Tag Archives: Italian

Boston’s North End: Little Italy

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On our first day in Boston we decided to take a tour of the city. After looking at several options we chose Old Town Trolly because it is a company we were familiar with from visits to other cities.  The package we selected was the the two day pass which included either a harbor tour or free admission to the Boston Tea Party Ships.

My daughter and son-in-law met us at the Homewood Suites Hotel.  We then used Uber to get to Boston Harbor.  This was the first time I had used the Uber service and found it to be great.  The driver was very nice and knowledgable and the car was clean.  The Uber driver delivered us to the harbor and let us out beside the Old Town Trolly office.

Feneuil Hall

We started our tour of Boston by walking through Faneuil Hall which was built in 1742.  Faneuil Hall is called the cradle of liberty, because it was in this building that Sam Adams would deliver his speeches on freedom and human rights.

Where Sam Adams would have stood
Where Sam Adams would have stood

Near Faneuil Hall is Quincy Market built 1824-1826.  It’s Greek Revival architecture stands out in a city that jumps from colonial to modern America.  Both inside and outside are many interesting shops and places to eat.

Boston harbor notice the old sailing ship
Boston Harbor (notice the old sailing ship)

After looking at the shops we walked down to Boston Harbor and Rowe’s Wharf, where we boarded the Old Town Trolly.  Our first stop was just a short distance from the wharf. Little Italy is located in the North End of Boston and includes many historical landmarks.

We crossed the street from the Trolly stop and followed a narrow street up a small hill into the heart of the North End to find the Paul Revere house.  The three story house was built in 1680 and is the oldest house in downtown Boston.

Paul Revere House

From the Revere House we walked to St. Stephen’s Church.  One of the most famous members of the church was Rose Kennedy.  A short distance from St. Stephens is the statue of Paul Revere, making his midnight ride.  Behind the Revere statue is the Old North Church.

The Old North Church was built in 1723 and became known to all of us through the poem, “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”  Visiting the church really brought the history alive for me.  From the church a person could have commanded a view of Boston Harbor to track British movements.  It would also have been easy for Revere to see the signal from his house.

Lexington, KY. Carrabba’s Italian Grill

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For my birthday this past February, my wife had given me tickets to the University of Kentucky- University of Florida basketball game.  The game, played March 7, 2015 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, was the final game of the regular season.  The Wildcats won the game completing their season with a 31-0 record.  Like so many other people across the country I had to see this team in person.

We decided to drive to Lexington o nFriday after work  after having a week of snow.  We had reservations at Gratz Park Inn for Saturday night, but at such a short notice we were unable to get anything at that location for Friday night.

When we arrived in Lexington we were able to get a room at the Hilton Garden Inn at Hamburg.  The Hilton was very nice, the front desk staff was very friendly, the room was clean, and it was a great stay. We decided to get something to eat after checking into our room .

We ate at Carrabba’s Italian Grill which was a short distance from the Hilton.  Arriving at the restaurant at about 8 pm I noticed two things.  The smell of Italian food filled the air and drew you in through the doors.  The second thing was not so good.  The place was packed.  We met the  hostess who welcomed us and assured us it would be a wait of about ten minutes.

We were escorted to our table, a small booth for two, perfect for usIn less than ten minutes. I started the meal by ordering an appetizer, “Brick Oven Baked Fontina Bruschette” and a bottle of wine.  The wine we chose was the featured wine, it was “Rodney Strong” Merlot.  We found it to be very good.  When the waitress brought the wine she also gave us hot bread and seasoned olive oil for dipping.

The appetizer arrived very quickly and was great.  The fontina and marinara are baked in an iron dish and are brought to the table steaming hot with slices of oven baked ciabatta bread.  It was a good portion for the two of us to share.

For the meal we did something we seldom ever do.  We ordered the same thing.  We were both looking at the chicken dishes on the menu trying to decide between them, when my wife pointed out the “Chicken Trio”.  The dish includes smaller portions of three of Carrabba’s best chicken dishes “Chicken Bryan”, “Chicken Marsala”, and “Pollo Rosa Maria”.  Along with the Trio you also receive your choice of soup or salad and a side.

The “Chicken Bryan” is a grilled boneless breast topped with goat cheese, sundried  tomatoes, basil, and a lemon butter sauce.  It was very good but it was very rich.  I could not finish all of it because of the richness.

“Chicken Marsala” is a boneless breast which has been wood grilled and topped with mushrooms, prosciutto, and their homemade Lombardo Marsala wine sauce.  The Marsala is earthly and reminds you of the kind of comfort food you may have eaten at your grandmother’s house.  It was great and I did not leave any of it on my plate.

The “Pollo Rosa Maria” is a boneless breast stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto topped with mushrooms and their homemade basil lemon butter sauce.  It was also very rich and very good.

For sides to go with the meal my wife chose a soup and garlic mashed potatoes.  I had a Caesar salad and the cavatappi amatriciana.  The sides were very good.  The only thing I would do different is the cavatappi amatriciana.  With such a filling meal I think I will have the vegetables the next time instead of the pasta.