Sunset Over Fenway

This is from a couple of weeks ago.

Not bad, eh?

Fenway is really an amazing experience. I grew up as a Rockies fan. Aka I wasn't a proper baseball fan till I was in the 4th grade. My first views from the ballpark were of the Rocky Mountains. My next park, AT&T, has views of the Bay. Not bad, not bad.

Even with those amazing views, I think the sunset I caught at Fenway has to be among the most beautiful view I've ever seen while watching our national pastime. It's so amazing to attend a ball game at a field with such a history. The stadiums 100 year anniversary was this war. Pretty cool.

xo,
eb

I love me some Sweet Cheeks!

There's a place in Fenway that does BBQ right. 

Oh yea, and their cocktails are amazing. Their biscuits are delicious. Their salads are fresh. And the Mac 'n Cheese ain't bad either. 

If you find yourself in need of some meat, head over to Fenway's Sweet Cheeks. It was opened by Tiffani Faison (her claim to fame is placing second on Bravo's Top Chef) and is yummy, yummy, yummy. Head over to get your fill of meat and a vast array of sides, stat.

BBQup!

xo, 

eb

Vodka sweet teas. Perfect for the days of 90% humidity.

Fried pickles!

Biscuit anyone?

MEAT.

My Ride

Gone is my daily ride to work. 

Sigh....

Guess intervals will have to do. 

Sadface, 

eb

Go Read

Last week, I went exploring in Boston's Public Library. Just like a lot of things in this town, it's old. Established in 1848, it was the first large library to open in the US, and the first to check out books. Crazy. It's the second largest library in this great country, with 8.9 million books. In a world of 140 characters, that's a lot of words. 

There are two main entrances to the library which lead to two vastly different main buildings. I entered on the Boylston side through the Johnson building, a 1972 addition to the main library. This building, well, is a little, errr depressing? It's what you would expect from a municipal building built in the 70s: few windows and a vast amount grey concrete. People have likened it to a mausoleum. Yikes.

At any rate, there's still much to explore and tons of people watching to be done in the Johnson building. I walked by a public talk on the past and future of local jazz in Boston. Pretty cool. The real magic, however, is passing through the Johnson building to the McKim building. The McKim building was erected in 1895 and was called the "palace for the people." And today, it still feels like it. Quiet, serene and totally peaceful, you can't help but imagine the about of learning that has happened there. I was totally surprised to stumble upon a beautiful courtyard that was almost Alhambra-like in its subtle and simple beauty. 

I got lost in the library for a couple of hours, it's easy to do with all the titles of public record books from the days of the first Pilgrims and the earliest Americans. It's still summer here, but something tells me that the library might be a good place to hibranate in the coming winter months. 

Read on, people! Read on...

xo, 

eb

The front of the McKim building. It faces Trinity Church and Copley Square, 

which all sit in the shadow of the John Hancock building.

I think that says 1895.

(ok - I only know that thanks to Wiki)

The grand entrance to the McKim building.

I loved these lights in the Johnson (read: retro) building.

Miles o' miles o' books.

For all the surfers in my life.

Old stuff.

First page of old stuff:

Emigrants; religious exiles; political rebels. 

An amazing book of all the names of the rule breakers from days of ol'.

Social life in Old New Englad?

Wonder how it's different from social life in New New England.

And can we talk about the Customs and Fashions in Old New Englad?

Hmmm....

#bestcoast

The courtyard. Amazing. Quiet. Peaceful. Happy place.

Straight from a movie set.

I wanted to steal this lamp. 

It's a turtle!

The front of the McKim building. Check out those insane lamps.

Like I said, keep reading people. Keep reading. 

Or one day, we could lose these amazing public institutes.

Home cookin'

If you've read any of my previous posts, you know one thing: I love to eat out.

To me, my perfect night out and about is a good dinner with great friends. I love the ritual of trying new food with a great bottle of wine. There's no better way to catch up with a someone or, when I'm dining solo (which can happen in a new city), it's the best way to people watch and people meet. I've met some amazing new friends when dining by myself at the bar of a great neighborhood restaurant.

However, as you can imagine (for the sake of my health and my bank account), I do make my food from time to time. Although I'm not a natural wiz in the kitchen, I'd like to think I do an ok job. I try to cook with simple ingredients. You can't go wrong with olive oil and lemons with a little salt and pepper to taste. And of course, when I'm feeling hungry and a little lazy and want to eat at home, nothing is better than an amazing cheese and a baguette.

Check out some of my favorite home cooked meals.

xo,
eb

Nom pie: fresh mozzarella and goat cheese, tomatoes, red peppers, fresh basil with olive oil

Nom queso: local pepper jack, Wisconsin cheddar, queso fresco and goat cheese

with sauteed jalepeños, peppers, onions and garlic. 

Classic. My favorite New England bakery, When Pigs Fly, make the best and nuttiest loafs.

My go-to: Arugula salad with olive oil and lemons, topped with parmigiano reggiano and

Atlantic salmon (not as good as Chinook, but still delish!), with asparagus and sweet potatoes.

Sauteed garlic shrimp Mexican medley: black beans, cabbage mix, peppers and cotija cheese

on a olive oil fried tortilla.

Nom, breakfast. OJ. Veggie egg scramble with asparagus, red bell peppers, spinach and goat cheese.

Greek yogurt with Maine blueberries, topped with Bob's Red Natural Honey Almond Granola.

My first time making tuna. Guess what! It's really easy. 

Seared ahi tuna steak, with asparagus and sweet potatoes.

My new jam! Southwest Stuffed Peppers. 

Peppers stuffed with black beans, red quinoa, peppers, onions, corn, cilantro

and topped with lcoal pepperjack.

And yes! 

I buy mostly fruits and veggies.

I try to buy local, organic and sustainable.

Unless of course, it's cheese ;)

Brunch at Coppa

Oops. Turns out I've taken the past month off. Apologies. But don't worry, I've done plenty of exploring to share with you!

Let's start with brunch...

I think I've posted about Coppa before (remember my meal after my first day of work?) and since then, I've been frequenting it for everything from an evening meal to a casual glass of wine. It's my neighborhood go to for something delicious. A few weeks ago, I stopped by for a Sunday brunch. 

Coppa doesn't disappoint for the first meal of the day. A friend and I started out with a housemade yogurt, fruit and granola dish. It was topped with fresh apricot jam, which we also ordered a side of for a sourdough toast. Nom. For the main course, we split the "Hang Over 'Za," which was slightly fitting for our morning.  This deliciousness is topped with bacon, prosciutto, potatoes and two over easy farm eggs. Yup. It's as good as it sounds. We washed it all down with a pitcher of Blood Orange mimosas - fresh and refreshing. 

Overall, perfect for a weekend brunch. Grab a spot on the patio, enjoy the people (read: dogs) watching of the South End and get ya fill. 

xo, 

eb

That's the jam!

This granola is the real deal.

I love pizza - anytime of the day.

SOWA Market - Perfect for a Sunny Sunday

A few Sundays ago, a friend and I headed out to explore the South End via the SoWa Open Market. Every Sunday, from 10am to 4pm, vendors in the form of food trucks, farmers, artists, antique wheelers and vintage clothes dealers spread out in a parking lot of an old mill. It's a great way to get your fix of local crafts and food, as well as get out and enjoy a sunny New England Sunday. 

xo, 

eb

Market day!

Love this retro swimsuit.

In line for the food trucks.

Wolf tank!

Wolf lady

That's me!

Spent Sunday biking down to Jamaica Plain, a cute and hip neighborhood, to help a friend shoot a music video. Costumes included wolf masks.

The sun was out and bike ride was great. JP is up and coming and supposed to have some great restaurants. We stopped by Tacos al Churro for a burrito. Pretty good. I can't wait to go back and explore some more!

xo,
eb

Everyone Getting Ready for the 4th?

I am! I love my star spangled kicks.

Can't wait to see what Boston has in store!

National Lobster Day!!

Whoaaa. It's been one of those weeks. All work, little play. Well, ok, I was in NYC last weekend for fun, so there's that. I love that place. 

Anyways! On to the important stuff. 

TODAY IS NATIONAL LOBSTER DAY!

And by golly, let me tell you. Since moving to New England, I have eaten more than my share of lobster. And let's be clear, I will continue to do so. You just trip over the stuff here. 

Enjoy the smattering of lobstah I've come across since my move here. 

EAT YE CRUSTACEANS ALL!

xo, 

eb

It doesn't get any more New Enland than this. 

Just add: the Red Sox, lobster and Narragansett.

Lobster fusilli from Giacomo's in the North End. 

This place is the REAL DEAL.

Ate here with my mom back in April.

Lobster traps in Rockport.

Full lobsters and lobster rolls from Roy Moore Lobster Company in Rockport.

This place is ALSO the REAL DEAL.

Wild Maine blueberry leomonaide (yea - it was THAT good) 

and a lobstah roll from Fox's Lobster House in Maine.

I love this one. It was snapped by my friend Rachel from work. 

Wicked rad, eh?

Brimfield Antique Show

There is this magical thing that happens here in Massachusetts. It happens three times a year. In a small, sleepy town called Brimfield.

The Brimfield Antique Show.

For five days, in May, July and August, from sunup to sundown, 6,000 antique dealers from across the country gather in a gigantic field and displays wonders of time's past for purchase. In a few words, it's amazing and almost unbelievable.

Brimfield draws a lot of merchants and buyers from stores far and wide across the globe. This is where Anthropologie gets its great beat-up store decor, where set designers find the perfect antique for period pieces and where stylish Japanese and New Yorkers interior designers (think the Ace Hotel) invade small town New England in search for the one statement piece that will set their home, bar or hotel apart. All alongside everyday peeps looking for old stuff.

It would take all five days (maybe more) to properly comb through the roughly 84 acres of antiques. There's everything from neon signs to Eames chairs to clothing, jewelry and purses to art to wooden boxes, glass jars and brass candlestick holders. Furs. Tables. Car parts. Eyeglass. Literally, anything and everything you could ever want.

I can't wait to go back in July. I've got my eyes set on an old industrial cart and a great farm table.

LOTS 'o pictures on this post. There's just too much to share.

xo,
eb

The line of cars goes on for miles.

(also - the pros and veterans rent a uhaul to bring home all their goodies)

My friend Millah matching the tents.

Wait? Are we in the lobby of an Ace?

This is the cart I want.

Millah finding hidden treasures.

This was my favorite tent. All outdoorsy stuff. 

Very Colorado. 

My dad would love this one, too.

Who doesn't need this??

Purchase #1: A giant light bulb

Purchase #2: 1940s / WWII Propoganda

Purchase #3: Brass anchor candlestick holder

Purchase #4: An array of glass bottles

Purchase #5: Richard cufflinks + tie clip