Let's Talk Food - #1

I don't want anyone to be fooled into thinking that this blog is an excuse for me to rave solely about sports- no matter how proficient I am when the Red Sox are the topic of conversation. So to change pace a tad, I'd like to draw attention to one of the best eating establishments in my hometown, The Eastside Grill on Strong Avenue. Eastside has been around since 1985 and boasts an extensive menu of seasonal American cuisine and a casual dining atmosphere. The bar is small but the bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly. (My Father's favorite is Jake - he knows how to make G&T's just like the old man likes.)

As for appetizers my personal recommendations are the crab cakes (paired with a house salad could serve as an entrée), and the warm and creamy spinach artichoke dip with crispy sweet potato chips.

As for entrées the eight ounce Eastside Top Sirloin is a go-to, amongst a collection of possible steak options, served with a choice of potatoes and gorgonzola butter. The restaurant also offers a blackened fish of the day and a entrée special which vary frequently. The blackened salad with a gorgonzola vinegrette is leafy and chock full of red onions and is served with a choice of spicy tuna, steak, shrimp, scallops, salmon or chicken.

When the time comes for desert the creamy lemon cheesecake with a raspberry coulis is untouchable.

The Eastside Grill boasts an extensive martini menu as well as beer menu bubbling with both local and seasonal drafts and your standard imports. The wine list is impeccable as well.

The service is friendly, prompt and helpful. My father is the type who knows everyone in town and he'll vouch for all of the employees as he is on a first-name basis with everyone lucky enough to work at the restaurant.

Eastside is easily one of my favorite restaurants and earns a gold star from me personally. I reccomend it to all  who visit the Pioneer Valley as it is both comfortable, reasonable and most importantly delicious.

I ate at Eastside tonight (yes, that is what prompted this post) and left as satisfied as possible. I leave the western part of the baystate tomorrow for Martha's Vineyard so restaurant posts are sure to become more frequent. I hope everyone likes seafood and Harpoon IPA! Cheers!

A Date With History

Today the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs meet at Fenway Park for the first time in 93 years. The last time the teams played in the historic ballpark was during the World Series in September of 1918. The Red Sox won the series four games to two as World War I was simultaneously menacing. The 1918 World  Series would be the last that the Sox would win for 84 years until the "Curse of the Bambino" was broken in 2004.  The match-up this evening between Boston (23-20) and the Cub (19-23) may not promise the excitement of rivalry that a Yankees/Red Sox series presents but it does allow two of the most historic and quintessential baseball organizations to match-up at one the the oldest and most historic ballparks in the nation. (Fenway is rivaled in age and history only by the Cubs own Wrigley Field.) Obviously, I hope that the Red Sox extend their six game winning streak tonight to seven and tomorrow to eight, but I also look at the 2-game series as a beacon example of America's Past-Time. No matter who wins, it is always nice to be reminded of the history and spirit of the game of baseball.

First pitch is at 7:10 on NESN for those of you viewing in New England.

Keeping The Faith: I'm talking about the Bruins

Greetings from New England here with some Bruins & Red Sox news!!

With game two of the Eastern Conference final a matter of hours away I know I'm not the only one hoping that some of the good fortune the Red Sox have been having could make its way across Boston from Fenway to the TD Garden. (I said some, not all.) The Bruins are coming off of a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game one and leveling the series (1-1) would allow many New England sports fans to rest a bit easier. With forward Patrice Bergeron potentially out of the line-up again with a concussion, the Bean Town Bears have some compensating to do. It is no secret that the Bruin's power play has been lackluster with the B's capitalizing on just two of 41 opportunities this post season. The Bruins need to take an aggressive offensive stance early on so as to let the Lightning know that this is going to be a fight. Thomas will do his job in the net as he has all post-season, let's just hope the TB net sees some action on the opposite side of the ice. Game two faces off at 8:00PM and airs on the Versus network.

Gonzo after his epic walk off last night in the 9th vs. Baltimore

Another game of note tonight is game two of the Red Sox home-stand against the Baltimore Orioles. Last night, Daisuke pitched a dismal first few innings giving up six runs to the O's before the sixth inning. The Red Sox struck back, with a recently achieved .500 record to maintain the dirt dogs were not about the go down without a fight. By the time the bottom of the 9th rolled around the Red Sox were within one run. With the two lead-off men (Ellsbury and Pedroia) reaching base, Adrian Gonzalez was in the perfect position to be the hero of the night. Gonzo was behind 0-2 in the count when he blasted a two-run walk-off double off the left field wall to win the game 8-7. The Fenway Faithful who had stuck around despite the intermittent rain and cold temperatures got what they were hoping for - a win in true BoSox fashion, something I'll never get tired of seeing. First pitch from knuckle-baller Timmy Wakefield (my personal favorite, filling in for an injured Lackey) is at 7:10PM on NESN.

Good Luck to the Bruins & Sox!!

The Castle on the Hill

During finals week, college students, in New England and elsewhere, spent hours upon hours in their institution's respective libraries. The Trinity College Library, The Raether Library, is one I have grown very fond of over the last two years. Its two reading rooms, media center, mac labs, Watson Library, fireplaces, high ceilings and windows which let in enough natural light to trick you into thinking you're outside are all hard to not love and enjoy. This morning as I scrambled my local eggs (from the Saturday farmers market down the street), grated my Vermont Cheddar and toasted a slice of organic bread (also from the farmers market) I got to thinking about the library in my town. Forbes Library sits on a hill on West Street, right off of Main and next to Smith College. Forbes was  designed by an architect from Hartford, CT - William C. Brocklesby and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Northampton. I went to Forbes today because I've been meaning to read "The Grapes of Wrath" (Steinbeck) and was impressed at how crowded it was inside. All the Smith girls have left for the summer and I can't imagine that Amherst, Mt. Holyoke, Hampshire or UMass students had trekked across the Coolidge Bridge to use this library when they have their own so I figured it was full of educated townies trying to get their read on, use the free wifi or just relax. It was a struggle trying to find Steinbeck as their were about 8 other people in the fiction section fighting for territory by the shelves containing Faulkner, Hemmingway, Vonnegut and Updike but I was persistent and thus successful. Forbes is much more impressive on the outside than the inside as it is relatively unorganized with books crammed onto metal shelves, not to mention having to pay to park.  The children's section downstairs, however, is comfortable and cute - if only I could get away with reading Dr. Suess as a rising 15th grader....

Don't get me wrong, Forbes is an iconic building and a must visit when in Western Massachusetts, I just can't fathom spending 12 hours a day in it as I had the pleasure of doing at Trinity in the Grand Reading Room of Raether Library.

To learn more about Forbes Library (pictured above) it's website is: www.forbeslibrary.org

Spring Cleaning

Greetings! I don't know about the rest of Red Sox Nation but I've got my broom ready for a sweep of the Yanks at Yankee Stadium tonight. The pitching match-up is Jon Lester (pictured above) for the Sox and Freddy Garcia on the hill for NY. Should Boston win tonight they will achieve a .500 record for the first time this season and put them just 2 games out of first place in the AL east. Coming off Beckett's best start of the season last night (9 strikeouts, 0 runs allowed) the Sox bullpen is no doubt strong with Lester as no exception. Some bats to keep an eye on are Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez and Jed Lowrie. The Yankees on the other hand are dealing with some drama surrounding former catcher and now DH Jorge Posada as well as struggling bats from the NY superstars Jeter and A-Rod. The game is on ESPN tonight (already underway) and should be exciting considering the Yankees have some pride to loose by allowing a sweep and the Red Sox are on fire. Fingers crossed for the Sox - this is a situation where I don't mind doing some housework.

An Introduction

Greetings! This first post comes to you from Western, Massachusetts (The Pioneer Valley if we're being technical) where it has been raining cats and dogs all day. I will introduce myself as a 20 year old New Englander from the lovely town of Northampton, MA. I grew up in Northampton, attended The Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA and upon graduation made my way down I-91S to Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Growing up my family vacationed on Cape Cod in North Truro. I spent this past summer (and will spend the coming summer) living and working on Chappaquiddick, an island three minutes off the eastern coast of Martha's Vineyard. I am a voracious Boston sports fan, an exercise addict (Division III college swimmer), seafood lover, and student of Political Science. The content of this blog will dwell on those previously listed topics and no doubt many others in the hopes of sharing my love for all things New England with all those curious. Enjoy!