Restaurant Week Summer 2009

This year, we set our sights on Gaslight, a French bistro in the South End. We travelled across Boston to Harrison Ave, a recently gentrified area of the South End near the Theater district. Gaslight has abundant, FREE parking - in the South End that is like rubies! While real French bistros in France don't really resemble Gaslight (they are more like caves!) the decor was quite evocative of France in an earlier era. The food was very authentic, and a very nice touch was a loaf of hot french bread in a paper sleeve delivered to the table (sorry, no photo, consumed before the camera made it out of its neoprene nest!)

Ciel and Jaime ordered from the Restaurant Week menu, and I splurged for (what else?) l'escargots. Aside from my little arthropod friends, we feasted on heirloom tomato salad, striped bass (always a good local bet) and the ubiquitous French roast chicken - then dessert!

At one point in the feasting, someone at a neighboring table ordered some VERY stinky cheese. Jaime amused us all with her "oh dear god what died at the next table" face.

And for dessert, Jaime ordered a delicious chocolate mousse with perhaps one of the worst presentations in the history of the world. Any pet owner or parent will know exactly what we mean!

It did taste good, and the other desserts LOOKED good as well! We'll be heading back to Gaslight soon.

Birthday Bouquets

Another year older - it seems like time is a runaway freight train whistling down the tracks sometimes. Since my birthday was a few days before the first anniversary of my mother's death, I felt pretty subdued. I was grateful to friends and family for commemorative gifts (and in one case, an ode!)

A highlight was a lily and iris bouquet from Alex & Michael - and a dinner out at Tupelo with the Cambridge-ites (one soon to go off to the Big Apple and the next chapter of her life, another two to begin an exciting new chapter in their lives!)

I have to wonder what will happen in my next chapter? Sometimes I think it's like Harry Potter - the series is done, and I feel empty and flat - a little hard to enjoy the movies now. Time for re-invention!

In the meantime, life goes on, and there's still time to share a pedicure with the blooming Ciel, and photograph the flowers. . . .

The Dog(gie) Days of Summer

On weekends, our canine entertainment trail frequently leads to the nearby Harvard Divinity School, and the not so nearby, recently constructed Neville Manor park (which features a huge butterfly meadow and community gardens.) The weather this weekend, although gloomy, hot and humid, allowed for several weekend perambulations off and on.

Bonnie decided that the best way to cool down in the August heat was to lie in a large puddle left by the torrential rainstorms that interspersed our outings.

We discovered that the flowers of spring and early summer had given way to the flowers, berries and squash of late summer, heralding the harvest soon to come our way via the Farm School CSA (we're already getting squash and blueberries galore!) The echinecea (pink and orange flowers below) are over 6 feet tall!

Some of the flowers had visitors.

Bonnie gave the seal of approval on our last walk of the weekend with a big doggie grin. Little did she know it was back to work for the humans! :( At least work is air conditioned.

Narragansett Natterings

Our summer rental this year is in Rhode Island, on the Narragansett River. Although the housing is humble, it boasts plenty of decks and proximity to the river, beaches and ferries.

Cici, Jared and Molly opened the house on Saturday, while Jaime, Jim, Bonnie and I came down Sunday. Molly and Bonnie took long swims in the river when we arrived, looking very much like large otters (in Bonnie's case, a VERY large otter!) Shortly thereafter, Cici, Jared and Jaime took off for the beach and to bring back necessary items afterwards (Narragansett ales and fresh seafood.) Jim, Bonnie, Molly and I hung out in the cottage. As I am wont to do on a weekend, I started the process of prepping for various meals. I chopped a multitude of veggies and stored them, cooked two types of pasta for pasta salad, shucked some fresh farmstand corn, and made a lovely peach - creme fraiche pie (courtesy of a http://www.smittenkitchen.com/ recipe!)

Prep work done, it was time to relax. I was vastly entertained to find an episode of TOS (Star Trek, The Original Series) on television, complete with "Shat" as Captain Kirk. Be still my heart! [I had a short-lived crush on "Shat" as a school girl - then turned my attentions to Spock and Scotty over time. . . .]

The beach bums returned with the goods, which included local Narragansett ale, some incredibly fresh scallops and fresh cod. A short while later, our feast was ready for consumption. There's nothing like fresh seafood!

Before Jim, Bonnie and I left for points north, we took a brief walk out to say goodbye to the river and the pretty rock roses on the bank.