Awesomeness

I have to say, this weekend was pure magic. After not doing anything super social for a while, I managed to pack it all in this past weekend. Here's the lowdown:

Friday night: I'm not one for big events on Fridays, mostly because I'm so exhausted from the work week. This was true this past Friday, so we kept it low key and went to the 99 bar and restaurant nearby. Our party included The Boyfriend, my neighbor on campus who is one of my best friends here, a couple that she was friends with from her work, and another girl my age whom I met through her mother who works for the school. We were a merry little company, getting a booth and ordering some drinks and mozzarella sticks. As the DD, I only had one very weak frozen strawberry margarita, which is probably a violation of my no-sweets-this-month rule, but I decided one wasn't going to kill me. (The Boyfriend and I have actually talked about what kind of drinks I'm allowed to have since then, so that's all been covered; they are wine, G&Ts, and screwdrivers. They have the least amount of calories) The 99 isn't really anything special, but we had a nice time just chatting and relaxing after the work week.

Saturday: After taking a nice long walk in the morning, I came back home to shower and eat so that The Boyfriend and I could go to the parade celebrating Concord's 375th birthday. I'm not huge on American history (I much prefer the ancient variety) but since moving here I've definitely felt a deeper appreciation for our nation's earlier years. Concord is the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the country, having been settled in 1635, and played a big part in the Revolution (remember the battle of Lexington and Concord, anyone? Yeah.) So, curious to see the spectacle, The Boyfriend and I found ourselves on the side of the road cheering as men dressed up as Revolutionary militia walked by, complete with muskets and powder horns. It was pretty fun, especially since I love seeing people all dressed up in period clothes, and the bands were all very upbeat and cheerful, too.

That evening, I drove into the city to meet a friend for dinner in Chinatown. My mother had heard from a friend that this place had the best roast duck anywhere, so naturally I had to try. Chau Chow City definitely lived up to my expectations. I'm pretty picky about my Chinese food, and Asian food in general, being Thai and having traveled to China. I have a few places back home that I know are authentic and delicious, so I was hoping to discover something similar here. I am pleased to report that I did. I ordered the duck while my friend ordered the sole with black bean sauce, and both were terrific. I really want to go back with more people so we can try more things, so hopefully that happens soon. For the time being, I'm glad to have gotten a good duck fix.

After dinner, my friend and I headed into downtown to check out this bar called Drink. I had heard about it from a few people, all saying that they basically make you something on the spot based on what you like, so it sounded worthy of a night out. My friend and I were not disappointed! After a brief wait, the hostess showed us to a small space at the shelf since the bar was full then a few minutes later a bartender came up to us and asked us what he could do for us. My friend asked to see a menu and he just slapped his chest and said, "I'm it!" He told us that at Drink, they don't have menus and don't use pre-made mixes. They make all their syrups, bitters, and other mixes in house and create drinks based on recipes dating back to the 1800s. He then proceeded to ask us what we liked ("sweet, bitter, sour, citrus, berry...") and after getting the specifics, whisked off to mix up something magical. He returned with a raspberry gimlet for me and an Aqueduct for my friend. Both were delicious! They tasted so...authentic, with no overpowering sweetness that pre-made mixes usually have. The raspberry flavor was strong but not overly so and there was a nice aftertaste of gin. After a while, we were able to move to the bar and both ordered champagne cocktails. My friend received a French 75 while I got something with champagne, St. Germaine, grapefruit juice and something else. It was loud, so I couldn't hear the fourth ingredient or the name of the drink. (If anyone has any ideas, please post a comment!) Both were as equally delicious as the first drinks, and sitting there at the bar was fascinating since we got to watch the bartenders at work, whipping out several bottles at once to pour and mix and shake. I had a fabulous time, and even though the drinks were fairly expensive (about $11 each), it was worth it for both the atmosphere and the purity of the drinks they made. I can't wait to go back!

Sunday: Another busy day, to be sure. In the morning, I met some friends for brunch at Cafe Luna in Central Square, which was really fun. I had eggs benedict with bacon and was very happy both with the food and with the overall atmosphere of the place. After brunch, we watched the parade for the Cambridge Carnival International, which basically consisted of a bunch of groups dressed up in brightly colored feathers costumes. It was amazing. Lots of loud music, people dancing, and feathers everywhere! I think it was supposed to be a kind of Afro-Caribbean celebration. After the parade, there was a festival near Kendal, so my friends and I walked up and down the stalls, checking out all the food and items for sale. I was very tempted to try the curried goat, but had just spent all my cash on some beautiful jewelry made out of recycled paper by women in Uganda and sold through the Boston-based non profit, Project Have Hope. Check out the site; it's a wonderful cause and the jewelry they make is absolutely gorgeous, and really unique, too.

After the festival, I stopped by the Somerville Prospect Hill block party briefly to say hello to some friends and to climb to the top of the fort there, then headed home to feast on leftover duck. After dinner, I headed once more to Concord, to the public high school, for a fireworks show the conclude the weekend celebration. It was a great show, made better by the fact that I as sitting almost directly in front of the area where they were being launched. I love fireworks, and it was an awesome way to end a fabulous weekend.

ciao