Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Bike (and hike) Blog - Stony Brook Reservation



Stony Brook Reservation, a natural urban wonderland (with an edge) straddling West Roxbury and Hyde Park doesn’t get much attention…unless a dead body shows up there. Unfortunately that’s what happened earlier this year with a tragic incident that started in Southie and ended in these Boston woodlands.

Hopefully that won’t stop people from enjoying this landscape which offers biking, hiking, fishing and quality time with nature. Each time I visit this park I’m surprised how few people I see, usually it’s just locals out walking their dogs. It’s obviously not the White Mountains, but for anyone who wants to get away from it all without leaving Boston’s city limits, these 475 acres of hilly terrain are a sweet little oasis.  My favorite feature is a paved track that loops through the park for about 2.5 miles and is suitable for just about any skill level of biking.


Bike Stats:  Distance: 2.5 miles | Total time: 13:22 minutes 
Max speed: 22.9 mph | Ave speed: 11.4 mph


Hooooo boy, I whipped around that track like Bigfoot was on my trail. Shit was like a rollycoaster ride! On my second time around I explored some of the single track trails and old carriage lanes at a slower pace. There are actually some challenging little paths with steep rocky inclines that will test the average mountain biker. It won’t be a struggle for someone who bombs down ski slopes in Vermont on two wheels, but for someone like me who has a modest little Specialized with old-school padded brakes and zero suspension – it’s a good time. Stony Brook has similar features to Blue Hills, but it’s not as challenging and is less vertical and sprawling. A group of bikers with varying degrees of experience could have a really fun time at Stony Brook.


If it’s just a casual ride through Mother Nature’s wonders that one seeks, the grass covered carriage trails and meandering paths make for a blissful escape from the rat race.    




















Stony Brook Park was imagined by landscape architecht Charles Eliot, a disciple of Frederick Law Omstead. This open space is related to other parks in the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston which include Beaver Brook, Blue Hills, Hemlock Gorge and the Middlesex Fells. Only traces of the actual brook remain, although in its glory days it was the water source for most of Boston’s beer with as many as 19 breweries following its banks to Jamaica Plain. By 1910 the majority of the brook outside of the park was buried underground and turned into a nasty sewer.





The first time I visited the park this year I blew out a tire about a quarter mile into the woods. The terrain can get extremely rocky, especially where there’s been lots of erosion. I threw my bike into the back of my Honda and decided to hike a section of the park that I had yet to explore. My style of hiking falls into the category of trailblazing – I’m cannot resist going off trail for a little bush whacking. It’s where all the crazy crap is – from abandoned structures and vehicles to actual antiquities: standing stones, perched boulders and stones circles.  





It's easy to get fooled into thinking that you are hiking through paradise, but this park lies within a major metropolis. And that means you need to stay aware, as there are a couple of little hobo campsites strewn about the park - be safe, and bring a camera...


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Friday, September 20, 2013

Live Street Art at Firebrand Saints in Kendall Square

I’m always on the lookout for street art, whether I’m roaming through Allston or backpacking in Europe. In general I’m a fan of art, I go to museums and galleries on a regular basis - I’ll be dragging my parents around the South End open studios this weekend. But there’s something about the rawness and risk in street art that appeals to me on some deeper level. It’s not just art for arts sake, there’s a message in its simple defiance where it sits so rudely in a public space. There are no board members making decisions as to what's acceptable for the community and doling out commissions to friends. Just some dudes sneaking around in masks in the depth of night slapping shit on walls.


The one problem I have with street art is that I don’t see enough of it! It has come to the point where I have to go to a “hip and happenin’” after work spot in Kendall Square to see examples…


As much as I’d rather be out hunting for street art, I gotta give props to Firebrand Saints for hosting the Brooklyn based duo Enzo and Nio and letting them tear up a corner of the restaurant.  Also – free PBR.




















Just don’t call it graffiti.  Nah…I’m just kidding, you can call it whatever you want…






















Not all this artwork is by Enzo and Nio, others have been here before. And just like on the rough and tumble streets - early art joins the latter and eventually it all morphs into one giant mural...



Pop in to Firebrand Saints and check the shit out for yourself, the place is right by the base of the Longfellow Bridge…




Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Pizza & Burger Battle of Harvard Square

In simpler times - when I found myself in Harvard Square and had an urge for a slice of pizza I'd hit up Pinocchio’s. If burgers were on my mind, I went directly to Charlie’s Kitchen. But this ain't 1999 people, Harvard Square has stepped up its restaurant game across the entire food chain. But I want to focus on what’s important – pizza and burgers.

If I was only allowed into one bar/restaurant in the Square (which could happen) I would pick Charlie’s Kitchen. They serve a flat patty type burger, nothing fancy here – but you cannot beat the value. A cheeseburger with fries is $4.00! In a region where $16 hamburgers are the norm, that’s pretty friggin’ awesome. Want a more exotic offering between your buns? Try their double homemade turkey burger with stuffing ($8). But it’s not just the burgers that keep me coming back to Charlie’s – they have the best Jukebox in town (no debate) and a great outdoor beer garden with a fine selection of craft beers.

see what i did there with the fries  ^  i invented that 

Pinocchio’s Pizza and Subs have been slinging slices to the Crimson kids for over 30 years. So, yeah – they are doing something right. It also doesn’t hurt that they are practically on the Harvard campus (74 Winthrop St.). Pinocchio’s serves two types of pizza; Sicilian and Neapolitan - and their subs are the best grinders in the Square. Normally I’m a Neapolitan kinda guy, you can hear me bitching about the lack of NY style pizza in Boston on a weekly basis. But since my first visit to Pinocchio’s I’ve been enjoying their Sicilian slices, and haven’t even bothered to try the other style. I usually opt for the spinach slice and dust it generously with red pepper flakes and parm cheese.

pie on a paper plate - perfect!

Charlie’s might be legendary, but Bartley’s Gourmet Burgers is actually famous, or so I’m told.  The burgers are homemade, fat and sloppy numbers and each one is named for a famous person. The “Dropkick Murphy” burger comes with swiss cheese, grilled sauerkraut, russian dressing and fries ($11). Bartley’s makes for a great first date for teenagers in love; there’s all kinds of crazy crap on the walls to break the ice and they specialize in frappes and lime rickeys. 


That’s the old school round-up, now let’s talk newbies.  Flat Patties offers a house ground quarter pound patty for $3.95. Service is quick and friendly, the burger satisfies all cravings and the price is right. Flat Patties is the perfect quickie burger to snarf down on the walk to class or the T. For something a little snazzier, try their Forager: sautéed mushrooms, swiss cheese and horseradish sauce ($5.25). Another pizza option that sits on campus is Oggi Gourmet. Located in the Holyoke Center, their pizza has been called “traditional” and “innovative” but I don’t think it stands up to the other options in the Square. They offer three different slices a day – cheese, roni and a special. The special slice I ordered had Chinese sausage, peppers and mushrooms. It did not get me jazzed. The crust held up nicely, I was pleased with that, but the toppings seemed kind of desperate and played out... 

 meh i say...meh.

Here’s a question: how long will the current burger craze last, and can a place like Tasty Burger survive in a high rent space like the Garage? I give it a few years. This place is huge – two floors with room for a friggin’ pool table in the basement! Their standard offering is the Big Tasty, a third pound natural beef patty with cheese, lettuce, pickle, onion, tomato and Tasty sauce ($5.25). Tasty Burger also has a funky spot in an old gas station right by Fenway Park. After a few too many beers at the ole ballgame, and with my judgment clouded from a nasty loss to the Yankees, I opted for the Blue Collar Burger ($5.75). This is what I learned – one does not need to deep fry a burger and pile it with spicy mustard and pickles for it to be enjoyable. Ugh – that thing fucked me up for the rest of the night. Your best bet is to keep it simple at Tasty; the burgers are naturally flavorful and juicy and don't need a ton of toppings. Hint - order the thin cut onion rings.

Otto might just be my new pizza crush for Harvard Square. This much-loved Portland Maine import came to town with much hullabaloo, and it seems to be living up to the hype. I’m a traditionalist with an open mind, but I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed their butternut squash and ricotta cheese slice. It always seems like there’s a new kind of slice to try, and they are all pretty damn fine – so take a chance and live a little.

There are a couple other options in the Square for pizza and burgers. Cambridge 1 serves coal fired pizzas in a comfortable setting and the Russell House Tavern serves an 8 ounce grass fed burger on an English muffin with cheddar, bacon and caramelized onions.

I know this a lot to chew on. I didn’t even mention Grendel’s Den (because I’ve never had their burger) but I love that place. Anyways, the next time I’m in the Square – I’ll probably be here at Charlie's


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