Cats Are Little Tigers
08 Oct 2018 Leave a comment
in birthday list, drink, food Tags: beer, Boston
A brewpub opened near my office over the summer. Fittingly, Democracy Brewing opened on July 4. A friend and I checked it out a few weeks after it opened. The beer and the food were good. Not amazing level but solid level.
I was so busy enjoying the beer that I forgot to take a photo before drinking it.
The space is cozy and hip and the prices are reasonable. What a score for downtown Boston. And even better, it’s a worker-owned company. Worth a visit, Bostonians!
30 Sep 2018 Leave a comment
in birthday list, drink, food, music Tags: Boston
A new music venue has been open for almost a year, so my friend and I checked it out recently. City Winery is a national chain so I was expecting it to be kind of “meh.” But I liked the vibe there. The place has a large bar and restaurant area outside of the music venue, which is a small-ish low-lit room filled mainly with long tables with chairs.
My friend and I sat in the back because the seats were cheaper, but we enjoyed the experience more because we were sitting at a two-person hightop and had a nice view of the stage (where the blue light is in the photo).
We saw Brazilian musician Seu Jorge. He arrived on my radar when I saw Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. He performed Bowie songs in Portuguese in the film.
He has an amazing deep voice and seems like a charmer. He invited his daughter on stage to perform a Nina Simone song, which was a crowd pleaser.
We ordered special wine (which was made from grapes from the Finger Lakes, near my hometown), so that was fun, and we both enjoyed our meals.
Next time I might splurge on seats closer to the stage, because since we were in the back, we kept being blinded by people taking photos and videos with their smartphones every few minutes. Grr.
22 Sep 2018 Leave a comment
Even though I don’t have kids, I occasionally cruise through a toy store to look for gifts for my niece. During my last toy store visit, I picked up a crystal cherry tree kit for myself. It looked easy to make and the tree reminded me of the cherry blossom trees I saw in DC last year.
The kit consisted of a cardboard tree, plastic base, and clear liquid.
Blossoms started sprouting an hour or so after I stuck the tree in the base and poured the liquid in the base. It was pretty. And the blossoms felt like foam, not crystal.
But the situation soon devolved…I think there were too many blossoms for the cardboard to handle. I left it up for another day and then threw it in the trash.
This is a fast and easy project to do with kids, but prepare them for the devolution.
08 Sep 2018 Leave a comment
in art, birthday list, museums
My mom and I met in the Berkshires earlier this summer, so I took the opportunity to visit a place I hadn’t been to before: Chesterwood, the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. French is best known for sculpting Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in DC.
We went during the week, so it was quiet there. The location is stunning; from the terrace of the house, you can see Monument Mountain.
Only a few rooms of the house are open to the public, so the main attraction is his studio.
A small museum tells his story, and there are gardens and trails on the property as well. We didn’t have time to explore the grounds, but I’m sure I could have spent at least an hour walking around. All of the staff were delightful, and I look forward to visiting again sometime.
25 Aug 2018 Leave a comment
in birthday list, drink, food Tags: beer
I tried two new-to-me restaurants in one day recently. Some friends and I met for brunch at Cafe Luna. I had never heard of it, and after eating there, I was shocked that I had never heard of it. Not only was the food delicious, but the waitstaff were so friendly that we felt like we were on vacation in another city!
I had Nutella and banana French toast. I need to eat French toast occasionally; it’s a need and it is real.
Boyfriend and I ate dinner that evening at Brewers Coalition. The ambiance was nice, like an upscale townie bar. We ordered beer flights, because we love to try new beers. I had a pasta and vegetables dish, which was very good (except they could have skipped the black beans, in my opinion).
That day proved a good reminder to explore restaurants outside of your own neighborhood.
