Aragosta Bar and Bistro // Boston Waterfront

Last week I dined at Aragosta Bar & Bistro for the first time with my good friend Melanie of Young Women in Digital. Having just recently heard of the restaurant myself, I wanted to share our experience so you could be sure to include Aragosta on your list of must-try restaurants in Boston!

Located on Boston’s waterfront at the Battery Wharf Hotel, Aragosta flaunts a beautiful view of the harbor from their gorgeous outdoor terrace. If the weather is right, like it was last week, a stroll through the North End is the perfect way to get there. Of course, my stroll was more of a speed walk, as in typical Amy-fashion I was running a bit late that evening!

The first thing we saw upon arrival at Aragosta was the outdoor terrace, which features urban fire pits and comfy seating. The fire pits add a fun flare to the restaurant as guests can enjoy make-your-own s’mores and cheese fondue from the menu! The terrace continues along to the back of the restaurant where you can enjoy your meal while looking out over the water. The outdoor seating is perfect for dining or drinks in the spring and summer!

Once inside the restaurant, we received exceptional service, and a menu that was to die for! We started with the Tomato & Buratta Flatbread and the Mushroom & Gorgonzola Flatbread which were available in half portions so that we got to enjoy both of them. And enjoy them we did! Upon our waiter’s suggestion, we ordered the lobster risotto to share next. As a lobster lover, I can’t even tell you how grateful I was for the suggestion. Every single bite was mouthwatering, and I wish that I had another bowl of it in front of me right now!

For our main meal, Melanie and I both decided on the Braised Short Ribs which were served with vanilla bean & lobster smashed potatoes, (seriously can’t get enough lobster!) steakhouse spinach, and fried leeks. The short ribs were cooked to perfection, and the vegetables were so full of flavor - I would order this meal again in a heartbeat!

While we barely left any room it, we knew that the only way to complete our experience at Aragosta was to try the dessert. Melanie chose the Chef’s Creme Brûlée with Almond Biscotti, and I had the Sorbetto with Mini North End Cookies. The sorbetto was served in 3 flavors - limoncello, raspberry, and blood orange. Even after enjoying our appetizers and main meal, it was easy to finish every last bite of these delectable desserts.

I highly recommend visiting Aragosta Bar & Bistro, especially now that the nice weather is here. I will most certainly be going back to enjoy my meal out on the terrace and to give those s’mores a try!

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BCAE Local Love 2015

Back in February, I attended the 2nd annual Local Love Market at the Boston Center for Adult Education. As you know, I'm a huge fan of the BCAE and all of the classes they offer, but there is something extra special about this event that they host. Vendors from in and around Boston come together to sell their local goods in one place, and shoppers get to spend an afternoon indulging in the beautiful items they have to offer. Many of the booths feature handmade goods, which as a DIYer is something I really appreciate. For the second year in a row I was happy to support the BCAE by photographing the event for them, and now I want to share some of those photos with you!

Last year at Local Love, I met the ever-talented calligrapher Julie of Posh & Prep, and have been enjoying her work via Instagram ever since. I was so happy to see her back at the market this year with a whole new array of fabulous prints and products. Julie not only sells these items in her Etsy shop, but also recently started selling at Neatly Nested Design & Decor, one of my favorite shops in South Boston. If you're looking for some serious home decor inspiration you should follow them on Instagram too - trust me, you're going to love every single photo they post!

Another favorite vendor of mine was Niche Urban Garden Supply. They had a beautiful display of plants, miniature gardens, and terrariums set up, and I really had to resist bringing all of them home! PS did you know that Niche offers gardening workshops? I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate spring…sign me up!

One of the booths that I spent the most time perusing was that of BCAE instructor, Loni Butera. I just could not get over how clever her sea glass art prints were! I spent far too long debating on which print to buy, but finally chose one that featured the most adorable pair of sea turtles I had ever seen. I’ll be keeping an eye out for Loni’s artwork in the future because just writing this post makes me want another print!

Of course I could not write a blog post about a BCAE event without mentioning my dear friend and expert flea market hunter, Becky of Pop & Circumstance. Becky’s business is all about making life beautiful with unique design and decor pieces that she handpicks or handmakes and sells in her blog shop. She truly has an eye for beauty, and you can see that in each charming piece that she had displayed at the Local Love market. Find her on Instagram for your daily dose of prettiness.

And, finally, a Local Love Market just wouldn’t be complete without macarons! Cameo Macaron returned again this year with their delicious sweets. If you’re in the city, keep an eye out for their food truck!

I love that through this event, the BCAE has introduced me to so many makers within the Boston community, and I'm already looking forward to Local Love 2016! 

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Visiting the Finger Lakes: Anyela's Vineyards

This past weekend I traveled to Upstate New York to celebrate Memorial Day with my boyfriend and his family. We decided that while we were there, we would have to visit the Finger Lakes because it's the area where Kevin and his family spent their summers growing up, and I had never been. On Saturday afternoon, Kevin, his sister Courtney, and I made our way to Skaneateles Lake to visit the beautiful Anyela's Vineyards and enjoy the sunshine. I was blown away by the vineyard from the moment we pulled up the drive.

The vineyard is owned by the Nocek family and was first planted in 2001, but their history begins 3 generations ago in Eastern Europe. In fact, owner Jim Nocek, told us that the vineyard is named after his grandmother Anyela. Jim also informed us that the Finger Lakes in New York is one of the top wine producing regions in the United States. This was surprising to me as I didn't know much about the Finger Lakes before my trip. It's only a 5 hour drive from Boston, and when you're talking about some of the best wine in the country, it's totally worth the trip!

We were greeted in the lounge by Nick, who would be giving us the tasting, and were handed the vineyards wine listing and tasting notes. We were each able to choose 5 wines from the list of dry white, medium sweet, sparkling, rose, reserve red, and dry red wines that we wanted to taste. This was great, because we all wanted to try something a little different! I went with the 2012 Chardonnay (dry white), 2012 Riesling (medium sweet), 2011 Overture (sparkling), 2011 Minuet (rose), and 2009 Shiraz (dry red). I can very honestly say I love each one of them! When I tasted the 2012 Riesling, I thought that it had just the perfect amount of sweetness, and wasn't too sugary. Nick told me that is because they only add sugar before the fermenting process and not after, so it is a very natural sweetness of the grapes.

I actually got to try the 2011 Minuet twice (lucky me!) because Nick wanted to show me the difference in flavor when it was served room temperature and when it was served chilled. When served at room temperature you can taste the full aromatic flavor, but I really enjoyed it chilled as well. I made sure to pick up a bottle before we left so I could enjoy it at home too!

Though I do enjoy the occasional red wine, typically I'm a white wine drinker. But, I knew I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't try a red during our tasting. Unsurprisingly, like all of the other wines before it, the 2009 Shiraz was absolutely amazing. It is oaked for 14 months, and I could definitely taste that in the flavor. Unlike me, Kevin prefers red wines to white and he sampled a few more than I did. His favorite wine of the whole tasting was the 2009 Cabernet Franc which is barreled in French and American oak and is fruit forward with an earthy finish.

Since we were really enjoying the reds, at the end of our tasting, Kevin, Courtney, and I decided that we all wanted to try the 2011 Elation, which is a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cayuga White, and Noiret blend. It's a great wine to try when being introduced to reds. We loved it so much that we decided to enjoy a bottle of it out on the vineyard patio accompanied by a delicious plate of cheese, crackers, bread and grapes. The patio overlooked Skaneateles Lake and 27 acres of the vineyard, and I can't imagine a more perfect way to experience the Finger Lakes for the first time.

Aside from the delicious wine, one thing that really stood out to me at Anyela's Vineyards was how Jim, Nick, and the rest of the staff at the vineyard made us feel so well taken care of. They seemed genuinely happy to have us visiting the vineyard, which in turn made us so happy to be there. They made it very easy for us to enjoy our time there and make the most of our visit. On top of that, they were extremely knowledgeable about the work that they do, and were able to answer all of our questions. What more could you ask for?!

If you're looking for the perfect destination for a weekend getaway, I highly recommend that you make your way to the Finger Lakes and visit Anyela's Vineyards while you're there. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Before we even stepped foot off the vineyard, we were already planning our next trip back!

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Visiting California: Big Sur Road Trip

I'm so excited to be sharing more about my California trip with you today, especially because it gave me a chance to look through all my photos again and remember how amazing it was! Since we went into the trip without a set itinerary, we were able to make plans on a whim while we were there. On the second day, the gorgeous weather convinced us that we needed to see the coast. And so began our drive to the Big Sur! 

Before getting too far, we made our first pit stop at the adorable Black Bear Diner in Gilroy, CA for breakfast and coffee. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was so fun. How cute is the little bear paw on the napkins?

After breakfast, our journey to the Big Sur really began. We weren't exactly sure where the Big Sur started, but we made our way to Carmel assuming that we'd know it when we saw it. And, when we arrived at Carmel River State Beach, we knew. We pulled right over to take our shoes off and take in the scenery. It was difficult to leave the beach, but we knew there was even more to see ahead of us.

While we didn't drive the entire 90 miles of the Big Sur, we did spend a good 4 hours driving / pulling over to make the most of each stop. It was so hard to not pull over every 5 minutes because the views were so breathtaking! I think my favorite view was of the Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey. It was so beautiful, and I wasn't surprised to learn that it is one of the most photographed bridges on the Pacific Coast. If you look closely, you can see it in the photo below.

I seriously couldn't get over the scenery along the Big Sur, and could have driven along that road forever! But, as evening was quickly approaching we decided to make our last stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was here that I was able to lay my eyes on Redwood trees for the very first time, and they are incredible! This particular tree, The Colonial Tree, is 1,200 years old and is about 27 feet around! Although it wasn't the tallest tree in the park, because as the park ranger told us, it had been struck by lighting multiple times. Still an impressive sight!

The best part about our Big Sur drive was that when we reached our final destination and it was time to head home, we were able to turn the car around and see it all again from the other direction! I would absolutely love to go back to California and drive the full 90 miles of the Big Sur. It is 100% worthy of a bucket list, and if you're heading to the Pacific Coast, do yourself a favor and add it to your itinerary!

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Visiting California: A Trip to Swanson Vineyards

Last week I traveled to San Francisco for the very first time, and it was truly amazing! Before my trip I asked for recommendations on places to visit while in California, and nearly everyone I spoke with said that Napa Valley was an absolute must. I'm so glad that I took the advice, and now I'm going to tell you the same thing ... if you're in the area, I promise that you will fall in love with Napa!

Before traveling, I spent some time looking into which vineyards to visit while in Napa. When I came across the website for Swanson Vineyards, I knew I had found the perfect vineyard for my BFF and myself to visit. My instincts proved to be correct as soon as we arrived in Napa and pulled into the vineyard. The building was absolutely adorable, and we were already in heaven before we even stepped inside.

We were greeted in the yard by Lin, our fabulous salonniére for the day, and then the fun began. The family-owned Swanson Vineyards consists of two tasting rooms, The Salon and The Sip Shoppe. Our tasting was being held in the Sip Shoppe, but Lin gave us a quick tour of the gorgeous Salon before we got started. The tasting room was furnished with beautiful pieces from all over the world. My favorite being the unique chairs and the ornate chandelier. The amazing pink/coral walls were covered with paintings by California artist Ira Yeager and they really added to the Paris flair of The Salon. Can't you just imagine how fun it would be to have a wine tasting here with a group of your girlfriends??

When we finished up in The Salon, Lin brought us over to the Sip Shoppe, and I was charmed instantly. Described as "a candy store for adults", there was so much to love about this space. The family heritage radiates through The Sip Shoppe with it's New Orleans style, inspired by fifth generation New Orleanian Elizabeth Swanson (wife of founder Clarke Swanson). We were pleasantly surprised when Lin pointed out that the walls of the Sip Shoppe weren't walls at all, and that we were actually inside a faux circus tent! Continuing with the theme, the jazz music playing throughout the tent provided the perfect atmosphere for sipping wine.

During our tasting we sampled 5 different wines: Rosato 2012 (from the Sip Shoppes secret stash), Chardonnay 2012, Merlot 2010, Alexis Cabernet 2010 (served with delicious Alexis Bon Bons), and Tardif 2007. I can honestly say that I loved each one of them, and even though I typically prefer white wine, I thought the merlot was to die for! My absolute favorite though, was the Tardif 2007, a late harvest chardonnay. It has the distinct taste of sweet honey which I learned was caused by noble rot, a form of botrytis cinerea, a type of mold that affects white grapes. These grapes are then handpicked at a specific time and used to create this sweet wine! If you like sweet wines, the Tardif comes with my highest recommendation!

We had such an amazing time at Swanson Vineyards, and if I'm ever back in the Napa Valley area, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again. If you find yourself in Napa Valley, and really why wouldn't you, be sure to visit and tell them Amy sent you!

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Local Love Market at BCAE

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Local Love market at the BCAE, and I have to say that I was really impressed by the event! Local vendors had booths set up throughout the building displaying beautiful products that were available for sale to everyone who strolled through. Walking from table to table, I felt as though I was wandering through a virtual Pinterest board (aka a bloggers dream)! The vendors themselves were all so personable and happy to talk about their work, that I felt such a sense of community among the creative group. 

One of my favorite vendors was Pollen Floral Design, because what girl can resist such a beautiful display as this? Not only were the flower arrangements gorgeous, but Krissy (the gal behind Pollen) had also created an amazing photo booth for shoppers to set up Instagram shots. Of course, I had to take advantage of that, and took home a beautiful bouquet for myself as well!

Some of the other fabulous vendors that I really enjoyed seeing were Adjewelry (see amazing jewelry below), Vessel Candle Co (who had some of the best smelling soy candles I've ever come across), Olives & Grace (and their amazing custom gift boxes), Sarah Wormann Art (see gorgeous prints below), ELM Events (and their LOVE-ly photo booth), and Posh and Prep (see her adorable Valentine prints below).

And, of course, one of my all-time favorite vendors at the Local Love market was my girl, Becky of Pop & Circumstance! Her collection of handmade and vintage items always look so gorgeous and blend together seamlessly. I think I could have spent all afternoon in her corner of the market. Her contribution to the market was so impressive, and she's definitely someone to keep an eye on for future pop-up shops! 

I'm very much looking forward to attending more pop-up shops in the Boston area, especially if they're as well done as this one was. If you attended the Local Love market, I'd love to know what goods you went home with!

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#YWDBoston Young Women in Digital

Remember back in February when I shared the Young Women in Digital logo that I designed? Well, the YWD ladies just held their 4th event last week, and it was so successful that I felt compelled to tell you more about the group. I leave every event feeling like I've gained valuable insight and made great connections, so if you're a young woman in the Boston area who is working or is interested in the digital, social, experiential, and online marketing field, then you should definitely consider attending the next event. The events are held bi-monthly, so your next opportunity to attend will probably be sometime in November. I highly recommend following YWD on Facebook and Twitter so you're in the know!

As someone who often attends networking events, one thing that I really love about the YWD events is that there is always something different going on. Each event has a specific focus for the evening so we're always learning something new. The first event was geared toward getting to know each other and learning what the group was all about. At the second event we had a chance to mingle before some savvy marketing gals discussed their jobs and the unique marketing campaigns that they had worked on. It was certainly empowering to hear our peers discussing the success they've experienced in their careers!

The focus of the third event was careers and personal brand (and cupcakes!), and there were speakers on hand to offer some awesome job-scoring tips. The featured speaker from TripAdvisor gave great advice on how to succeed in a job interview while we all sipped on wine and munched on cupcakes. Best part of this event? One of the girls who attended made a connection with the featured speaker and landed her dream job because of it! How amazing is that? Read more about it on the YWD founder Melanie's blog here.

As the YWD Graphic Designer, I design all the event flyers, but for this event I was able to use my crafty talents to also make cupcake toppers for the evening's treat (see photo above). The toppers featured the groups official hashtag, #YWDBoston so that the girls would be reminded to tweet and Instagram throughout the night. A pretty clever marketing strategy if you ask me!

At the 4th event, held last week, we were introduced to a panel of 4 intelligent women who had worked their way to manager/senior level positions in their careers. They offered us amazing advice on how we could advance ourselves in our own young professional careers and then took time to answer our questions afterwards. The women came from some of Boston's top companies; Hill Holliday, Mullen, Springpad, and InterContinental Boston. One of the best takeaways I had from the evening was the power of LinkedIn. Believe it or not, until the other day I didn't have a LinkedIn account. After hearing the women talk about the importance of making connections through the site and discussing how you never know where these connections could take you I decided to sign up.

I'm really looking forward to the next YWD event and from the looks of the September Newsletter it's going to be a good one! I'm hoping to see some new faces there so make sure to get your name on the guest list when the time comes!

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Queen Bey in Boston

Last week, on behalf of Pepsi, I had the absolute pleasure of attending my first Beyoncé concert while she was in Boston for her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Have you ever been to one of her shows? She is seriously amazing! Her entire performance was so high energy, and my friend Joanne and I danced the whole time. 

The TD Garden was packed with more women than I have ever seen in one place, and all of them were dressed to the nines. Though heels aren't usually the best option when attending a concert, there wasn't an un-heeled foot in the place. I was glad that Joanne and I had taken some time beforehand to consider what one should wear to a Beyoncé show. I think we fit right in.

One of my favorite songs that Beyoncé performed was "Love on Top", but it was also pretty amazing when she belted out an old school Destiny's Child song! I found that the videos playing on the screens on stage and the lighting, were just as fascinating as Bey herself. Combined, these things made for one heck of a show. If you didn't make it to the show this time, you're in luck, she'll be back here in Boston on December 20th. Woop woop!

Last week, you may have noticed that I was tweeting using the hashtag #iconicsummer throughout the concert. Pepsi's Iconic Summer Moments site is a site working to donate to charities in need. You can get involved and be entered to win a Pepsi Prize pack by uploading a photo from your favorite summer moment to the Iconic Summer site using #iconicsummer! And, while attending a concert is always an iconic summer moment for me, it doesn't have to be yours. So, get creative!

spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Pepsi. This could include the Pepsi providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
While I was provided with complimentary tickets to the Mrs. Carter Show, all thoughts and opinions about the FABULOUS Beyoncé are my own. 

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