May 2018 Our cousin from Ohio was visiting Boston for Lamb Jam and had a few days for sightseeing. On a very cold and windy day we visited Castle Island. Castle Island is a short drive from Boston and offers a fort, walking paths, a take away restaurant, and plenty of parking. The area is very relaxing with places to enjoy a picnic, a run, a walk, watch planes landing at Logan Airport, and so much more. The island is also pet friendly and Fred has joined us on previous visits and loves people watching here. The lines for lunch at Sullivan's (restaurant on the island) were pretty long and we were craving something different. We drove a few miles away to Brookline and decided to enjoy lunch at Gen Sou En Tea House. Inside Gen Sou En Tea House we found a free table and snagged it. After looking over the menu we went up to the counter to order. We ordered a variety of drinks like iced Matcha latte, tradition Matcha, water, and a cappuccino. For meals we ordered the shrimp tempura Bento, vegetable tempura Bento, and two Karaage (fried chicken) Bentos. Each Bento box also came with Miso soup, rice, tofu, and vegetables.
My matcha tea was in a traditional bowl and wasn't overpowering. The Karaage Chicken was delicious! The Chicken was savory and crispy, the rice was a touch sticky, the Miso soup was perfectly simple, and the vegetables were unique. During our visit we ran into two issues. The first was the lack of staff. There weren't enough staff members to serve drinks and meals and it seemed as though things were getting confused. The second issue was the vegetable tempura. This might have been a personal preference but the vegetables weren't as tender as we would have liked. After our meal we were pretty full so we didn't try any of the pastries offered but we all agreed we would love to come back and try them. I recommend lunch and dinner at Gen Sou En Tea House for a unique environment and satisfying meals!
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20 minutes north of Boston is Woburn MA. Woburn is mostly residential but lately is becoming known for up and coming restaurants. The Baldwin Mansion in Woburn houses The Baldwin Bar, The Baldwin and Sons Trading Co, and Sichuan Garden II. The Baldwin Bar is nominated for the 2018 James Beard Outstanding Bar Program, was and was named one of the best bars in America by The Daily Meal.
On Friday the 24th of February we had reservations at The Baldwin Bar. A half an hour before our scheduled seating time I received a text that our seats were ready. Once inside we turned to the right and spoke with the host. Our seats were 2 on the far left of the bar. The Baldwin Bar area had a throw back feel to a casual Tiki Bar. There was lots of dark wood, palm leaf wallpaper, and vintage Tiki glasses above the bar. The bartender/server brought us over some water and gave us a minute to select drinks. For our first round we ordered the Corso Cooler and the Trader Vic Mai Tai. The Corso Cooler was nicely crafted but a little too tart for my taste. The Trader Vic Mai Tai was balanced and refreshing. I appreciated that the bartenders tested their drinks as they were being made. Unfortunately, I started to notice a few things I didn't appreciate it. Our bartender started covering her mouth with her arm when coughing but slowly started to just cough into the air. Our first selections of food came out and were the Dan dan noodles and Chengdu dry hot chicken wings. We enjoyed both of these dishes and were happy with the level of heat. Next came the Sweet and pungent ribs and Pork Dumplings. These dishes were a little disappointing. The ribs were good but difficult to eat. We've had riblets before but these were tiny (maybe around an inch each). The pork dumplings had the same flavor as the dan dan noodles. We realized that everything was topped off with the same chili oil. For our 2nd round of drinks I opted for the Trader Vic Mai Tai while Greg chose the Red Baron. The Red Baron was definitely the winner of the evening. The Red Baron was a rye whiskey based drink that was sweet but still refreshing. I am not a fan of apricots normally but the apricot completely makes the drink. At this point in the meal I was really getting irritated. The bartenders were talking loudly about their evenings and one staff member who would come behind the bar often was eating out of a bag of Cheez Its right in front of us. I would also like to mention that while eating Cheez Its with her hands I never saw her wash her hands before returning to work. Our entree came out and it was the House spicy brisket in cellophane noodle bao along with some white rice. This dish was more than enough for 2, savory, warmly seasoned (five spice), and was very satisfying. The dish is more like glass noodles topped with a beef stew. In the end we agreed that the drinks were phenomenal, the food was okay, and the service was lacking in cleanliness and professionalism. I wouldn't return to that particular area but would be willing to try the more relaxed upstairs bar of Baldwin and sons trading co (which does offer a different drink menu). On Friday we arrived at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center for the Boston Globe Travel Show. We checked in, printed our passes, and made our way to the Waterfront Ballroom. We chose a table that was pretty open and for the most part there were only 4 of us. A few others did join our table for a little while and I'm so glad they did. It was really nice meeting Carol Kent of Carol Kent Yacht Charters. We had a lovely chat and were able to connect on Twitter. Our day started with a presentation from Fort Myers & Sanibel Beach. We had a nice chat with the woman from Florida and learned a bit more about the area. My in-laws love shelling at Sanibel Beach so we were pretty familiar with the area. The next two presenters joining our table were from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines. We have been on several NCL cruises and are actually taking our first Royal Caribbean cruise in April. Their pitches were definitely geared more towards travel agents but it was nice to hear about the current promotions for travelers. I have been wanting to visit the Azores for a while now. I will admit that the airlines and flight details were a deterrent prior to now. Tour Azores out of Fall River MA are from Portugal, love talking about Portugal, and offer extremely reasonable trips. I am definitely interested in their Lisbon/Azores 7-day vacations that start at $799 (land only). In addition to this great information Azores Airlines is adding new planes and new schedules out of Boston that sound amazing! Azores Airlines is all about servicing their customers. Azores Airlines offers a free checked bag (23kg), free carry-on bag, free in-flight wifi, meals, and wines. I absolutely love traveling to the Caribbean. These days I'm looking for a mix of beautiful beaches, great food, and something adventurous in nature. Renee S.C. Goodwin from Grenada completely sold me on her country! Renee was passionate, exciting, and shared fabulous ideas on what to do when visiting Grenada. I can't wait to look up more information on planning a trip for us to Grenada. Before lunch we heard about the updated all-inclusive resorts on Aruba. The Divi and Tamarijn resorts are older properties but it sounds as though the resorts are keeping up with trends thanks to refurbishments and all-inclusive offerings for guests. MSC Cruises was next and I can honestly say that what I learned definitely has me interested. I am looking forward to them becoming more active in the U.S. and seeing how things go with their new private island off of Bimini (in 2019). Our last presenter before lunch was Latam Airlines. We heard about their new non-stop flights to Sao Paolo Brazil from Boston. We also heard a little bit about their easy connections to other parts of South America (Patagonia and Machu Picchu are both high on my list of must sees) Flynn Cruiseport Boston did sponsor a lunch for everyone however we had already made other plans. I heard from others that the lunch and the speaker panel were very nice. Greg and I went to Whiskey Priest to meet up with a few others from Travel Massive. It was really nice chatting with people in the industry who are like minded. We had a lot of laughs, a lot of travel stories, and a tasty lunch. I can't wait for future meet ups! Back from lunch our first presenter was from New Smyrna Beach Florida. Greg and I actually love New Smyrna and visit it when we are in the Orlando area. It was very nice to hear about the new hotels coming to the city as well as hearing about the artist community. The Boston Passport Agency was up next. We were given great handouts to help others with applying, we were filled in on the new costs, and were given a basic understanding of the others ways to stay safe when traveling. The representative from Universal Studios definitely peaked my interest. In addition to wanting to visit Harry Potter World I definitely have to visit once Voodoo Donuts opens up in Universal City Walk. I have been dying to try their donuts and I'm definitely in the Orlando area more often than I am in Portland Oregon. Brickell Bay Beach Club and Spa was a complete let down presentation wise. With more resorts following travel trends to hear an old school presentation was sad to be honest. Marvel Vilchez (Sales & Marketing Director) spoke about how gratuities aren't added to your bill but then stated that if service is above and beyond you can give them cash tips. What non all-inclusive hotel requires you to give gratuities? She went on to explain that you receive such great service because the owner feels the staff needs to really work for tips. Marvel followed this by talking about how you receive fresh towels every day. Again, what hotel doesn't give you fresh towels every day? I went online and checked out some reviews and when I see affordable, wifi issues, no air conditioning, etc. It leads me to believe my initial thoughts were correct and this wouldn't be a resort we would visit. It was really nice to learn about company managed, and multi-size rent-able homes from Balmoral Florida Resort. Only 25 minutes from Disney World, offering concierge services, pet friendly, breakfast, and more. It's rental properties all with the amenities of a resort. It sounded really great for families visiting the area and online reviews are terrific. Our last presenter for the day was Metropolitan Touring. Francisco Dousdebes talked with us about luxury small cruises to the Galapagos and unique lodging in Ecuador. What I liked most was these properties are all owned by Metropolitan Touring they aren't just a facilitator. All of the properties looked stunning and I loved Francisco's passion for each property. Ecuador wasn't on my radar for travel but I am now dying to stay at Mashpi Lodge. Mashpi Lodge is a National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. I will be checking them out in Amazing Hotels on Netflix. I am not sure if the next two representatives (scheduled to talk) weren't there or if they just never made it to our table but we didn't hear from Puerto Rico Tourism Authority nor USA Gateway Travel. At 4:00 it was time for the reception and access to the exhibitor's booths. Greg and I skipped getting drinks since we were driving home soon. We started in the Caribbean and made our way around. We picked up some more brochures about St Lucia, Grenada, river cruises, Newfoundland, Foxwoods Resort and Casino, train trips, and adventure travel.
If I could make recommendations to the Boston Globe Travel Show I would tell them to assign registered visitors a Querty symbol so that vendors could scan guests and send them information in the future. This was a huge benefit at the New York Times Travel Show. I would also recommend skipping companies offering a massage, jewelry, or skin care. These items didn't interest us at all and we would have preferred seeing travel organizations from more regions. All in all, we had a wonderful day and were inspired by several representatives to visit their countries/resorts. In addition to this I am also inspired to get my travel agents license. Hopefully I will be able to combine my experiences, love of research/planning of trips, and help others to explore our wonderful planet. The Boston Globe Travel Show is next weekend. We recently went to the New York Times Travel Show and it was incredibly helpful and informative. Greg and I will also be attending the Boston Globe Travel Show and can't wait!!
If you are in Boston on 2/9 - 2/11 and want to visit the show click here for discounted tickets. For more tips you can check out our Travel Tips, Travel Itineraries, and coming up on Monday we will be posting our first City Guide. Whether you are a Bostonian or visiting Boston you can't go wrong with dining at Ruka Restobar. Ruka is near the Boston Opera House, Emerson Paramount, Boston Common, and Downtown Crossing so you will have plenty to see and do nearby. This was our 2nd visit to the restaurant and they didn't disappoint. We had a reservation for 3 and even though we arrived a little early we were seated right away. We started with cocktails and a mocktail for my little cousin. The menu is comprised of shareable plates sort of like tapas but a little bigger in portion size. We started with the Tuna Poke and two orders of the Blackened Octopus (yes they are that good). The next couple of dishes that came out were the Chao Shou Pork Wontons (sans dairy), the Crispy Lamb Belly Katsu, and the Japanese Fried Chicken. The Japanese Fried Chicken does contain dairy so I decided to eat it along with some Lactaid pills. Any pain I may have had from dairy was beyond worth it! The Japanese Fried Chicken was the best dish of the night (it also happens to be a new addition to the menu). The textures and flavors hit on all notes and leave you completely satisfied. Our final savory dish was the Chicken Fried Rice which was also very good. Apparently we weren't full enough and we decided to be gluttons. We ended up ordering 3 desserts. I brought the Lactaid pills with me especially for dessert. The fried dough bites (I can't remember the exact name) are amazing. They are warm, soft, and the perfect amount of sweet. The other two desserts were a big hit although I didn't try them so I can't speak to specifics. The one issue I have with Ruka Restobar is really just a personal preference. I am a fast eater normally so I wish the dishes would come to the table a little slower and give us more time to relax. Everyone who visits will not be disappointed with the drinks, food, and service at Ruka. For as far back as I can remember my family always loved cooking. This is especially true for my dad. Dad would have my sister and I on step stools in the kitchen covered in flour and baking pies. To this day we still get together often to cook and bake. A few years ago I brought my parents to China Town in Boston. We of course went to the Gourmet Dumpling House specifically for their soup dumplings. My dad loved them and is always up for a serving of them! For my dad's birthday Greg and I bought tickets to a Chinese soup dumpling class at Sur la table in Boston. We arrived a little early and so we wandered around the store. When it was time for the class we all checked in and put our jackets away. Next step was to put on an apron and wash our hands. We were broken up into teams of 4 and moved up to the counter area. The first step was to show us how to make the pork broth (the chef already created set for class use). While the broth was brought to a boil we got the dough ready. While the dough was resting we mixed the aromatic pork filling. The third step was to create a dipping sauce for the finished dumplings.
Last was of course the hardest part of the preparation. We had to cut, roll out and fill the dumplings. The dough was a tad sticky which made rolling out somewhat difficult but interesting lol. Getting a round dumpling is definitely not easy. Our group had ovals, paint splatters, and even a rabbit shaped dough. We had an interesting time filling these pieces of dough and learning how to fold the tops of the dumplings. We handed off our basket of dumplings to the chef for cooking and as the dumplings were down we all devoured them! A fun, informative, and delicious night out for all of us. Whether you local or a visitor to Massachusetts a visit to deCordova Sculpture Park is well worth your time. On Sunday we lightly bundled up and drove to Lincoln, MA to explore the pet friendly deCordova Sculpture Park. Since we brought Fred with us we weren't able to visit the museum. The Sculpture Park is more than enough all on it's own.
We spent about an hour and half wandering the beautiful ground. We read about, looked at and photographed all the unique sculptures. As you can imagine Fred also loved this visit. Dogs are allowed to roam the grounds as long as they are on leash and picked up after. I stopped in quickly to the Cafe / Store and definitely need to come back and spend some more time inside. The store was filled with jewelry, home goods, toys, and so much more. Definitely a great place for unique finds. Once we were home we both agreed that we should become members. As an added bonus for those who love to get outdoors in the winter time you can join in on snowshoeing in the park! We can't wait to return! A friend of mine is a mother of 16 month old twins. Naturally this means she doesn't get a lot of time for herself. On her day off we finally made plans for pedicures and lunch.
We made reservations at Bliss spa in Boston for their Food Patrol Pedicure! When making a reservation be aware of their cancellation policy (24 hour cancellation notice). I've also heard that they aren't too easy on those who arrive late either. We both fought horrible traffic into Boston (accidents everywhere), parked on the rooftop of our usual parking garage and made it inside Bliss with 2 minutes to spare. The staff were ready for us and offered us drinks (water and tea) or snacks from their buffet. We then sat in comfortable chairs and readied our feet for pampering. The water was a perfect temperature and the tub also had hot stones and rose petals in it. Our toenails were prepped, trimmed, and filed. Our cuticles were trimmed and our calluses were rubbed off. Next step in the process was a lovely warm paraffin wrap. Finally we had "flip flops" put on us and our toenails were painted. Our drinks and/or snacks were refreshed and we were given time alone to let our nails dry. Checking out was very easy and tip envelopes were available. Overall the staff were professional, friendly, and the experience was wonderful. For lunch we decided to go up the street to Davio's. We opted to sit at the bar and just have a casual lunch. We ordered the blackberry Marg and X (something) mule. Both drinks were delicious and didn't skimp on the alcohol. Our very nice bartender gave us some potato chips but once she heard that I have a dairy allergy (there's cheese on the chips) she also offered us bread. At this point I got the awesome surprise of seeing a childhood friend and her husband who was also dining at the bar. We haven't seen each other on years and it was awesome to catch up (sometimes FB isn't enough). For our meal portion we ordered the La Quercia Americano Prosciutto Pizza, Fig Jam, Arugula, Caramelized Onions, Shaved Parmigiano (sans cheese) and the Truffle fries (sans gorgonzola sauce). Obviously we weren't considering calories today lol! Everything was delicious and oh so satisfying! I definitely will return to both Bliss Spa and Davio's for more experiences! We had a reservation at Pagu for 2 at 8:00 p.m. We arrived a little early and were going to just enjoy a drink at the bar but the hostess was able to seat us right away. We opted to sit at the chef's counter (we don't mind sitting side by side and we always love seeing the staff cooking).
To start our evening we ordered cocktails along with a few small dishes. The first dish was the oyster shooter. The shooter is a little intimidating at first but it wasn't actually too much liquid. A very refreshing start. Next was our favorite charcuterie.... Jamon Iberico de Bellota (acorn fed, 36 month aged ham). Greg loves anchovies so we ordered Pan Con Tomate with Boquerones (fresh anchovies). The Jamon was delicious as always and the portion size was generous. The anchovies were a delicious couple of bites. Our waitress came by and asked if we'd like to try a glass of Sherry (they were offering a promotion to try Sherry to anyone who ordered Jamon). We said sure we'll try it! I ended up liking the Sherry but Greg didn't. I felt it had a strong alcohol scent and yet a subtle earthy taste. Greg felt it tasted like he was licking a piece of wood lol! After a little while we ordered the rest of our meal. For drinks we opted for the Sake flight. The exciting part of our tasting was the locally made Sake (that we previously enjoyed at the Tasting Counter). Otherwise the Sake was a let down it was very basic Sake's that you can buy at any store. We chose the steak tartare, brussel sprouts, octopus, and fried rice. The steak tartare was served with potato chips and was good although it was a little on the bland side. The brussel sprouts were amazing! I usually like my brussel sprouts to have more color on them from being roasted but these were so flavorful and we both loved them. The octopus dish was surprising! On one hand the octopus was cooked perfectly and in the mojo rojo sauce it was delicious. My 2nd bite included the fresh herbs especially the mint and it was outrageously good. Savory, bright, and tender - perfect. We liked it so much we ordered a 2nd one. The fried rice was very good. The addition of Taiwanese sausage reminded us of our friends moms fried rice which is our favorite ever! At this point we knew we over ate so we skipped dessert and asked for the check. The staff thanked us for coming and we walked back to the parking garage. We both agreed that we enjoyed the meal and would return. We had an early reservation at Ruka for 4 adults. We were seated right away and offered drink menus. We ordered a variety of drinks that were wonderful including an extensive Sake menu. The food menu consists of small plates (almost tapas style). It sounds like we ordered a lot through our meal but it was just right for the 4 of us. I should also point out that the restaurant had no problem modifying dishes for my dairy allergy! Love it! We started our meal with Blackened Octopus, Baby Street Corn, Prime Ribeye Cap, Seared Tuna Tataki, Lima Style Fried Calamari, Octopus Lomo Saltado, and Crispy Lamb Belly Katsu. The first dish we tried was the Blackened Octopus and we all agreed that it was delicious and we would need a 2nd order. The dishes came out one or two at a time and we thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The Crispy Lamb Belly Katsu was another favorite dish and we ordered a 2nd one of it as well. Throughout the meal the dishes were a little on the salty side but they were bright, bold, and otherwise balanced. To end the meal we ordered 3 desserts and a small dish of prickly pear sorbet. The desserts were 50/50. The prickly pear sorbet was a little too sweet and the "moon pie" was too dry and crumbly. The other two desserts (I wish I could remember their names) were unbelievable though! We can't wait to return! We made it into the Boston Opera House and to our seats with about 10 minutes until showtime. Our seats were wonderful with a perfect view of the stage and chandelier. The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite musicals and this was my 4th time seeing it. It was another wonderful performance.
After the show we had the pleasure of meeting some of the cast and got to listen to their experiences with the show and as performers in general. To finish off the night we were given little gift bags with programs and cups. It was a wonderful night out with great friends, good food and the arts! |
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