Travel Musings and Discussing Forever in Boston

Although I held on with my perfectly manicured talons as long as I could, the summer escaped me. I hopped on planes and schmoozed and maybe even got married (hence the nails). It’s been a wild ride. But back to work.

To begin picking up the pieces and getting back into the game, I met up with a fellow travel lover at the Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square. Although I have a little adventure/mini-moon squared away for this weekend in Nova Scotia, beyond that my state of satisfying wanderlust is unknown. I thought I’d take advantage of the downtime to explore my options of ‘local travel’. I live about 20 minutes south of my office downtown and rarely venture north of it. The music, food, theater and art I’m missing out on is a crime.

Fortunately, the ambiance at Russell House is awesome for figuring out what’s next in life. They found a beautiful balance between making me feel like I’m in an upscale dining establishment and my best friend’s living room, with far less Ikea furniture. It boast elegance and familiarity all at once. Before I made my way down to the lower level seating area, I took a peek at the twinkling lights draped over the patio seating and chic looking bar space.

It gave way to an opportunity to chat forever and savor the flavors. We spent a couple hours over small plates discussing everything from travel nightmare stories to the Boston Ballet to pros and cons of getting married in a church. It all easily flowed as the cocktails kept coming. There’s nothing I like better than something beautifully crafted from the bar. Opting first for a “Jumpin’ Jack Smash”, consisting of cider and apple whiskey, I finally embraced fall in New England upon first sip.

OK, I might like food even a little better than cocktails. With executive chef Thomas Borgia at the helm, I knew I was in for a treat. City standards with a pretty twist, like fresh fried oysters and lamb meatballs, were devoured immediately. Then came an octopus ‘Mortadella’ unlike anything I’ve seen. Those culinary geniuses have stuffed the seafood into some sort of casing with spices and sliced it paper thin, served with pistachios and olives. My description does it no justice, you’ll have to check it out yourself. I wish I had room for the sticky toffee pudding I was eyeing on the dessert menu, but that will have to be for another time.

When the horrible, horrible Boston snow starts to fall, I plan to stroll back to this cozy spot and bunker down for a few more cocktails. The Russell House Tavern the perfect hideaway to brings friends to and wax poetic into the night. It also gives me an excuse to explore more of Harvard Square, as I often skip over it to head onto Davis. I think I’ve been missing out!