Ives Family History Blog

Update on Boston and Cambridge Restaurants – September 07

I have written about restaurants in Boston and Cambridge on this blog. Here is an update on where to eat in this home to a number of Ives family members, starting in 1635.  The Improper Bostonian has come out with theirs for 2007 so I will note where we agree. I will only include places where I have eaten with one exception that is noted.  Before I start, here some of my past descriptions of the area’s restaurants: Boston Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites for 2007 and Cambridge, Massachusetts Restaurants: A Local’s Favorites.

New to this blog (many of these are not new to me but they are bakeries and shops that I did not cover before):

Toro – this was their best tapas choice – you sit in an open front and have traditional and creative tapas. I went when they first opened and look forward to a return. 1704 Washington Street, Boston, 617-536-4300

Flour – their best bakery for sticky buns – my wife often gets stuff for her staff meetings and brings home extras for which I am grateful. 1595 Washington Street, Boston 617-267-4300.

Iggy’s – their best bakery for bread – I have been a fan for years, starting when I lived near their place in Marblehead. Now you can get their bread in many groceries in Boston and Cambridge. They also have a place in Harvard Square near where I take art classes so I am constantly smelling their stuff and getting their coffee at breaks from painting. 10 Fawcett St. Cambridge, 617-491-7600

Finale – their best desert place – This is the place to get birthday cakes and deserts. 1 Columbus Ave. Boston 617-423-3184 – I go to the one in the Holyoke Center in Cambridge.

Henrietta’s Table – their best local ingredients and organic place – I often meet here for business lunches as I used to live around the corner. It is well done comfort food. The breakfasts are especially good if you want a big morning out. Charles Hotel Cambridge 617-661-5005

Pigalle – this was their best pre-theater choice - I was there for a friend’s 50th birthday party recently so it was a selected menu but the food and environment were great. I had the duck, a dish I rarely miss and this did not disappoint.  75 Charles St. Boston 617-423-4944

The Wine and Cheese Cask – their best wine and cheese shop - This place opened in the 70s and I knew some people who worked there then. They lived in an apartment over the place. After my apartment burned down I moved in for a few weeks. Almost every night the staff brought wine and cheese from the place and partied much of the night. It was fun but exhausting and I moved out after a few weeks when I got a new place. A few years ago I was back and talked with one of the staff about my experience. He said the tradition continues. He held out for year but had to leave to recover.  What I like about the place is their advice. You name your price range and region or type of wine and they give you some good selections that they have usually tried or heard about first hand. They also publish an informative weekly newsletter. 407 Washington St. Somerville 617-623-8656

A few of the their places I have written about before include Dali, Oleana, Olive’s, Clio, Bristol Lounge, and Mistral

Places they missed (see other 2007 post for more details))

Zygomates – excellent traditional French bistro food with good live jazz. Ask to be in the room with music.

Davios – this high end Italian restaurant is the place for special occasions as they make you feel special. The antipasto is wonderful and the food is worth the prices.  There is an excellent wine list with good advice from the wine steward.

Places already on my list to try:

Bob the Chef - their best comfort food - I have been wanting for some time to go this southern food place for their fried chicken and jazz. It also has many dishes form my hometown – New Orleans. 604 Columbus Ave. Boston 617-536-6204

Higlights of Onset Blues Festival 2007

There is nothing like summer in New England. I wrote about the Onset Blues festival in advance of this years performance. It is locater near the early homes of the Rich and Dunbar families. I managed to get there and are here are some pictures from the event. I thought Chris Stovall Brown's performance was the highlight. His band featured Melissa Barbossa, Madeline Hall,and Sax Gordan Beadle. You can see them below along with a view of Onset harbor. Melissa has the hat. The Chris Stovall Brown band had great energy and wonderful vocals. I have seen Chris at Ryles in Cambridge before and he puts on a great show.

 

Onset Blues Festival August 18

Here is a great local event for New Englanders. It takes places not far from where the early Dunbars lived. The Onset Blues Festival returns on August 18. I went last year and it was great. See pictures below. The years performers include: Johnny A, Sweet Melissa, Madeleine Hall, Chris Stovall Brown, Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish, Sax Gordon, Blue Collar, and Bluegils. While you are there be sure to also go to the Onset Bay Blue Cafe. 

   

More on Ethnic Food in Western Massachusetts

I have written about ethnic food currently found in the Springfield area, home to the Ives in the 19th century. My friend Don Lesser writes the blog, Russelnod, in which he covers food and other topics. He has provided my other posts and came up with two more recently. Two of the recent posts are: Asian Aisles - Navigating the Pioneer Valley’s most plentiful ethnic markets and Mangia - The Italian Markets of Springfield. There are recipes following the Asian post.

The Asian places, in Don’s words, include:
TRAN’S WORLD FOOD MARKET at 50 Russell St. Hadley. Tran’s is the largest of the local markets. It has a full range of Asian, Indian and Filipino foods.

KIM’S ORIENTAL MARKET at 111 Russell St., which is part of the Korean restaurant next door. It is the smallest of the markets and seems to focus on Japanese and Korean foods.

ASIAN INTERNATIONAL IMPORTED FOOD MARKET at 206 Russell St. is large. It seems to have more Indian food and less Filipino, but it has a full selection and I’ve been a regular there for years.
MOM’S HOUSE at 318 College Road, Amherst. Mom’s is a little smaller, but it has some different brands and the best fresh vegetables, making it well worth the trip. Mom’s also sells excellent homemade Chinese food to go, and the portions are enormous.

The Italian places include:

FRIGO’S GOURMET FOODS at 90 William St. Springfield, is the mother lode of Italian delis.

MOM AND RICO’S at 899 Main St. Springfield, is an Old World grocery

ALBANO’S MARKET at 1167 East Columbus Ave. Springfield, is a small grocery with a secret

Don provides much more commentary including the secret at Albano’s so go to his posts for the details.

New Ways to Use the Web to Share Your Travel Photos and Plan Your Trips with Photos from Others

I write a bit about travel in New England on this blog. The new web is contantly providing new ways to share travel information. There are the traditional travel sites and those that allow for comments from readers. It is getting even better.

The New York Times recently had an interesting article, Practical Traveler: Sharing Photographs Online, in which you covered some of the ways the new web allows you to share your photos more effectively and use those of others to enhance your travel plans. As they wrote, “photo-sharing sites like Yahoo’s Flickr.com and SmugMug.com have begun to let users add another dimension to their travel photos. Through a technology called geotagging, users can add G.P.S. data to their pictures, which can then be plotted on a digital map. This not only allows users to see exactly where a photo was taken, but, when uploaded to an Internet map, users can also quickly browse a trove of photos that were taken nearby, providing a kind of scattershot collage of a place.”

It is still a bit geeky to use these features but I am sure they will get easier. More your can go to these sites and search for photos of your travel destinations to see what they are really like. It can get very specific, “Plotting photos on maps also allows trip planners to “see” the terrain before booking a trip. On Everytrail.com — which lets users upload geocoded photos from their favorite hiking trails, biking routes and sailing trips — visitors can check out sights along a specific driving route in Namibia, or examine trail conditions on a hilly bike route near Palo Alto, Calif.”

This could easily be another area of accelerated business activity for Web 2.0. As the NYT wrote, “ Last month, Google announced plans to acquire Panoramio.com, a photo-sharing site with more than two million images that allows users to integrate photos into Google Earth. And as photo-sharing continues to evolve, travel Web sites are recognizing how valuable images can be when users essentially act as free contributors and submit their own pictures.”

These features can certainly increase the stickiness for web site. “Zoomandgo.com, a travel review site, recently redesigned its site around photos and videos submitted by travelers. A team of four people spent months “geocoding” thousands of hotels and attractions so that user-photos can be displayed on digital maps. A new social-networking feature also allows users to create their own travel profiles, connect with like-minded travelers, and swap tips through photos. “Facebook meets Frommers” is how Jonathan Haldane, the founder of Zoomandgo.com, described it. Before the social-networking feature went up, he said, users spent about eight minutes on the site, mostly reading or posting hotel reviews. Now, he said, users spend an average of 18 to 19 minutes, sending messages to each other and browsing through photos and videos.”

That is a great concept for any site that wants to keep people there. It is like getting lost in YouTube.

Dining in Central Massachusetts: Amherst

Before we get into the Humiston family here is a great place to eat nearby in Amherst. Tabella, Spanish restaurant, has recently opened at 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA (413) 253-0220. My friend Don Lesser did a review of Tabella that you can find on his blog. He wrote, “Among the dishes that my friends and I have enjoyed are an orange curry crusted cod sprinkled with pistachios ($13) and pan-seared calamari with roasted red peppers, olives and shiitake mushrooms ($9). My friend Betsy tells me she’s never had a bad fish dish at Tabella. The meat is pretty good as well — offerings like organic leg of lamb with a mint pesto creme fraiche ($19.50), a curry, grape and pistachio-spiked organic free-range chicken salad ($11) and grilled venison with an Earl Grey smoked pepper sauce ($15).” Then there is the “Moroccan chickpea fries ($7.50) arrive stacked like Lincoln Logs in a pool of chili aioli. The outer crunch quickly melts away into a cumin-spiked creaminess that is surprising if you were thinking french fries.” It sounds worth going to many times.

Chowhound agreed with Don about Tabella and said “Standouts were the free range chicken wings served with a creamy lemongrass dipping sauce (the wings were SO much larger and juicier than their non-organically raised counterparts), seared duck with fig and port sauce, balsamic braised brussels sprouts with chestnuts, and a curried cod dish served with kale.” All sound good to me.

Litchfield CT Jazz Festival 2007

Set close to both Springfield MA and New Haven CT, one of my favorite jazz festivals has announced its lineup. This year the Litchfield Jazz Festival is on a 12 year run at the Goshen Fairgrounds, August 3, 4, 5. I agree with their assessment, “This is not just great jazz, it’s a great summer experience.” Summer in New England is wonderful and here is a great way to enjoy it at this outdoor event.. Here is a nice video they did.

The festival was named one of the Top 100 Events in the US and Canada in 2006 by the American Bus Association. and Dave Hershorin of New Orleans Radio said, “Litchfield really is what other jazz festivals wish they could be…it [is] a true gem.” Here is this year line up. I hope to get there.

Friday, August 3rd
Slide Hampton
Count Basie Orchestra featuring Nnenna Freelon

Saturday, August 4th
Insight
Rachael Price
Mario Pavone/Deez to Blues Sextet
Sonny Fortune Quartet
Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts
Mingus Big Band

Sunday, August 5th
Rolando Matias
Dave Stryker Organ Trio
Helio Alves Trio
Don Braden
Charlie Haden and
the Liberation Music Orchestra
Karrin Allyson

Ethnic Food in the Springfield area in 2007

Many people have come into the Springfield area since the early English colonists. Here is an article on getting Russian ethnic food in Western, Mass by my friend Don Lesser. The article, Chef's Best: Russian Roots: The latest addition to the mix of ethnic markets in Western Mass, is part of series he is doing on ethnic markets in western Massachusetts for the Chef’s Best Column.

He provides a description of places to get Russian ethnic food in Western Mass, including the Victory International Supermarket in West Springfield and the Family Produce Market in Westfield. There is a recipe for Ukrainian Borscht using the ingredients that you can pick up at these stores. Also there is a recipe for Meat and Sauerkraut Soup (Meat and Sauerkraut Soup).

Don is now going to take over writing another column, No reservations, for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, It covers the restaurant scene in western Massachusetts. So this will be a good destination for learning about where to eat in Springfield and nearby areas.

He includes in the article a description of a meal we shared at a Russian place in Revere, Massachusetts, not far form where Nathaniel Turner lived in the 1630s. As Don writes, “This is the way to eat.” When “after dinner, the lights dim, the music comes up and from behind us, two women roller-skate into the room. Seemingly 6 feet tall, dressed in silver bathing suits and wearing white angel's wings, they skate up onto a stage and begin juggling. Joined by a large shaven-headed man dressed as a circus strongman in a leopard-skin Tarzan suit, they toss bowling pins and hoops to each other.” I wonder what Nathaniel would think.

Boston Area Restaurants 2007: Part Two Surrounding Area

Here are suggestions for the Boston area, outside the city limits. This list has more on the less expensive side that the Boston list. I guess this is because these are places I get to more often. It does not include Cambridge which I covered earlier.

Blue Ribbon Barbecue (Arlington) It is rated as the top place for ribs in the Boston area. You can buy the tender, slow-cooked, pit-smoked meats (which include pulled pork, burnt ends, beef brisket, pulled chicken, and hot sausage) three ways: sandwich, platter, and "bulk." Blue Ribbon is located at 908 Massachusetts Ave. 781 648 7427. There is also a branch at 1375 Washington St, West Newton, 617 332 2583.

Warren Tavern (Charlestown) - burger and beer in historic setting. George Washington ate here and Paul Revere considered it a favorite. Perhaps some Ives ancestors also stopped in. Their site tells us that, “The Warren Tavern was probably the first building erected in Charlestown after the British razed the town during the Battle of Bunker Hill on 1775. It was founded by Captain Eliphelet Newell in 1780. Newell had been believed to have been a participant at the famous Boston Tea Party.” It is known more for the setting than the food but it provides good bar food. The Warren Tavern is located at 2 Pleasant St, Charlestown, 617-241-8142.

Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery (Somerville) for breakfast. It is Portugese and amazing. A Boston Phoenix review raves about their experience and writes, “A plate of buttery eggs, spiced hashed browns, and mildly biting linguiça ($6.99) was perfectly simple and simply perfect.” It is located at 25 Bow Street, in Somerville, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (617) 628-2151.

Blue Ginger – This is a great place for Asian food in the Western suburbs. It is located in Wellesley and has received great reviews. Zagat’s says, “Rising above the fusion fray, chef-owner Ming Tsai sets the standard for East-meets-West cuisine with a transcendent menu that more than lives up to the buzz.” I have been there once and see why. The chef-owner has two cook books, “Blue Ginger” and “Simply Ming: East Techniques for East-Meet-West Meals.” It is located at 583 Washington Street, Wellesley, 781-283-5790.

Woodman’s – This is where the fried clam was invented. It still serves the best fried clams and onion rings I have tasted. Over 85 years ago, Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman invented the fried clam and the place has been providing them ever since. It is located at Route 133, Main St. Essex, MA on the North Shore of Boston (978) 768-6057 (800) 649-1773 and the clams come from the same town.

Vicki Lee’s – Belmont - Paul Tamburello of PT at Large recommended this great café and bakery in Bemont in the Cushng Square area where I lived in the late 70s. There is an espresso bar and old-fashioned soda fountain. The retail area offers hard-to-find ingredients and. They also do catering as well as tasting and cooking classes. The Vicki Lee’s web site has great pictures that you can enlarge. Vicki Lee’s is located at 105 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, (617) 489-5007. Another friend just went there on my recommendation and really liked it. Here is a great and more comprehensive write up that Paul recently did, Vicki Lee’s Café, Superb food on a small scale. 

Kebob Factory – Somerville – I walk past this place a lot and have admired their $8 lunch buffet. Recently, I had lunch with a colleague there and it exceeded expectations. It is located at 414 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 354-4996.

The Wine & Cheese Cask - Somerville - has been around for some time. I briefly lived above it in the early 70s. with some friends who worked there. They would party after work with stuff they brought up from the place. Apparently that tradition continues. It has a great selection of wines and smart people to help you figure stuff out. They also have excellent cheeses and meats such as serrano ham. Owing to the presence of the Spanish restaurant, Dali, across the street they have extensive Spanish wine, cheese and meats. Dali’s is only open at night. I covered it in a previous post and I highly recommend it for tapas. The Wine & Cheese Cask is located at 407 Washington St. Somerville, 617-623-8656

My barber told me about this great Brazilian place nearby him in Somerville, Cafe Belo. It is self-serve with a wonderful buffet. They also offer Brazilian BBQ. As their site says, “Brazilians were the first to raise cattle in South America, imported from Cape Verde to São Paulo in the 1530s. Churrasco (pronounced shoo-RAS-koo) or Brazilian barbecue was the traditional staple food of the gaúchos or cowboys of Southern Brazil for centuries before it spread to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo….many places are called churrascaria de rodízio because waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto your plate…The meats used most often are Brazilian sausages, different cuts of beef, pork tenderloin and chicken…White meats are marinated overnight in a mixture of garlic, salt and lime juice. The red meats are seasoned with sea salt only.” This place doesn’t have swords but the staff is very friendly.

Boston Restaurants 2007: Part One

I have spent most of the past 40 years in the Boston area, except for brief stays in New York, Toronto, and London. I now live in Cambridge, (see Cambridge, MA Restaurants 2007 for my suggestions there). There are many more places in Boston. Here are a few of the ones that I like. With the exception of Artu, Toro, and Rabia, these are more for a big night out than everyday dining so I do not get to them as often as I might like. This list for the surrounding areas posting tomorrow has more on the less expensive side than the Boston list. This is motly because these are places I go more often. Please provide your suggestions to add to this list.

Part One, today, includes places in Boston proper that I have been to in the last few years and Part Two, out tomorrow, covers the greater Boston area.

Davios describes itself as a Northern Italian steakhouse. It is much more and has a wonderful wine list. Antipesto includes: La Quercia Americano Proscuitto, Caramelized Pear, Sardinian Goat Cheese, Pan Seared Jonah Crab Cake, Caramelized Fennel, Watercress Olive Salad, Aioli, and Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls™, Spicy Homemade Ketchup. Now I have had Sardinian goat cheese in Sardinia and Philly Cheese steak in Philly but I sure their variations will take them to a new level. Here are a few of favorites Fettuccini, Roasted Butternut Squash, Brown Butter, Sage, Caramelized Apple; Sautéed Calamari, Anchovy, Shallots, Garlic, Lemon, Hot Pepper, White Wine, Cream; and Roasted Haddock, Smoked Tomato Leek Broth, Toasted Fregola, Littlenecks. So more than steaks, it is located at 75 Arlington St. , Boston MA, 02116 Tel: (617) 357-4810.

Hamersleys' Bistro - another great place for a big night out. We went there recently for my wife’s birthday. Their site (which has good pictures and recipes) writes, “We see Hamersley's as an elegant Boston translation of the homey, family-run country bistros of France. You'll see how the beautiful architecture of the restaurant reflects the meeting of France and New England, with the rough wooden ceiling beams salvaged from a Connecticut barn in harmony with French tapestry florals. The open kitchen- one of Boston's first- creates a lively, fun touch, and gives Gordon Hamersley a chance to show us all how much he just plain loves to cook.” There are often notable Boston celebs dining with you. It is located at 553 Tremont Street Boston, on the corner of Tremont and Clarendon and next door to the Boston Center for the Arts. 617-423-2700

Zygomates is a French bistro that provides great live jazz to go with their excellent food. Be sure to sit on the music side. We went there recently and were glad we did. We heard Marianne Solivan, a wonderful jazz vocalist with her band. The menu is classic French bistro and both the duck and the duck confit are excellent, as are the pommes frites. It is located at 129 South Street Boston MA 617.542.5108.

Clio is another French influenced restaurant run by chef Kenneth Oringer. It has some of the best visuals I have seen on a restaurant web site, real food porn. There are pictures of almost every dish. Some that strike me are Louisiana crayfish bisque with morels and chervil flowers and sauted frogs legs with wild herbs, marcona almonds, and crispy potatoes. I am sure they are nothing like the stuff that my relatives made as I grew up in New Orleans but still good. They have good looking duck also and I am sure that you do not have to pick out the bird shot as we did as kids. It is located at 370 Commonwealth Ave. Boston. 617-536-7200.

Toro is a new Spanish tapas place started by the chef/owner at Cleo. It has received good reviews for the food but less so for the setting which is a bit crowded and dark, although we sat by the front window so it was not an issue. They have great pan con tomato which is always a test. It is located at 1704 Washington St (Cross Street: Massachusetts Avenue) Boston, MA 02118 (617) 536-4300

Rabia (North End Italian) -- City Search says, “One of the North End's hidden gems delivers scrumptious Italian fare in a charming setting… While the kitchen prepares all the expected favorites with great aplomb, it stands out for its inventive preparations of fresh fish.” It is located at 73 Salem St, in Boston’s North End. (617) 227-6637

Mamma Mia has long been my favorite Italian place in the North End. There is grilled calamari with fennel and herbs and then good adaptations of Italian themed fish and meat such as Pan-seared tenderloin of pork with sweet Gorgonzola Dolce and wood-grilled heirloom vegetables and Homemade spinach spaghettini tossed with fresh Maine shrimp, smoked bacon and sweet local corn, It is located in an old brick building at 3 North Square near Paul Revere’s house. 617- 523-0077

Artu is one of my North End favorites for lunch. City Search agrees and writes "One of the North End's top spots for an affordable, well-prepared meal resides just off of busy Hanover Street...Artu's location--along a narrow side street in the heart of the North End--belies its big-time flavors. The kitchen's smoky grill churs out delicious roasted vegetables that make up a fine antipasto place and terrific meat (try the rotisserie chicken). Also available are excellent pastas and, at lunch, delectable panini sandwiches." I have had the porchetta twice. It is an intense garlic marinated eggplant and roast pork panini. They make the contents themselves. I like to eat the filling first and then have pieces of the bread which have absorbed the flavors of the filling second. The bread becomes like stuffing. Artu is located at 6 Prince St, Boston, MA 02113 Phone: (617) 742-4336.

Lala Rokh is a Persian restaurant that is a great introduction to this flavorful food. The owners, Azita-Bina Seibel and Babak Bina, write on their site, “we use ingredients, staples of our parent's from native Azerbaijan in northwest Iran, to recreate the home style Persian cuisine we grew up with.” Here is a link to the legend around the title. Persian cuisine focused on smells as much as tastes. For example, Mirza Ghasemi, is an appetizer from the Caspian Sea region with a smoky blend of roasted eggplant, garlic, tomato, and saffron. Morgh Pollo is Saffron seared chicken in a light tomato broth and Basmati rice perfumed with cumin, cinnamon, and rose petals topped with barberries. It is located at 97 Mt. Vernon St. on Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-720-5511.

Favorite New England Country Inns: Part One Vermont

Traveling in New England is great because of all the country inns, many dating from colonial times. Here is the first of an occasional series. I will cover other states in future posts. I have been going to Vermont for years, often staying in inns in small villages or the countryside. Mostly, I go there in December get an early entry to winter as I did again this year. I have also gone some in the summer when the rates are actually lower for most places. I have a good friend who has also made many trips there. In this post I will list my three favorites and three from my friend. I have stayed in others but these are the ones I am mostly likely to go back to. Five of these are in southeastern Vermont and one is further north on the east side. The first three are from my friend and the last three are my picks. All the sites have great pictures. Take a look. Suggestions about your favorites are welcomed.

The Hermitage – West Dover. This inn has a great setting in the countryside on top of a hill outside West Dover and Wilmington. It started as a farm in the 1800s and then was the summer estate of Bertha Eastman Berry, an editor of the Social Register. The grounds have many ponds, including a trout one, and gardens that are nice in the summer when it is also less crowded. There is cross country skiing on the property. It is under new ownership. All rooms have wood burning fireplaces. The former owners maintained birds and animals on the property, as well as a wine shop. It will be interesting to see what the new owners provide. Dinner is served, as well as breakfast. The wine list has 350 labels. They have an interesting tapas menu on the weekends and Monday nights. These are not Spanish taps, just small portions of mostly New England fare but they look good anyway. Address: P.O. Box 1879, 21 Handle Road, West Dover, Vermont, 05356 (802-464-3511

The White House – Wilmington. This is a large inn on a hill overlooking the town of Wilmington. This time of year their web site has snow falling in front of the picture of the inn. It is slightly newer than the others, Built as a summer home in 1915 for lumber baron, it is Victorian rather than colonial. They have cross country ski trial on site and an indoor town and sauna in the basement for winter use, along with an outdoor pool for the summer. It is more like a small hotel than the others and offers a nice contrast. They have a bar and serve all meals. There are 25 rooms, nine with fireplaces, six with balconies or terraces, and four offering large whirlpool tubs.(800) 541-2135.

The Inn at Saw Mill – West Dover. This is the most upscale of the six and is priced accordingly but you do get value for money. Many of the rooms have fireplaces, balconies, and jacuzzis. The main house is a converted barn. The food is especially good. There is a selection of 1285 wines in the 30,000-bottle cellar which wins awards all the time. The grounds have ponds for fishing and canoeing in the summer and there is cross country skiing in the winter. They also have an outdoor pool and several gazebos. It is located at 7 Crosstown Road, West Dover, VT 05356 (802) 464-8131

Windham Hill Inn - West Townshend. Like all of the others, this place has wonderful rooms with antiques and views, some here have private porches, jacuzzis, and fireplaces. It has been a while since I was there but dinner was also quite good at the time. This place is up a dirt road, away from any other places with beautiful grounds and views. You can cross country ski on the grounds. The Music Room has a deck, a 1911 restored Steinway grand piano and a 400 title CD collection for guest use. Windham Hill Inn is located north of West Townshend on the road to Windham, approximately 1 1/2 miles from Vermont Route 30. (800) 944-4080

Four Columns Inn – Newfane. It has great rooms, many are large with see-through fireplaces that you can see from both the bath and the bedroom. Most of the baths have oversized tubs for relaxing in front of the fire. The rooms are the best feature of this inn. The breakfast in front of a large stone fireplace is also quite good. An upscale dinner is provided, priced accordingly. It can be good but, at times, it is inconsistent for the price. There is another place to eat, The Old Newfane Inn, that looks good but have not tried it yet. This second place promotes French-Swiss food. There seems to be quite an active competition between the two inns, a few hundred feet from each other. The Four Columns is located just behind a nice village green with many fine white buildings. It backs into a 150-acre private mountain with walking trails. The white, Federal-style inn fits right into the village. They also provide high-speed wireless internet access in common areas and in some rooms in the main building. Address: Four Columns Inn, On the Green, Newfane, Vermont 05345 (800) 787-6633

Rabbit Hill Inn – Waterford. This place is further north, at the bottom end of the Northeast Kingdom area. It was first started as an inn in 1795 to serve those on the 18 day road trip between Montreal and Boston. Now it is about 3 hours from each and is probably the best place in a direct line between the two cities. There is a nice feel to the place and a great setting. It also serves a nice dinner and has won a number of rewards. Many of the rooms have fireplaces are filled with antiques. Address: Rabbit Hill Inn, 48 Lower Waterford Rd., P. O. Box 55, Lower Waterford, Vermont 05848 802.748.5168 or 800 -762-8669.

Where to eat in New Haven?

I have not been to William Ives major New England home town, New Haven. If you have any suggestions about where to eat and where to stay I would appreciate it. Please use the comment section. When I do get a chance to go I will also write about my experiences. Thanks.

Cambridge Restuarants 2007

William Ives first came to Cambridge in 1635. He did not stay long, going to New Haven in 1638. Then 333 years later I came to live in here for five years (1968 – 1973). In 2004 I moved back in the same neighborhood I lived before. The street sign said it was a street in 1635 so perhaps William Ives walked down the same street 369 years earlier. I moved last summer but am still in Cambridge.

There are many great places to eat in Cambridge. I had an initial list of over twenty and narrowed it down to eight places that I have actually tried in the past few years. I will do an update for time to time. There is a nice mix of ethnic influences that all have updated takes on their ethnic origins. Let me know your favorite places in Cambridge. I will be writing more about New England today as we cover the different places that the Ives family lived. I will also follow their move to the South in the eary 20th century.

Chez Henri - a French – Cuban bistro run by Paul O'Connell who studied at Johnson and Wales, formerly of Olives and East Coast Grill. Chez Henri is located near the Berkman blog meetings and I have had the Cuban sandwich at the bar before meetings on several occasions when I was not going to stay for our post meeting dinner. Other starters include barbecue beef anticucho skewers, Cuban fish ceviche, and a spring onion and mushroom tart. They also serve great Cuban drinks. It is located at 1 Shepard St, just off Massachusetts Avenue Phone: (617) 354-8980.

Dali is a Spanish restaurant with great tapas and complete meals. They have new tapas every week along with their regular. There is a long tapas bar and full seating in severlal small rooms. The site started as a drug store and then was The Pleasant Stock restaurant for years. Across the street is the Wine Cask, one of the best wine and cheese stores in the area. In the early 70s I had friends who worked there who had great parites upstairs after the place closed for the night. It is on the Cambridge border at 415 Washington St Somerville, MA 02143-4346 Phone: (617) 661-3254.

The Helmand is an Afghan restaurant, As City Search says, “Afghan cuisine has distinct Indian, Persian and Arabic influences. Dishes are highly seasoned with spices like turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and cilantro" which makes sense given the country's geographic location. The owner is the sister of the current head of the Afgan governement. It is located at 143 First St., Cambridge, MA, 02142 (617) 492-4646.

Oleana features Arabic influenced foods of the Mediterranean with a strong lean towards Turkish cuisine. It is run by Ana Sortun. It is located at 134 Hampshire St. Cambridge. (617)-661-0505.

Rialto provides great food with sources in French, Spanish and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Jody Adams is the chef. It is a very special place for a big night. One of the owners is Karen Haskell, my former boss at Spectrum Training in the 1980s. She told me that she and her family go to Europe to explore new food trends. It is located in The Charles Hotel, One Bennett Street Cambridge, MA (617) 661-5050.

Casablanca provides a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influenced menu. It is great Harvard Square place that has been around since the 1950s going through many incarnations. I enjoyed a few of the early versions in the 60s and recently went there and liked how they have updated it. It is located at 40 Brattle St. Cambridge, MA (617) 876-0999.

Salts offers a French influenced modern American cuisine. Gabriel, executive chef, has been served as the lead line cook for Portland, Maine's wonderful Fore Street Restaurant. It was one of four Boston places recently named by Gourmet. It is located at 798 Main St. Cambridge, MA (617) 876-8444.

Harvest has been around for almost 30 years. I went a few times went it first opened. New ownership took over in 1998 under Kenneth A. Himmel (Grill 23 & Bar & Excelsior) and revamped the offerings to positive reviews. The chef is Keith Pooler of Gloucester, MA and the food is contemporary New England. It is located at 44 Brattle Street down a walk way past the Crate and Barrel store. Phone; (617) 868-2255.

I am adding one new one as I had friends form Amherst in for the weekend and we went to the Argana Restaurant, a great Morrocan in Inman Sq., a few blocks from my place. There is bank of cushion seats. Morrocan music in the background, and traditional Morrocan food. I liked the music and the waiter said the current CD was Salon Oriental and the Buddha Bar series is also good. We had Chicken Bastilla, a filo filed with sweet chicken, Seared Scallops with plantain fritters and smoked chili and red pepper emulsion. and couscous. One of my friends had Harira, the traditonal Morrocan tomatoe and chick pea soup she served when she worked in a Morrocan restaurant years ago. A sign said there is belly dancing on Friday nights. It is located at 1287 Cambridge St. Cambridge, MA (617) 868 1247.