Merry Christmas

The Christmas tree on the Boston Common

Christmas goodies from my awesome coworkers

The festive fireplace in front of our table at a recent dinner at Five Horses Tavern.

I can't believe that December has flown by so quickly and that Christmas will be here in only a matter of days.  Today I'm heading home to PA to spend Christmas and New Years with the fam, where I plan on doing a lot of cookie eating, wine drinking, puppy cuddling, and Christmas movie watching in front of the fire.  I'll also be in the land of dial-up internet and spotty cellphone service, so I'll be taking a break from the blog and enjoying the relaxation that comes from being mostly unplugged from technology.  I hope that, whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, or even if you don't celebrate anything at all, you can still take some time off to spend with family and friends and find joy in the season.  I'll see you back here in January. 

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Sterling's

Last week, I remembered that I had bought a Travelzoo voucher for a discounted dinner at Sterling's, so I called up GK and we made our way through the cold and down to Boston's financial district.  We had heard that the place had a Mad Men vibe, so we weren't quite sure what to expect, but the interior proved to be warm and inviting, but also refined and classy.  The space is quite small, but that adds to the intimate feel, and there are high ceilings and tufted highback booths the give it a swanky vibe.  There's also a great view of the Old State House visible behind the bar.

We both started the night by warming up with wintery cocktails made with apple cider and rum and the soup of the day, which was butternut squash. We both agreed on three things:  the drinks were festive but not spectacular, the soup tasted like all the best parts of fall and was delicious, and our inner Martha Stewarts coveted these adorable soup bowls.  We decided to have another go at the cocktail menu (we're not quitters) and went for "60 State Street" a crisp concoction of prosecco, St. Germain, and lime. Mmmmn....much better.  We stuck with a good thing when we found it and kept those coming but also decided that we should probably order more real food as well.  GK went for the Chicken Pesto Pasta with penne, pesto cream, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms. I decided to be adventurous and went for the Wild Boar Carbonara with pappardelle, spring peas, pork belly (my new love:  see this post) and wild boar sausage.  How often can you say that you've had wild boar for dinner? I mean, I don't know your life, maybe it's every day for you.  But it's not for me, so I had to take the opportunity when presented with it.

Overall, the dish was delicious...creamy and interesting and the pasta was cooked to just the right level of firmness.  And the wild boar sausage was good.....but not so earth-shatteringly awesome that I'd take great effort to seek it out.  For now, pork belly is safe in its position as my current favorite part of the pig.  GK's pasta was great too...I'm always surprised to find a restaurant that isn't an authentic Italian ristorante that makes really good pasta, so Sterling's gets major points for this.  Sadly, they don't have a dessert menu, though.  So GK and I ended the evening with two more prosecco cocktails while grooving in our chairs to the awesome playlist of feel-good songs that we had been enjoying all night, which included the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.  Until we got one too many raised eyebrows from the bartenders, that is, at which point we said goodnight and boogied all the way back to the subway.

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A Snowy Saturday in Brooklyn

On Friday night, I took the train down to New York to spend a quick weekend with the lovely G.  I hadn't been to New York in over a year and hadn't seen G in almost that long, so it was definitely time to do both.  I got in late on Friday night, so we collapsed onto her couch with wine and caught up until we were too sleepy to chat anymore.  Saturday dawned cold and snowy, so while we had planned to seek out the flashy Christmas sights of Manhattan, we instead agreed to stay in her cute Brooklyn neighborhood and have a leisurely day of filling each other in on the happenings in our lives, good food and drink, and Christmas wherever we could find it.  We began the day with brunch at Dizzy's, a cheerful diner that was bustling with people and playing a great selection of Christmas songs.

G ordered the Power Breakfast, a beautifully presented bowl of yogurt topped with granola, fresh fruit and honey.

 

I went for Teo's Italian Eggs:  three poached eggs over cubed foccaccia that was drizzled with olive oil, parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes.

I might have to make the trip back to Brooklyn soon just for this dish.  The focaccia was delicious and smothered in just the right amount of olive oil and cheese, while the basil and red pepper gave the eggs brightness and spice.  The runny yolks of the eggs also tasted perfect as they were soaked up by the focaccia.  See how happy it made me?

The coffee was delicious too and after drinking a few mugs of it, G and I headed back to her apartment to watch a Christmasy movie.  We settled on Serendipity and (Spoiler Alert!) after John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale safely ended up together, we headed back out into the snow for some more hot drinks.  We wandered into one of G's favorite coffee spots, Kos Kaffe, and warmed up over a cappuccino and a chai while watching the snow fall and admiring the cozy Christmas decor of the cafe.

The rest of the afternoon involved the baking of reindeer cookies (we used a very complicated recipe) and the drinking of spiked hot cider.

Later that night, after dinner, we ventured to Union Hall for wine and champagne cocktails.  During this time of year, all I want to do is snuggle up in front of a fireplace and this place luckily had some empty comfy chairs in front of one.

When G had suggested this place, the mention of fireplaces was enough to sell me on its merits, but the old library vibe is also fun, the drinks are good, and the bartenders friendly.  If I lived in the area, I have the feeling that I'd spend many a cold evening there.  After we had had our fill of drinks and the fire, G and I traipsed back to her place for a late night viewing of It's a Wonderful Life.  When I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, I can usually count on George Bailey and Clarence to help me out, and this time was no exception.  It officially feels like Christmas now. 

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An Evening with Kate Spade and Tapeo

Last Wednesday night, GK and I met up and went to our local Kate Spade store for an evening of sips, snacks, and holiday shopping.  As soon as we arrived, we were whisked into a world of pink champagne, glitter, and golden baubles as a dj played and a huge crowd ogled the lovely bags, jewels, and clothes.  

We slowly made our way through the rooms, admiring all the shiny things and bold colors as waiters whirled by, offering us mini cupcakes, cake pops, and making sure that our glasses of bubbly never got too empty.  I could definitely get used to shopping like this.

GK getting frisky with a pretty little clutch.

After adding nearly everything in the store to our fantasy Christmas lists and downing a delightful amount of champagne, we said goodbye to Kate and headed off down a festive-looking Newbury Street in search of dinner.

 It didn't take us long to decide on Tapeo, one of our favorite Newbury Street haunts.  A Spanish-style tapas restaurant, Tapeo serves delicious small plates and makes you feel cozy and welcome with its low lighting and laid back yet sophisticated atmosphere.  I highly recommend the red sangria, but it was a cold night and GK and I were in the mood for something slightly more robust, so we ordered a bottle of Malbec to start things off.

 

All of the small plates on the menu looked amazing, and we of course had our old favorites, but we decided to be adventurous and try all new dishes.  First we ordered the artichoke and goat cheese crostini from the specials menu,

followed by another special:  pork belly served with carrots and potatoes.

I don't know why it took me so long to discover pork belly, and now that I have, I think that I will pass on all other parts of the pig.  Sooooo rich, fatty, and delicious.  For our third and final main course dish, we opted for the chicken empanadas.

All of the dishes tasted amazing and we were glad that we had tried something new.  Each dish was a plate of flavorful comfort food, but since the portions were small, we got to skip the guilt.  For dessert, we couldn't resist going back to an old standby though, and ordered our usual:  churros with chocolate sauce.

Wonderfully full of food and wine, GK and I headed back to Cambridge and then said goodnight.  I went  home, was soon nestled all snug in my bed, and then visions of glittery baubles, pork belly, and churros danced in my head.

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French Toast and Dream Homes

Last weekend, GK and I decided to celebrate the three-day weekend by having a celebratory brunch on Sunday.  Going out for brunch always make things feel more festive, doesn't it?  We decided to go Upstairs on the Square because we were in the mood for a unique and elegant atmosphere, but we also obviously wanted good food.  Sadly, its owners have decided to close Upstairs on the Square soon, so we wanted to make a point of having brunch there before it's gone.  We started with mimosas and the complimentary bread basket.  I love Upstairs' version of this carby offering, because they bring you a selection of sweet and savory mini options, including cheddar and onion scones, coffee cake, and sticky buns.

When we were ready to move on the the main event, I ordered the French Toast.

Two thick-cut, eggy pieces of bread cooked for just the right amount of time and then smothered with a rum raisin caramel sauce and topped with Grand Marnier Spiked Whipped Cream.  Need I say more?  I love a brunch where I can have alcohol in both my mimosa and my food.  GK ordered the Fine Herbs and Goat Cheese Omelet, which came with a side salad and homefries, and then we split our plates so we could each have both a sweet and a savory brunch.  I think this was the right call, since both dishes were excellent and I think that eating all of the French Toast myself would have sent me into diabetic shock.

It was a beautiful day, and after finishing our meals, we stayed for a while, sipping coffee and tea and enjoying the sunny view of Harvard Square and Upstairs' colorful and whimsical interior.

If you haven't been to Upstairs on the Square, I'd urge you to go before the end of the year when they will close their doors.  It's a great place for brunch with your girlfriends or family, and they do dinner and afternoon tea as well.
When GK and I decided that we had stayed for long enough and were thoroughly stuffed, we felt that we needed to walk off a bit of our meal and headed into Boston to hit up West Elm and Restoration Hardware.  We told ourselves that we were going to do some Christmas shopping and research (GK is writing a paper for her art history class on the building that houses Restoration Hardware, which used to be the Boston Museum of Natural History), but if we're honest, we just wanted to look at the pretty interiors and Christmas decorations.  We started with West Elm.  I love this store because their stuff is cool and contemporary, yet still cozy, and they had already gone full-on Christmas.

We took our time, moseying throughout the displays.  After we had mentally redesigned our bedrooms, created our imaginary wedding registries, and admired all the shiny things, we moved on to Restoration Hardware on Newbury Street.  This building is absolutely gorgeous with three floors full of luxe furnishings and decor....GK and I were in fantasy house heaven.

We dutifully tested out most of the furniture and picked out what we would buy to furnish our chalets and villas, which we will naturally have just as soon as we become rich and famous.

We left feeling refreshed and inspired by all the pretty things.  Grabbing some hot chocolate, we sipped and chatted as we slowly strolled down Commonwealth Avenue and through the Boston Public Garden, agreeing that three-day weekends should come around more often.

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