Humidity: Nature's Hair Mousse

Like the Grinch's heart, my hair grew 3 sizes today!

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful; this is my hair when I wake up in the morning."

Like this look? Recreate it for cheap in 2 easy steps:

1. Style hair as normal, and walk 7 or so city blocks in the damp warm weather.

2. Sit for 10 minutes on a hot crowded bus.

This Wine & I Will Get Along, or, A Re-cap of Tuesday in the Tasting Room at Ivy

Last Tuesday, Nick, Jenny, Brad & I headed to Ivy in Downtown Crossing for "Tuesday in the Tasting Room." The event featured 4 Rosé wines that were each paired with hors d'oevres. Ivy did a great job putting this together; you had to sign up in advance, and the number of attendees was limited so we had room to move around and not feel cramped. All in all this was a great deal for $20/person, especially since they were very generous with refills and food.

After checking-in, we each received a card that listed a brief description of each wine and a few lines to jot down some tasting notes. I can't say that our reviews are on par with something one might read in, "Wine Aficionado;" however, I never said we were sophisticated.

The 1st tasting was Mulderbosch Rosé from South Africa, and is described as "layers of strawberry, cherry, roses & fresh peaches on the nose." (I'm not sure if "on the nose" is a phrase commonly associated with describing wine, or if it's a fancy way of wording that this Rosé smells like fruit...) Anyway, my distinguished panel of friends threw out "refreshing!" and "summery!" after tasting this one. The food pairing with this wine was a tasty roasted eggplant/veggie medley over crostini.

The 2nd tasting was las Rocas Rosado from Spain, which is "made from 100% Garnacha & offers up a fragrant nose of kirsch & strawberry." Or, as my group stated more succinctly, "not a huge fan." I believe the food pairing with this was a cheese croqueta; however, I'm not entirely sure. At this point in the evening, I began to suffer the same consequences that happen when I drink red wine (namely severe heartburn) and I more or less stuck to tasting Ivy's water at this point. (Inferior grade, yet potable.)

Moving on, the 3rd wine was Chateau Ste. Michelle "Nellie's Garden" Rosé from Washington State. According to the card, this Rosé "shows beautiful fruit aromas & flavors of strawberry, raspberry & subtle spice notes." Or as Nick said, "Good. I like this." Perhaps feeling poetic after several glasses of wine, Brad declared it to be "enduring." Nellie's Garden was served with a stuffed cherry pepper.

The 4th and final tasting was Jaboulet "Paralelle 45" Rosé from France. This wine was everyone's favorite and is professionally described as having "floral & crushed red cherry aromas, with full-bodied, ripe, mineral-driven fruit on the palate." Nick took one sip and exclaimed, "This wine and I will get along!" The hors d'oevres were to die for; deep-fried dates stuffed with risotto.

At the event, Ivy's staff was really friendly and the woman representing the wine distributor was more than willing to answer our questions. We've already signed up for the next tasting on July 14th, which is "Sparkling Wines from Around the World!" (The exclamation point is Ivy's, although I am rather excited about that tasting myself!) You can email events@ivyrestaurantgroup.com to sign up.

Big-ass Fool in the Rain

This lady's umbrella reminded me of the giant skirt in the nutcracker that all the ballerinas fit under. She could host a party under this thing! Save it for the outdoor patio table, not the city sidewalk, please!
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Disco Stu Likes the Party Trolley

While travelling around the city, I usually try to walk wherever I'm going. If that's not possible or convenient, I'll take a bus or the T. In some instances, I'll cab it or even drive myself. On Saturday night, I realized the best way to get around is the Party Trolley. You can't dispute the epicness of any mode of transportation that has its own disco ball.

Shake, shake, shake... shake, shake, shake... Shake your booty

In the almost 12 years I've lived in Boston, I've seen the party trolley about 100 times. It looks like the trolleys that give the daytime tours, but there's a disco ball and colorful flashing lights. Admittedly, every time I would see a group of people cruising around in one I'd think that it was either high school kids on their way to a prom, or a group of adults on an awkward corporate function.

We arrived at my friend's apartment in SoWa Saturday night for his 30th birthday party. John's wife had kept the outing a secret from everyone in order to ensure that he'd be completely surprised. About an hour into the party, Leigh blew a whistle and instructed a couple of guys to carry some coolers downstairs and for the rest of the party to follow them outside. We walked to the front of the building, and there it was waiting for us.

All aboard the drunk bus

Leigh plugged in an iPod, the lights started flashing, and we were on our way. At first, everyone sat and enjoyed the ride.

Much better than the T

However, it didn't take long for celebratory beers and shots to kick in, and seats were abandoned. We became that group of people that dangles beers out the window, while yelling, "Wooooooooo!" at anyone who would listen. Many asked to join our tour, several tried to force themselves on, and one man even tried offered us his ice cream cone from J.P. Licks in exchange for a lift.

Birthday boy & friends on the trolley

At one of our stops, Game On, doing my best to ruin a photo

All in all, a great (and safe) way to move a large group of people around Boston. The only downside to the freedom offered by the Party Trolley, is that its final destination is Hangover Station.

You Can Chew It

So you know those Snickers ads that are all over the city's billboards, buses, etc? Apparently there's a site where you can make translate your name to, "Snacklish."

Alicia in Snacklish sounds slighlty gross...

Nick didn't do too much better.

Dwayne's is the catchiest, I think...

And there you have it! Another time waster.

Here's a Red Bush I Can Get Onboard With

It's no secret that I love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Tea plays a very important role in the books, and 2 of the main characters, Mma Ramotswe and her assistant, Mma Makutsi take many tea breaks during the course of the day. I had never heard of bush tea before, but it is Mma Ramotswe's tea of choice and its positive effects are mentioned quite frequently in the books. The tea is characterized for having a fairly distinct taste, that people either love or hate. I've been so curious to try this tea and was surprised that Tazo sells African Red Bush tea, which is available at Starbucks.

This afternoon I tried my first cup and enjoyed it! It in no way reminded me of rats, which Mma Makutsi I believe once compared the smell to...

Mma Ramotswe was right, as usual.

45 Province Not Adverstising its Greatest Asset

Last May, I wrote about the 45 Province building that was quickly being built. Well, yesterday while on my way to Chacarero, I noticed that there was a vehicle from the mayor's office and someone wielding a giant pair of scissors. I'm guessing there was some sort of grand opening official ribbon-cutting ceremony, or a Hagrid-type was getting a haircut.

The people with the giant shears are next to the car in the lower left-hand corner

Aside from the spa, library, catered kitchen, etc. I still think the greatest luxury would be living across from Chacarero. How is it not listed as a dining option under neighborhood highlights? Actually, where is Sam LaGrassa's too? This list needs a revision!