Boston Romance: Part 1

My parents gave us a night at a Bed and Breakfast in Boston for Christmas. We could schedule our stay whenever we wanted. And so, at the tail end of winter... we figured it was time. So, our baby boys were well looked after... and Daddy and I were free as birds.

 It's a good thing to get away. And it's even better to come home.  

Our room at the Inn was all taken care of. (Thank you Mom and Dad!) And it was a beautiful room.  I'll tell you about that later. Quaint. Quiet. Romantic. But eating out in Boston can get pricey. So... you gotta have a plan. 

Plan A: Groupon.com

Plan B: Restaurant.com 

If you have yet to hear about these gems... go to them right now. It's a wonderful way to support local restaurants AND save money. 

So, we printed off our "coupons" and carried them proudly around the city. And instead of ordering "water" ... we ordered "wine". Smile. For we were high rollers at 50% off. 

And our first stop was the North End. The narrow and winding streets house the best Italian Restaurant's of the city. A friend of mine lives in the North End, and tells me that everyone there knows everything about everyone... and that she's never felt so safe. I guess that it's a very tight-knit Italian neighborhood. Riccardo's Ristorante was our lunch destination. And the Chef's mother came in to eat lunch and sit with her son.

The wine was yummy. The food...delicious and warming. And we were the only ones in the joint.

We sat looking at one another and took slower breaths. We didn't have to talk about day-in-day-out stuff. We didn't have to cook dinner. We didn't need to wipe butts. All we had to do was to look at each other and laugh while we tried to order: 

  

Our view out the window: Paul Revere's House.

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Ethiopia in Boston

Another Groupon.com find... the Addis Red Sea Restaurant. When you have Ethiopian children... it's the best place to be while you are away from them. Yes, of coarse, we brought pictures of the boys and showed as many as possible. We bragged. We reminisced. We said, 26 times, "Wonder what the boys are doing right now?" (They are sleeping, dummies). 

And I have to admit... it was VERY much like the real thing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. almost. 

Ethiopian Injera. Never heard of it? It's an Ethiopian STAPLE. It's a spongy-sort-of-bread that is used as the "base" of most of their meals (and as a utensil!). The meat and veggies are placed on top of this sour, spongy-flatbread. Wash your hands and dig in... rip off pieces and use it to "grab the grub" ...  Here's how to make it. In Ethiopia... we were a bit skeptical... yet it has since grown on us. Last night... we almost finished the entire thing. Last night, we felt like proud Ethiopians. And in a way... we were. And always will be.