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Same People, Different Week

24 May

I was going to post something here about the people who are always in the Chestnut Hill Finagle a Bagel on Saturdays and Sundays for lunch, and how amusing it is that like clockwork, you can always count on seeing them. Because it’s true: There are a handful of people who are always there midday on the weekends. And I might have made fun of these people’s quirks or remarked about the endearing qualities of one particular couple, or commented on how these customers know the folks behind the counter so well. And then it occurred to me … The only reason I know who goes to Finagle at the same time every week is because I go to Finagle at the same time every week. How lame is that? Jeeeez. I’ve really gotta find a new lunch place.

Sweeter on Sweet

22 May

It took three or four loops around Harvard Square Thursday night before I finally found a parking spot, and I must not have been paying any attention to where I was driving. I was there to have dinner at Border Cafe with Amy, Amy’s mom, and AmyMac, and as good as the margaritas were (especially on such a hot day), you can only imagine how excited I was when AmyMac mentioned that a new cupcake place had opened in the Square. What was funny is that I had driven right by it those four times and didn’t even notice. How could I have been so blind?

Well anyway, this was no “new” cupcake place. It was a new, second location for Sweet, the Back Bay store that didn’t really blow me away when I tried it last year. And I have to say, I don’t know if it was the company I was with or the cake itself, but I certainly enjoyed my Sweet Cake with chocolate buttercream frosting more last night than the one I had exactly one year ago today. There was a very strong vanilla flavor, the icing was, well, sweet, and while the cupcake was small, it was definitely an ideal size given how full I was from dinner.

What I also missed while driving around: Tory Row had opened in the space formerly occupied by the Greenhouse. Next time I’m driving around Harvard Square looking for parking, I’m going to have to be better about looking around and seeing where I am. I can only imagine what other tasty treats I may have missed.

One More Thing Off My List

9 May

Today was one of those days where I was playing tourist in my own city. Nina and I met up for lunch (at Vlora in Copley Square) and then just decided to walk. Our first destination? The Swan Boats in the Public Gardens. I’d made this loop before, but Nina had not, and I was happy to indulge her in this activity. The quiet, peaceful loop around the Gardens was actually kinda nice, and the sun peaking through the clouds made it even better.

We continued on through the Common and Nina asked if I had ever had the Boston Cream Pie at the Omni Parker House. I had not, and neither had she. So we decided we couldn’t really be proper Bostonians until we could say we had tried the pie, and we headed over to the hotel. I wish I could say I was impressed and that the pie lived up the the hype. It did not. The round, individual-sized cake was just not very moist and it didn’t have nearly enough cream in it. Yes, there were also crushed nuts all along the outside of the cake, and I don’t like nuts, but I got over that. So, a disappointment. On the other hand, the Parker House rolls, which I had also never had there before, were yummy, and they made the experience worth it.

We finished off our snack and continued on to a primo touristy destination, Faneuil Hall, where we walked around, saw some street performers, and even did a little shopping. But that was enough, so after that we called it a day.

Now I have another activity I can cross off my to-do list. After more than 12 years of living in Boston (16 if you include college), I can say I’ve had the trademark foods at the Omni Parker House.

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

9 May

I’m always excited whenever something I’ve posted here touches a chord and gets picked up and linked to elsewhere.

But man oh man, the response to my post yesterday about eating at Old Country Buffet has been unbelievable! In just one day, that one post has recorded more than 1,200 hits.

That’s more than the number of hits my posts about Johnny Cupcakes and I Am Legend have received. (Until now, those two had been the most-read posts on this site.) Who knew so many people were equally curious about this place?

Thanks for the increased traffic goes to longtime supporters Boston.com and UniversalHub.com, in addition to Wicked Local’s Watertown blog, all of whom have directed people my way.

And of course, thanks to all the people who have clicked and read and laughed at and commented on my post. Nothing I’ve posted here has ever had this much response.

I’m amazed, amused, impressed … and hoping you all will come back again to read what else I post here.

Update, 5/11/09, 12:00 p.m.: Well, the Boston.com link was live until noon today and people were clicking on it the entire time. Between Friday at 1 p.m. and today, that one post had just under 2,400 hits. Good stuff.

Curiosity Killed My Appetite

8 May

There are certain things you should do at least once in your life.

For example, I’ve seen the Grateful Dead live in concert, I’ve taken a trapeze lesson, I’ve hiked Tuckerman Ravine, and I’ve gone skydiving.

I’m not sure that eating at Old Country Buffet (in the Watertown Mall) is in the same league as those, but now that I’ve done it, I can safely say that I will not be doing it again. Continue reading →

I Scream

20 Apr

Wanted to give you a heads up that tomorrow is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. This annual, well, holiday is one of the most exciting days of the year, and I’m already looking forward to my free scoop of Phish Food. Or will it be Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? Or Chocolate Therapy? The choices are almost overwhelming. I may have to go back twice. Or three times.

Of course, Ben & Jerry’s isn’t the only place giving out ice cream in the next few days. Next Wednesday, April 29, Baskin-Robbins is having its annual 31-cent Scoop Night, where you can get yourself some yummy ice cream for almost nothing, and support a good cause too (all the proceeds go to the National Volunteer Fire Council National Junior Firefighter Program).

So … start saving your appetite, get your spoon ready, and save me a place in line!

Table for One

7 Apr

I didn’t quite know what to have for dinner Monday night, but I knew one thing: I didn’t want to cook. And because Passover was two days away and I had already put all my dishes through my dishwasher, and I had nothing better to do, and because Sunday was the one-year anniversary of the day I moved into my condo, I decided to go out to dinner. Yes, by myself. It’s not the first time I’ve done this, but it’s been a very long time since I’ve gone out and sat in a restaurant eating dinner by myself. It was time to do it again.

I decided to go to the Bertucci’s at the Atrium, which I figured would be close, easy, and because it was a rainy Monday night, largely empty. And sure enough, it was. So I sat at my table, undisturbed, eating my rolls and my meal, drinking my beverage, and perhaps most importantly, catching up on a recent issue of Rolling Stone. I have to admit: It was really nice for a change. Sure, I could have gone somewhere a little nicer than Bertucci’s, but this was just what I was looking for. I was able to eat and read, and no one was rushing me to finish up or hounding me to order more, and when I was done, there were no dishes to clean up or anything. I had a nice waitress, and I gave her a nice tip because she treated me well, and I was not embarrassed by the situation in the least.

Yeah, I really kind of enjoyed going out by myself. I’m not going to make a habit of it, but maybe I’ll have to do it more often.

An Old Joke

28 Mar

Manischewitz has added a logo to its boxes of Passover cake mixes, matzahs, and other products this year that says “Over 120 years!” I’m not sure if that’s how long the company has been in existence or how long the boxes have been sitting on the store shelves. (Insert laughter here.) After all, some of that stuff sits on the shelf for a very, very, very long time, and it tastes just about the same on day one as it does weeks and months later.

Ah, Passover food. So bad, and yet, so necessary. I had my annual round of thoughts about this subject today when I went to Stop & Shop to do some shopping for the holiday (it starts on April 8). $4 for 12oz of grape jelly. $5 for two cans of tuna fish. $5 for a box of cookies. It’s crazy, especially because I only need the stuff for eight days (less, actually, considering I’ll be out of town for the first three days). That’s why I always save my receipts — so I can return all my extra food and stick it to the man.

What made my shopping trip today a little more amusing was a (slightly weird) young woman who started to chat me up about how it looked like I was going to be doing some cooking (based on what? Two cans of tuna, a bottle of Coke, some cake mix, some cookies, and some mayonaise?) and wasn’t Passover such a great holiday, and blah blah blah. When I replied that I wasn’t such a big fan of Passover, she started to list out all the things that are apparently “so good” about it, like herring (yuck), chopped liver (yuck), fried matzah (not bad), and gefilte fish (alright, that one I like, but as I told her, it’s a food I can and do eat year round). And then she started raving about how great peanut butter and jelly on matzah was, and I said it’s fine for a week, but I’d rather have it on bread. Quite frankly, the only Passover-specific food I genuinely enjoy is the Manischewitz Coffee Cake, which is actually quite good.

But anyway … at that point, because she wasn’t getting the hint, I excused myself and walked off to shop in another aisle. If this woman was trying to change how I feel about Passover — or, more likely, trying to get me to ask her on a date — she failed. I may not be an expert on how to pick up members of the opposite sex, but I can say this: using Passover as your “in” definitely doesn’t work. At least not with me.

Who Knew?

19 Feb

Tuesday night I took my friend Mike out for dinner to say thanks for helping me get my new job.

We had planned to eat at Legal Seafoods out in Natick, but he pulled a last-minute switcheroo on me and we ended up next door at Metro 9 Steak House, a place I’d never heard of before or even noticed when I’ve driven by.

Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. Continue reading →

The IKEA Fallacy

30 Dec

We all love IKEA … right? The bright colors, the cheap products, the innovative Swedish design. People make a big deal when a new store opens (myself included), and go nuts waiting for days to be the first one in the door. But I find that the more I go to IKEA, the less exciting it is. Time and time again, I’ve gone to the store, excited to buy things, and I’ve walked out empty handed because when it came down to it, the stuff wasn’t nice enough or worth buying. It’s functional, but it’s not the kind of stuff I need. So it was on Monday, when I made the ill-fated decision again to journey on down to Stoughton and look for (among other things) a TV stand for my new TV. An hour and a half later, I left empty handed. Again. When will I learn that it’s not even worth the trip? Alright, fine. That’s not entirely true. It was worth it if only for the Swedish meatballs. Yum. And I have to say, IKEA makes some very good garlic toast (two pieces for only 50 cents!) and cinnamon buns too. But even though I had nothing better to do, did I really need to drive a half hour out of the city to have (a not-so-healthy) lunch? Probably not. Why am I still powerless after all this time to the charms and tastes of the IKEA experience?

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