BostonZest

Going to Provincetown? Reserve a Seat at Ross' Grill

Thanks to finding a great puppy sitter, we were able to dine out in Provincetown on our recent spring visit. Naturally our first choice for a test run was brunch at Ross' Grill. 

 

We want to put you on alert – grabbing a couple of seats at the bar in-season won't be as easy as it was for us in April. So go to the site and make a reservation before you arrive in town or call them as soon as you land in Ptown.

This is exactly what we recommended to a friend going to Provincetown for Memorial Day weekend. Why not insure an outstanding meal with great hospitality?

A bonus is the great harbor view.

And a wonderful deck where you can relax with a drink while waiting for friends or a table.

These wine specials are in addition to a fabulous and extensive wine list with more than 75 different wines served by the glass. 

We actually have a tradition of choosing a pinot noir for our Thanksgiving meal at while sitting and sipping at this bar. Someone has a great taste in pinot and we love to let experts educate us and select the best wine.

Ross' has a history of outstanding bartenders. We asked for a recommendation and knew we were in the hands of a talented server with our first sips. In fact, one of our favorite bartenders over the years, César Gerena, now owns the restaurant. 

Ed makes it easy for us to pick a pinot by ordering his favorite "Blackened Tuna Sandwich with Black Olive Tapenade." He loves a good pinot with that dish.

The "Chicken Liver and Pistachio Paté" is the perfect appetizer to share with the table or your dining companion. We both enjoyed this platter of delicious accoutrements that let us make each slice of bread spread with paté slightly different from the last. 

Ross' Grill is at the end of Whaler's Wharf on the second floor.

You can check the current menu on line or on this menu board near at the entrance to the wharf complex.

 

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

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Fenway Studios 2016 Open Studios Is This Weekend, November 12th & 13th

You are invited behind these historic doors this weekend to visit a fabulous example of purpose-built architecture and a fascinating community of artists that make up Fenway Studios.

It is an event we look forward to each year. Rather than trying to visit each floor and each artist, we try to spend some quality time with just a few and then a few different artists the next year.

Here is a list of the artists who will be taking part in this year's event. And, with the event coming just before Thanksgiving, this community is asking visitors to help the larger community. They say, 

"The Open Studios committee also uses this event as an opportunity to solicit donations to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Visitors are asked to bring a non-perishable food item, which the artists then deliver to GBFB. 
Click here to find out more about the GBFB’s most needed items."

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

Sunday Is Leif Erikson Day, Discover his Boston Statue!

October 9th has been the official Leif Erikson Day since Congress declared it so in 1964. If Hurricane Matthew allows us to have a nice day on Sunday, we suggest you take a walk along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall to the corner of Charlesgate East (map) and discover Boston's Memorial to this Viking explorer. 

At the moment, many details of the monument are hidden by tropical plants. 

In this photo from the Boston Public Library Collection, you can see that he stands above a dragon-headed boat and that boat would have been the basin for a fountain rather than a planter.

According to an 1887 Boston Globe article, the memorial's dedication was originally located on a traffic island at Commonwealth Avenue and West Chester Park, the former name of Massachusetts Avenue. We are still trying to confirm when it was relocated.

Here's a photo that Penny took a few seasons ago with more of the monument showing in the setting sun.

Plan a return visit!

Be sure to come back in winter to discover all the lovely details that sculptor Anne Whitney incorporated into this work of art. A few years ago, we interviewed Sarah Hutt, the Friends of the Public Garden Collections Care Manager. She admitted that this is her favorite statue on the Mall. “I just find that so playful,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to go up on the scaffolding [during a restoration] and look at it. There is so much interesting detail... It has all these little stories of his voyages engraved in it.”  

How Do You Spell It? 

Back in 1000, when this man was said to be sailing up the Charles, people were not as fussy about spelling as we are today. References to him include the following spellings: Leif, Leifur, Leiv, Erikson, Ericson, Ericsson, or Ericksson. As you can see on the information plaque attached to the statue, the city has gone with the Leif Erikson version so we are following their example for now. 

Our research files on this monument contain many more interesting tidbits that we'll share at a later date. For now, enjoy the fall weather and take a walk to see this piece of Boston public art.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino, historic photo by Moulton Photograph Co. courtesy of the Boston Public Library.

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Dog Friendly Places from the Trustees of Resevations

Looking for a place to go for a great walk with your dog? Click over to this page on the Trustees of Reservations site. Choose "Dog walking" as your activity and select the other options that are right for you. The result will be a list of very special places that welcome responsible dog folks and well-mannered pups.

From our files of wonderful memories, here are four of my favorite males heading into Halibut Point Reservation back in 2008. We had a wonderful day there and it's good to look back at the photos and remember a fine dog with a big heart.

Westies love climbing on rocks!

Here's a piece they prepared on Tail Wagging Destinations.

Dog-friendly places alone are a reason for Sunday Dog readers to head straight for The Trustees site to join or renew their memberships. We did and now will not only have all these places to visit, but also will be the first to know about the events at the Boston Public Market that are managed by this same group. 

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino 

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Sausages for Sunday Gravy from DePasquale's Sausage Company in Newton

It's been awhile since I made a big pot of Sunday gravy. So when a friend gifted me with a package of sausages from DePasquale's Sausage Company in Newton, I knew exactly what to do with them.

This was a simplified version of the Sunday specialty enjoyed in Italian American homes throughout the years. I added a bit of beef to the pot but did not take the time to make my special meatballs. (My favorite recipe for meatballs is from the 1975 edition of the The All New All Purpose: Joy of Cooking.)

 

I couldn't wait to taste the sausage. As soon as it was cooked through, I sliced into one and found it had the texture and flavor of a great handmade, old-style, traditional sweet sausage. I had finally found a replacement for the sausages I've missed since DiPaolo & Rossi Meat Market on Salem Street in the North End closed last year. 

Both Ed and I sampled and dipped bread into the sauce as it simmered away all afternoon. Eventually, we served it with penne pasta. A great sauce needs a great, flavorful pasta. We chose the Bionaturae organic 100% durum semolina organic penne rigate.

DePasquale Tip: 

They are closed on Sunday and Monday. On a recent visit early on a Tuesday morning, they didn't have sausages ready yet. In fact, their meat order had not even arrived. When they say fresh, they mean fresh! My advice is to call ahead early in the week or later on Saturday to be sure they have what you want in the quantity you need. 

Sunday Gravy Recipes

I've been making this for so long that I don't follow a recipe. I just ad lib with what I have on hand. While there are as many recipes for "Sunday Gravy" as there are families who make it, here are a couple if you would rather follow a recipe than play it by ear.

From one of my most trusted recipe developers, Kenji Lopez-Alt (Author of The Food Lab): Meet Ragù Napoletano, Neapolitan-Style Italian Meat Sauce With Pork, Beef, and Sausage.

Here's one titled Sunday Sauce with step-by-step photos and the feeling of a family member teaching you how to make it.

Finally, here's a great piece from Bon Appetit that tells you how to avoid the most common Sunday Gravy mistakes.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny Cherubino and a screen shot from DePasquale's website to show the sausage in all their whole glory.

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Update on the Esplanade Parcourse

A few years ago we told you about the Shiny New Parcourse on the Esplanade. Recently, we were out shooting photos for an assignment and as we passed the parcourse, we decided to take a look at how it's doing seven years later.

We're happy to report the equipment seems to be in good shape and getting use by a wide range of fitness buffs. 

After watching a series of younger people using the facility, we were happy to see two older women arrive, choose an open space, and hang up a jacket like they were regulars. 

They proceeded with a routine of stretching and flexing that would certainly improve their physical well-being.

This parcourse is located on the Esplanade Boston side between the BU and Mass Ave Bridges, near the Sherborn Street pedestrian crossover. This map will put you near the spot. (map)

 

You can't beat the view you'll have if you enjoy a workout here. It's one of the best Boston skyline vistas. 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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Provincetown Is Ready for Halloween

Once upon a time, Provincetown closed up shop after Labor Day. These days, Halloween is a big weekend in that town at the tip of Massachusetts. Decorating had already started when we were out there.

Somerset House Inn always has a bit of seasonal bling on display for us to enjoy on our walks around town. They went all out for this weekend so we wanted to reward their efforts by making them and our favorite Cape Cod destination our Friday Link. Here's a link to what's going on in Provincetown this weekend.

At the famous "Purple House," as one friend calls the Somerset House Inn, the front stairs were lined with cats and pumpkin lanterns.

And the front yard had turned into a spooky graveyard ...

... complete with "once-were-rats-creatures" ready to nibble at whatever they could find. 

The locals were hoping for great weather and a busy weekend and, right now, it looks good for them to get their wish and wind up the season with a bit of extra cash from all those who see this as a natural place to dress up and celebrate!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino