Boston on the Go

Boston on the Go - a Bostonian guide to keeping yourself busy and in the know. Ideas on things to do, places to shop & dine, and what to talk about when you're out and about in the Boston area.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

New Restaurant Opens in Boston at Match's location

I guess I've been staying on my side of the river too much, because I didn't even realize that Match the mini burger/lounge on Mass Ave near Newbury Street had even closed. But as one restaurant leaves, another opens - Mass Ave.

Yes, the restaurant is called Mass Ave. The new restaurant come from the folks who brought us Alibi Bar & Lounge, Harvard Gardens, Lucky's Lounge, and Back Bay Social Club. The new restaurant will offer American tapas, ranging from $10-$30. Menu items include tacos, sliders, meat paella and tater tots. I guess we all have a different definition of American cuisine, but I'll give Mass Ave the benefit of being diverse in menu options.

Mass Ave is located at 94 Mass Ave in Boston and will open on Monday, January 24, 2011 and looks to be open for both lunch and dinner. For more information, check out the restaurant's facebook page here.


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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Local Southie Residents Open American Provisions on Broadway

Southie peeps - you have a new specialty food shop - American Provisions.

Local Southie residents Matt Thayer and Andy Fadous are the owners and are committed to offering local and organic produce, Dewar's meats, Woodbury's shellfish, fresh baked goodies, and prepared meals made fresh. Sounds like something that the neighborhood could use! American Provisions is open Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Sat., 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sun., 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. And is located at 613 Broadway (near L Street).


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Monday, December 6, 2010

Tuesday - Brattle Theater's Sugar and Cinema Event

The Brattle Theater in Harvard Square is hosting it's Sugar and Cinema event tomorrow night. Enjoy cookies, cocktails and more starting at 8:00pm.

For the sugar part of the evening there will be champagne cocktails and delicious desserts provided by Flour Bakery and Café. Plus, Boston’s own celebrity pastry chef, Joanne Chang, will be in person to sign copies of her new book, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café.

For the cinema portion of the event, the Brattle featuring a real cooking challenge captured on film: Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker’s new film, KINGS OF PASTRY, which documents the French pastry competition, Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

Tickets are $12 just for the movie and cocktail/dessert portion, and $40 (in advance) for the book singing and movie/cocktail portion. Flour cookbooks will be on sale at the event. For info on tickets and the movie, click here.


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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Weekend Picks - Davis Square, Taza Chocolate and Latkes, oh my!

As you may have guessed, we like our local businesses. And this weekend, I'm recommending you hit up Somerville and Cambridge and do just that.

Davis Square is hosting its annual Midnight Madness tomorrow night. Hit up Boston Shaker and Kickass Cupcakes for sure. If you can't make it Thursday night, Somerville is hosting Shop-a-palooza on Saturday, too. For more details, click here.

Saturday afternoon, hit up Taza Chocolate at their factory for a chocolate and coffee pairing. From 2-5pm on Saturday stop by for a free tasting of Counter Culture Coffee and Taza Chocolate. You'll get to sample a special selection of Counter Cultures heirloom coffees, which have been expertly paired with some of Taza's favorite Stone Ground chocolates. For more info on this event, click here. Oh yeah, and it's free. :)

And lastly, on Sunday, celebrate Hanukkah with Harvard Square's new annual event Everyone Loves Latkes Party from 1-3pm. The Fourth Annual Everyone Loves Latkes Party featuring delicious, creative, and best-looking latkes from local Harvard Square restaurants. Holiday music and storytelling will be taking place too. This event is free, too!


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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bondir Opens in Cambridge


Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Before you head off to attempt to make turducken, I want to let you know about a new intimate restaurant that's opened in Cambridge - Bondir.

Jason Bond from Beacon Hill Bistro opened his new restaurant Bondir this weekend on Broadway in the old Con y Sol space. The 24 seat restaurant features a fire place, and a country table bar that seats four. There is also a little nook of seats near the fireplace, which may be the best spot for this winter.

The food is a little based on French food, but more importantly, Jason is dedicated to using local, fresh ingredients. The menu is small as a result - but that's OK. The veggies were delicious - and they were sides to lobster and pork belly. The nice thing that Bondir does is that all entrees can be half portioned, so you could have one half for an appetizer (I recommend the grits or the pork belly) and another half for an entree. Meat eaters, you will like the array of pork and beef. :)Ha;f items ran around $12 to $13, and full entrees around $23-$25.

As for the bar, Bondir currently offers beer and wine. Bondir is open 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. for dinner besides Tuesdays and is located at 279A Broadway in Cambridge. The official opening of the restaurant is November 26th. Click here for more information.

Photo credit: www.bondircambridge.com


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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

This Weekend's Picks - MFA Open House and Canary Square Opening

This weekend my picks are delayed, but they are about food and art. Two of my favorite things! :)

Tomorrow (Saturday) head over to the MFA for a FREE Open House - 10:00am-4:45pm enjoy the new Art of America wing and the fashion exhibits. Expect a crowd, but um, it's FREE! For details on the Open House, click here.

This weekend Canary Square opens in JP in the old Alchemist venue. From the folks who have brought us Coda and Common Ground, Canary Square is sure to be bring affordable local treats. I hear they have fried twinkies on the menu. Hmm. twinkies. Canary Square opens Sunday at 3:00pm and is located at 435 S. Huntington Ave. Stop by!

Lastly, stay tuned for Bondir opening in Cambridge and the Staff Meal Truck in JP. More to come on those soon.


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Voltage Cafe Opens in Kendall Square



For those who live or work in Kendall Square, most of us know that the only coffee shops around are the Starbucks located in the hotels near the T stop. But there is something new in the Square today - Voltage. And its pretty great.

Voltage started out of JP in 2008 when the owner launched Voltage as an espresso catering service. Since then, she found a storefront in Kendall Square where she brews up great coffee (this morning's latte=no need for sugar) and tea. In addition to drinks and some snacks, Voltage offers a gallery of wall space with works of art from local artists. It has, as Lucy, the owner, described this morning "a warehouse vibe."

For menu and other info on Voltage, click here. Voltage is located at 295 Third Street as is open 7am-7pm Monday-Saturday.


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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Cheeseboy Review

Cheeseboy : Grilled Cheese to Go opened recently in the train concourse of South Station. The Boston Globe had an article about the food, and it was only a matter of time before a grilled cheese urge would result in a visit.

Alas, the photos of the actual grilled cheese were not saved on my phone as I got overly excited to wolf it down.

First impression: the line. It looked long but the owner insisted that it would take only 15 minutes to get our order. He was correct. It took about 10 minutes to get to the register and then 5 minutes to get the sandwich. For commuters on the go - one of the target customers of Cheeseboy - this is probably something to keep in mind if your train is about to leave soon. During non-lunch hours, however, the line is likely to be much shorter.

After some contemplation, I ordered The Classic (sliced Italian bread with American cheese) for $2.99 and the Cheddar Delight with bacon and tomato (sliced rye bread with Cheddar cheese) for $5.27. Though tomato soup is available, I did not order it. I ate half of it right away and the other half after getting back to the office to see how well it would travel.

The Classic is very basic but also very good. The bread is lightly crisped on the outside and the cheese is a decent thickness to it. Eating the second half back at the office, unsurprisingly, was not nearly as good. The bread had gotten cold and a bit chewy.

The Cheddar Delight with bacon and tomato on rye was a bit disappointing. The bacon flavor was a good addition, but the cheese did not have that thick quality to it. With so many different ingredients than my first sandwich, it's hard to know if it was the Cheddar vs American cheese change or the addition of the tomatoes and bacon that made it less thick.

One of the nicer aspects of the "to go" idea is that the sandwiches came in mini pizza box. This prevented the grease of the sandwich from soaking through and helped prevent any unwanted smushing. Also, don't forget to grab some napkins as they will definitely come in handy.


Overall, I'd say Cheeseboy hit the spot. The taste was good and the price is about right. A single sandwich may not be enough for a full meal, but adding tomato soup or chips or getting a second sandwich would suffice. Finding a table at South Station is a bit difficult during lunchtime and grilled cheeses do not travel well, so I'm not sure what the optimal consumption plan is yet.

As a footnote, today's profits were being donated to Hole in the Wall.


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