We
weren’t in a hurry on the way out, so I took the family to the Publick House in
Sturbridge. The place is an inn, and
offers both fine dining and tavern fare, as well as their own whoopie pie laden
bakery. We ate in the Ebenezer Tavern,
and enjoyed their French onion soup and wedge salad to go with the Wormtown
Turtle Boy Blueberry Ale. We then
stopped by Julio’s Liquors (daddy was going shopping) in Westborough, a beer
store recommended by my beer buddies at Mahar’s. Good selection of local favorites, new
breweries to the area and some specialties.
I picked up a Nebraska Apricot Au Poivre (peppered apricots?) saison, a
Boulevard Tank 7 saison, and two versions of the Mikkeller Black Hole (tequila
and bourbon barrel aged). I may have a
new stopping point for my trips back and forth to NH.
The
kids were missing school on Friday, so I decided to do something educational
with the kids. The Seabrook Station was closed on Friday, so we headed over to
the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center to check out the planetarium. I remember watching the Challenger, and
always thought how tragic the events that led up to the explosion. Unfortunately, the place was small and there
was nothing discussing what was learned from the event. We headed out for lunch at the 99 Restaurant,
getting the kids both fed and satisfied (both brought their electronics), and
then I stopped in at White Birch Brewing for some bottles. The owner remembered me (or my beer book
actually), and he had some specialties set aside for purchase. I got the Birchwood Smoked Stout and a Barrel
Aged Indomitus (an aged sour could be frightening), as well as his newer
beers. Right up the road was Bert’s Best
Beer shop, so I checked that store out, too (kids still playing video games). I
found several beers from Throwback brewing (Campfire, Maple-Kissed Wheat
Porter, and Hog Happy Hefeweizen), and some ciders (Angry Orchard Apple Ginger and
Woodchuck Pumpkin). I also found a 20th
Anniversary Otter Creek, an Altbier weighing in at 12% ABV.
Saturday
we headed into the city. Jacob picked
the location, the MIT Museum, and I planned the trip to hit each color T
train. We grabbed the Blue Line at
Wonderland, and got off at Aquarium. I
hadn’t seen the greenway before, and it really transformed downtown
Boston. We headed over to Faneuil Hall,
right by the Black Rose (no we didn’t go in for a liquid breakfast), and got whoopie
pies for the kids. Next it was over to
the North End (so easy to get there), and past the Farmer’s Market (cover your
ears kids), and then grabbed some chowda and a Green Dragon summer beer at the
Green Dragon Tavern. We caught the
Orange Line at Haymarket, switched to the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, and
got off at Charles Station to walk across the Longfellow Bridge.
We
met my niece Steph at the MIT museum.
The kids love her, and she’s a local, and used to live in
Cambridge. The museum was cool, a bit of
history and a bit of innovation. We
walked to Cambridge Brewing Company for a late lunch, but they were closed for
the afternoon for an event (bummer).
Instead we had brunch at the Friendly Toast, a second location from the
one in Portsmouth that was showcased on Man vs. Food. The place was great (I loved my Bloody Mary,
a Boston thing). The kids got frappes,
Steph got a gourmet grilled cheese, and I got a Norwegian version of Eggs Benedict. We said goodbye to Steph (can’t wait to come
back with Jenn to go to Meadhall, CBC, John Harvard and/or the Plough and
Stars), and walked back Kendall Station (the kids did 2.6 miles of hiking). We
took the Red Line to South Station (Jacob wanted to see it, and it was his
day), and retreated back to Park Street, and then took the Green Line to
Government Center, and the Blue Line back to Wonderland. Jacob was in heaven, and we wrapped it all up
with a stop at Fuddruckers. 
It
was a great weekend, and Jenn’s mom is doing better and is still fighting. It was great to go exploring with the kids,
seeing the city through their eyes. - 5823/11482
"Scientists report that drinking beer can be good for the liver. I’m sorry, did I say ‘scientists’? I meant
Irish people." – Tina Fey
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