North Portland location, less of a wait, same Scandinavian charm…what’s not to love about Broder Nord? I can’t get enough of the abelskivers and quirky Swedish decor.
food
Boston
Boston will always have a piece of my heart. I spent my freshman year of college at Boston University and have been back to visit several times since. If you can swing it, go on Marathon Monday – it’s unlike any other sporting event or celebration I’ve ever been to. It really is the BEST. On Marathon Monday I would recommend starting in Kenmore Square and walking towards Brookline. Cover as much of the race route as you can -it’s a super festive atmosphere and all the bars along the course are packed!
City Guide below –
Must Do’s:
Fenway Park. Even if you can’t make it to a game, just go. It’s magical. There was a great article in the NY Times last month about furthering development in the area, link here)
Freedom Trail. So. Much. History. And, if you take the ferry back from Charlestown the views of the city are amazeballs.
Duck Tour. Cute, quirky way to see different parts of the city.
More Faves (by neighborhood):
1. South Boston – Loco, 2. North End – Regina Pizza, 3. Back Bay – Alibi (inside what’s now a hotel, but used to be the Boston jail), 4. Beacon Hill – Tatte Bakery, 5. South End – The Gallows
Beacon Hill/Back Bay:
Beacon Hill Pub – the divest of dive bars. We went during the afternoon and there weren’t a ton of people around but you could imagine that it’s a hot spot on Friday nights.
Explore the shops in Beacon Hill – start on Charles St.
Flour – cute Boston area chain with great breakfast, lunch and coconut macaroons.
North End:
Mike’s Pastry – go to both Mike’s and Modern and then cast your vote for best cannoli!
South End:
Myers + Chang (one of the owners is on this season of Top Chef!)
The Butcher Shop – amazing cuts of meat, great sides and awesome neighborhood atmosphere. If I lived in Boston, I definitely try to make the South End my home. All the charming restaurants and row houses are fun to walk past.
South Boston:
L Street Tavern (the bar made famous in Good Will Hunting)
Shamrock Pub – doesn’t look like much from the outside, but seems like it was (and still is) a watering hole for local union workers. An interesting spot that you wouldn’t find in a lot of other places.
Other:
Eagle’s Deli (take the T to Cleveland Circle)
Pinocchio’s (near Harvard Square)
Michael’s Deli (in Brookline)
Hope you enjoy!
xo,
MJ
FOOOOOD: Basement Pub
This isn’t a food recommendation – but rather a drink recommendation. If you are looking for a dark, kinda dingy, European style pub in Portland – go to Basement Pub. ASAP.
With happy hour everyday, PBR on draft and board games – what’s not to love.
Sidenote: they have branded matchbooks to add to my collection. Tough to find these days.
xoxo
MJ
Our Interstate Ave. Adventure…
Matt and I are really lucky to have an amazing group of friends. Every month or so, we try to get together to do a family dinner – either someone cooks or we go out. This month everyone wanted pizza so we decided to go out. Now there is some bomb pizza in Portland, but not a ton of options that are super conducive to groups. I did some Yelping and came across Pinky’s. Pizza and whiskey are they’re specialties and the place has a great atmosphere. If you ask the bartender, you can roll the dice for a particular whiskey shot or whiskey cocktail – I was lucky enough to get a great action shot, haha.
Now, after dinner was the real treat. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to the Alibi, and that Friday night, my dreams came true. Three words: Tiki bar + karaoke. Ridic.
Bottom line – if you haven’t been to The Alibi – Go. Now.
xoxo
MJ
FOOOOOD: P’s & Q’s Market
P’s & Q’s is gem. Tucked away in a developing area on Dekum – this is a true Portlandia experience. Bonus: the food is amaze balls. Go for breakfast/brunch and get the hash or the breakfast sammie (don’t forget the fries).
We went a couple months ago and couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day!
FOOOOOD: Pip’s Original Doughnuts
Plain and simple, if you haven’t been to Pip’s – you’re missing out.
Fargo?
I can honestly say I never thought I’d go to Fargo, North Dakota. But, this past September, that’s exactly what I did. Watching my little bro play football took us to yet another STRANGE place. When I searched Design Sponge to see if there was a Fargo city guide, by some small miracle there was! Such a good surprise. We didn’t have a ton of time in Fargo, but we definitely got to check out a few good restaurants while we were there. Thanks again for the awesome recos Design Sponge!
JL Beers – great place with a really interesting concept. Each of their restaurants only has 47 seats, no matter the location (it’s an ND, SD, MN mini-chain). The place was packed when we got there, but totally worth the wait. Delish burgers and fab beer selection (you’ll quickly notice that beer is a theme of my travels…) If you ever find yourself here, get the buffalo BLU chips with your burger, you will not be disappointed.
Beermail – totally genius. They have postcards at the bar that you can send to anyone, anywhere!
Wurst Bier Hall – this gem wasn’t in the city guide, but so glad we stumbled upon it. Very cool, German style bier hall – complete with das boot. This place wasn’t just cool for Fargo, it was cool for anywhere. I’d definitely go on a regular basis if it was in Portland.
locks of beer?
Rhombus Guys Pizza – college-y atmosphere, really good pizza. Very cool roof top deck that we weren’t able to take advantage of due to the weather. Great selection of beers on tap.
A few more snaps from the trip…
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- Fargo Theater by day…
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- …and night
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- They sure do know how to tailgate at NDSU. I’ve been to a lot of college football stadiums and NDSU had some of the best tailgates and nicest fans ever.
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- football in a dome is just weird
For the Love of the South Part 2
And the trip continues…
Beaufort
Beaufort, SC is a CHARMING place. It was recently rated America’s Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living Magazine – and it’s easy to see why! Similar to Savannah, we got a lot of recos from the Design Sponge city guide for Beaufort.
The cottage that was stayed in at Secession Golf Club was the cutest! I literally took pictures of all the interior details so I can remember to incorporate them into our house someday. Needless to say, we will definitely be back.
We started off with lunch at the Lowcountry Produce Market & Cafe. It was AMAZING. The decor of the cafe was spot on – I’m a sucker for subway tile and the color green. When I sat down to write this post, I went back to their website and saw that their homemade soups, just made Oprah Magazine’s favorite things list for Jan. 2015! I think I literally could’ve eaten here every day we were in Beaufort.
We finished up the day in Beaufort with a horse drawn carriage tour. All of the homes in the historic area are amazing and Beaufort was actually the filming ground for a lot of movies – most notably The Big Chill.
sketchy through the trees picture of The Big Chill House
The other awesome place we ate in Beaufort was Wren – amazing burgers.
Our day trip to Hilton Head was definitely a highlight of the trip. The water was SO warm compared what we’re used to in the Pacific Northwest. It was amazing to just lie on the beach and read!
We spent our last day in SC with a day trip to Charleston. I was really excited about this trip, but it was so, freaking hot and humid that it was tough to really enjoy it. Oh well, guess that’s a good excuse to go back someday! A few highlights below…
Another carriage tour!
Cru Cafe – one of the best meals of the trip, and a delish Rose’! (Get the shrimp BLT)
King Street
Here’s to an amazing trip with even better friends!
xoxo
MJ
For the Love of the South Part 1
September brought an amazing opportunity to head to Georgia and South Carolina with Matt and two of our best friends, Matt & Kelly. Our trip started in Savannah, GA and then took us to Beaufort, South Carolina for 4 days. From Beaufort, Kelly and I were able to take day trips to Hilton Head and Charleston. I am completely in love with all of the charm and history of the South. Architecture and discovering new places are two of my loves and this trip combined them flawlessly.
Savannah
I have honestly never heard anyone say a bad thing about Savannah. I was so pumped to go explore the city. Before we left, I found an amazing city guide on Design Sponge that had fantastic recommendations. Below are a few that we hit during our two days in Savannah. And yes, we like to eat. A lot. Trying new restaurants is one of our all time favorite things to do. When we’re in a new city for a short period of time, we usually have appetizers and drinks at a couple of different places rather than dinner at just one restaurant.
The Olde Pink House – A Savannah staple since forever, the mansion that the restaurant occupies is reported to be haunted by the ghost of Joseph Habersham Jr and several slave children. I highly recommend the tavern downstairs for a drink and delish apps.
downstairs at The Olde Pink House. so rustic.
Prospector Co. – I absolutely loved this shop. Clean and minimalist, with great, quality products. I walked away with an awesome great sweatshirt and some Scout’s Honor greeting cards. The guys working were super nice and gave us some good local recos. Also – I just found out that their line of skin care products is now carried at Barney’s – congrats!
Elizabeth on 37th – We ate at Elizabeth on our last night in Savannah. One of our good friends gave us a gift certificate as a wedding gift! It’s rated one of the best restaurants in Savannah and it did not disappoint.
Elizabeth on 37th
Collins Quarter – this gem we stumbled upon while on a self guided walking tour of the city. It has the ambiance of a European cafe and a laid back, welcoming vibe that’s perfect for an afternoon drink or weekend brunch. We were only in Savannah a couple of days and stopped by Collins Quarter 3 times!
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- terrible pic, but love the logo
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- Avocado Toast. Amazeballs.
shopSCAD – a place to buy goods from the amazingly talented SCAD students. A must stop!
Vinnie VanGoGo’s – delish, NY style pizza on a busy square that’s great for people watching
Leopold’s – A stop at Leopold’s was a tip from my friend Chelsea. Homemade ice cream? Count me in! A plus – it’s right next door to the SCAD theater which has an awesome old marquee (I’m really into old theater signs, there’ll be another post about that.)
Clary’s – this is another place that we stumbled upon, because we were too hungry to wait in line at Mrs. Wilke’s. The diner style food was excellent and Clary’s was featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Clary’s from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Forsyth Park – huge, beautiful park in the heart of the historic district. We got caught in a RIDICULOUS downpour while we were in the park. You can tell by the pic below that I was super thrilled about it.
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist – to be honest we stopped in here initially to get a break from the awful humidity. BUT, it was amazingly beautiful inside! It’s been restored a few times in its history, and it’s hard to believe it survived a fire in 1898.
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- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
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- bad pic, really doesn’t do it justice
Moon River Brewery – coming from what feels like the craft brewing capital of the world, we had to try a local brewery. The beer wasn’t fab, but fun to try nonetheless.
Back in the Day Bakery – this was another find from Design Sponge. The Bakery’s owner, Cheryl Day, did an awesome guide for a 24 hour visit to Savannah that’s posted on the Design Sponge site. Coffee and pastries were great!
Back in the Day Bakery
A few more pics!
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- Savannah Wedding Chapel
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- What a stud.
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- I love old neon and hotel signs
South Carolina coming in the next post!
xoxo
MJ
MOLLIE JO 