So, it's been a while. I've been keeping busy this summer between work, travel, and just trying to enjoy summer in New England as much as possible and I've definitely neglected posting to my blog. I have actually been struggling a bit with what direction I feel like this blog should take. I've had several ideas for posts but then time has come and gone without me sitting down to get them out there.
In somewhat unrelated but really good news, my camera was found this weekend! I thought I had lost it a month ago, shortly after returning from Chicago. My roommate, Matt found it during our Labor Day party yesterday. I am in the process of downloading my Chicago pictures now and will get them online soon (sooner than my next post I'm sure :-) ).
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Belle Isle Seafood (aka following in Anthony Bourdain's footsteps)
Belle Isle Seafood - 1267 Saratoga Street, East Boston (Orient Heights)
"Best lobster roll in Boston" is the claim that brought me to this seafood shack located directly under one of Logan's flight paths in East Boston. Actually it was the fact that this one of the places my boy Anthony Bourdain visited during his taping of No Reservations: Boston. I made it out there as part of an impromptu bike tour of East Boston and Winthrop, but that is a story for another post. The place is much smaller than I expected, literally just a small room with the counter you order from and then a handful of stools lined up along the front windows.
The good news is that the roll lived up to its moniker and is the best roll I have had in Boston. The bad news is that it was perhaps the second best lobster roll I have ever had, beaten by a $10 lobster roll sold from a cart in downtown Newburyport (I really need to visit that guy again!). The thing is enormous, packing an entire half pound of lobster meat onto a single bun. In my opinion, the perfect lobster roll is a combination of fresh lobster meat, a little mayo, maybe some lettuce delivered in perfect proportion on a buttered, grilled split-top New England roll. The amount of meat at Belle Isle overpowers the taste of the bun beneath. This isn't a problem of course, you just pull the excess meat off until you've arrived at the proper ratio. Needless to say, it was a great meal and I got to follow in the footsteps of Tony.
"Best lobster roll in Boston" is the claim that brought me to this seafood shack located directly under one of Logan's flight paths in East Boston. Actually it was the fact that this one of the places my boy Anthony Bourdain visited during his taping of No Reservations: Boston. I made it out there as part of an impromptu bike tour of East Boston and Winthrop, but that is a story for another post. The place is much smaller than I expected, literally just a small room with the counter you order from and then a handful of stools lined up along the front windows.
The good news is that the roll lived up to its moniker and is the best roll I have had in Boston. The bad news is that it was perhaps the second best lobster roll I have ever had, beaten by a $10 lobster roll sold from a cart in downtown Newburyport (I really need to visit that guy again!). The thing is enormous, packing an entire half pound of lobster meat onto a single bun. In my opinion, the perfect lobster roll is a combination of fresh lobster meat, a little mayo, maybe some lettuce delivered in perfect proportion on a buttered, grilled split-top New England roll. The amount of meat at Belle Isle overpowers the taste of the bun beneath. This isn't a problem of course, you just pull the excess meat off until you've arrived at the proper ratio. Needless to say, it was a great meal and I got to follow in the footsteps of Tony.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
My Commute: Commuter Rail from Porter to South Acton
I recently got an Android phone and one of the applications I've been playing around with is call My Tracks. It uses the phone's GPS to record a trip for you, capturing speed, distance, and elevation gain. Here is the result from a typical morning commute taking train 453, the 7:27 outbound from North Station.
View Porter To South Acton in a larger map
If you click on the marker at the end of the route (left side of the map), it displays the distance and speed data from the trip and shows a graph of elevation (you may want to open the map first in a larger window). On my phone there is also a nice chart showing speed plotted against distance, which clearly shows each of the stops my train makes on its way out to South Acton. Hopefully I can figure out a way to get this displayed in the future.
View Porter To South Acton in a larger map
If you click on the marker at the end of the route (left side of the map), it displays the distance and speed data from the trip and shows a graph of elevation (you may want to open the map first in a larger window). On my phone there is also a nice chart showing speed plotted against distance, which clearly shows each of the stops my train makes on its way out to South Acton. Hopefully I can figure out a way to get this displayed in the future.
MBTA Makes Boston Traffic More Bearable
The Texas Transportation Institute recently released its annual report ranking 439 urban areas according to the amount of time lost by residents stuck in traffic during their commute. Boston ended up tied with Dallas-Fort Worth for 7th worst traffic in the US. The average commuter lost 48 hours in 2009 to congestion. The Boston Globe ran an article last Sunday that highlights the fact that without the T, things would be much worse. Having a significant portion of commuters riding public transit led to a savings of 32.9 million hours, or about 8 hours per person for the year. Nationally, the MBTA ranked 5th in terms of hours saved.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Christopher's
Christopher's Restaurant & Bar - 1920 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge (Porter)
Happy New Year! One of my goals is to be more regular with my posting, but first I'll have to catch up on last year. I am also making an effort to more fully explore my new neighborhood of Porter Square so here is the first of several posts to come for this area.
I went there with my roommate Jay for dinner one night last month. I don't know why, but I went in expecting a nondescript, somewhat stuffy restaurant with outdated furnishings and menu. Instead, I found the makings of a good neighborhood hangout. There is a bar that wraps around most of the middle of the restaurant and the atmosphere was fairly lively. The menu is classic American with an emphasis on their burgers and enough flair to make it interesting. Like many places in Porter, the prices are very reasonable so it will be easy to go back.
Happy New Year! One of my goals is to be more regular with my posting, but first I'll have to catch up on last year. I am also making an effort to more fully explore my new neighborhood of Porter Square so here is the first of several posts to come for this area.
I went there with my roommate Jay for dinner one night last month. I don't know why, but I went in expecting a nondescript, somewhat stuffy restaurant with outdated furnishings and menu. Instead, I found the makings of a good neighborhood hangout. There is a bar that wraps around most of the middle of the restaurant and the atmosphere was fairly lively. The menu is classic American with an emphasis on their burgers and enough flair to make it interesting. Like many places in Porter, the prices are very reasonable so it will be easy to go back.
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