We took the bus up to Boston for the weekend to visit Andrew’s sister, see our former professor Ran Blake and his cat DekTor Dutra, and have some favorite foods from our New England Conservatory days. It was a wonderful and full weekend!
After a longer-than-expected bus ride from New York we were ready for some snacks, so we picked up bread, cheese, and rosé from Formaggio in the South End. It was a revelation to be able to buy wine and food in the same shop, since we can’t do that in New York!
For dinner we went to The Gallows, where we had crispy buffalo cauliflower, kale Brussels salad, poutine, and local beers. It was very dark, so I didn’t take photos, but the food was tasty, and we especially enjoyed the buffalo cauliflower.
For breakfast on Saturday we had bacon, egg, cheese, and pesto breakfast sandwiches + pastries, all from Flour Bakery, which was a favorite place of ours when we lived in Boston. Their pecan sticky buns are excellent!
We visited the Larz Anderson Auto Museum later in the morning, and it was fascinating. We had no idea that there were electric cars in the early 1900’s, as well as steam-powered cars. Also, Larz Anderson’s wife, Isabel, was the first woman in Massachusetts to receive a drivers license!
Lunch was at Mei Mei, where we tried the Double Awesome (scallion pancake stuffed with cheese, pesto, and egg), kale salad, and corn fritters. It was our first time there, and I would definitely go back. A great recommendation from Andrew’s sister Kelsey!
We stopped in at a few antique and interiors shops then went to Toscanini’s for the absolute best ice cream. This is chocolate pudding and ginger snap molasses.
Seeing our 82-year-old former professor, pianist Ran Blake, was one of the highlights of our trip. He was extra energetic and had us mix him a cocktail—I made one with Jack Daniels (his signature whiskey), Amaro Montenegro, and a splash of Lagavulin 16 for a hint of smokiness. DekTor, Ran’s wonderful cat, was happy to see us too, even if he didn’t show it so overtly, being a rather reserved mammal.
We had a small pizza snack there (sausage and roasted fennel from Prairie Fire) and then headed back to the South End, where Kelsey and her boyfriend Max cooked us dinner—coppa (the fresh pork cut, not the cured meat), roasted cauliflower (my recipe, I was so flattered!), and multicolored carrots. Everything was delicious!
Sunday we went for a jog along the Esplanade then packed our bags and had lunch on our way to the bus station. Lobster roll (the best, in our opinion!), shishito peppers, beet salad, fish and chips, and mac and cheese at B & G Oysters!
Now we’re back in NY and back to work—hope you had a great weekend!
