BostonZest

The Cheese Iron, Another Reason to Visit Portland ME

On our last long weekend escape we paid our first visit to The Cheese Iron located just outside Portland, ME. Our trusted wine mentor, Howie Rubin of Bauer Wines knew we were headed North and strongly recommended that we visit this treasure trove for lovers of cheese and fine food.

Howie said, "First and foremost, I begged them to open up a second location on Newbury Street...My wife worked with Vincent at Formaggio, so it was a fun reunion for them. I read about them in some travel mags with food stories. Loved the cheese selection, found some local Maine cheeses to bring home, as well as some unusual spices....and two AMAZING sandwiches. I remember how great the place smelled! Very well run, conducive to hanging out and absorbing it all."

Husband and wife cheesemongers Vincent Maniaci and Jill Dutton own and operate the Cheese Iron.

Vincent said that over Columbus Day, the shop would be open their regular hours 8am-6pm Friday, Saturday and Monday. They closed on Sundays so plan accordingly.

We asked what cheese was spectacular now. He picked two favorites of the moment- Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a fantastic raw cow's milk cheese from Upland Cheese Company in Wisconsin and an old favorite of ours, Bailey Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farms in Vermont.

Vincent also gave us a mouth-watering reason for a special trip to the Cheese Iron. He said, "By the time Columbus Day hits, our cave-aged prosciutto should be ready." He explained that "We're taking prosciutto that is fairly young and maturing it further in our cheese cave."

Naturally, call before you drive two hours specifically for the prosciutto because these folks like to do things right and the ham won't be ready until they decide that it has reached its peak.

As to those "AMAZING sandwiches,"must-try selections are the Cuban and (Vincent's favorite and ours too) the Bella Mortadella. "As we move into fall we find ourselves making more pastrami and more rubens and we'll start beefing-up our hot soup and cold pasta salad selections," said Vincent.

We recommend picking up a picnic lunch at the Cheese Iron and taking it to a nearby lighthouse or a state park to dine with a spectacular view. They'll be happy to help with directions and suggestions if you need them.

If you find the information on BostonZest useful, do your part to keep the Zest going by beginning your Amazon shopping from here. Here's a wonderful book and would make a perfect gift for the cheese lover in your life.

Details:

Photos ©2009 Penny Cherubino

The Cheese Iron
Cheese, Wine and Specialty Foods
www.thecheeseiron.com
200 US Route 1 # 300, Scarborough, ME 04074-6004
1-207-883-4057
map

Meet David Gilson of The Herb Lyceum at Gilson's

This week, my local farm entry over on Serious Eats is a "Meet your Farmers:" profile of David Gilson from the Herb Lyceum at Gilson's in Groton MA. Many of you will know his face from area farmers' markets.

Gilson's herbs can be found at many area markets including: Boston Prudential Center, Boston Copley Square, South End Open Market, Cambridge Central Square, Cambridge Harvard University, and Somerville Union Square. This selection of markets means that fresh herbs are available to you seven-days-a-week in market season.

Gilson's Fall Selections

This time of year, Gilson's adds beautiful mums and windowsill herb gardens potted for growing indoors. David has even devised a shopping bag carrier that makes carrying home their extra large mums easier. 

In September and October I stock up for the winter on their dried herbs, herb vinegars, soaps and bags of lavender. I may buying a nice big rosemary plant for my windowsill. When I consider what I spend on fresh rosemary all winter, this may be a great investment. 

Enjoy Herbal Dining at The Herb Lyceum

As the leaves turn, you may want to visit the source of these beautiful plants. The Gilson property includes the restaurant, The Herb Lyceum. You could make this a day trip topped off by a great meal. Or, you could turn your dinner at Gilson's into the heart of a weekend escape by reserving a room at a nearby Inn or Bed and Breakfast and exploring the surrounding area.

[Photograph: Doug Macomber]

Their six-course herbal dinners are Friday and Saturday evenings and are by reservation only. The menu for October and November are already posted on their site. 

Support BostonZest and keep the information flowing by beginning all you Amazon shopping from our site. There is a Amazon search box in the over to the left on every page. Here are a couple of highly rated books on herbs.

  

Details:

Herb Lyceum at Gilson's

368 Main Street (Rte 119), Groton MA 01450
Tel: 978.448.6499 
Email: info@GilsonsLyceum.com
www.gilsonslyceum.com

Day Trips and Weekends Around Boston

A BostonZest reader has requested that we do more articles on weekend trips from Boston. Robert wrote, "I enjoy your blog quite a bit, hits my demographic I think. Would you consider a post on your favorite weekend and long weekend getaways in the area? I am having some trouble coming up with new ideas..."

Photo of a happy cruise around Provincetown harbor © 2009 Penny Cherubino

We love your request Robert! I had lunch last week with Reah Becker of the Boomer Chronicles to brainstorm about this and she mentioned how she loved day trips. One person's day trip could be another person's weekend.

Weekend or Day Trip?
Just because a place is within easy driving distance doesn't mean you can't opt to reserve a room and stay for a bit. I can think of a few nearby places, like Marblehead and Newport where I'd like to move in and get a real feel for the place.

This topic will also be a great resource for our readers who are visiting Boston or new to the area. We think many readers will thank Robert for his request.

To kick off our series of "Day Trips & Weekends Away," we'll begin today by linking to a few of our past posts that might provide inspiration.

The Boston Harbor Islands
Check into a hotel on the waterfront and combine Island exploration with great dining in the North End.
http://www.bostonzest.com/2009/09/visit_boston_harbor_islands.html

Hiking With or Without Your Dog
As fall approached, more readers are finding and reading this article on the Best Hikes With Dogs Boston and Beyond.
 http://www.bostonzest.com/2009/03/best-hikes-with-dogs-boston-beyond.html

A Weekend in Portland ME
Portland is one of our favorite weekend escapes. We reported on it here:
http://www.bostonzest.com/2009/05/portland-maine-getaway.html

Rockport MA and Halibut Point State Park
Wonderful little bed and breakfasts are dotted all over the North Shore. Friends introduced us to Halibut Point last year. Be sure to bring your camera. It's a gorgeous spot.
http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/11/halibut-point-state-park-rockport-ma.html

Ipswich Fried Clams are Destination Dining
And, there are wonderful shops and historic sites to enjoy in the area.
http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/10/clam-box-in-ipswich---a-trip-to-fried-clams-perfection.html

Provincetown Is Our Relaxed Vacation Destination.
In fact, we have an entire category for it. But, we will do a specific weekend article on this wonderful place at lands end. Here's a link to all that we have posted about it so far.
http://www.bostonzest.com/provincetown_ma/

We're in the process of recruiting other travelers to share their favorite destinations. Add a comment here or email us if you have a destination you would like featured.

Meet Maggie the Posing Poodle, Our Sunday Dog

Photograph © 2009 Ed Cherubino

We met Maggie the Poodle at the Provincetown Famers' Market. We were both wandering around shooting photos for an assignment and each of us found Maggie at different times. Each time she saw our cameras pointed her way, she posed for us- complete with a big smile!

Walking the dog can wear out a lot of shoes. Did you know that Amazon has its own,online shoe store with free overnight and free return shipping? And by shopping at "endless" from BostonZest, you support our site and keep the information flowing. Just click on the banner below and go!

Cascading Flower Boxes, Our Photo of The Week

Flower boxes, all over the city, are just reaching their most beautiful just as autumn approaches. Take a walk and enjoy the hard work of your neighborhood gardeners this weekend.

Where should you walk? Here's a book full of ideas for Autumn strolls through Boston from the wonderful tour guides at WalkBoston.

Do you know where I took this photo of flower boxes?

Details:

WalkBoston

www.walkboston.org

Car-Free In Boston, Our Friday Link

September's moving trucks have finally disappeared from Boston streets, and our newest neighbors are unpacking and will soon be learning their way around the city.

A great tool for new residents is the book, Car-Free in Boston, A Guide for Locals and Visitors. It is available new and used from Amazon resellers. It may also be ordered directly from the Association for Public Transportation.

While a bit of the information in this book is out of date, the majority of it is of great help.

Th Association's description of the book includes the following:

"This 192-page book is packed with information:

• every Boston-area transit route–subway, bus, train, and boat;
• transit directions to hundreds of places–museums and attractions, parks and beaches, theaters, shopping, colleges, more;
• transit tips for beginners and seasoned riders;
• coverage of hundreds of communities in Massachusetts and New England;
• 20 maps including subway, commuter rail, and many neighborhoods;
• a comprehensive index helps you get answers quickly"

If you should decide to join the Association, the book will be sent to you as a part of some of the membership packages.

And, you can keep the BostonZest flowing by sending your new neighbors our way! Tell them to look for the Boston:101 category on BostonZest. Here, we are building a collection of handy things to know about our city.  Here's a link.

http://www.bostonzest.com/boston101/index.html

Details:

Association for Public Transportation, Inc.
P.O. Box 51029 Boston, MA 02205-1029

(617) 482-0282

http://assnforpublictransportation.org/index.php

Where Would You Find a Pair of These Panels?

Let's play Attention to Detail.

Do you have two photos and some information we can use for Attention to Detail? If you do, send us a link.

Clue for this detail: it is in The Back Bay on Beacon Street

Scroll down or click through to find the answer.