Travel, Wine, and Dine

Goodbye to July

August 1, 2016 in Travel by traveleatlove | 2 comments

July is my favorite month of the year because it is full-on summer. It’s not August 1, when people start trying to rock boots and scarves and pumpkin beers in the 90 degree heat. It’s mostly not back-to-school time yet. While I do have to work in July, there is just something so free and “like a kid again” about it. I love the late sunsets, the bare feet, falling asleep in a bikini with salty hair after an epic day on the water. I love eating string beans and strawberries for breakfast right out of the garden, doing cartwheels in the grass, and snuggling up in the air conditioned dark bedroom to watch the Tour de France after a long hot day out. Yes, I love July. I feel like I have many versions of what my heaven would be: Ireland in March, Sonoma County anytime, and New England in July. Love.

Most of the below photos are from my Instagram, so apologies if you have already seen them. If this blog is anything, I want it to be a place to chronicle all of the joys in life, big and small.

Here’s how I spent my July. What are your favorite July moments?

I’ve been boating and swimming as much as humanly possible, and I wish I could do more.

When not out on the water, I’ve tried to get to the beach, both here in Massachusetts and in New Jersey. Beach blanket bubbly and blue seas make for the perfect summer Saturday.

And family trips to the Jersey Shore are basically a summer requirement.

When not on the boat or at the beach, we’ve spent plenty of time in our friends’ pool, a beautiful and fun oasis.

pool days

Summer foods have been consumed in abundance. We grill a couple of times a week at least.

We loved post-beach roasted oysters at Art’s in Hull.

And I ate my fill of Kohr’s custard in New Jersey.

I matched my margarita to my purse (by accident).

And have been absolutely obsessed with my garden. There’s still so much growing to do this season, but we have definitely enjoyed the harvest so far. I visit my garden at least once a day; it is so peaceful to breathe in the fresh greenery, and it makes my day to see new blossoms.

On one of the hottest days, Suja paid me a visit with a case of cold juice! I loved the Suja can, and each of the delicious juices they brought. My favorite was the Uber Greens and the Probiotic Water, which was perfection after a sweaty run.

Blue Hills

From the Blue Hills to wandering Lower Mills to block parties on the Greenway, sunsets in the Seaport, and a Paul McCartney concert at Fenway, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed living in Boston during our favorite season. I just want to be outside whenever possible.

And finally, we closed July out with the Hull Harbor Illumination, one of my favorite annual events, where we somehow were able to wrangle together a big group of family members for dinner and to watch the illumination.

I’m sad to see July go but thrilled to have seven (yes seven) actual weeks of summer left. It doesn’t end on Labor Day, my friends!

Tags: beaches, boating, boating in Boston, Boston, coastal living, New England, summer, Travel

Dorchester Welcomes a New Brewery

July 28, 2016 in events, Tasting Room Series by traveleatlove | 4 comments

It’s finally open! Dorchester Brewing Co.’s opening was much-anticipated and long-awaited for many of us Dorchester residents, and I was so excited to get a sneak peek last week at the ribbon cutting with Mayor Walsh.

I was even more excited to learn how much local love the brewery team has; so much of what has gone into constructing the brewery and making it beautiful has to do with local Dorchester people and businesses. Mayor Walsh was on hand for remarks and has provided some great support along the way; he really let the brewery team shine though, and shine they did.

The Dorchester Brewing Co. space is gorgeous and made from materials reclaimed from the original warehouse. I love that they have games and a patio along with two tasting bars and will be host not only to house beers but beer collaborations with brewers who don’t have their own breweries.

It will be a space for community and creativity, what Dorchester is all about.

{I love these wooden doors!}

And I can see myself hanging out at this tasting bar many times in the future.

The staff was fantastic, and the beers we tasted, Clapp’s Cream Ale and Mass Ave IPA,, were delicious. I don’t even like IPAs, and I loved this one. It was so balanced and easy to drink with lovely pine and citrus notes.

The integration of the old and the new dotted the space, and hope for the surrounding community as well as the space within was everywhere. I was so impressed with everything; the brewery really went above and beyond all of my hopes and expectations.

Dorchester Brewing Co.

Aiming to be a gathering place and a place even for families, Dorchester Brewing Co. will have a b. good food truck outside most of the time, giving beer lovers a healthy-ish local option for pairing food with beer. I love b. good fries and bowls!

While I am bummed we sold our condo a few blocks away, as a Dorchester resident for 10 years, I am so excited to have this inspiring and fun new business as ours. Welcome to Dorchester!

Tags: beer, beer tasting, brewery, Dorchester, dorchester brewing co, events

Wine Wednesday on the North Fork

July 20, 2016 in Tasting Room Series, Travel, wine by traveleatlove | 3 comments

I’ve covered Sep’s Farm, Little Creek Oysters, and Lavender by the Bay, but I couldn’t wrap up my trip to the North Fork without sharing some photos of two of my favorite North Fork wineries, Bedell Cellars and Kontokosta Winery. I’ve visited both wineries before and was excited to have them on our press trip itinerary.

Our first winery stop was Bedell Cellars, which had its nicely air conditioned tasting room set up for us, a nice bit of relief from the heat outside. I love the Bedell Cellars building and grounds. More photos can be found on my last blog post about the winery.

We were a little behind schedule so took a quick few minutes to wander around inside before tasting. I knew I loved Bedell Cellars wines and was excited to taste the latest Taste Rosé blend which was as delightful as past rosé blends. That 55% Cab Franc makes it! I love a rosé of Cab Franc so much, and the North Fork grows some fantastic Cab Franc.

Before we left, I snuck out to the winery porch for a quick photo. How stunning is this space? I could have sat here all day, but we had more North Fork to explore!

Later in the afternoon, we rolled into Kontokosta Winery. The last time I visited Kontokosta it was pouring rain, so arriving with gorgeous blue skies and bright sunshine made for an entirely different experience. The winery building and interior was as beautiful as I remembered, and I was excited to see General Manager Polly again. This time we were also welcomed by Michael Kontokosta, one of the owners of the winery, who was incredibly warm and hospitable.

Michael tasted us through a number of Kontokosta’s wines, and the Viognier and Cab Franc ended up being my favorites. Viognier is another grape that grows beautifully on Long Island. These two grapes really reflect the North Fork terroir. When I open a bottle at home, it’s like I am right back there!’

With a glass of the Cab Franc (oh so peppery, with notes of earth and dry leaves and dark berries, amazing) in hand, I raced down to the bluff to soak up some sun and snap photos while I sipped my wine. The wine at Kontokosta is outstanding; the views are unforgettable. For someone who loves the sea and wine as much as I do, this place is pretty much heaven.