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 « July 2007 | Main | September 2007 » August 31, 2007
Nantucket views as clear as a bell
The church charges a nominal $2.50 per-person donation to climb the tower. There are 94 steps to the apex of the tower, so guests should be in reasonably good health to attempt the trek. It is not handicapped accessible. On the way up, there is a room with a large viewing window and a couple of comfortable rocking chairs. Situated above the tree line, the view is great, but it only faces in one direction and doesn't afford the incredible views that the top of the bell tower allows. There are also some artifacts, photos, and information about Nantucket and the church on display in the room. Continuing up to the top, climbers pass the church's bell.
Top photo: ©Arthur Levine, 2007. Licensed to Boston.com August 27, 2007
Brimfield's antique show is an antique itself
How large? 4,000 dealers are expected to display their items in Brimfield next week for the 6-day antiques show. That's a lot of bric-a-brac and other antiquey stuff. Instead of being run under the auspices of one promoter, the show is a collaboration among 20 different promoters. They are all located along Route 20. Not every dealer will be present all 6 days (as if any one person could visit 4,000 dealers in a day), but nearly all of them will be hawking their antiquities on Saturday, September 8. The Brimfield Antiques Show is held three times each year, in May, July, and September. Brimfield Antiques Show Photo: Brimfield Exchange August 24, 2007
Damn this (Cape Cod) traffic jam
Photo: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce August 22, 2007
Newburyport shop has timeless appeal
Newsstands have been disappearing at an alarming rate (not that there is anything wrong with getting information online; keep reading boston.com for heaven's sake), and it's reassuring to find a well-stocked store with racks of publications. But it's the food that really sets Fowle's apart. Sure, the counter and stools, like the newsstand, is a throwback. That's no surprise since the shop dates back to 1865. But the food is utterly contemporary--and utterly delicious.
Fowle's Photos: ©Arthur Levine, 2007. Licensed to boston.com. August 18, 2007
Vampires not invited
North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival Photo:Garlic and Arts Festival August 13, 2007
A Bucket of Fun on Nantucket
The mud flinging will take place this Saturday, August 18. To lend an air of adult respectability to the event, professional artists from the Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts will judge the sculptures. All contestants will receive a ribbon. (Yippee!) And the grand prizewinner will get a People's Choice ribbon. There will be categories for kids and adults. If you'd like to join, but you're embarrassed about what others may think about your age-inappropriate behavior, you could recruit a couple of children and enter as a family team. Maybe next year, Nantucket could plan a body surfing contest. Nantucket Sandcastle & Sculpture Day Photo: Nantucket Chamber of Commerce August 8, 2007
Ship-to-(new) shore
Friendship Sails to Lynn Photo: Leighton OConnor for the Essex National Heritage Commission August 6, 2007
Music takes a back seat to wine and food
The highlight of the Classic is The Grand Tasting, which is scheduled for Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. You may want to get there precisely at noon. With over 100 vintners planning to offer sips from vineyards across the nation and around the world, I estimate that you'd have about two-and-a-half minutes per tasting if you spent the entire four hours trying to visit every winery in attendance. That's assuming you sample only one wine from each vintner. But, that wouldn't give you any time to try the food. (Actually, you wouldn't be sober enough to stand erect, much less indulge in any of the Classic's delicacies.) Gourmet goodies from Savenors Market, Great Cheeses of New England, and others will be available. And celebrity chefs from restaurants such as Boston's Aujourdhui and Wheatleigh Restaurant in Lenox will be presenting cooking demos. Tanglewood has arranged round-trip bus service from Boston to Tanglewood for Saturday's event. With all of that wine tasting, it's probably not a bad idea to leave the driving to them. Fifth Annual Tanglewood Wine & Food Classic Grand Tasting Photo: Boston Symphony Orchestra August 1, 2007
Putting your money where your mouth is:
In search of the best Restaurant Week Boston deal
Since the price is the same, regardless of the restaurant, it got me thinking: Which eateries are offering the best deals? That is, which participating restaurants have the highest regular menu prices and are therefore offering the biggest discounts with their Restaurant Week offerings? There's nothing particularly scientific about my research. I didn't enter all of the restaurants' prices into a database and sort them; nor do I know whether the restaurants will be changing portion sizes or making other accommodations for the promotion. But I do know that the following three restaurants are among the area's priciest, and diners will be able to take comfort in knowing they got a great Restaurant Week deal.
Restaurant Week Boston Photo: Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau     This blog is a feature of explorenewengland.com. It is not produced by
writers and editors of The Boston Globe. Questions or comments? E-mail us.
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Passengers aboard Nantucket-bound ferries catch sight of a lovely white church steeple as the ships approach the island. While it could hardly qualify as a skyscraper, the church does rise above all of Nantucket's other buildings. In addition to providing a welcoming beacon to arriving ferry passengers, the church's leaders realized that the steeple's height and location could offer folks on the island a wonderful vantage point from which to view Nantucket. So, during the warmer months, the First Congregational Church allows guests to climb up its bell tower and take in a 360-degree overview of Nantucket.
At the top of the tower, guests enter a small room with windows facing in all four directions. There are maps and other guides to help visitors identify landmarks. The church also provides binoculars at each window. The views are spectacular. Nantucket is a relatively small island, and the ocean can be seen in every direction. It's especially fun to view the bustling harbor and downtown area. A visit to the First Congregational Church's bell tower could be a great way for first-time visitors to get the lay of Nantucket's quaint and charming land.
I've never quite understood the appeal of collecting antiques--or anything for that matter. The idea that something has "value" because it is rare just doesn't resonate with me. I guess I'm more attuned to the practical function, and occasionally the sentimental value, of items. If you, however, are among the legions that enjoy antiquing, you owe it to yourself to check out the phenomenon that is the Brimfield Antiques Show. Long before eBay, folks seeking to fill out their collections or hunt for bargains have been converging on this tiny rural town in the middle of Massachusetts. After nearly forty years, it has evolved into what its organizers describe as the largest antiques and collectibles show in the nation. 
With colleges and public schools starting their fall schedules earlier, Labor Day weekends on Cape Cod generally haven't been quite as crowded as they were only a few years ago. Still, there's bound to be a tumult next weekend, as visitors indulge summer's last gasp with a final frenzy of swimming, fried clams, ice cream, and mini-golf. I'm predicting it'll be a whole lot easier getting on to the Cape than it will be getting off for the holiday weekend. Since the "flyover" opened in place of the rotary at the Sagamore Bridge a few months ago, inbound traffic to Cape Cod on Fridays has usually been a relative breeze. Cars whiz--OK, maybe "trot" is a more apt description--past the spot where the dreaded rotary used to turn mild-mannered drivers into raving lunatics, and cruise onto the bridge that takes them over the Cape Cod Canal. Just as motorists get lulled into a false sense of, "Hey, this thing really works!” however, the return trips have inexplicably turned into nightmares that have stalled drivers dreaming about the bad old days of the rotary. It doesn't seem to matter what time visitors make the departing trek on Sunday (or in the case of Labor Day weekend, Monday); it's a parking-lot crawl for the last few miles leading to the bridge pretty much all day, and it's worse this post-flyover summer than previous years. Likewise, it doesn’t seem to matter when people arrive on Friday; it's typically clear sailing all day. Does this make any sense? There is the same number of lanes heading in both directions. All of those cars got onto the Cape. Why can't they get off? Perhaps motorists spread their arrival times between Friday, Saturday, and in the case of day-trippers, Sunday morning, but then leave en masse on Sunday. Whatever the reason, I'd advise those of you who are planning a last-hurrah Cape Cod trip this Labor Day weekend to finish up your clams and ice cream and get the heck off the Cape on Sunday.
You don't have to step into Fowle's to step back in time. The sentimental journey begins outside the shop on State Street in downtown Newburyport. Its evocative neon sign (hawking soda and cigars) and its hand-lettered, faded, Art Deco sign are simultaneously nostalgic and warmly inviting. The left half of the store offers a generous array of newspapers and magazines, while the right half is a cozy restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch and features a handsome counter with stools. The two halves equal a wholly unique place in our twenty-first century world.
For breakfast, you could stick with the traditional eggs, hash browns, and bacon, or you could indulge in one of Fowle's more adventurous creations such as Lemon-Raspberry French Toast (thick, freshly-baked bread topped with lemon curd and drizzled with raspberry sauce) or The Californian omelet (sprouts, onions, tofu, spinach, tomatoes, cilantro, and provolone). For lunch, Fowle's offers salads and a host of scrumptious hot and cold sandwiches, including a Pesto Veggie, Roasted Turkey Mozarella, and Herbed Chicken Salad. The soups, however, are truly inspired. The restaurant rotates them and typically serves two each day. Fowle's roster includes Thai Chicken Curry, Hungarian Mushroom, Chicken Tortilla, Vegan Carrot, and Gazpacho. I'm salivating just writing about them. Save room for dessert. Fowle's offers Emack & Boilio's premium ice cream.
The tiny Western Massachusetts town may be called Orange, but the smell in the air on the weekend of September 15, will be anything but sweet citrus. The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival, an ode to the stinking rose, will include music, entertainment for children, nature walks, hayrides, artists and craftspeople, and, of course, lots and lots of garlic. Chow down on garlic sausages, corn with garlic butter, and--gag--garlic ice cream. Learn the basics of garlic growing and other agricultural pursuits. And participate in unique events, including a garlic and egg toss, a tug of garlic, and, OMG, a raw garlic eating contest. With healing arts demonstrations, such as Qigong Therapy and Tai Chi, there will be a funky, as well as a stinky, vibe at the festival.
Why must so-called adults abandon the things that they loved as children? Some might say that grownups who ride roller coasters, body surf, read comic books, or blast a guitar solo with their amps turned to 11 may be immature. I say: I know you are, but what am I? Reconnecting with (or never letting go of) beloved childhood activities helps adults stay young at heart. Let's add playing in the sand to the esteemed list of silly but wonderful things that are OK for anyone over the age of ten to pursue. And I've got just the place to find your inner pail-and-shovel child. Nantucket is hosting its 34th annual Sandcastle & Sculpture Day.
Tanglewood, the bucolic summer performance complex in the Berkshires, generally features concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, an annual show by James Taylor (scheduled for August 24), and other wonderful music. But each August, the culinary and oenology arts take center stage during the Tanglewood Wine and Food Classic. The events takes place this week, from Thursday, August 9 through Saturday, August 11.
The roots of our Yankee frugality would appear to run deep, because we just love a bargain here in Massachusetts. If you don't believe me, try getting between a determined bride-to-be and her significantly marked down wedding gown during a Filene's Basement "Running of the Brides" sale. That's why Restaurant Week Boston (which is actually two weeks and will run August 5 to 10 and 12 to 17) is such a big hit. Food lovers (and who isn't?) get to sample delectable three-course meals at tony restaurants in and around the city for the bargain-basement, fixed price of $20.07 for lunch or $33.07 for dinner. All of the meals include three courses: an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The fixed prices do not include beverage, tax, or gratuity. You frugal types had better watch it on the drinks. A three-martini lunch at an upscale restaurant could quickly pad a $20.07 bill.
