Brattle Square Florist

Brattle Square Florist is precisely where it's name suggests: Brattle Square in Cambridge. From the outside, it's rather unassuming and I myself have walked past it on several occasions without a thought to venture inside. Last weekend, however, I spent the morning jaunting to and fro about Harvard Square and thus was extra close by.  

I was also desperate for tulips. Somehow their presence helps me believe spring is near. So I entered the narrow trove of flowers, delighted with the sweet scents filling the air and the dazzling selection of blossoming creatures. A step inside a place like Brattle Square Florist is like a good dose of medicine. It's ever so relieving to be surrounded by cheerful flowers and that's exactly how I felt in Brattle Square. So after lingering for a good fifteen minutes, I left with my bouquet of red and yellow tulips under my arm, feeling slightly more optimistic than when I arrived. 

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Several weeks ago, before Nemo graced us with his presence, I jumped in the zip car and drove to Mount Auburn Cemetery in neighboring Cambridge. In my general research of the area, I stumbled upon the cemetery and was intrigued by its mention of many famous names, beautiful monuments and even a watchtower that overlooks the city. Winslow Homer, Harriet Jacobs, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Amy Lowell are among those interned here and the list carries on and on. The place is quite large: seventy-five acres. Even with a car, I felt as if I could hardly see it all. There are dozens upon dozens of paths, all with lovely titles, like the Snowdrop or the Buttercup Path. The day was absolutely frigid, so I couldn't explore as much as I would have liked-but this is a place I plan to see again in the spring, when I can wander at greater ease (and actually climb the watchtower).  Perhaps I'll find irises along the Iris Path, daffodils along the Daffodil Path.  

Never before had I seen such a diversity of monuments, that were more fascinating than cryptic. People actually come here for wedding photographs. There is even a book club, which to me seems like an absolutely wonderful way to commemorate the buried. I had never heard of such a thing. But why not? It makes complete sense. (February's book was a historical novel titled The Bone Garden-a very fitting name-that features Dr.Oliver Wendell Holmes in his youth. He is buried at the cemetery.) 

This weekend there is a Longfellow Birthday celebration and I am slightly tempted to attend... Harvard professor Stephen Burt will lead a discussion and that is a reason in itself to go. Ah, but a snowstorm is in the forecast. What a surprise! We shall see, we shall see. 

Voltage Coffee & Art

Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall can be found tucked away on Third Street, a few minutes walk from the Kendall Square T stop. I read of its existence from a number of different sources and made my first visit in December when I went to the nearby cinema. Unlike so many of the cafes I frequent, this one is considerably roomier which is refreshing. There's space to sit and sip a latte, but also space to view the artwork sprawled across the walls. As its name suggests, Voltage is not only a coffee shop but also an art gallery. I so respect establishments that try to be more than just one thing, because then they often become community hubs as well (perhaps I just believe that all cafes should be community hubs). Kendall Square is not my own community, but whenever I am in the area I do like to stop. As I mentioned in a previous posts, I'm in love with the names they have chosen for their "exotic" lattes. 

Here's a list of some of them:

Paper Plane

-Cardamom' rose water & honey

Devil May Care

-Molasses & lemon zest

Beyond the Sea

-Homemade caramel & salt

The Thieving Magpie

-Traditional almond rapture

Atticus Finch

-vanilla with burnt sugar

How perfect, right?? 

Formaggio Kitchen

Yesterday morning I braved the winter cold and drove to Formaggio Kitchen, an institution in Cambridge and a foodie's paradise. In my research to find the area's best grocer and specialty food store, Formaggio Kitchen's name came up again and again. It was only a matter of time before I visited it myself. I am not much of a cook myself, but I have embraced the food movements of the past ten years as much as anyone (one of my favorite articles on the subject: "How Food Replaced Art as High Culture"). Moreover, I love nothing more than smart packaging. So it was a real treat to visit Formaggio Kitchen and take notice of its wonderfully curated selection of items. The tea in the last picture, for example, is made by a company I have followed since their beginning, but never had the opportunity to try (they are based in New York). I cannot tell you how delightful it was to stumble upon their goods and have the chance to purchase them. In addition to my Bellocq tea, I left with a beer vinegar from Italy, a pair of raspberry french macaroons, hot chocolate from France and honey from Napa Valley. All in all a good start! They are first and foremost a cheese store, but I was too in awe of their specialty goods to give my full attention to their artisan cheese. A reason to quickly return...

Formaggio Kitchen also offers a number of classes and serves as a true community center. A sampling of their classes includes:

-The Science of Cheese

-Beer and Cheese 101

-Hands-on Pasta Workshop

-The Art + Science of Salami 

-Brave the Caves: An Underground Cheese Lesson 

-Feeling Sheepish: Brebis, Pecorino, and Beyond

I should mention that most of their classes for the next two months area already sold out...

For those who do not live in the area, they have a full shop online where you can purchase any of their items as well as baskets and gift certificates. You can even purchase a Mac and Cheese Bundle, which includes Cabot Clothbound Cheddar cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano and Marcel Petite Comte (and pasta too!). 

Sounds perfect for a cold winter's evening....! 

Ice Skating at Kendall Square

In honor of the first Pittsburgh Penguins game of the season (as a Pittsburgh native, I am naturally an ardent, obsessive fan), I am including a couple photographs of a trip we took to the community Ice Skating Rink at Kendall Square a few weeks ago.  The ice rink is small yet popular and as you can imagine, a favorite spot for the children of Cambridge. It was a fun excursion for a winter's afternoon, but we'll go to a larger rink next time. 

I confess I know very little of Kendall Square except for the cinema and a very nice cafe called Voltage that also serves as an art gallery. I love the names of their exotic flavored lattes,  names like Madame X (earl grey infused white chocolate ganache) or The Thieving Magpie (traditional almond rapture). But beyond that, the community is pretty unknown to me. I'll have to do more research! As for now, time to return to my completely decadent Saturday afternoon of lying in bed and watching Pittsburgh sports games. Ah how my heart flutters. 

L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop and Cafe

Whenever I move, the first places I become attached to are cafes. To me, they are like little welcoming homes dotted across the landscape. When I studied in Berlin, I spent much of my free time exploring the dozens upon dozens of cafes, finding myself delighted with each one.  The very words cafe, coffeehouse, chocolaterie are near holy words in my mind. I love conjuring up images in my mind of the institution through the ages, from the eighteenth-century coffeehouse to the cafes in Central and Eastern Europe at the turn of the century, filled with individuals seeking change and innovation as they slowly sipped their drinks. I love imagining them as sites of both intellectual activity but also quiet comfort. The doors of the cafe are always open to me if I want to write the next great American novel or simply drink an espresso and stare at the ceiling. I can do as much or as little as I like and it is still the perfect setting for either. 

I am slowly picking and choosing my favorites in the city, but the L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop and Cafe in Harvard Square has quickly made it onto that list. You can see by it's colorful, striped walls how inviting and warm it is and every time I have visited, it's entirely packed. Most people come for one thing: the hot chocolate. For the first time since I left Europe, I have tasted true, rich hot chocolate just as it's supposed to be-so thick that only a little is what you need. But what perfection it is! They offer their hot chocolate using either milk or dark varieties and also have country-specific options. I confess that pour moi it has been the Peppermint Milk Hot Chocolate every time. 

Nothing tastes better on a cold, winter's afternoon in New England. 

A Winter Stroll Past Harvard

The first time I visited Harvard was well over a year ago. I remember feeling almost nervous as I climbed the stairs from the underground T that led to Harvard Square. Surely to walk on the campus of Harvard meant that my mind had to be at its sharpest, my mental behavior at its best. Would others think I was a student? I could pretend I was if I so wanted, if only for that afternoon. And of course I wanted! It is a wonderful thing to pretend in such occasions.  My grandfather went to Harvard-a grandfather I never met-and as I stood in the Harvard Yard for the first time, it was as if I was meeting him as well. 

Now, the campus and its surrounding area have become quite familiar to me and the awe of the place is not what it used to be. Still, the buildings hold an air of tantalizing mystery about them and I want to know the secrets of their  architecture and the stories of the students who studied within them.  All in good time, I am sure.

For now, it is pleasant enough to walk Harvard's paths and take photographs of everything that is beautiful to me. It was very romantic this past weekend, what with its snow covered lawns and clear blue skies, home to students wrapped in scarves and carrying satchels and trying desperately to think important thoughts. I may even have tried alongside them. When in Rome...

Art in Cambridge

Rain kept me indoors yesterday, seeking Harvard's art collection for the very first time and subsequently enjoying a few delectable French macarons in a nearby cafe. For the past several years, the Fogg Museum and Busch-Reisinger Museum have undergone extensive renovations, which has left the Arthur M. Sackler Museum to showcase to visitors the best of Harvard's art holdings. Thus, the Sackler now contains a mixture of Modern, Contemporary, Ancient, Asian & Islamic and later Indian Art across three floors. I particularly enjoyed the Austrian Secession and German Expressionism art, which I became so familiar with during my time in Berlin. There were, of course, a lot of "fan favorites"-works by such giants as Picasso, Cézanne, Pollock, Monet, etc that would capture the attention of any visitor. I also found the Asian art beautifully curated and will most likely return to study it further. Though I am certainly glad I went yesterday, I will be very eager to see the newly instated Fogg and Busch-Reisinger Museums, because I would like to see the full extent of their collections. 

The rain was still heavily pouring when I left the Sackler. Fighting the wind and the downpour, I found my way to Crema Cafe on Brattle Street, where I indulged in a small chai and two Chocolate Chili macarons. 

By the time I finished, the sky opened to sunshine once again. 

My new job doesn't begin until the New Year, so I am left to make the most of my remaining mini-vacation. Lots of places to go and things to see! 

Ps. The flying angels (18thcent.) by an unidentified artist are for you mom! :)