Girls Weekend Crafts! Laura's Wedding!

The wine glasses say the bride and groom's name and their date, with all the bridesmaids name on each of our respective glasses so that we can drink the weekend signature drink (pomegranate mimosas!).  The bags feature a flower pen, scratch ticket, the glass and a nip.

Lindsay's Bridal Shower Gift Bags....

Empire State of Mind...

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After making a fantastic mix cd (decorated of course) songs that included: B.O.B.'s Magic, Jay Z's Empire, Taio Cruz's Dynamite, and many more; Amanda and I headed off to the big apple.

We made it from Worcester to Brooklyn in only 3 hours thanks to a lack of traffic and Amanda's lead foot.  A suggestion from one of my friends, and rave reviews on both citysearch and yelp led us to Amity Hall in Greenwich Village, as the first stop of the night.

Amity had a great vibe, tons of very attractive men, and a fab beer list (I got an Allagash).  I was overruled and we headed on to a few other spots before settling on Gonzalez y Gonzalez.

The bar was chips and salsa meets hip hop and salsa club vibe.  I am more of a beer girl, sports bar, or wine bar type so I enjoyed the bar but I would have preferred to stay at Amity.

We had time to kill before the Red Sox/Yankees game so we walked the Brooklyn Bridge - and it was absolutely breathtaking (I adore bridges).  From our vantage point on the bridge we could see the Manhattan Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and the Manhattan skyline.  I recommend walking it at least once.

 Skyline

 Manhattan Bridge

 Brooklyn Bridge and our gracious host Anthony

We had an amazing sushi lunch at Hana Sushi - $10 got you three rolls and a house salad.  

 Spicy Salmon, Tuna Avocado, and Philly rolls

Then we took the D train to the Bronx for the game!  Even though we lost it was a good time.  We were seated with a whole group from Waltham so it was stacked for the Red Sox in our seats.

First time at the new stadium

Disappointment : a loss and no Jacoby on the lineup

All in all a good trip, however it ended on a sour note.  Amanda's car was sideswiped where it was parked on Ocean Ave in Brooklyn - and with (of course) no note, that means she has to pay the deductible.  Taking donations!!

The MAINe place to getaway... Portland, ME.

Every year starting when I was 10 we vacationed in Wells Beach, Maine right on Atlantic Ave across from the beach.  If it rained we would go to the Maine Mall in South Portland, (I would soon learn that is not really Portland at all), and occasionally visit downtown for a meal.

Recently my trips to Maine have been to visit one of my best friends, Dave.  He lives in the outskirts of downtown, however, is in a few short weeks relocating to Washington D.C.  (Does this mean there will be posts of trips to the district?  We shall see.)

  Dave chowing on a Lobster Roll (@Lobster Shack)

As it was winter time for the bulk of my visits many of our excursions included beer, food, more beer, and the occasional walk around the water, and did I mention beer?  Portland has some great spots to check out for a microbrew... places I visited (in order of preference):

1.  Gritty McDuff's

2.  Novare Res Bier Cafe

3.  Flatbread Co.

4.  Dewey's

5.  Sea Dog Brew Pub

 Enjoying escargot, olives and a brew at Grill Room

The dining is absolutely fantastic so if you are a huge foodie like me there is something for everyone in Portland.  Downtown is easy to navigate (hard to find parking - but that is any city) and lined with interesting shops - including a wine shop that sells chocolate wine.  Where do you find this wine you ask?  Old Port on 223 Commercial Street, ask for Jacques he will give you a sample.  Just don't accidentally feed it to your laptop or all the keys will stop working.  Just saying.

I highly recommend carelessly driving around the city and getting out of the car for walks along the shore for fantastic photo ops, as well as a great dose of Maine serenity.  If you are planning a trip to Maine be sure to check out my reviews for The Grill Room and Bar, The Lobster Shack (Cape Elizabeth), The Standard Baking Company, Novare Res Bier Cafe, Caiola's, Gritty McDuff's, and The Corner Room.

Enjoy!

Alibi Patio Party - June 8, 2010

The list that gained me entry into the exclusive invite-only Citysearch party at Alibi: http://boston.citysearch.com/list/199571

The staff at Alibi were kind enough to put aside an area of lounge seats and a few couches for our takeover.  The night started off with a review of their drink menu and complimentary beverages on the bar.  I started trying the "Sanchez" (mix of cazadores reposado, lime, oj, and agave nectar) served on the rocks.

The staff were beyond hospitable and then brought us out bites from their Scampo Bar Bites menu.  One of my favorites which I do not have a picture of, were these cheese quesedilla type bites, lightly fried with gooey cheese, a nice pairing to the strong tequila.  The following pictures are a small sampling of the food we tried.

Caprese Salad

Truffled Polenta Fries

Asparagus Pizza

Kristen (www.beantownsocialite.com) and I (note the lovely Kate Spade earrings - thanks to avelle.com)

The drink I finished with and liked the most was "Rehab" (stoli ohranj, st germain, and prosecco) - fantastic!  It was great to see everyone and I finally got to meet Robin (@Dovesandfigs her blog is: www.dovesandfigs.wordpress.com) and her friend and we all shared a great conversation.

Smiling girl to the left is Josie! (@josieboston and www.thejosiebean.wordpress.com)

It was a great evening and cannot wait to see everyone again.  Big thank yous to Citysearch Boston (Christine) for setting it up and Alibi Bar and Lounge for their generous offerings of food and drink, and the $20 gift certificate for a return visit!  I will be back soon.

Press Opening Night of Johnny Baseball

I won these tickets through my participation as a Citysearch Dictator for uploading the most photographs to local businesses.  I absolutely love being a Citysearch Dictator!  What is that you ask?  Basically its a group of elite Bostonites selected by Citysearch Boston editor Christine Liu for our love of experiencing the city and sharing our opinions.  Does this sound like something that interests you?  Then apply here:  http://bit.ly/dictatorsignup  a sample of our event lineup this summer: http://boston.citysearch.com/list/191281

Make sure you follow Citysearch on Twitter for event updates, opportunities to win tickets, (@Citysearchbos or www.twitter.com/CitysearchBOS) and fan them on Facebook for their weekly contests (http://www.facebook.com/#!/CitysearchBOS).  Now on to my night at Johnny Baseball.

Located at 64 Brattle Street in Harvard Square (Cambridge) is The American Repertory Theater (http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/) a fantastic facility where Johnny Baseball is running in their Loeb Drama Center.

We were welcomed into the theater and given pink Press folders that came equipped with programs, schedule of events at the theater, the January to June edition of ART magazine, and copies of various news articles promoting the show. Our seats were four rows up and gave a feeling that you were at a stadium and truly a part of the show.

I loved the stage and recreation of Fenway Park through these box awnings and the actual stage itself.  The actors were phenomenal with truly standout performances by Colin Donnell (Johnny O'Brien), Stephanie Umoh (Daisy Wyatt), and Burke Moses (Babe Ruth).  I was pleasantly suprised that the bar allowed patrons to bring drinks into the theater - a selling point for anyone that likes to drink (any beverage alcoholic or not) while enjoying the show.  The musical numbers in Act 1 painted a truly vivid picture of the heart of Red Sox fans and the angst felt between Johnny and Daisy.  Drawn into their plight of an interracial relationship I found my emotions deeply vested in the hopeful success of their partnership, but the first act ends on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the second (final) act.

During intermission there were hot dog and sausage stands that were akin to the ones you may find along Landsdowne St by the gates of Fenway.  It was a nice touch and they also had outdoor traveling bars that offered bottled beer and wine.  There was a nominal fee associated with the food and drinks, but definitley nothing like the prices sausage stands command on Fenway. 

The second act was just as amazing as the first, and to avoid giving away any of the musical I will keep the rest of this brief.  I must however include my favorite quote of the show when Babe Ruth is in the hospital.

Nurse to Babe:  Babe, you flirting?

Babe:  I'm to weak to flirt... I'm begging.  (Aside to audience:  Ain't easy to coax a dame into a death bed)

At the conclusion of the show a free buffet of baseball foods were provided for all in attendance.  Complimentary beverages (Wine, Water, and Beer) were also available.  I personally opted for a heaping plate of potato salad, casear salad, and kielbasa.  Free icecream novelties were handed out during the speeches at the conclusion of the buffet.

Note the lovely pink press packet and free Johnny Baseball baseball!  I am happy to mention that the show was extended its dates until July 11th.  If you have not seen the show yet make sure you do before the doors close forever!

Stone Hearth Pizzapolooza! May 26, 2010

My first experience at Stone Hearth Pizza in their Porter Square location was absolutely amazing.  If you are looking for a fresh and varied (and even gluten free) spin on pizza, then look no further than SHP.  Occasionally specials run on sites like buywithme.com and groupon.com for half priced gift certificates - which allows you to try even more of the menu.

Our entire meal was paired with an expert on beer who explained each brew choice and the chef Michael Ehlenfeldt to discuss the mission and history of Stone Hearth.  I found the fact that he imports some of his own vegetables and herbs from his farm into the menu extremely impressive. 

One of our many appetizers - a crispy and savory parmesan flatbread served with their Melanzana (eggplant dip).  Marinated Olives and gazpacho accompanied the meatballs shown below.

My favorite appetizer was the Arugula and Portobello salad topped with a shaved local cheese akin to the flavor and texture of parmesan cheese.  The mushrooms melted in your mouth and found the perfect marriage with the arugula, cheese and light dressing.

We tried many different types of their pizza, my personal favorites being the Homemade Sausage and Carmelized Onion, and the Bacon and Blue.  The entire menu can be viewed here: http://www.stonehearthpizza.com/shp_menu.pdf

The meal was paired with some great beers - the best being the Allagash that has a touch of Bourbon and is aged in barrels.

One of my favorite (and I believe tastiest) events we have had so far.  Many thank yous to Michael, and the rest of the staff at the Porter Square location, and of course Citysearch Boston!