I'm Shipping up to Boston

Photo Via http://www.timesunion.com

I'm Shipping up to Boston

A celebratory weekend getaway at a personal favorite destination.

One of the reasons for the slowdown in posts recently was my trip to Boston this past weekend. My girlfriend and I set off on Friday afternoon from Brooklyn to Boston to celebrate my sister’s graduation from her master’s program. We left poor Trek behind for a little over 24 hours for an abbreviated weekend getaway. I’ve always loved Boston. I don’t feel the same animosity for the city as I do its football, hockey, and basketball teams. In fact, I almost ended up in Boston—the college that waitlisted me would later accept me long after I decided to go to Ithaca College. I’m sure things would have been a lot different for me had I ended up in Boston, but my feelings for the city never changed.

Boston always gives me a good feeling when I travel there. My Brother and Sister both went to college at Boston University, so I’ve spent a lot of time visiting them. My Sister stayed after college, in love with the city that she took off to after high school. This was always a great opportunity to spend time with her while getting away from Boston’s bigger cousin, New York City. I’ve been throughout Boston and its outskirts of Cambridge and Somerville, and I still love every bit of it. If there was another place I’d like to be on the East coast, it would most likely be Beantown.

Photo Via http://www.masslive.com

We’re all aware of what Boston had to endure just a short time ago; we were all glued to our television sets and computer screens following the days of the Boston Marathon bombing. We all remember where we were on 911 during the tragedy that unfurled for months and years to follow, and while I was only in middle school, I still remember that time so acutely. It took our country a long time to recover from what took place that day and many people are still hurt by it. New York City is strong; the Freedom Tower, now almost finished, is a symbol of its strength and the strength of its residents. Boston too, is strong. Boston has bravely stepped forward and addressed the events that took place and showed the nation and the world that they are tough. It seemed to me, as an outsider, that Boston is fearless and will continue on unwavering. Somewhat selfishly, I was glad to hear my Sister and her boyfriend say that Boston was as close to normal as it could be; I was glad because I wanted to do what I loved while I was in town—eat.

The night we arrived, we had a reservation to eat at Harvest, located at Harvard Square in Cambridge. I was eager to eat here after hearing how long my Sister had wanted to. Their philosophy is one I agree with; as listed on their website, Harvest “offers seasonal menus that reflect the innovation of contemporary cooking, combined with profound respect for American culinary traditions and local products…” Their menu was a seasonal eater’s dream. Not only is it my favorite time of year for produce, but I’m sure the menu will only get better in the upcoming months.

Our family is slightly funny when we go out to eat; we love to share. We all try to get as many different dishes as possible so we can pass bites around the table and share our food with everyone. I know this practice is probably gross or unfamiliar to some people, but when every dish on the menu looks amazing, like at Harvest, this is the best way to get a bit of everything. If you’re too germ phobic, finicky, or stuck up to share your food with people you love, then you shouldn’t be eating out at restaurants anyway.

Everything on Harvest’s menu was fantastic. The raw bar offerings were fresh and crisp. My charcuterie plate was house made, and complex—my favorites being the goat terrine with scallions, the duck liver mousse with blackberry (I think) jam, and the pickled fennel. My girlfriend’s asparagus soup was exceptional and tasted of asparagus just picked from the garden. My monkfish entree with breakfast radishes was outstanding, fresh, and aesthetically beautiful. Everything was beautiful. I fully agree that diners eat with their eyes first, and this is obviously the sentiment of Harvest. My sister’s chicken roulade with fiddlehead ferns, wild mushrooms, and watermelon radish was the winner of the night. Our desserts finished off an wonderful meal, and we moved on to our next location.

Photo Via http://beantownbelly.com

After Harvest, we set off to Russell House Tavern for a night cap with my parents and a bit of celebration. I’ve eaten at Russell House in the past and recommend it to anyone—their menu is creative and bold. This time, however, we were just in it for the drinks, atmosphere, and one dollar oysters after 11pm. I had two Whippersnappers which consisted of Bourbon, Triple Sec, raspberry syrup, bitters, and lemon. I say I had two because the first one went down so well that I just had to have another. After this, I moved on to their great beer list, drinking a favorite beer of mine, Allagash White, for the rest of the night. I still believe their oysters post 11pm are what helped my nonexistent hangover in the morning.

Photo Via http://www.nmgastronome.com

Waking up the next morning and saying our goodbyes over brunch, my girlfriend and I had some time to kill before we needed to get on the road. We went to the ICA in Boston to get our art fix before setting off for something sweet from Mike’s Pastries in Boston’s Little Italy. My girlfriend insisted we go here as she’s been before and loved their cannolis. I have to say, I’m not a huge cannoli fan, but Mike’s changed this all for me. Their fresh cannolis had great taste, crunch, and left me going back for more, bite after bite. Mike’s just became a staple of every trip I’ll take to Boston for the rest of my days. We drove back to Brooklyn, stopping often along to way and driving with our windows down. We felt refreshed and relaxed when we returned—Boston always makes me feel that way.

I’m glad Boston was much the way I left it last. I can’t imagine how I would feel if it had been permanently marked by what happened there. I’m left with the distinct feeling that Boston will be okay after what happened. Much like their flags, pendants, stickers, t-shirts, and more bearing their Boston ‘B’ along with the slogan ‘B Strong’, their people too reflect this saying. Boston is strong—I don’t know it any other way.

- Adam from Tipped Mixology