Monday, October 21, 2013

Autumn Trip Notes from in Cambridge, MA

Make a list of lovely autumn things and you will find them in abundance in Cambridge: fall foliage, crisp weather, classic buildings, seafood, good apples, and more. This past weekend I spent a pleasant autumn weekend in Cambridge with my friend Ying and took the opportunity to explore the streets, neighborhoods, and Harvard/MIT campuses. On the train ride back, I jotted down all the notes as basis for this entry. Not meant to be a detailed review but rather a collection of pictures, reference sites, and food thoughts.

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above: my favorite shot of the trip. a colorful branch from Harvard courtyard.

Highlights from MIT Campus

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I didn’t get a chance to photograph the “infinite corridors” (wiki entry) but it’s a fun “to-do” for every MIT visitor. Should start at the 77 Mass. entrance for the small dome, take a pic of the medallion and then walk through the different hallways until you get lost and found again. I discovered a lot of interesting wall art/exhibit/lab scenes this way.

Foliage from Harvard Campus

Good Eats

Ying was the one who suggested that I start a blog (was all about food)years ago. So this section is dedicated to her. The foods are grouped by meal as opposed by day.

Breakfast was exclusively at Flour for two days. While the chocolate almond croissant was nice, the regular croissant fresh out of the oven is highly recommended. Both coffees (French roast and house blend) were great. Watch out for weekend seating but outdoor seating works on a sunny day too. I loved their version of the French toast (yet another way/variation of French toast).

More food and fun after the break.

Best lunch was from First Printer Restaurant not too far from Harvard University. As it’s the weekend of the Regatta, many restaurants/cafes right on Harvard Square were packed with lines. I wandered onto a side street which looked promising and came upon the sign with lobster on it. Ordered the lobster plate with half fries and half salad and thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the bar. The restaurant had a lovely glow from the red walls and a beautiful bar. You can see some nice photos of the place on their website. Lobster simply steamed was sweet enough without butter so I didn’t use much of the melted butter. The salad reminded me of an old salad recipe my college’s Medieval Studies dept used for their banquet (thyme and mint with bitter greens). Accordingly to the friendly bartender, Brooklyn Lager on tab is one of the popular beer choices at the bar. Having travelled all the way from NY, I skipped on my favorite NY beer and looked for something “more local” (surprised that Sam Adams wasn’t on tab). Sampled the Slumbrew (another popular choice) from Somerville, MA and decided it was not quite what I was looking for. Tried the other MA beer called Baby Tree from Cambridge, MA and loved it. If you like Quadruples (looking at you, J), look no further. The cocktail list looked really good too (hope you’re reading this, Tracy) so I will have to bring some friends back for dinner or drinks next time.

Dinner at Cinderella, a casual Italian place on Main St., was a good choice. Tried the namesake chicken alla Cinderella’s which included a good number of veggies and a tasty sauce. The night we went to the symphony we stopped by Bombay CafĂ© for a bite. Both the lamb vindaloo (ordered medium instead of super spicy) and veggie paneer were delicious.

Sweets to note are B3 (B cubed) ice cream from Toscanini. The three B’s stand for brown butter, brown sugar, and brownies. Ying noticed some modular origami displayed on top of their shelves behind the counter (bonus points). Elstar and Honey Crisp apples from Charles Hotel farmer’s market were perfect afternoon snacks. Crunchy apples make for best walking snacks (exactly what I did to survive the not-very-long walk from Harvard to MIT). I will have to look for Elstar in NY some time as it’s a new apple for me. I’ve always been a fan of Honey Crisp and was happy to introduce Ying to this apple.

Assorted Events / Fun Stuff

Charles Regatta, rowing on the Charles River. Best viewed along the river and over the various bridges. This is main reasons many people were in town this past weekend. (the other “unplanned” activity was the Red Sox playoff game). Needless to say, I didn’t know either was going on when I first planned my trip.

MIT Museum Exhibits, including this strange mechanical piece as part of the Gestural Engineering display.

JFK Memorial Park near Harvard offers a serene autumn walk with leaves carpeting the path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my walk to MIT, I saw a game/toy shop called Games People Play. Purchased a modular origami book instead of boxes of cards/board games (mostly to save bag space). 

Love the colorful glass as well as the shadows in this corridor near Central Square!

I did not get to check out the Gardner Museum which Ying recommended, but will put it here for my next trip! http://www.gardnermuseum.org/

Boston Symphony Concert pics see previous entry.

Another event that I will leave for another day is the OrigaMIT convention for my origami buddies. Link TBD.

Cambridge’s other neighbor Boston related visits and posts from my blog here.

1 comment:

st2128 said...

The isabella Gardner museum is a must!!! I loved it. The first painting surrounded by Spanish tiles and a mariachi dancer is one of my favorites!!! Great posts. Love the pics and video