Feast with the Beasts

Today my family and I went to enjoy the day with my in-laws (Nana & Papa).  When we left Rhode Island and headed north of Boston the skies were gray and the air was brisk.  We decided to check out the Food Truck Festival of New England being held for the 2nd year at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts (my personal first).  The place is a horse track so it was slightly dirty and smelly (of smoke, luckily no horse poop), but actually fairly well maintained for the occasion.  The set up inside was a bit lacking.  There were no more than a half dozen companies selling their products or distributing free samples piled close together.  We sampled some juices from Nantucket Nectar & Snapple and Jim managed to score a sample of black lava salt and we moved on.  As we walked outside, the day began to clear - big puffy white clouds in a blue sky and the weather warmed up.  The vendors were lined up around the park and the majority of them were from Massachusetts although we did see Del's representing Rhode Island and maybe a couple of places from New Hampshire.  Food  trucks in Rhode Island have grown in popularity, but on this occasion they were scare - not surprising, as I have met Rhode Islanders who have never left the state, let alone go to Boston. The event sold tickets that you used to purchase food ($13 for 10 tickets or $25 for 20 tickets).  The event website recommended walking around to view all the trucks before making a selection, which we did.  After we walked across the park we decided to indulge in dessert first to avoid the appearance of my son's alter ego, Rhys the Beast.  Dessert was red velvet with white chocolate chunk cookies (3 tickets for 2 big cookies-fairly priced) from The Cookie Monstah (Boston, Mass.).  In one word - yum!  The cookie was soft, moist and almost cake-like.  The flavor combination was a delicate balance of sweet perfection.  They left Rhys the Beast satisfied and asking for more. 

Next we walked back across the park to Captain Marden's Mobile Cuisine (Westwood, Mass.).  My husband and I split the the New Enlgand style clam chowder and the seafood stuffed potato and enjoyed both.  The chowder was the perfect thickness and had a good amount of clams & accompaniments.  The flavor was creamy and oceany and the clams were tender with no grit.  The Beast ate some oyster crackers.  The seafood stuffed potato was served hot, plentifully stuffed and topped with cheese. 

After taking a breather, we tried to purchase some mac n cheese for our son Rhys (Big Moe's M&M Ribs; 3 tickets for small container - overpriced).  The dish came in a styrofoam container with a plastic lid.  I was hoping for something a little more homemade or innovative tasting and I definitely have a preference for healthier, more eco-friendly packaging.  Some of the other plates that came out looked okay.  The truck was meat dominant and I do not eat land meat.  I think this one is a pass for me next time.

We still had a few tickets remaining so our quest for food continued.  We hit up our next spot, Boston Super Dog (Roxbury, Mass.), specifically for the pickles.  Grillo's Pickles was founded when Travis Grillo began selling his family's homemade pickles to the public.  The pickles grew in popularity after opening a pickle cart in Boston Common.  Grillo nows partners with Whole Foods as a primary means of distribution.  My first experience with Grillo's Pickles was at a Whole Foods in Bellingham, MA when they were beginning to expand.  We sampled and were hooked.  My husband, Jim, enjoys anything fried -so this was perfect.  When we first walked by the pickles were 2 pickles for 3 tickets...then they were bumped to 2 pickles for 4 tickets.  Should've stayed with 3! They were good (and so was the mustard on the side).  If you ever spot the truck and you do eat meat, my husband mentioned the pastrami sandwich looked great and in his words "was the size of a football."   

We used my in-laws remaining tickets and each household took home a whoopie pie from The Whoo(pie) Wagon.  Ours was pumpkin and frosting - brought me back to childhood immediately with a more modern twist.  The appearance, taste and texture to a T.

To all my Foodie friends - Keep your eyes peeled for next year's event! And yes this event is child friendly.  There is plenty of food they would enjoy, green space to run around and airplanes & horses as other points of interest for any little boy or girl. 

Quenching my thirst for fall

September and the beginning of Autumn are one of my favorite times of year in New England.  This week in particular was filled with lots of local excitement for the Gibson Family.  First we visited a local farm called Phantom Farms in Cumberland, RI.  Phantom Farms is a great stopping place no matter the time of year, but autumn is amongst the best.  They are known for apple picking, delicious baked goods & treats (like muffins, pastries, cider & candy apples), local vegetables and even a pumpkin playground of sorts for small children with a potato sack maze...oh the excitement in the air.  We visited during the week to avoid the crowds which was very pleasant.  We felt we had the orchard to ourselves - picking apples, climbing trees, laughing and playing.  There are always people at the farm whether it be for a quick purchase or a relaxing visit rocking on the front porch. 

Our next stop was next door at Diamond Hill Vineyard where they offer complimentary tastings.  The former proprietor, Claire, was very helpful.  Diamond Hill is a small family owned vineyard and they could not be more proud of their establishment.  The customer service is unbeatable - and always a family member so you are sure to see a familiar face. They produce an estate grown Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir Rose, as well as a variety of fruit wines.   For the fruit wines they now partner with other local farms for their produce and go organic when possible.  The store offers a number of other wine themed goodies - from cheese & crackers, salsas & dressings, and a variety of gift items.  On this particular occasion we enjoyed the peach wine that had a great sangria recipe printed on the back label as well as the Pinot Noir Rose.  We purchased the Pinot Noir Rose which we paired with an apple smoked cheddar cheese and a sliced apple we had just picked next door.  The property is beautiful and the family invites you to stay and enjoy the beautiful gardens while you are visiting.  There are several tables set up on the patio as well as picnic tables in the lawn.  It was the perfect casual atmosphere to visit with a 2 year old. They even had a kids table with crayons and a few books.  Our son Rhys was able to run about and enjoy his muffin and cider, while my husband Jim and I enjoyed our adult selections.

It is so important that we support local businesses in our communities.  The people who run these establishments are our neighbors, friends, and even family.  By supporting local you are not only purchasing high quality and affordable goods, but you are also reducing dependency on foreign oil required to get not-so-local products to the stores near you, driving up costs, polluting the environment and increasing the useage of a finite resource.  Small decisions can make a big impact on quality of life - for your family and for the earth!

Beasting in Boston - The Boston Children's Museum

The Boston Children's Museum (BCM) is located on Congress Street next to the Financial District and right on the waterfront - quite beautiful. Boston has made countless improvements over the last ten years or so.  There were a number of parking garages nearby offering rates between $12-$15 (not too bad, although the Providence Children's Museum offers limited free parking).  Admission is $14 per person ages 1+.  Our family has a membership to the Providence Children's Museum that allows us to visit other museums for free (sadly this type of pass is going away in 2013). 

September was a great time to visit the area.  We arrived around noon and met my in-laws who took a ferry from Revere into Boston.  The weather had warmed and the sun was shining brightly.  The boardwalk area was bustling with local workers out and about during their lunchbreaks.  We decided to grab lunch at The Barking Crab, also on the waterfront, before entering the museum.  The location was probably the best thing going for the place.  It was casual, which worked for us with a restless 2-year old in tow after sitting in traffic.  The seafood was fresh, the service was sub-par and the prices were moderately high for lunch.  It looked like a nice location for an after work beverage for locals.

TThe BCM is a LEED certified facility (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design), boasting their green roofs, storm water reclaimation and recycled, local or low-emitting building materials.  The multi-level museum is very large, which is why I recommend the afforable children's museum memberships.  You can always come back!  There were many fun, educational and physical activities throughout the museum - something for everyone.  Our son, Rhys, loves to climb so it was no surprise that he could not pass by the first exhibit.  However, once he climbed up, he could not figure out how to climb back out.  Note to parents:  This cool climbing feature is not built for larger adults.  Naturally, I sent my 6' 3'' husband in after him.  :)

After playing with balls, water and bubbles, we found another more physical area of the museum.  We peddled on bikes, shot some basketballs and of course hit the climbing wall.

The museum features some well known PBS attractions, including Arthur and Peep.  Our little guy gave these sections two thumbs up.  He excitedly ran around exploring each room.  Overall, we had a wonderful experience.  Everyone went home tired and happy.