Cheese, please.

To know me is to know I love cheese.

So, when a very lovely and dear friend of mine sent me a little nibble of a surprise in the mail last week, I about lost it. Sometimes, it's little surprises from the people who love you most that make all the difference in the world. It can turn a bad day good, remind you of all the beautiful people in the world, and probably the most important, put a big ol' smile on your face. 

-xo-

eb

Twin Donuts! The noms!

Growing up in the Butner home, weekends meant a couple of things: one you would be spending time outdoors running around doing something and two, donuts would be consumed.

The art of the donut (or donnies as my dad calls them) is something to be studied. Since I've moved to Boston and away from Bob's donuts, I've felt hole in my heart (see what I did there?). Bob's on Polk Street is open 24 hours. They make sure a fresh round of donuts is available right at 2am. Hot out of the fryer. Smart folks at Bob's. Known for their apple fritters, it is my humble donut opinion that You. Just. Can't. Go. Wrong. At. Bob's.

So, finding myself in Boston with a donut hole in my heart, I've been doing research on where to find the best local fried dough. And considering that if you yelp donuts in Boston, you're thrown back pages and pages of reviews on Dunkin' Donuts, I needed to do some digging to find a real mom 'n pop place. This article on Boston's independent donuts shops helped a lot. If anything, created a checklist for me (and a sure increase in trips to the gym - ugh - I digress).

Enter Twin Donuts. Or twin donuts as you can see from the awesome and stellar neon sign that acts as the pearl gate to donut goodness. A bike ride away in Allston, this place is legit. Old School like nobody's business. No frills here, just honest to goodness calories and, well, goodness. You can grab a donut from the counter, or sit down to be served standard breakfast fare like egg combos, brekkie sandwiches, flap jacks and omelets. The healthiest thing on this menu must have been the... errr... let me get back to you on that.

On to the donuts. Since I'm in Boston, I took a chance to snag the last Boston Creme (and this was only at 9:45am) and a Honey Glazed. Now where I come from (the West, remember here, people), this Honey Glazed thing was new to me. I guess as the donut traveled West, we dropped the Honey and called it just plain Glazed. Regardless, both donnies stood up to the test. I left satisfied and charmed.

So, twin donuts, thanks for filling that donut hole in my heart. See ya again real soon.

-xo-

eb

(And speaking of indy donut shops, if you ever find yourself in Sisters, Oregon get thyself to Sisters Bakery - no joke, one of the best donuts I've ever had in my life. Perfect for Bachelor skiing mornings.)

One Year Later

Hey all,

Today is a big day. One year ago today, I boarded a one way flight, SFO to BOS. Yikes! Stripes... Man was that scary.

Leaving friends and family, everything I knew and loved... That took a lot. But it turns out the past year has taught me a lot about living, adventures, people and myself. I have taken some amazing (New England) adventures, meet some unreal (New English) friends and had an overall wonderful time exploring, well, New England.

Can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

-xo-

eb

Pretty Type

It's been rainy, rainy, cold here for the past few days.

Look at that sun!! - and dang! Look at that typeface!

Homes of New England

I love exploring the city via foot and bike. It's a perfect way to appreciate the unique architecture. 

People say that Boston is a London lookalike. Low, brown and brick, the streets twisting and turning, I can see why they say that. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm in US. Sounds silly, but the West is a total 180 from here. It's vast, gridded and weirdly, light. San Francisco has always amazed me  in how light it is. All the buildings are a mixture of white, lights pinks, yellows and light concrete. Breathtaking when viewed from the Bay...

But Boston is gorgeous, too. Very old world. Very fun to explore. Except more Homes of New England posts. They're too pretty not to showcase.

xo, 

eb

P.S. Also! I saw my first "hilly" street last night in Boston! It's so flat here - such an adjustment after climbing the hills of SF daily. It made me a little homesick - funny what a hilly street can make ya feel after living in the city by the Bay.

See that slight angle of the sidewalk - a hill!

My favorite alley in Boston thus far. 

Cobblestoned and quiet, complete with an American flag.

Union Park by night.

South End fleurs.

The Green Monster's Home

Last week, I attended my first Red Sox game as a Boston resident.

I love baseball games. Nothing says All-American like a day at the ballpark.

There's so much history at Fenway; this year marks the park's centennial. Let's be clear about something: people in Boston love their team (especially when they're doing well).

The Sox were playing the Oakland A's, so secretly (until now), I was hoping for a West Coast win. Shh...

Can't wait to go to more games, especially as it continues to warm up. It was freezing the night we went,
I was bundled up in a hat, scarf and mittens. It felt just like being at home at AT&T park, cheering on the SF Giants. Yay, baseball, yay.

xo,
eb

Look what I found!!

Hold the phone!

Look what I found! A restaurant on Newbury Street with... gasp! Compostable cups and utensils, proper recycling containers and - the best part - pretty decent burritos! Way to go, Boloco!

Now, let's be clear, we're not talking Cancun burritos, but decent fancy-ish burritos. Think good rice, all natural meat products and fresh gauc 'n veggies. For right now, it's good enough for my burrito fix.

Woot! What a good Monday.

xo,
eb

To Sweat It or Not to Sweat It

I've noticed a lot of things about Boston fashion.

In order to keep from making blanket statements about them (keeping in mind the city was deemed
the worst in the nation by GQ mag), I'll keep my observations for future posts, specific to their offense. Or fashion no, not ever, never ever offenses. (I'm building an extensive collection of photos of Lilly-Pulitzered, embroidered-everything, college sweatshirted, pleated khaki-coated Bostonians.
Ei yi yi.)

I digress.

The issue of this post: men in sweatpants. In public.

In bars.

In the mall (yes - SFers, I said mall. This is the world outside the bubble, 'member?).

On the street.

EVERYWHERE.

What compels a man to wear sweats?

Let's not get confused about the situation here. I like to be comfortable, too. And some days are for casual wear. And let's be honest, when it comes to casual/weekend (it's called weekend for a reason here, people) wear, women really are the winners here. We can throw on a pair of black leggings, a baggy sweater, scarf and ballet flats - top it off with a top knot - and we're golden.

Men who go for comfy in public, look like this:

Ey yi yi to the double power.

Men, don't sweat it. Don't put those on and walk out your front door. (Errr... don't go for the leggings, either). Throw on a soft pair of your favorite jeans. Your city (and the women of it) will thank you.

And maybe next year, Boston will climb a peg in the fashion world.

xo,
eb

Nom: Island Creek Oyster Bar

I made a friend the first day of work. She's great. Mostly because she's sweet, friendly and outgoing.

And of course, because she insisted on introducing me to Island Creek Oyster Bar. Her main squeeze is one of the main men there and at Island Creek Oysters, which is the farm of all those famous and delicious little oysters. I'm all about meeting people who love food as much as I do.

ICOB (we'll call it as the locals do) is fantastic. ICOB, as you can guess, is a seafood lover's - aka my - dream. Not only that, but the design of the place kills it. Big and airy, it's grounded in the sea. It uses crushed oyster shells as glorified wallpaper, lighting fixtures that suggest oyster cages and reclaimed wood slats as window decor. Concrete, shells, glass, beach wood - sleek, smooth, rough, expected, unexpected! All in one. Love.

Loved the design of the menus.

Enough about the fluffy (err... my favorite) part, let's get down to business. We started with rosé and oysters. Three local (including their own) and one West Coast. I really enjoyed the Sunken Meadow from Eastham, Mass (not Eastoyster? Anyone? Is this thing on?) Amazing. Great. Fresh. Good. I don't know much about the words you use to describe oyster, I just know I like 'em. 

Next came the Oyster Slider (not to be confused with an oyster shooter). Here's what you should know: it's fried crispy and served with a chile lime aioli. Ok, you only kind of need to know that. What you really need to know is that they make their own bread. So that unsuspecting brioche bun? Yea. That thing? That's where the goodness is. Makes me want to go back tomorrow and try that Lobster Roll served on the same type of bread. Gawd, I love a brioche. 

We kept the rest of the meal simple with cauliflower, beets and their buttermilk biscuits (those babies are drizzled with honey and rosemary - done). A local New England cheese and some Pinot Noir to top off the meal and I was a happy girl (and it wasn't just the oysters talking). 

A fun fact about ICOB? The owner is Garrett Harker (the owner of ICOB neighbor and Balthazar-ish Eastern Standard and the "G" in yet-to-be-reviewed South End prize and my neighbor, B & G Oysters). And he is a San Francisco fan. We got to talking and he said that ICOB is based off this little place off Polk Street - know it? That's right, this winner of a restaurant was created to bring a little bit of Swan Oyster Depot magic to the streets of Boston. 

We're gonna get along just fine, ICOB, just fine...

xo, 

eb

P.S. March is Munch Madness in Boston. Read: the best of the city's restaurants get bracketed out and voted on till there is one champion. Fun, right? But oh! the drama! ICOB and Eastern Standard are "playing" against each other right now in the Sweet Sixteen. Who will make it to the Final Four? Eeks!

Check out the bracket here.

West Coast Wins: Going Green

Well, folks. No surprise here: the Boston sucks when it comes to being smart about the environment. 

Bold statement, yes I know. But look what I've encountered in one week in Boston. 

These are the salad containers at Shaw's market. Recognize that? 

Yea... That's plastic. And a lot of it. 

I can't tell you how many plastic bags I've refused at bodegas, stores and cafes in just twelve days. A lot. There's almost always a moment of pause from the cashier when I (politely, I hope) decline to place one bottle of wine or sandwich into a giant plastic bag. 

I know that the places I've lived, some East Coasters might think are a bit hippie (San Francisco, Boulder, Oregon... OK, I get it), but to me, it's just a way of living. Being smart and conscious about what you need and what you don't need. And how long that plastic fork will be around for. Is it worth it? It's breaking my heart to not have another container option to throw my greens in at the salad bar. I think I wouldn't be welcomed back if I just started eating spinach straight from the bin.

All this increased sensitive might be in large part due to the documentary I helped create last year about single use plastic. One Beach, a film about inspiring people doing creative things to reuse, repurpose and educate people about single use plastic has made it so that eating a salad with a plastic fork from a plastic container has got me wanting to jump off the side of a building. It sucks, people, to not have better options to better the world around you.  

So, I trekked to Whole Foods in hopes of finding strength in numbers, (hippie-minded) people like me AND compostable utensils. When... gasp! what's a girl to find?

Straight up plastic utensils individually wrapped in plastic bags. Heart. Sunk. 

Lame, Whole Foods, lame. I had hoped that you would be fighting the good fight out here. 

Well, here's to me fighting my own fight against my use of plastic. Let's go, Boston! Join me! I'm not just some crazy from SF (I kinda promise), it feels good to help the planet. Keep on recycling from your home. Carry that tote with you to the market. Put that spork in ya purse and carry it around! 

If Lilly Pulitzer designed a spork would ya use it? I'll call her tomorrow...

xo, 

eb

Adios SF

Since I am sitting on the plane (one way from SFO to BOS), I'll keep this short.

I'm moving from San Francisco to Boston. For a new job. For a new adventure.

It'll be a cultural experience. I'm a West Coast gal. Born and breed.

This blog will be my observations of my reverse Manifest Destiny.

Food, fashion, cheese, bikes, art and design, let's see what Boston has to offer.

Adios SF, you're pure goodness.

xo,

eb