Looking for new jeans? Consider this event a shopportunity. Pop into the Madewell store on Newbury Street on Thursday, March 4 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. for 20% off all jeans. Other event perks include tips from in-house styling experts, free denim hemming and sweet nibbles.
Madewell is located at 329 Newbury Street in the Back Bay. For more information, please check out their Facebook listing by clicking here.
Making Sushi at Home by Merlijn Hoek From Flickr
I’m a strong believer that when it comes to healthy eating, knowledge is power! Today my inbox presented me with a Cosmopolitan.com slideshow of the ’13 Healthy Foods That Can Make You Fat,’ and it’s very compelling. I already knew that spicy-mayo and tempura sushi rolls have a higher calorie count than the grilled or steamed veggie variety. I also loathe that my beloved granola will cling to my waistline more than should be allowed for something that’s so yummy. That doesn’t mean that I don’t savor them from time to time, but I appreciate knowing what I’m getting myself into.
What I found interesting were the comments about sandwich wraps and foods with high levels of sodium. Wraps seem more innocent than their sandwich counterparts, plus they’re a standby at work lunches. And, I’ll admit to purchasing the occasional low calorie frozen entree when they’re on sale. It’s sad to think that fat, calories, fiber and protein often catch my eye before sodium levels.
Care to see for yourself? Please click here to view the full slideshow. You can thank me later. Talk about food for thought (yes, I did just drop that line).
Following a piece on the do’s and don’ts of snagging a table at a busy cafe, Boston-based food and travel writer Gabi Logan shares her picks for the most coveted cafe tables in the city. These locals are so popular both for their coffee and ambiance that tables open up rarely and disappear quickly. If you can land a table here, you can land a table anywhere.
L.A. Burdick by Melissa Schneider, Flickr
L.A. Burdick (Harvard Square – Red Line)
The place is small, and the tables are smaller. Due to some persnickety next door neighbors, Burdicks’ tables have stools attached to the floor and no extra chairs are allowed, so unless you can squeeze several people into the booth side, you are in for an intimate one-on-one. However, the hot chocolate and pastries are some of the best in the city, so there really are few better cafes to get cozy with someone.
L’Aroma (Arlington – Green Line)
With its popular terrace closed for the winter, L’Aroma is another European-style cafe that maintains a very continental approach to personal space. Here you won’t even find stools at the terracotta inlaid cafe tables, but the curved window box area at the front is where you really want to plant yourself anyway. Order up a London Fog (steamed milk with vanilla and Earl Grey tea) or Affogato (espresso with gelato) and stay on the look out for a choice spot.
Luna Café (Central Square – Red Line)
But if you don’t want to battle to crowd, head to Luna Café in Central Square. They have wifi, solid food (especially the panini) and excellent coffee – be sure to take advantage of the special seasonal espresso beverages. Unless there is a band planning (late evening or sometimes on weekend brunch), you are practically guaranteed a table at one of the best secret spots in town.
Gabi Logan is a Boston-based food and travel writer. On the web, you can find her recommendations for affordable yet delicious food in Boston at the Examiner and The 30 Minute Dinner Party.
In France, snubbing someone else out of the next free table is an art form. Here, it is likely to get your very icy glares and a hot drink that just happens to spill on you as your defeated competitor walks by.
Tables and Chairs by etcher67 from Flickr
To succeed in the most dire of crowded cafe situations, try these techniques:
• Always keep your eyes peeled. This is more important than ordering; you can always go back and get in line for your latte, but if you miss that table that opens up, you might not get another chance.
• Stake your claim early and clearly. Once you see an individual or group begin reaching for their coats or bags, stand near enough to their table to deflect other competitors but far enough away not to annoy those at the table into staying longer.
• Don’t be afraid to defend your territory. If someone starts to move in on your prospective table while you are waiting for the current occupant to vacate, inform that foul-player nicely, but firmly, that you were waiting for the table. I have never seen anyone argue back or cause a scene upon being told this – the person will probably be embarrassed they were caught trying to snake you.
However, under no circumstances should you commit the following gross errors in judgement:
Tables and Chairs by etcher67 from Flickr
• Put your belongings on a table before the current occupant has finished gathering theirs. Completely rude, presumptuous, and likely to make the person tell you the table isn’t available. There is never any reason to do to this. If they are leaving, they will leave. Let them finish enjoying that small bubble of personal, semi-private space that is their table until it has been fully vacated. If you have staked your claim clearly, no one else will be able to swoop in.
• Ask too aggressively if someone is leaving. If there are no used dishes on the table, it is much more likely that their order hasn’t come up yet, and the individuals at the table (and any nearby who hear your inane request and snicker to themselves) will be less likely to give you their table when they are finished. On the other end of the cafe experience, if someone is standing and putting their coat on, they are clearly leaving. If you ask them as much, they will think your your Captain Obvious moment is stupid and be annoyed that you are rudely rushing them.
• Cut off someone else who was clearly waiting for the table before you. This can result in a calling in the management situation, which can end particularly badly if the person is a regular or others saw them waiting. In other places, it may be completely acceptable, but here in Boston, don’t be surprised if someone tells you that they were waiting for the table first and expects you to vacate, lest a glove-slapping throw down ensue.
Gabi Logan is a Boston-based food and travel writer. On the web, you can find her recommendations for affordable yet delicious food in Boston at the Examiner and The 30 Minute Dinner Party.
Running Brides By Kirsten 79, Flickr
On Friday, February 19 at 8:00 a.m., brides-to-be will gather their girltourages and elbow their way to marked down wedding dress glory at the Filene’s Basement “Running of the Brides.” This year, the stampede will take place at Hynes Convention Center, where famous designer gowns will be on sale for $249, $499 and $699 respectively.
Excited brides should be careful not to get caught up in the moment, as dresses are not returnable. Apparently Filene’s Basement only sells wedding dresses during this annual event, and not throughout the year. While the morning run may be better targeted to more adventurous brides, Filene’s notes that the morning frenzy has moved out by by 10:00 a.m.
Hynes Convention Center is located at 900 Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay. For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.filenesbasement.com/bridal.php