The Witching Hours

After our morning of museuming, GK and I were famished, so we went off in search of lunch.  We hadn't gotten too far before we stumbled upon the Peabody Essex's Garden Restaurant.  We actually entered the restaurant via its  lovely Asian-inspired garden that borders the street and sat outside, but you can go in through the museum as well and sit inside if you prefer or if the weather isn't cooperating.

We started off with some wine and the fruit and cheese plate.  It just seems like more of a holiday when you can have wine with lunch, doesn't it?

For our mains, we both wanted something seasonal and light after gorging ourselves on the cheese, so GK chose the Roasted Beet and Feta starter while I had the soup of the day, butternut squash with bits of apple and brown rice.

The soup was good, but the flavor combination of the beets and feta was better.  With most museum restaurants, I feel like the food is often overpriced and underwhelming, but luckily this wasn't the case here and I would definitely recommend stopping by the Garden Restaurant if you've worked up an appetite after viewing the PEM's exhibits.  GK and I finished our wine and soaked up some sun until GK suggested that we explore more of Salem before I got too cheeky....

Soon, we had made it to the Burying Point, the oldest graveyard in Salem, dating back to 1637.  We spent some time wandering among the gravestones, looking at the macabre motifs carved onto them, enjoying the solemn, spooky atmosphere, and wondering about the lives of the people who were commemorated there long ago.

 

After leaving the Burying Point and walking around a bit more, GK and I decided to that we needed something sweet to shake off the solemn mood that the graveyard had evoked, so we went off in search of dessert.  Eventually, we stumbled upon Maria's Sweet Somethings, a chocolate and ice cream shop, full of delightfully kitschy witch paraphernalia.  GK and I both went for sundaes and we both ordered smalls, foolishly thinking that they wouldn't be that big. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I was handed this peanut butter monstrosity:

GK's caramel concoction was just as epic, but we made short work of them, like the true professionals that we are.

 

After we had finished our sundaes, we had a little over an hour left in Salem before we wanted to make the trip back to Boston, and we both wanted to hit up another historical site.  Luckily, in Maria's Sweet Somethings, GK had picked up a pamphlet for The Witch House.  Neither one of us had heard of it before, but as it is the only structure left standing in Salem that has direct connections to the Witch Trials, we decided to give it a go.  

The Witch House was the home of the Jonathan Corwin, a Salem judge who presided over some of the witch trials and even listened to some early testimony in his home.  The house is an interesting example of a historic home from the 17th century, and its displays give information on the witch trials, Corwin's life and family, and customs, medicine, and superstition in New England during this time period.  

The Witch House is a great stop on your Salem tour, especially if you only have a small amount of time to kill and you're more in the mood for something authentic and historic, rather than something of the cheesy witch-themed variety.  We went through the entire house in about an hour, and while they do offer guided tours, we opted for the less expensive self-guided tour and still feel like we learned a lot and didn't miss out on anything.

After leaving the Witch House, GK and I made our way back to Boston, feeling refreshed by our day out of the city and our step back in time, and in a decidedly more Halloween-ish mood.

  

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Russia, by Way of Salem

Every now and then, Gk and I feel an overwhelming need to get out of Boston, experience a change of scenery, and breathe some fresh air.  A few weekends ago, we had such an urge and decided to take a day trip to Salem.  It was a great weekend to go, as we got to enjoy the crisp air and sunny fall weather while avoiding the tourist onslaught that is sure to befall Salem as Halloween gets closer and closer.  We started our holiday at the Peabody Essex Museum.  It was the last weekend before the closing of their Faberge exhibit, which GK and I had both wanted to see, so luckily we made it just in time.

I've always been intrigued by Faberge eggs and the tragic story of the last imperial family of Russia, so this exhibit spoke to every nerdy fiber of my being.  It started off with what, in my opinion, was the VIP of the exhibit, the Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg.  Made in 1903 for Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra, this egg was made to commemorate the reign of Peter the Great, the first great tsar of Russia, and to draw comparisons between Peter and his descendent Nicholas, in an effort to glorify the current tsar.

Before seeing this exhibit, I hadn't realized that Faberge had been known for anything other than its famous Easter eggs, but apparently it enjoyed quite the monopoly on other luxury goods in Russia and even competed with the House of Cartier for the European market for a time.  Its picture frames, dishes, and animal figurines, made of precious stones and enamel were quite the prized possessions among the elite in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

What surprised me the most about the exhibit was the plethora of cane and parasol handles on display.  Apparently, during Faberge's heyday, high society men and women had a number of different cane and parasol handles that were made of luxurious materials, and they would swap out the handles based on their outfits for the day.  Who knew that parasol and cane handles were once considered a status symbol?  Oh how times have changed....

The exhibit flowed through three galleries, and in the last room, the grand finale awaited...three more Faberge Easter eggs, all of which had been made and presented to the Romanovs.  While these eggs were made of the most expensive materials, the rest of the imperial household, including every rank of servant, were apparently also presented with eggs on Easter as a token of thanks for their service.

I was blown away by the intricate detail and craftsmanship that went into the eggs, which made me wonder if we still produce anything now that will have such longevity and hold such fascination for future generations.  Would anyone take the time or make the effort to create something like these eggs today?

 

This lapis lazuli egg, made for Alexandra in honor of her only son Alexei, took Faberge craftsmen THREE years to complete.  THREE YEARS.  Does anyone have that kind of attention span anymore?  I mean, that's longer than most master's programs.  Sometimes, it's good to be reminded what people could accomplish if only they'd slow down and take pride in their work. 

After we finished ogling the eggs and daydreaming about the tragic romanticism of the Romanovs' story, our stomachs were starting to grumble, but we had to make one other pitstop in the museum to see a reconstruction of the first ocean-going yacht from the 1800s. GK was in heaven...she has a thing for sailors.

If you find yourself in Salem and you've had enough of all the witchy kitsch, I'd definitely recommend taking a breather at the Peabody Essex.  It really is a beautiful museum and I'm sure that it has many more secrets to tell beyond those of the Romanovs.

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The Painted Burro

While S and I have an undying love for Posto, we've decided that we should occasionally branch  out and try some new places around where we work.  So the last time that we got together, we chose The Painted Burro, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar in Davis Square.  To be fair, it is owned by the same people behind Posto, but we're still going to pat ourselves on the back for trying something new.  Luckily, our sense of adventure was rewarded and the food was fabulous, and the atmosphere, chill and fun.  We started off with  margaritas and chips and guac, of course.

Is there anything that tastes better than a margarita after a long day at work?  Why, yes there is, thank you for asking, and it's a cucumber margarita.  So refreshing and crisp, and it counts as a serving of vegetables, right?  The Painted Burro has an impressive margarita menu, including the cucumber option, which I loved, and a spicy margarita, which S opted for.  That was also very good, but not for the faint of heart. When we had demolished a few buckets of chips (hey, they were small buckets, okay?), we moved on to the main event.  S went for the Baja-Style Fish taco and a kale salad, which was absolutely huge.  I was a good friend and helped her eat it.

I was in the mood for tacos, so I went for the Gulf Shrimp "Diablo Rojo" and the Pork Carnitas taco.

The Pork Carnitas, with picked red onion, poblano salsa verde, and Mexican crema, was a bit disappointing.  Overall, it just wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped and the meat was salty and a little dry.  The shrimp taco, however, was divine.  With guac and habanero and mango salsa, it was the perfect, punchy combination of flavors. We soon decided that we were in need of another round of margs, so S went for the Strawberry/Melon while I chose Mango.

This was the perfect dessert margartia...sweet and fruity and smooth.  However, I rarely only drink dessert, so S and I ordered some other sweet treats as well.  We decided to split the churros with chocolate sauce....

and the peach flan.

 I have a rather unnatural love for churros and have to order them whenever I find them on a menu.  They were good, but the flan was the real standout. It's creamy texture was perfect, as was its caramelly flavor.  It was a great finale to cleanse the palate after all the salty chips and spicy food.

If you want to try the Painted Burro and are planning on going during the weekend, I'd recommend making a reservation if you're going for dinner.  During the week, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a table without one.  If you're more in the mood to just work your way through their margarita selection or are a tequila connoisseur, the bar area also has a fun vibe with bright red, comfy stools.  Go and have one for me!  On the rocks with salt, obviously. 

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