Home on the Range in Massachusetts

Alas, my absence can be explained by a long anticipated vacation  home for the holidays to my roots in Boston, MA. I've been able to spend some invaluable time with friends, family and loved ones exploring old haunts and stomping grounds around the Bay State (as well as bonus appearances in the Ocean State, AND the Granite State, but for now this post is reserved for my MA antics).  Here are some highlights, excursions, and culinary delights of the trip...First stop... Dunkin Donuts (duh.) My current favorite order: Medium Iced Cinnamon with Skim, no sweetener.

A Day in the Life in Salem, MA to me means waking up to enjoy harbor views and the Salem Friendship, strolling along Derby and Pickering wharfs, enjoying a touristy moment at the historical House of Seven Gables, perusing the stacks at the Derby Square Book Store for forgotten and obscure literary treasures, and grabbing beer battered (!) fish and chips and local brew at Salem Beer Works (also try the Scallop Po'Boys! they are delectable).Boston is ripe with amazing restaurants around every corner, upstairs and down, right and left, inside and out... you get the picture. Though there are too many to possibly discuss in one post, I was lucky to dine at Barbara Lynch's Butcher Shop (more on that later...), enjoy happy hour at the Top of the Hub in the Prudential building, and grab an antipasti at a North End hotspot: Nico Ristorante before attending the first Celtics home game of the season.

What's a trip home without our family lobster bake? New Years 2012 rung in right, compliments of Mumm and a little bit of Veuve Clicquot.You can be sure I won't leave the area without some chowdah from Legal Seafood. It's a staple of New England cuisine, and is the perfect balance of fresh, hearty and smooth that all other chowders aspire to be (there's no photo at this time because I was too excited about eating my first batch...)Cheers to 2012 and many adventures to come!