Maybe Someday…

We were about a week overdue in celebrating Jeff’s birthday. Our summer music schedule was delightfully full this year. The bulk of our shows were in Boston which meant a lot of travel, traffic and occasional colorful language from Mr. Jones, so I was surprised when he suggested we head into the North End for his birthday dinner. Where parking would be an unknown factor for this jaunt, we decided to make use of the public transit. We are not very MBTA savvy, but luckily our city girl daughter is a train ninja so she talked us through it. Speaking of our girl, we took a quick trip over to the Back Bay for a visit and a little wireless network help from Dad.

The girl’s street. Pretty sweet. That’s a poem.

Late summer planters showing their glory.

Slumming it on the stoop, waiting for Meg.

With the network back online we headed on to the North End. For those of you who aren’t from around these parts, this is the famed area of Boston where one can partake in all sorts of authentic (after navigating around the tourist traps) Italian food and culture. Nearby you’ll also find the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace and just steps from there, The New England Aquarium as well as Rowes Wharf. This is all navigable via pedestrian friendly walkways and dotted with beautiful green spaces and seating areas.

Rose Kennedy Greenway

Splash Fountains.

This is no longer the “Gritty Boston” of my youth. This beautiful, tourist friendly space is the result of the infamous “Big Dig” project. The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the US, and was plagued by escalating costs, scheduling  delays, leaks, design flaws, charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials, criminal arrests, and even one death. The main objective was to ease traffic on Route 93. My friends, traffic here is just as bad if not worse than before this bloated project! However, this green space coupled with the ability to traverse the city by foot with ease has made such a huge improvement! Twenty billion dollars well spent!

A stark before and after comparison.

Now, on to the food! We started in the heart of the North End, Hanover Street.

This way!

We decided to have a “progressive meal” rather than spend the whole evening in one place. I hadn’t done any research ahead of time so we just wandered around until we found someplace interesting. We did a check with Yelp first, of course! There can be some real clunkers, even on Hanover Street, believe me. Long time readers of this blog may recall a pretty humorous visit to a certain eatery a few years back. Do yourself a favor and read the latest reviews HERE. They are high-larious.

Our old haunt. Classy as ever!

Our first stop was Assaggio. The dining room was pretty much empty, but so was every other place we passed. The festivals had just ended so I figured that was the reason. Turns out, it was because we were eating as early as senior citizens. It got quite busy as the night wore on.

I’m not sure what’s happening here, but I bet they had a lot of wine first.

A nice oil presentation

Cherubs were a theme…

I neglected to mention that it was pretty dang hot on this day, around ninety degrees, so we started out light. We ordered a couple of glasses of chilled Pinot Grigio (not pictured) and a nice cold appetizer.

Hot Italian Stuffed Cherry Peppers with Provolone Cheese and Prosciutto

This was just as advertised. Tasty, but no heavy lifting for the chef.  The next course, however was exceptional. The menu simply lists them as Crab Cakes, no further description.

Crab Cakes

These two morsels were indeed small, but certainly house made and packed with lump crab and very little filling. Putting the dish over the top was the lobster sauce accompaniment. This bisque-like sauce was luscious! Upon further consumption we discovered plump pieces of claw and tail meat as well. We soon ran out of crab cakes to dip in the sauce so we implemented the bread to finish it off. Heck, I would have dipped my flip flop in the stuff!

With our appetizer course finished we set back out to wander the streets in search of pasta! We enjoyed the sights along the way.

The Old North Church

A fine milliner was crafting chapeaus inside.

About 30,000 anise cookies in the window.

We recognized this place from a previous visit. That time there was a line around the corner and we didn’t get in. We hoped it bode well for the quality of the food and took a chance on L’Osteria for our next course.

Beautiful Plantings!

The dining room, again, was empty. I still hadn’t gotten the hint that it was simply early. I thought we’d have the whole North End to ourselves all night.

Emptee!!!

When it comes to pasta, even the best italian restaurants tend to only have a few fresh varieties with the rest being dried. I really wanted some fresh pasta on this visit. I asked the server to help navigate our choices hoping that they indeed made their own and that we wouldn’t have to down our wine and move on. Luckily they featured a fresh, hand formed tortellini.

“L’Osteria” means The Tavern. It has nothing to do with oysters, I quickly learned.

Tortellini con Panna

This is exactly what I hoped for!!! Tender pasta rolled out perfectly thin, stuffed with a dreamy ricotta filling and tossed in an impossibly light cream sauce. Madonn‘ these were good!

We needed a bit of a respite before the meat course. We wandered back to the greenway to sit a people watch.

We watched this dad…

…try and catch this girl, without getting wet.

The girl was winning at this game.

During our rest, we took to social media to choose our next venue. We got a whole slew of suggestions from our foodie friends, so it was tough to decide. Someone recommended Dolce Vita and to “ask for Franco”. We were intrigued…

We arrived just in time  to witness a boisterous chorus of Italian songs led by the afore mentioned Franco himself!

The place was packed, but we there were two seats open at the bar we were able to snag.

The busboy lobbed the napkins from behind us which landed perfectly fanned out and upright. That’s skill.

This wine was…okay.

I nosed around a bit whilst waiting for the powder room. Turns out Franco is a bit of a local celebrity. The was a “wall of fame” featuring the man with various stars.

Bam! It’s Emeril!

We just finished watching the complete series of The Shield. Vic Mackey is one bad dude.

The goal here was to have a really good steak. They had a NY strip on the menu that seemed pretty straight forward. We had the choice of pasta or salad. I decided not to double up on carbs and just have salad.

This was indeed, just a salad.

The steak was a bit of a let down. It had a fair amount of gristle, but that was not the biggest sin. It had absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. There was no salt or pepper on the table, which could have been an oversight, but more likely because the food is supposed to be properly seasoned by the chef. It wasn’t.

This steak was blah-zoh.

This stop turned out to be more about theater than dinner. We had a great time without a doubt.

Look for this shot on the Wall Of Fame!

No visit to the North End would be complete without a stop into Mike’s Pastry for cannoli.

Accept no substitute.

It was pretty darn crowded, but they handle orders with military precision.

The offerings go beyond cannoli though I can’t even imagine getting anything else.

Gelato, if you please.

Assorted pastries.

I did see these “Lobster Tails” are on the list of 50 Boston foods you must try before you die. I may have to revise my cannoli stance.

We had our treats boxed up to-go to be enjoyed back home along with a glass of cheap bourbon, as you do. We took a stroll through the Boston Harbor Hotel before hitting the train.

This was officially a busman’s holiday. Look it up, kids.

One of the last “Blues Barge” concerts.

A perfect way to end the evening. It was so much more fun to bop around town, rather than staying at one place for the whole time.

Our charges made it home safely!

The city of Boston has come such a long way! It was an absolute pleasure to spend our night off enjoying a place that is usually all about work for us.

It had been many moons since Jeff and I had been to a legit concert. When I was a kid, I went out to see anyone who rolled through town! That was back when concert tickets were fifteen bucks and I didn’t have irrational anxiety about being in the midst of 10,000 people and suddenly needing to exit.  Today, even if Zombie Elvis himself were to make an appearance at the Boston Garden, I’d pass on it. As luck would have it, one of Jeff’s favorite singer-song writers,  Martin Sexton was playing in (sort of ) nearby Rockport at a delightful venue. We decided to take the night off and procured our tickets.

Rockport is about two hours from home. We went back and forth about staying over but ended up making it just a day trip. I knew very little about this tiny hamlet before our visit. Turns out, it’s A-dorable! There were historic buildings and cute store fronts everywhere!

Art Assoiciation

Example of said art.

Cedar shakes are so friendly looking!

I had been longing for a quality lobster roll since the summer solstice.  I had a terribly disappointing one in Providence if you recall, so I thought this place would be a great opportunity for a do-over!

I wasn’t looking for fancy, just tasty!

The view boasted about on the menu. Sadly, not from our table. “Excuse me folks, I need a picture. I’m a blogger!”

An unfiltered beer for him, an IPA for the lady..

Chowder to start.

Properly dressed.

The lobster rolls were gorgeous. Served on a grilled roll, though not as buttery and golden as I would have preferred, it was stuffed with tender claws and tail meat, and that’s all. The mayo was on the side, to be added as little or as liberally as one would like. The only thing lacking was a lemon wedge for the win!

One with fries…

…one with coleslaw.

After our delectable lunch, we had an hour or so to poke around this seaside treasure. There seemed to be an ice cream shop around every corner. I was hoping to get a cone when the show let out, but after asking a couple places how late they were open, it was clear that this town rolls up the side walks as soon as the sun goes down. As of this dateline I STILL have not had an ice cream this summer.

Someday.

There were summer cottages tucked in among the shops. They all  seemed to be in competition to have the cutest plantings and flower boxes. There were no losers here!

This was the sister restaurant to the place we had lunch. Only take out here.

The most spectacular part of Rockport is the gorgeous ocean views! I’ll let you scroll through without my needless commentary.

Speaking of the views here. Remember when I said that the venue where we would be seeing the show was delightful? Well, here it is, the Victorian building in the middle! The whole back wall of the concert hall is glass and looks out onto the stunning atlantic!

Could I BE more excited?

I neglected to take a photo from across the street so that you could see the facade. Let’s see if the internet let’s me borrow one.

Will it stick?

A close up.

A rendering of the building I snapped in the Ladies’.

You can read all about the Shalin Lu Performance Center HERE. I will tell you that despite looking like an antique facility, this hall was built from the ground up in 2010. The performance center was designed to be an absolutely perfect listening room which also provides the most fabulous views over the harbor! We arrived with just enough time to enjoy a glass of wine upstairs in the reception hall before heading down to our seats.

Schmoozing with the beautiful people.

Some views from the reception room:

We made our way down to the auditorium. This space was not only elegant in design but also achieved absolute perfection for  acoustic listening.

Anxiously waiting for the curtain to be pulled back!

So. Here’s what happened. Martin Sexton was absolutely fantastic! His opening act, the  Brothers McCann simply blew us away with their harmonies. They were great entertainers. The show was awesome!!! However, there was a great big fat elephant that sat in the room the whole night. THEY NEVER OPENED THE CURTAIN!  My friends, I know this is not life and death, it’s just a view of the  stinkin’ sunset, but it really put a damper on the evening. All the promotional materials advertised the perfect marriage of music and atmosphere. Half of that equation was sorely missing. My understanding is that it’s the artist makes the call on whether or not the curtain is drawn. Perhaps the decision is made on the basis that the view may become a distraction. I can tell you this: I was distracted! It was due to my anxiety about whether or not they were ever going to open the dang curtain!

My heart was set on seeing this view:

Stolen from their own website.

We had a fantastic time taking in the quaint visages of Rockport. Being able to enjoy some exquisite music was just what what the doctor ordered for us, in the middle of our summer madness. We will be on the look out for other  artists playing at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Now, my expectations will be better managed about the curtain. But I’ll still mope about it if it’s not open!

This foray into Providence came about, well… providentially. Our daughter had tickets to a show, and though she’s a quite capable driver, the thought of her trekking all the way to Rhode Island accompanied by another young friend was a wee bit unnerving. We decided to chauffeur the girls to the concert and while away the time by dining at one of the many restaurants in Federal Hill. A much better plan indeed. I put out the call to my foodie friends, as I’m want to do, for suggestions. The feed back I got was that you really can’t go wrong anywhere here, but we did get a few names to choose from. We were visiting on a Sunday which is when a lot of fine dining establishments are closed. Luckily, one of the recommended boîtes was open for business.

Zooma it is!

Zooma Trattoria is an Italian restaurant that features homemade pastas. When we arrived, there was a young man making fettucini in a little show kitchen.  I neglected to take a picture on the way in. When were done, the pasta show was over. Dang it.

Empty Pastaria. I made that word up.

The interior was an eclectic mix of styles. It had a decidedly 90s feel to the front complete with hot pink chairs and funky chandeliers. The back dining room had a more sophisticated, formal look. We got a table by the front window, which was great for people watching. There were signs of wear and tear, however, including masking tape holding a bit of the window together. Bad show.

Glass chandeliers and flamingo pink chairs.

Artwork was featured throughout the space.

Jeff chatting up the bartender. Either I was trying to be artsy or this was an unintentional snap. Who knows?

We started the evening with a Cucumber Gin Martini as per usual. I want to like other cocktails, but I just can’t go in for fruity concoctions.

Our server, Danielle brought us over some crusty bread and olive oil. She introduced herself and said it was “nice to meet us “.  I thought this was a very sweet detail. Strangely, the bread was served with a tiny salt shaker. I know salted butters are trendy, but usually it’s fancy sea salts, not plain ole’ iodized.

Lil’ Salt

We decided to start with the carpaccio, but alas, they were out. I never mind one bit when a kitchen is out of a certain menu item. It gives me hope that thier offerings are fresh and not dug out of a freezer.  We regrouped and ordered the Mussels.  I was so famished I neglected to take a photo. The description was as follows: Cozze all a stagione: local mussels, white wine, garlic, onion, chilies & seasonal herbs. They were served with grilled bread and were quite tasty. Not the best, not the worst. Next was the pasta course. I asked our sweet Danielle to help me decide and we went for these:

Tortellini vino rosso
hand made in house using imported Caputo flour. goat cheese filled red wine ravioli, brown butter & orange reduction

A closer look.

A cross section.

These tortellini were absolute perfection. The pasta was infused with red wine. It wasn’t just a food coloring gimmick. You could definitely taste the vino here. The goat cheese filling was light and creamy. It must have been whipped up with some mascarpone to get that dreamy texture. And that orange brown butter reduction was perfectly balanced between citrus and savory. A winner all around.

A little table wine for the main course.

For the main course we went with a traditional Veal Marsala.

Vitello al Marsala
Scaloppine of veal, Marsala wine & mushroom reduction with rosemary roasted potatoes

Tender veal, perfectly seasoned with crispy potatoes, and a deeply flavored marsala sauce with mushrooms. You could certainly tell that this was made from a bone stock and not some salty packet. Here’s what I love; there was no superfluous garnish here, just a nicely plated dish. I really don’t go in for restaurants throwing on an orchid or kale or sprinkling parsley around the edges. I just want what’s intended to make the dish taste amazing. Well done!

We still had some time before the girls were done so we decide to square up and take a walk around Federal Hill and try and find a perfect café to have a cappucinno and dessert. We heard some music emanating from this lounge so we headed over. As we got closer it turned out it was the boom, boom of a DJ. The crowd looked a wee bit too young for us.

Too raucous.

Next, I was drawn in by the neon of the Old Canteen Restaurant. I could see through the windows that they had fancy waiters in white tuxedos. Ooh, I gotta check this out.

Joe Marzilli’s Old Canteen.

As we entered the foyer, we could see that there wasn’t a bar or lounge just a dining room. The space was enveloped in a 1967 time capsule. A sea of pink, florals and Venice murals. A little too old for us. We kept walking and found ourselves in the delightful area of Little Italy. Oh, to be here in the height of summer!

The light on the Piaza!

We spied a lounge that looked like a good prospect!

Could this be the one?

I think so. This is Constanino’s. From what I can tell looking back at their website, we experienced just a small portion of the operation. There’s a full service dining room, and outdoor space as well as a gorgeous Italian market serving up a plethora of pastas, meats and cheeses for consumption on the patio or to be enjoyed at home. We were at the Vendi Bar, their little lounge on the corner. This was just perfect for us. All I wanted was a cappuccino and something sweet.  We bellied up to the uplight bar and ordered  our coffee and a Grand Marnier.

Cappucino: perfect. Grand Marnier: served in a shot glass. Face palm.

This place had an eclectic mix of patrons. We chatted with some young fellows who recommended the Tirimisu. We also got a bit of a show from a lady who seemingly had a bit too much Prosecco. There was a lot of hair tossing and leg involved. It was free with admission.

The tirimisu was gorgeous!

We had never spent any time in Federal Hill before this evening.  The courtyards and outdoor cafés looks to be something worth the trip back down this summer. Look for me on the piazza!