitress.  Not the best we've had but a bubbly geeky enthusiastic server with a passion for a clean table.  We started with their warm sourdough rolls and whipped butter in the cute little paper bag.  N. had their Hall of Fame spicy corn chowder with chorizo, while I tried their clam chowder.  Both are delicious!  We shared the field greens with goat cheese and pecans in a champagne vinaigrette and then splurged on the raw bar sampler with 4 cocktail shrimp, 4 Point Judith Oysters and 4 Little Neck clams.  I gloried in the baked stuffed lobster with bay scallop and shrimp stuffing... so divine!  He had their sirloin steak with fried parmesan gnocchi and the fries. The impossibly young looking manager with the braces stopped by to wish me a happy birthday.  He got a little verkelmpt when we told him this is our "go-to place" for special days.  We watched the sunset over the bay as they brought me a little dessert with a candle - the dark chocolate budino (mousse) with hazelnuts and whipped cream, which was free!  They didn't have hot chocolate so I had an ice cold glass of skim milk.  Such a special place!  

There was heavier traffic going back, but it moved along and managed to "make a pocket" away from most cars most of the way.  We made it home in record time - just 66 minutes!  Whee! 

I uploaded way too many photos to Facebook.  Please check them out over there.  The sunshine made everything look spectacular! 

This is the life!!!!