Looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion? Parents coming to town? Heading to a new city for work or for vacation? Find your next delicious meal on Pop.Bop.Shop.
Last week I was in New York City for three days for work. While I was busy with my client 99.99% of the time, I was able to squeeze in one meal with a friend. When deciding where we would dine, we had two requirements - one, the restaurant had to be near my hotel and two, it had to be walking distance to Penn Station (so she could head to the NJ Transit afterward).
I have been wanting to go to Yvonne's since it opened. Now that I work in Cambridge, I don't dine out downtown as much anymore, especially during the week. When I made plans with a friend to see a concert at the Orpheum Theater, she asked if I had any ideas for where we should have dinner beforehand and I knew exactly what to suggest!
Yvonne's is located on Winter Place, a quiet, almost secretive off shoot of Winter Street.
On my most recent trip to Mystic, CT I was dining with one of my best friends at MBAR, the new wine bar owned by the team that runs Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT. Two women sat down at the table next to us and asked how we were enjoying our meal. They both lived locally and had become huge fans of MBAR since its opening over the summer.
During my recent trip to Mystic, CT I was able to explore parts of town I had never visited before. We woke up on a rainy, gray Saturday morning and were immediately in search of breakfast. We already had a reservation for the next morning at the Engine Room (my fave) so we wanted to check out something totally new. Enter Yelp! One of the top rated breakfast places on Yelp was called Kitchen Little.
Over the past two years I have really fallen in love with Mystic, CT. In 2014 my college girlfriends surprised me and planned a weekend getaway to Mystic for my 30th birthday. During that trip we visited Saltwater Farm Vineyard, which was a major highlight of the trip for all of us.
Since it first opened I have been wanting to check out Little Donkey in Central Square in Cambridge. The restaurant is a collaboration between two of Boston's best chefs, Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette. The chefs are also partners in two other Boston hot spots, Toro and Coppa (both in the South End).
Little Donkey is located in the heart of Central Square, right on Massachusetts Avenue. In the nice weather, the bar windows are open to the street.
In preparation for my first-ever trip to Portland, ME I asked family, friends and co-workers for their recommendations. The one place on every single person's list was Holy Donut. It even made The New York Times 36 Hours in Portland travel feature.
On our second night in Portland, ME my mother and I met up with a friend at Outliers Eatery for dinner. The restaurant gets its name from the Malcolm Gladwell book "Outliers." Owner Peter Verill considers himself a bit of an outlier (read more about his philosophies here), plus the restaurant is located off the beaten path, away from the crowded, tourist areas of Portland.
One of my favorite meals during my trip to Portland, ME was at the Green Elephant. A family friend recommended the restaurant, knowing we were having a tough time finding restaurants with great vegetarian options.
When asking friends and family where I should go during my Portland, ME trip, almost every person said, "Make sure to get a pastry at Standard Baking Co." On our first morning of the trip, we took an Uber down to the old port and Standard Baking Co. was our first stop. The assistant innkeeper, Erin, told us the bakery has a very small sign on the street, so it's easy to miss. With that heads up, we were able to spot it as our driver headed toward the address.
As soon as my mom and I decided we were going to Portland, ME, I started researching. I created a Google Doc (her first time using one) and started dropping in recommendations from friends, places featured in The New York Times' 36 Hours in Portland and other gems I found on my own.
On Monday evening I had dinner with a friend at Scutra in Arlington. She had discovered the restaurant over the summer and had been back many times since her first visit. She had been raving about the delicious food, so we made a date to dine there together.
Scutra is located on a very unassuming corner. They have their own free parking lot, which is a major bonus.
