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.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Numbers Behind the Tax Cut Compromise
The Sunday Globe ran an article in the Money & Careers section about how the Obama compromise on extending the Bush era tax cuts will affect families of different income levels.
Check out the full article: http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/gallery/taxdealbythenumbers/
Here's some telling data:
Population Segment by Income Savings (as % of Income)
Bottom 20% $3,342 (10%)
Middle $3,246 (4.3%)
Top 20% $6,538 (4.5%)
Top 1% $6,788 (1.5%)
Top 0.1% $92,658 (4.5%)
As you can see, these tax cuts aren't exactly progressive with the super rich getting a better deal than the middle or upper middle class. This comes at a time when income inequality in the US, which has been growing for the past 40+ years and has especially accelerated since the mid-1980s, is reaching an all time high. There's a lot of debate about the role the income disparity plays in the US, but in general countries that have a better education system than the US, or rate higher on health indicators, or have lower crime rates also have a more equal distribution of wealth and income. The US' inequality is about the highest in the developed world.
The argument for extending the tax cuts is that raising taxes right now would halt any economic growth that we're seeing. That is essentially true, economists agree that this compromise will help spur economic growth. However, most of that growth and job creation will come from the extension of unemployment benefits and the reduction in the payroll tax, not the continued income tax cuts. Additionally, there is a vocal group of Americans and legislators who feel that reducing the impending deficit should be our #1 priority. Extending tax cuts doesn't do this. Letting the tax cuts expire on earnings over $250,000, $500,000 or even $1 million would have been a reasonable way to let most of Americans continue to have money to spend and put back into the economy while using excess discretionary earnings to bring the budget into balance. There need to be additional tax brackets above $250,000 to account for the incredible income growth and disparity that has occurred at the top end of the income scale. There is always a lot of populist anger when people see sports stars or Wall Street bankers walking away with million and billion dollar salaries and bonuses. It would be nice to see some anger directed towards the broken system that protects them and allows our economic growth to walk away without benefiting the vast majority of Americans for whom that growth has been so elusive.
[Additional source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States]
Check out the full article: http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/gallery/taxdealbythenumbers/
Here's some telling data:
Population Segment by Income Savings (as % of Income)
Bottom 20% $3,342 (10%)
Middle $3,246 (4.3%)
Top 20% $6,538 (4.5%)
Top 1% $6,788 (1.5%)
Top 0.1% $92,658 (4.5%)
As you can see, these tax cuts aren't exactly progressive with the super rich getting a better deal than the middle or upper middle class. This comes at a time when income inequality in the US, which has been growing for the past 40+ years and has especially accelerated since the mid-1980s, is reaching an all time high. There's a lot of debate about the role the income disparity plays in the US, but in general countries that have a better education system than the US, or rate higher on health indicators, or have lower crime rates also have a more equal distribution of wealth and income. The US' inequality is about the highest in the developed world.
The argument for extending the tax cuts is that raising taxes right now would halt any economic growth that we're seeing. That is essentially true, economists agree that this compromise will help spur economic growth. However, most of that growth and job creation will come from the extension of unemployment benefits and the reduction in the payroll tax, not the continued income tax cuts. Additionally, there is a vocal group of Americans and legislators who feel that reducing the impending deficit should be our #1 priority. Extending tax cuts doesn't do this. Letting the tax cuts expire on earnings over $250,000, $500,000 or even $1 million would have been a reasonable way to let most of Americans continue to have money to spend and put back into the economy while using excess discretionary earnings to bring the budget into balance. There need to be additional tax brackets above $250,000 to account for the incredible income growth and disparity that has occurred at the top end of the income scale. There is always a lot of populist anger when people see sports stars or Wall Street bankers walking away with million and billion dollar salaries and bonuses. It would be nice to see some anger directed towards the broken system that protects them and allows our economic growth to walk away without benefiting the vast majority of Americans for whom that growth has been so elusive.
[Additional source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_inequality_in_the_United_States]
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Upstairs on the Square
Upstairs on the Square - 91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge (Harvard)
This fall (this post is really old), thanks to Gilt City and my friend Laura, I had an opportunity to try out the 5 course tasting menu with wine at Upstairs on the Square, a pretty swanky place in Harvard Square, with Ann and Laura's friend Dan. I didn't really know what to expect coming in, other than the excessive amounts of pink and stripes used in the dining room decor were not to my liking.
Upon arrival, my concerns about the decor were found to be mostly true, though not as bad as feared. However, things became immediately better when we were presented with the menu.
Let's just say it was a very enjoyable meal. The wine pairings were all good, though I'd say the wine that stood out the most for me was the Sauvignon Blanc. It was probably the best one I've ever had, though that could have had something to do with the fact that our server told us it was a limited edition run that this guy makes only in certain years.
The Heirloom Salad was good, especially the goat cheese, although sometimes the tomatoes were a bit overpowering for me. Same for the Spaghetti au Caviar, although it was good just to have a small portion because it was kind of creamy and that would have become too much if we had tried to eat a whole entree of it. The Salmon was probably the consensus top entree pick out of the group. Here is a dish we wish they didn't have a small portion for. The Salmon itself was great and then the root vegetables and apples were a perfect compliment with a kick from the mustard and horseradish. It was especially nice for fall. The Chicken was also great, although I would say the portion was even more noticeably undersized. I was mostly surprised at how much I enjoyed the spaetzle. At this point in the evening, we were all feeling pretty good from the wine and had been truly enjoying the assortment of fine foods presented to us. I do not think we were prepared for what happened next. The Churros y Chocolat is probably the best dessert I have ever had. Ever. They were perfectly fried and sugary and cinnamon-y and you could dip them in molten dark chocolate. Pairing it with cinnamon ice cream just completed the perfection! Needless to say, we all left on a happy note.
Doing the tasting menu at Upstairs on the Square was certainly an enjoyable experience. The food was very well conceived and prepared, leading to the results described above. It was different enough to be exciting, but familiar enough to be enjoyed. Our server was very friendly and we had a good time, though there were a couple of overly long delays between courses. My biggest knocks on the place are the prices and the atmosphere. It's certainly worth the extra cost for a special occasion based on the food, but the dining room was a little off and also had too much of a stuffy, formal feel for me to make it a top choice.
This fall (this post is really old), thanks to Gilt City and my friend Laura, I had an opportunity to try out the 5 course tasting menu with wine at Upstairs on the Square, a pretty swanky place in Harvard Square, with Ann and Laura's friend Dan. I didn't really know what to expect coming in, other than the excessive amounts of pink and stripes used in the dining room decor were not to my liking.
Upon arrival, my concerns about the decor were found to be mostly true, though not as bad as feared. However, things became immediately better when we were presented with the menu.
The Heirloom Salad was good, especially the goat cheese, although sometimes the tomatoes were a bit overpowering for me. Same for the Spaghetti au Caviar, although it was good just to have a small portion because it was kind of creamy and that would have become too much if we had tried to eat a whole entree of it. The Salmon was probably the consensus top entree pick out of the group. Here is a dish we wish they didn't have a small portion for. The Salmon itself was great and then the root vegetables and apples were a perfect compliment with a kick from the mustard and horseradish. It was especially nice for fall. The Chicken was also great, although I would say the portion was even more noticeably undersized. I was mostly surprised at how much I enjoyed the spaetzle. At this point in the evening, we were all feeling pretty good from the wine and had been truly enjoying the assortment of fine foods presented to us. I do not think we were prepared for what happened next. The Churros y Chocolat is probably the best dessert I have ever had. Ever. They were perfectly fried and sugary and cinnamon-y and you could dip them in molten dark chocolate. Pairing it with cinnamon ice cream just completed the perfection! Needless to say, we all left on a happy note.
Doing the tasting menu at Upstairs on the Square was certainly an enjoyable experience. The food was very well conceived and prepared, leading to the results described above. It was different enough to be exciting, but familiar enough to be enjoyed. Our server was very friendly and we had a good time, though there were a couple of overly long delays between courses. My biggest knocks on the place are the prices and the atmosphere. It's certainly worth the extra cost for a special occasion based on the food, but the dining room was a little off and also had too much of a stuffy, formal feel for me to make it a top choice.
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