Massachusetts Archives - Page 15 of 33

Where Are You Drinking Your Coffee?

July 30, 2020July 23, 2016 by Lisa Johnson

Are you drinking your coffee at home? Maybe you’re sipping your café au lait at a cozy neighborhood café? Like Caffeé Nero for instance.

I visited their South End location on Tremont Street last year and am just getting around to writing about it now. It’s a cute little spot. I really enjoyed it and had intended to return.

I’ll make it back there or to one of their other locations at some point. Have you been? Besides coffee they have plenty of sweets too.

I was reminded of Caffeé Nero after reading a Boston Globe article this morning. Apparently Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks had lower sales than expected this past week.

The writer wondered if it was because of higher prices or a bad national mood. Then further speculated.

The question now, she added, is where are people buying their coffee instead. “Are they driving people to McDonald’s, Cumberland Farms, or Speedway?”

Maybe the answer is simple. We have so many better alternatives.

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The Resurgence of the Ice Cream Sandwich

July 30, 2020July 17, 2016 by Lisa Johnson

The ice cream sandwich never totally disappeared from the dessert scene. Vanilla ice cream between a chocolate cakey wafer is a classic American childhood summer treat.

It was good, but not that exciting. We grew up and the novelty wore off. But things have changed. There’s been a lot of innovation since we were kids.

A few months ago, I tried Stop & Shop’s Limoncello flavor and became rather obsessed with them. They are so good! But they are around for a limited time only. Sadly, I couldn’t find them the last time that I looked.

Ciao Bella makes Gelato Squares in flavors like Key Lime Graham and Sea Salt Caramel. A cold, creamy treat for those of us who have not seen our teen years in a while. Actually, some teens and younger might like these too.

Now for those of us in Massachusetts especially, Hood ice cream takes us back to our childhoods. Hood has stepped up their game with some new limited time only flavors as well.

Pictured above is S’mores. Which I ate right after photographing. Because it was melting. I couldn’t be wasteful could I?! 😋

I also bought the Cookies ‘n Cream, but haven’t tried them yet. Looking forward to it! July is National Ice Cream Month and we are now in the heart of summer. I’m looking forward to trying out more variations. Especially since it’s in the food blogger job description — that I just made up!

Today is also National Ice Cream Day, so you can get going on your summer consumption too!

History: Not a Mystery

July 30, 2020July 7, 2016 by Lisa Johnson

Walking to work yesterday, I noticed this new plaque on the corner of the Bank of America building where Franklin Street and Federal Street intersect. I think it’s new. Or maybe I just never noticed it. Not quite sure.

Either way, the plaque is quite small and easy to miss. But has a lot of information. The spot was once the location of the Federal Street Church, where the Massachusetts State Convention voted to ratify the United States Constitution. Below is a quote from the Massachusetts Historical Society about the event.

Massachusetts had the largest convention of any state, and a fundamental disagreement divided the 364 delegates: Federalists supported a strong central government and the Constitution as written; Anti-Federalists held that a centralized government would concentrate power in the hands of the elite and lead to the dissolution of the democratic ideals espoused during the Revolution. The turning point in the debate in Boston came when Gov. John Hancock proposed that Massachusetts recommend several amendments to the Constitution, including a Bill of Rights. This proposal effectively gave voice to many of the Anti-Federalist concerns, and after Revolutionary leader Samuel Adams spoke in favor of Hancock’s “conciliatory proposition,” a sufficient number of delegates shifted their positions to approve ratification. Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution on February 6, 1788, by a vote of 187 to 168.

With Hamilton being all the rage and the 4th of July just a few days ago, many of us are thinking about history. But my heart is breaking over the history being made.

More police shootings. Philando Castile was killed last night and the 561st person shot by a police officer in the United States this year. It has to stop. This country is at a turning point. And I really hope we will turn toward the right side of history.

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History Demolished & Disrespected: Wollaston Theatre

July 30, 2020June 28, 2016 by Lisa Johnson

Back in 2007, I started writing about the Wollaston Theatre. Since Quincy is the City of Presidents, I wrongly thought that there would be a special appreciation and unique effort to restore this once lovely old movie house. I wrote about Wollaston Theatre again in 2008, 2009 and 2010. I hoped that things would end differently.

Silly me. What was I thinking? Of course money trumps everything else. The beloved Wolly was smashed to bits. The Change.org petition was a nice idea, but it was all to no avail.

No doubt owner Michael Fang, owner of the C-Mart supermarket chain, will be able to sell the land for a pretty penny. Probably another luxury apartment building will be built. Maybe condos.

Something most likely beyond the reach of most people instead of what could have been a wonderful community space. That seems to be the direction of things in Quincy. Many will soon be priced out.

I just took these pictures today, so my feelings are fresh. It was shocking to see nothing left. I am so disappointed. Wollaston Theatre is really gone.

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{You Pick Six} An Interview with Co-Founder of New Grounds Food: Johnny Fayad

September 22, 2020June 25, 2016 by Lisa Johnson

As I mentioned recently, I attended Amplify, an event in Boston hosted by Branchfood. One of the local food companies there was New Grounds Food, makers of the CoffeeBar.

At the event, I was able to sample a CoffeeBar and (full disclosure) was given some to go. They are pretty good!

For those of you who don’t have time to drink your coffee in the morning, but still want the caffeine, you might just want to try one.

Johnny Fayad is a co-founder of the company that he started with Ali Kothari when they were freshman business students. They wasted no time!

So let’s learn a little bit more about Johnny in the 13th interview in the series, You Pick Six.

* * *

What is a favorite dessert?
Trader Joe’s chocolate lava cakes with vanilla bean ice cream! Super quick and super delicious.

What is a favorite snack?
Pita bread with tomatoes and some veggies dipped in my mom’s iconic hummus with a little olive oil on top.

What is a favorite food movie?
Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I want to go there to eat one day (hopefully, while Jiro is still at the helm!)

What is a favorite quote?
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

– Dr. Seuss

What is the best meal you ever had and where was it?
Whenever my cousin comes to Boston for work, he’ll typically spoil me with a really nice dinner. One of the best ones was at a sushi restaurant called Oishii in the South End where we had so many amazing dishes from squid ink pasta to different preparations of uni. So good.

How did food become an important part of your life?
Food has always been a huge part of my life. Starting with my mom who is a macrobiotic chef and all she does is cook, so we were raised where delicious food was the norm and rarely went out to eat. My love for food definitely grew as I started serving at a sushi restaurant in high school and a seafood restaurant in my first couple years of college. More recently, after starting New Grounds Food, I’ve been able to see and experience all of the work that goes into bringing food to life, which has given me a deeper appreciation for the food in our lives.

* * *

Thank you so much for participating Johnny!

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Photos: Provided by Johnny Fayad.

*Updated 9/22/2020* The company name and website changed, so several links in this interview were updated.

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