“The commute to a high school job had me driving by Mansfield’s century-old ADM Cocoa factory several times a week for a few years awhile back. What a heavenly smell, right? Wrong. I quickly came to believe that the production of chocolate is pretty foul smelling. Imagine my surprise, then, when I arrived at Somerville’s own Taza Chocolate factory recently, and the aroma was simply amazing. Not bitter and burnt like ADM or cloyingly sweet like at the Hershey theme park in Pennsylvania – no, this was something on another level: subtle floral notes, hints of spices, appetizing odors all around.”
“One generally assumes that museums house collections of art, artifacts, or other objects that have some value, be it intellectual, aesthetic, or perhaps even controversial. The Museum of Bad Art, however, meets none of these standards. In spite of – or more likely because of – this, MOBA is a must-see attraction in Somerville, Dedham, or Brookline (or all three if you have high stamina for bad taste). Exactly as the name suggests, it features art – fantastically horrendous, unabashedly tacky, gloriously ugly art.”
I’m risking my relationship by writing this review. The lines are too long already, protests my boyfriend, who has threatened to break up with me if I write about it. But it has appeared on one of those ubiquitous coupon sites lately, so I figure the lines have already increased anyway.
Wake up early and find your way to Union Square in Somerville. (Sorry, the T doesn’t go there yet, but this is worth the bus or the drive.) Owned and operated by the Borges family for more than 28 years, Neighborhood Restaurant truly is a neighborhood spot, full of regulars and a charmingly gruff staff, many of whom have been there since the very beginning. The waiting list is self-serve, and if you don’t arrive early, it will be long. Just put down your name and the size of your party and swing by the coffee and pastry table for a complimentary treat – but be sure to save room for the impending feast.
4pm at the Park Stage, Seven Hills Park, behind the Somerville Theatre
…but please consider coming at 3pm to hear my boyfriend’s fantastic “jewfro beat” band, Somerville Symphony Orkestar. Click that link to find out more about the band and hear a couple songs.
After a fun show at last summer’s market, we’ll be returning this summer. I don’t know the details yet, but I believe we’ll be running through our set a couple times throughout most of the open hours of the market…possibly 10am to 1pm. I’ll add more when I know for sure. Bring the kids and the dogs!
Food
On Tuesday, July 12, from 7pm to 10pm, I’m hosting a Boston Food Bloggers event at the Lansdowne as part of their Twisted Tea Tweetup Tuesdays series. If you’re a Boston food blogger, I hope that you can attend! Please register here.
On Sunday, July 24, I’ll be attending TECHmunch Boston all day – and speaking on one of the morning panels. Find more information about the event here.
Pixability
We’re hosting a webinar on Tuesday, July 19, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm as part of our educational series of free webinars, PixTV. Our special guest this time is Laura Fitton (@pistachio), founder of oneforty, co-author of Twitter for Dummies, and ultimate microsharing-for-business guru. You don’t want to miss this one. We’re calling it Shoot, Tweet, Repeat: How Video and Social Media Can Build Your Business. The webinar is free, but spots are limited, so please register here.
Current Happenings
As of June 2013, I'm working full-time as the editor for Eater Boston, a news source for people who care about dining and drinking. I also perform regularly around the Boston area in an indie folk/pop band called The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, and I recently acted in a horror film called TEN, which is currently in post-production.
