The Mission & Arnold Arboretum

After taking in the Chihuly Exhibit at the MFA on Sunday morning we walked up the street to The Mission Bar & Grill for brunch and then took the 39 Bus to the Arnold Arboretum. The Mission offers a cozy beer bar ambiance with dark woods and black ceilings. It's a casual spot, an easy place to come as you are and relax. The Basil Bloody Mary ($8) loaded with fresh muddled basil and spicy horseradish hit the spot. Pretty sure this herb will be making it into my next homemade Bloody Mary, if I can remember to have some fresh leaves on hand!The Vegetarian Eggs Benedict ($10) with pan seared spinach and tomato got the job done even if my runny poached eggs were not served as piping hot as I would have liked. Service was spot on, the host and waitress both easy going and friendly. Oh and I finally got to make good use of a $25 gift card I've had in my wallet for quite sometime now!

The Mission Bar & Grill

724 Huntington Ave

Boston, MA 02115

We decided not to let a little rain get in the way of our plans to explore the vast outdoor Arboretum, home to 265 acres of land in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale neighborhoods of Boston. The Arboretum was endowed to Harvard University under an agreement with the city. As a trustee the University is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation while the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches and roads. The grounds are open free of charge to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset.

It was an exciting debut trip, even if I was being drizzled on the whole time. I heard then that it was going to be raining for the next week straight (truth, we haven't seen the sun in 5 days) so might as well get out and about regardless.

The lilacs trees in bloom were a major highlight. Boasting colors from deep purple, to bright purpley-pink to lighter pastel shades, the flowers were absolutely gorgeous. All the while their sweet fragrance wafted along the trails. It was a delight for the sense of sight as well the sense of smell.

We were sure not to miss the Japanese Bonsai trees.

How amazing are these little guys?! Indeed the Bonsai is a work of art. The start dates of some of these trees date back to the mid 1860s if you can believe it! Other highlights of the Arboretum included: The grape vine trellises along a massive stone wallHot pink flowers that matched Mom's pants!A Colorado Blue SpruceThis gorgeous Wisteria TreeAnd an unphotographed deer who was spotted a mere 20 feet away! He or she stopped to stare at us for a long moment before darting back into the forest. It is amazing how the Arboretum transports you out of the city while being smack dab in the middle of it. Deer in Boston? Who knew. We boarded the Orange line train at Forest Hills Station making it an easy straight shot home for some warm dry clothes, hot tea and cupcakes.

It was quite a day. I love that there is always something or somewhere new to explore in this city. The Chihuly Exhibit being the something and the Arboretum being the somewhere; granted Chihuly is legitimately new and the Arboretum is only new-to-me, the prospect of adventure at every turn never ceases to amaze.

Tres Gatos | Jamaica Plain

Tres Gatos is a tapas bar, book and music store founded on the belief that sharing good food, music and books is essential to a happy life. A M E N! Located at 470 Center Street in Jamaica Plain it is a 15 minute walk from the orange line (Stonybrook) through a residential neighborhood. I was greeted by a multi toned gray blue duplex with an under construction stone patio. I have a feeling that upon completion the patio will be a lovely outdoor dining space. Tonight Tres Gatos or Three Cats is hosting a number of us for a private event.Entering thought the back door I paid the book and music store a visit first, checking out the vast selection of old vinyl records and new paperback books amongst crisp wood shelves and brightly painted blue walls. The restaurant is the first floor in a two-family home. Here charming table nooks from corner banquettes backed by a landscaped mural to high tables perched in the bay window front the original fireplace. A black lacquered wood bar sits in the middle of the room, completely transforming the space from a duplex living room to a cozy Spanish tapas bar!

A distinctive collage of Spanish liquor bottle labels caught my eye next to the fireplace. The opposite room boasts an eight person chefs table across from a tiny open kitchen. Painted in bright complimentary colors, the orange wall meets blue table was striking, the beauty only enhanced by prominent light fixtures and terra cotta sculpted wall art. Small standing counters located in each room tie the space together evoking the style of a traditional tapas bar.Speaking of tiny open kitchen, the first course is plated and looks just about ready to serve. In the meantime I mingled among other diners in the bar sipping a light bodied mineral forward rosé whose name escapes me.After a warm welcome from our hosts, Jacki and Meesh, and an introduction by chef Marco Sanchez, we took our seats at one of the various locations and browsed the four course menu, which came at a fixed price of $42 including tax and gratuity. Drinks were extra and they also offered a full wine pairing for $24. I opted out of the wine pairing since I continued to sip my rosé and also enjoyed a glass of red over the course of the meal.The first plate was a trio of inventively paired Tapas. These small bites which were more reminiscent of a Pinxtos ended up being my favorite plate of the evening. The simplicity of the mildly sharp breakfast radish with Moses Sleeper cheese and cervil awoke the palate with grace. Moses Sleeper is super creamy Camembert-style cows milk cheese from Vermont.An olive stuffed with pork and draped in anchovy was a fantastic bite. The melding of the flavors here were unusual and captivating. The thinly sliced crostini retained a light crunch touting a firm buttery manchego cheese topped with paper thin piparras.The second course of Gambas a la Plancha boasted two perfectly grilled prawns plated over a deep vibrant green cilantro coulis. The juicy prawns retained a welcome amount of slightly sweet and citrusy flavors, however, there wasn't nearly enough to do with the coulis! I wanted to drink the plate or have more components (perhaps some bread) to run through it in all its bright cilantro flavored glory.The next plate was a traditional Spanish noodle dish called Fideos with with piquillo peppers, mussels, chorizo and chicken in a thin yet flavorful red sauce.

This dish fell short. The chorizo was incredibly dense, almost to the point of being rock hard. Of the three mussels on the plate, two did not fully open. Other diners plates saw similar issues with the mussels not cooked properly. Lastly, my plate only saw one, maybe two small bites of chicken.

For dessert we were served a plate of Queso. The selection of cheeses were impressive as was the thoughtful pairing of a sweet element. The portion was minuscule however and it truly left me wanting more. Perhaps if the later courses had filled me up this plate would have been the perfect digestif!

We have Torta de la Serna - a sheeps milk from Spain; served with quince. To the right is Cheverin - a goats milk from Belguim displaying a funky richness and a thick rind served with fig. Lastly the Manchego Curado is another sheeps milk from Spain; coagulated with thissel giving it a grassy earthy taste served with honeycomb.

Perhaps it was the omission of a bread course or the fact that I ate four tapas plates over the course of two hours that left my appetite at bay. This was certainly a non-traditional experience at Tres Gatos - where the kitchen executing 40 something dishes at once was a burden. Overall, they nailed bold flavor profiles even though certain elements were lacking in execution. I was constantly tasting something innovative. I'm still captivated by the thought of a pork stuffed olive and those prawns in cilantro coulis were truly something special. 

Tres Gatos

470 Center Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Mystery Meet has seen much success since its inception ten months ago and they continue to fulfill a goal of scoping out new and exciting restaurants in different areas of the city. A commendable job to the ladies of Just Add Cheese for gathering us all to experience the neighborhood comforts of Boston's newest tapas bar. Correction - Boston's only Tapas bar that is also a book and music store!

Sam Adams Brewery

Girls Pint Out and Beeriety teamed up to offer a private early morning tour of the Sam Adams Brewery located in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. A tour put together by local beer advocate groups compliments of the folks at Sam Adams seemed like the perfect excuse to make the trek out to Stony Brook on the Orange Line. It is actually not a trek at all with the orange line running smoothly and the brewery only a short walk from the T stop. I was there in under a half an hour. It was a crisp winter morning, filled with blue skies and slushy streets.Down a dimly lit tunnel guided by strands of tiny white lights and our friendly tour guide Katie, we made our way first to the ingredient deck. Here we were introduced to malts, hops, yeast and water, learning about how each contributes to a delicious tasting pint of Sam Adams beer. Next Katie lead us into the Barrel Room, a VIP space created to house beers awaiting release and to hold special events.Then onto the brew house, where we learned all about the process of making their beer! From the machinery used, to the fermentation period, to dry hopping, barrel aging, filtrations and everything in between.Founder Jim Koch prides the company on using traditional brewing methods following sound brewing practices to ensure beers of the highest quality. The company also believes in using innovative recipes and ingredients to create exciting new styles of beer. Styles that we were able to sample on the final portion of our tour, which lead us to the tasting room. First and foremost we sampled Boston Lager, the original full-flavored quality lager that debuted in April 1985 in 25 Boston bars+restaurants. In other words, the beer that began the company.

With this beer Katie lead us through the tasting and evaluation steps.

1) Appearance: visual appraisal, color, clarity, foam

2) Aroma: gently swirl and inhale

3) Taste: flavor profile, layers, balance

4) Body: overall mouth feel, density, effervescence

5) Finish: lingers or fades, bitter or sweet, final impressions

Next on tap we enjoyed the Winter Lager. The seasonal brew proved robust and spicy with notes of ground cinnamon, orange and ginger. Up third was Brick Red, a beer served only on tap in local Boston establishments. It has a rich caramel flavor, the sweetness from the malts balanced by the earthy characters of the hops.

The fourth pour was an ale exclusive to the tasting room! The Farmhouse Ale was bright and hoppy, a real treat rounding out this breakfast of beer in fine form.

Katie was a knowledgeable and spirited tour guide with a true passion for this company. I imagine all the employees exude a similar enthusiasm for Sam Adams, which makes this Craft Brewery experience a highly enjoyable one. I'll take any excuse to drink Beer for Breakfast; thanks to all the folks involved with GPO and Beeriety for making it happen!

Samuel Adams Brewery

30 Germania Street

Boston, MA 02130