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My “A Day in Dorchester” post is long overdue for an update! Years have passed, and we’ve moved to a new neighborhood, not to mention, Dorchester has grown as a dining and drinking destination in major ways over the past years. It’s at the point where we don’t leave Dorchester all that often as we have everything we need right here!

Lately, we have been going on a Friday night date that starts with a pint of Guinness at the delightfully Irish old school Eire Pub. Last week, we followed that with dinner at the newly opened Landmark Public House across the street.

Landmark Public House took over the space occupied by Gerard’s, a local favorite and a great spot for breakfast.

Landmark Public House

One of the first things we noticed inside were all of the odes to the neighborhood and to Boston on the walls and menu. Dorchester has such a neighborhood feel, especially in areas like Adams Village, and I am so glad they honored that when creating this space. It was filled with families, dates, people out after work. In uncertain times in the world, I am grateful for this little place we call home.

 

Landmark Public House

{Photo via Landmark Public House}

Landmark Public House

While we waited for our table, I ordered a delicious Gerard’s Old Fashioned, and we took in the cozy space and cheerful vibe of the restaurant. We quickly decided it would be a place we would want to spend more time, especially this winter when getting out will save our sanity.

Gerard's Old Fashioned

Not long after we ordered drinks, we were taken to our table by one of the very friendly staff members.

Landmark Public House

We had a hard time deciding on what to order as we were interested in just about everything, but once our decisions were made and shared with our lovely server, we were brought homemade chips and onion dip to snack on while we waited.

They certainly know the way to my heart! I am not one to go for a bread basket, but put chips and dip and a cocktail in front of me, and I don’t even need dinner. The pairing of the snack and Old Fashioned was like the perfect little cocktail party.

 homemade chips and dip

Because I am *trying* to be good (and because in the weeks after the Chicago Marathon I ate junk and drank way too much beer) I started with the Kale Salad with  roasted beets, quinoa, goat cheese, and citrus vinaigrette. Sometimes I find raw kale really tough, but the citrus dressing definitely softened it in this salad and added tons of flavor. It was a hefty portion, and with the goat cheese and quinoa could have been a meal in itself for me.

kale quinoa salad

And since I am not quite that healthy, I had to go for the Short Rib Grilled Cheese, the perfect fall or winter comfort food, and a sandwich I have been dreaming about since. Tender short rib and buttery sourdough. . . and pickles and fries. . . it really doesn’t get much better. I will dream about this sandwich on long runs going forward.

short rib grilled cheese   

We felt so comfy and relaxed that we lingered over another cocktail before heading home again. I am so excited to have yet another great Dorchester restaurant and that it seems to be very crowded from the get-go. Landmark Public House, welcome to the neighborhood!

 

 

For additional posts on Dorchester spots:

Dorchester Brewing Co. – A new favorite

Lower Mills Tavern

Boston Harbor Distillery

Chill on Park

Cafe Polonia

Lower Mills and Ashmont

Tags: Boston, Dining out, Dorchester, food blog, food blogger

I get cabin fever incredibly easily, and aside from a weekend day here or there where I really want to just hang around the house and cook, I often am itching on the weekends to hit the road (or the sea) for an adventure. We’ve spent enough time in Ireland that we’ve become of the mind that if you don’t go out in the rain, you’ll never go out at all. As such, we’ve started making sure we have all of the attire we need for bad weather. . . which for me means all the L.L. Bean!

It really does make a difference though, to have a good rain coat and boots and to be able to stay dry and warm.

A few weeks ago our New England wanderings took us down to Carver and Plymouth, Massachusetts, for some fun in the rain.

Carver, Massachusetts Our first stop was Carver for a quick walk amongst the evergreens. I crave nature, and the misty air and the smell of green just filled my soul with happiness, setting us up for a great afternoon.

Not long after, we made a visit to the lovely and historic Flax Pond Farms where we learned about the history of cranberry growing in the area and got to pretend we were workers back in the olden days, sorting out green and wrinkled cranberries on a conveyor belt.

Flax Pond Farms Flax Pond Farms Flax Pond Farms was a beautiful space surrounded by nature and reflecting its cranberry history, in addition to being full of delicious treats like a spicy cranberry spread and cranberry honey I got to go with some soft cheeses. One of my favorite parts about unplanned trips like this is the potential to come across little gems like Flax Pond Farms.

Flax Pond Farms After we left Carver, our rainy day travels took us to Plymouth, where we explored antiques and other secondhand items in some of the adorable downtown stores. There was plenty to see in town, but still wanting to be outdoors, we headed to the waterfront, where we discovered a charming little park with a beautiful stream running through it and foggy views of the sea beyond.

Plymouth, MA

I did some skipping and puddle jumping, because I simply can not resist jumping in puddles!

Plymouth, MA

Plymouth, MA

And of course, we spent plenty of time admiring boats in Plymouth Harbor.

Plymouth, MA  Ramble on Rose

This gorgeous sailboat brought together three loves: boats, the Grateful Dead, and San Francisco.

After some more walking around the waterfront and the town and a quick spin through the John Carver Inn, we made our way back to the waterfront to the Plymouth Yacht Club. With our own club membership in Boston, we’re usually welcomed into other clubs around the US, and Plymouth certainly made us feel at home.

Plymouth Yacht Club  Plymouth Yacht Club

A sprawling waterfront lawn and plenty of seating gave way to a grand building, which we soon explored, eventually making our way to the top floor members bar to soak up the coziness and a couple of Dark n Stormy cocktails as we chatted boating with some locals.

Plymouth Yacht Club It’s amazing what you can discover when you don’t have any plans! We had such a fun day together exploring a new-to-us place, and while I loved the harbor on a rainy fall day, I am even more looking forward to boating into it next summer.

Have you discovered any fun places by accident lately?

Tags: blogger, boating, Boston, clubs, cocktails, fall, New England, outdoors, Plymouth, sailing, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger

You may have noticed that I tend to like boats and wine quite a bit. A few weeks ago, I got to spend the afternoon on a Stellar Yacht Charters yacht as a guest of Santa Maria La Palma wine.

Santa Maria La Palma is out of Sardinia, a dream travel destination of mine, and it was fun to combine their delicious wine, my wanderlust, and our beautiful Boston Harbor for a day of wine tasting and education with a fun group of people.

wine cruise

Front and center we have Igor, who was in Boston representing Santa Maria La Palma. He was charming and knowledgeable and so passionate about the wines.

wine and food pairing

  The boat itself was appointed with classic luxurious detail, and the crew was phenomenal. A huge spread of food for pairing with the wines was available to us, including lots of seafood like sushi, mussels, and shrimp, perfect with wines from Sardinia.

We were treated to quite the lineup of wines, mostly white and rosato, one red, all special and memorable and celebratory. The primary grapes making up the wines were Vermentino and Cannonau, which grow very well in Sardinia and reflect the island’s terroir in every sip. We all remarked that we wished we had these wines in front of us all summer long, but that they’re also perfect for sunshine and island dreaming throughout the winter.

What did we taste? You’ll see below the full lineup on the tasting sheet. I of course left my notes behind, but I most definitely had a few favorites.

wine tasting

 

Aragosta Vino Spumante  Brut NV– Sparkling wine from Sardinia is a treat and might be replacing some of the other sparkling wines that often grace our table. One of the things I love about being able to attend wine events like this is the spirit of discovery!

Aragosta Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2015 – Vermentino is fun and flavorful. I got a nice bit of tartness off of this, lemons and Granny Smith apples and would love this wine with oysters. . . or even as part of a granita mignonette on top of oysters!

IMG_8921

Akenta Underwater Spumante Extra Dry – Just check out that bottle! This wine is aged under the sea in water that is part of a national park in Sardinia. Under the pressure of the sea and in the darkness, the bottle grows sea life on it! This was just another fascinating detail and part of the sense of place that these wines brought to the table.

wine bottle with barnacles 

aragostaAragosta  Rosé –  First of all. this wine has a lobster on the bottle and its contents are pink, which made me love it immediately. I know we shouldn’t judge a book bottle by its cover, but for th coastal living obsessed, it just makes a cute addition to a beach or boat party or a beach house themed home.

The wine is delicious, offering up beautiful, strawberry and watermelon note, fruity but not sweet. Summer in a glass and absolutely a new favorite rosé wine.

I also loved the not-pictured La Bombarde Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, a very light red wine with notes of cranberry and light cocoa, light enough for a humid boat day but warm and cozy enough for cooler weather. It would be a great Thanksgiving wine.

stellar yacht charters In addition to the wines being spectacular, the event itself was also really something special and well thought out. It was a small enough group that we all got to chat with each other, and the Captain had a pug named Junior! We had an overcast but warm fall day, lots of delicious food and wine and an opportunity to learn about the gem that Sardinia is for wine production and travel.

wine tasting on a boat

wine event

Boston skyline from a boat Life is good.

Thank you to Cantina Santa Maria La Palma and Wine & Co. for a great day!

Tags: blogging, boating, Boston, events, luxury, luxury travel, Sardinia, wine, wine blog, wine blogger, wine tasting, yachts

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