Sugar Mine!

As happens every year, from June 7th-9th, Government Center sees its outdoor square full of ice cream and ice cream fanatics. The Scooper Bowl is an event I always look forward to, this year was especially exciting as I missed last year's while on tour in Spain. (You win some, you lose some...)

A fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund Cancer Institute, you pay an entry price of 8 dollars (get 1 dollar off when you text ICE CREAM to 22122) to gain access to all the ice cream you can eat, served up by some of the most famous Ice cream companies around.

As usual, Ben and Jerry's makes its appearance and this year's selection was strong, but not as strong as past years. I realised I am not a fan of their vanilla ice cream which was the base of both A Late Night Snack and Americone Dream. I did really enjoy their Milk and Cookies and Bonaroo Buzz. (Those qualified for a second round)

 

The winner however, without a hint of a doubt was Ciao Bella, which offered its refreshing Mango Sorbet and an interesting rendition of a Chocolate Smore's.  I actually lost count of how many Mango sorbets I had...

Luckily, water stations are to be found at regular intervals.  On such a hot day, with so many crazed, sugar loaded people, it is essential to take water and shade breaks.  

My friend and I got this down to a fine art. Which is probably why we managed to build such an impressive stack of ice cream tubs...below we have a total of 37, and that's not including a few tubs containing undesirable flavors we had to throw away (i.e the Firecracker from Baskin and Robbins...yuck!)

 

I feel we did the event justice, my technique is to try everything (unless it is a standard vanilla or other flavour I do not need to waste stomach space on) and then to narrow it down to my favorites. My friend and I went back for Ben and Jerry's Bonaroo Buzz and Milk and Cookies and finished with Ciao Bella's Mango sorbet.

I was on a major sugar high after this event, I wouldn't have it any other way...many people develop a slight ice cream aversion for a few days. My aversion lasted about twenty minutes and I am now craving something sweet and cold...ice cream anyone?

Rocking out on the Harbor

Boston is a wonderful city at any point of the year...(ok, so maybe I felt differently a few months ago in the middle of winter) but once the weather takes a turn for the better, the city's offerings really pick up, particularly with regards to outdoors activities.

This Sunday, a beautiful sunny day, I got myself on the first Rock and Blues Cruise of the season.  This series is a wonderful way to experience the city's skyline and harbour during the day with friends old or new. The cruise is three hours long and presents two different bands who play throughout the cruise.  It is a fun, simple way to appreciate the city from a completely different angle.  (more info below)

This is just one shot of the city as we were coming back in, it's quite a sight.

Three hours of admiring the harbor and jigging to the tunes of Enter the Haggis (representing Canada!!!) and Carbon Leaf really works up an appetite. Luckily this area of the waterfront has recently received much attention from restauranteurs. One place I have been very curious about is Temazcal Cantina.

Although this may be seen as yet one other mexican restaurant that has popped up in the past few months (Temazcal opened in April), this one has a very American spin.  For one thing, the menus are ipads...featuring scrumptiong renditions of every dish and cocktail.  The menu alone can serve as ample entertainment for the first part of the meal...

Another feature is their roasted suckling pig, which, at 32 dollars a person gets wheeled out directly to your table and carved right onto your plate. I suppose the sight is enough to turn the weak of heart away..I myself wanted to change my order and veer towards the delicious beast.

My friend and I, after ordering our mammoth sized (and quite strong) cocktails..(another facet of the American-style of Temazcal), decided on their version of a sampler platter. This included crab flautas, pork tacos, bacon wrapped shrimp (the prize stealer without a doubt) and chicken stuffed tamales. I found the food very satisfying. The only complaint was the flour tortillas which did not seem souple enough to embody the filling.  However, at 25 dollars, it was a great and frugal way for two to enjoy many of the featured menu items.

We attacked the food and in the end were happy not to have ordered their Lobster Guac...Even though it looked like the most delicious and genius item on the menu, neither of us would have succeeded in doing it justice.

 I seem to be starting a trend...pair a fun activity offered by your city with a great meal and you have yourself the perfect day. Temazcal was a hit, it was not an authentic restaurant, but at least it did not pretend to be.  Knowing what you are going for is essential to a successful business.

If you are interested in the Rock and Roll Cruises (which you should be!) check out their website: http://rockandbluescruise.com/Summer_Schedule_Ticket_Information/

Most cruises are 21+ with the exception of next Sunday. Enter LUCY at the checkout and get 6 dollars off this cruise for a total of 20 dollars...bargain? I think so, particularly as the proceeds of this cruise will go to Lucy's Love Bus.

The Perfect Storm

The weather has been really crazy lately, not just in Boston, but around the world. This past Wednesday pays tribute to this nonsense as we experienced tornado warnings in the city and some serious devastation in Western MA.

On this particular day, I had gotten a group of people together to take advantage of the free admission at the MFA Wednesday evenings to see the Chihuly exhibit. By around five oclock, my big group had dwindled down to three people...including myself.  I understand why you might want to stay inside when the outdoors looks like an apocalyptic scene, from my perspective, if things were about to go down, I would much rather be in a beautiful exhibit room than alone in my apartment...

Thus it was that I ventured out to the MFA (and didn't get the slightest drop of rain on me on the way there) to meet with the other two troupers. I am very glad we stuck it to the weather man!

The exhibit was exquisite and we had time to meander around some other rooms as well. Knowing that museums kick up my appetite, I made a reservation for Estragon, Toro's rival tapas restaurant in the South End and a place I had been looking to try for a while now. Lucky for me (and my friends) I had a nice Groupon to use.

Estragon helped us in two ways: first it satisfied our need for a cultural meal to end a cultural evening and second, it saved us from the monsoon which quickly developped once we stepped out of the museum. We started with some much needed white sangria, made with the (in)famous St. Germain liqueur.

Their fried chickpeas are always spoken most highly of and indeed make for the perfect bar snack. They are so crispy and light with tasty seasoning...these did not last long!

Next we ordered their fried eggplant sticks with salsa Bravas, a traditional slightly sweet, slightly spicy sauce. These were quite good although I found them a bit too deeply fried,  a lighter batter would have complemented the subtle texture and flavour of the eggplant more thoroughly.

The salt cod fritters were a major hit. I could easily have eaten the whole serving. They were stuffed with incredibly tasty fish, not too salty and the fried balance came out much better with this dish.

For the pièce de résistance, we ordered their goat cheese stuffed chicken breast with Bechamel and Chili-Peach coulis. This dish was beautiful, the goat cheese married with the other sauces while each managed to hold its own uniqueness. The thin layer of crispy breading (fried dishes seemed to be the theme of this visit..) provided a great contrast to the smoothness of the goat cheese. The chicken was perfectly cooked. Every last bit was wiped off the plate...it is a great dish.

We finished the night with their flourless chocolate cake: traditional, classic,  rich.

The whole night played out amazingly well considering the weather predictions. We felt as though we were facing the elements of the world and what better way to do it than a cultural journey through the MFA and a great meal?

The evening definately gets awarded five ballerinas...for fun, adventure, quality and danger...the forty dollar groupon certainly helped us along as well:) Oh and in comparison to Toro...I will need another go:)

A Memorable Sunday

With good weather comes opportunity...and on Sunday this meant my first opportunity to check out SOWA, the funky farmer's/artisinal/antique market on Harrison St. in the South End.

I always love my first visit as it brings new vendors, tastes and sights. It also shows who is still around.

I was very glad to see the Nantucket Smoked Fish guy was still there. He sells the most delicious creamed fish spreads. I am a big fan of the blue fin. He also sells smoked salmon, blue fin and tuna...all of which he prepares himself!

I was glad to see Golden Rule Honey making an appearance.  They sell pure honey as well as fun flavored honey for instance their cocoa honey, which is like eating a rich chocolate bar with the sweetness of fresh honey added to the mix..genius? I think so:)

On the other side of the barn, the artists are all set up with their respective trades. I am always drawn to Shara's hand designed wallets. They come in all shapes and sizes, colours and not to mention the irresistible graphics on each. http://www.sharaporter.com/

This year, Shara was up with technology and offered all clients the option of paying with their card through this nifty gadget on her iphone. You simply tap your card on the white thingy and voilà! Your credit card will be charged the amount agreed...another stroke of genius...and convenience!

Another forté of this all encompassing market is the collection of food trucks.  They have hot dog trucks, pickle trucks, and as shown above, the Grilled Cheese truck, offering traditional grilled cheeses to more gourmet options. It just may be the thing you need to get you through the antique market!

Unfortunately, my friend and I ran out of time and did not get to the antique bit...maybe it's just as well because venturing in there is always at your own risk...you never know when you will be back out again!

The SOWA market is the best place to go on a summer Sunday, especially if you have friends visiting!

All information can be found at:

http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/