boston: drink by drink

boston cocktails: )

warning:  you may get a bit tipsy from reading this post.

craig and i spent labor day weekend up in boston with his sis, val.  i haven't been to boston in years, and we could not have picked a more gorgeous weekend.  very much a fall preview, weather-wise : )  we did a lot of visiting, walking, talking, eating and drinking.  pretty much an all-around good weekend by anyone's estimation, i would imagine.  so in lieu of giving you a step by step run down of everything we did (and saw) and believe me, it was quite a lot, i figured i'd gloss over the highlights (and the drinks)!

lovely

val & craig

friday: dinner and drinks in somerville near val's apartment.  and introduction to my new love...st. germain liqueur.  it's an elderflower liqueur and has a kind of pear-citrus flavor and is completely scrumptious!  tonight val and i enjoyed cocktails of st. germain, grey goose, champagne and fresh lemon.  and yes, they were as amazing as they sound...

fenway

saturday: the morning consisted of a tour of sam adam's brewery.  very cool.  great tour guide and free beer.  i'm not beer drinker, but it was still a good time : ) i like free things, and i did enjoy learning how to properly taste and evaluate beer.  food and drink lessons are always fun.  afternoon = red sox game.  sports aren't generally my thing either, but tradition and nostalgia totally are.  fenway is a step back in time.  afterwards drinks at "game on" sports bar.  i mean free drinks at "game on".  thanks to val's connections, we were treated to two rounds of free beverages.  the evening consisted of sushi, a visit to harvard square and another oh so delicious st. germain and champagne treat!  seriously, try it.  it transports you to 1940s paris in a heartbeat (or should i say a sip)...

craig at sam adam's brewery

sunday: one word.  walking.  we walked then walked some more.  which i was totally on board with after all the food/drinks.  we started at val's place and walked through cambridge, down newbury street, stopped at quincy market for lunch, enjoyed harbor views, made our way through the north end and finally found ourselves seated at the bar of the oldest tavern in boston, bell in hand.  this time i quenched my thirst with a water (yes, i do drink water, too) and raspberry vodka and club with a splash of peach schnapps and lime wedge.  fruity and yes, refreshing.  afterwards, back to val's for some much needed down time before venturing out to dinner in the davis square section of beantown. posto (despite the hour long wait for a table) was fabulous.  homemade, gourmet pizzas.  fig, caramelized onion & gorgonzola.  wild mushroom.  roast chicken, pesto & goat cheese.  is your mouth watering yet?  and guess what they had (besides to-die-for roasted chili oil for bread-dipping)...wait for it...a st. germain sparkler.  perfection.

near quincy market

monday: final day.  slightly travel weary but still having fun.  today we walked back to harvard square to do a bit more exploring.  stopped for lunch.  indian buffet this time located in a sub-subterranean restaurant with a cavernous, hole-in-the-wall kind of feel.  afterwards, we wandered in and out of shops and took in the super preppy atmosphere : )  we made our way back towards val's place and stopped once more for our new favorite drink.  val dropped us off at the airport around dinner time for our 8pm flight and craig and i enjoyed dinner and drinks at legal sea foods.  the best airport food i've had.  ever.  and they even had st. germain...

craig & cailen : )

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dinner with friends (alternate title: champagne & jell-o shots)

champagne & jell-o shots

last night craig and i had 4 of our very best friends - cate, chad, erin & brian - over for dinner.  with summer weekends numbered, we decided to get together for one last warm weather hurrah before the fall craziness sets in.  erin & brian are getting married the end of october, so needless to say, they have a lot of busy weeks coming up.  (just to catch you up to speed, cate & chad are getting married in june of 2011, and craig & i are getting hitched november 5th, 2011!)  fun times ahead : )

well, back to the party.  we actually invited them over for a "bbq", but since i was working until 6pm, i had to make all the food in advance.  i decided to make sausage with peppers and onions.  ok, ok, i know that doesn't sound all that gourmet, but it turned out pretty good, if i do say so myself.  (i actually got caught squeegeeing my own plate last night to savor the last few remnants of sauce - good thing they're good friends!) 

i opted for chicken and turkey sausages - a spinach & feta, a mild italian and a white wine, parsley & garlic.  i sauteed chopped vidalia onions and red peppers in olive oil in a large pot.  i pan seared the sausage separately, chopped them and then added the sausage and pan drippings to the onions and peppers, added a jar or so of good marinara sauce as well as a can of chopped tomatoes and presto!  pot-o-sausage&peppers&onions.  to really make it a homerun, i made homemade bread.  (it's much easier than it sounds - but it always impresses.  thank you, hannie!)  i made a pesto loaf and also a garlic loaf.  yummy!  cate brought a fresh, delicious green salad with countless farmer's market toppings and erin made super good cauliflower & curry dip that she served with whole grain tortilla chips as an appetizer.  we ate well.  and drank well too...

i greeted my guests with two pitchers of fun summery drinks.  a simple sangria (and when i say simple, i mean simple) - one bottle of red wine plus (don't laugh) two 24oz cans of mike's hard lemonade.  yes, that's right.  i'm classy, i know.  but it did the trick.  i added fresh squeezed orange slices and added fresh peach slices and ice.  it was good and went down a little too easy.  the other pitcher was spiked iced tea.  sun tea + (don't laugh, again) two 24oz cans of twisted tea.  (don't judge, the large cans were leftovers from a fun trip to ohio to see my sis.)  again, i classed it up with some fresh lemon slices.  both drinks were refreshing and the guests had no complaints.

since i was at work all day, craig was at the helm for the day-of-party prep, and boy oh boy, did i train that boy well!  the cottage and yard looked beautiful.  the lights were on, candles were lit, dinner was simmering, music was playing, the yard was prepped with table and chairs and the fire pit was awaiting a match.  well done, craig.  well done.

after drinks & appetizers accompanied with wedding talk, girl talk and a few rounds of quoits (a yard game kind of like horseshoe but better), we enjoyed dinner at the dining room table inside.  the dinner was enjoyed by all and yes, as i mentioned, i did a hostess "no-no" and practically licked my plate clean.  (i know you've done it too at one time or another.)

on to dessert.  the boys headed outside to light the fire pit and we "prepped" dessert.  meaning i got the marshmallows, hershey's bars and graham crackers out of the pantry : )  i mean, honestly, is there anything better than s'mores on a cool summer evening?!  dessert was paired with champagne.  we uncorked the veuve clicquot that my parents gave craig and me when we got engaged and toasted to the inexplicable twist of fate that we're all engaged at the same time.  (erin, cate and i have been friends for years - i've known cate since i was two, and erin is my cousin.)  i don't think we ever would have imagined in all our childhood discussions that we'd all be at this life step at the same time.  it's wonderful and has been a lot of fun!

so what's the only thing that can make s'mores and champagne and summer and hanging with good friends even better?  raspberry jell-o shots.  chad seemed especially appreciative, but come on, what says "party!" and "fun!" more than good old-fashioned jell-o shots?!  it was a fun time.  a really fun time.

me, cate, erin

well, thanks to a brilliant team effort on all fronts, the party was a huge success.  the only one who didn't enjoy it (unfortunately) was little olive, our dog.  she hid in her crate all night.

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The Best of Neighborhood Dining

If you're looking for a casual place to enjoy a wonderful dinner, look no further than Bell's Tavern in Lambertville, NJ. Tucked away in the residential section of this adorable town on North Union Street, Bell's is a great place for casual, Italian fare any night of the week. Reasonable prices and delicious food keep locals coming back again and again. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've dined in their intimate dining room filled with local art and white-clothed tables. The staff is friendly and attentive and often chats with the regulars at the bar in the front room. Entrees on their regular menu run about $12 with half-orders available for less, and specials tend to be a bit more, reaching as high as $25. My "go-to" order is the Southern Citrus Salad with mandarin oranges, bleu cheese and spicy pecans drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette followed by their traditional Ziti Al Forno with marinara…it's the best! Be forewarned that Bell's does not take reservations (or credit cards for that matter). So if you're planning on going for a weekend dinner, be prepared for a bit of a wait. Take the time to enjoy the company of the locals at the bar. Bell's Tavern, 183 North Union St, Lambertville, NJ 08630, http://www.bellstavern.com/, For Take-Out 609-397-2226

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my upcoming book, Well-Designed Living, visit http://www.cailenascher.bravehost.com/ or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.

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