Task 92 - Central Rock Gym

Task (92) Go Rock Climbing (1/5)

Gym:        Central Rock Gym
                 299 Barber Street
                 Worcester, MA 01606
                 (508) 852-7625

Rating:     4-Stars

Today I went rock climbing with my brother and his family. We went to Central Rock Gym in Worcester where they have 14,000 sqft of climbing terrain with walls of 15 - 40ft and 3,500 sqft of bouldering walls. I would recommend this facility because it is large with more then enough climbing options for the novice to the professional with the simple to the crazy wall configurations. My 4yo niece and my 35yo brother both had equally great times. This isn't my first time here and certainly won't be my last.

Task 66 B - Install Bedroom Crown Moulding

Bedroom Crown Moulding

Yesterday I completed one of my home projects. My friend Chris and I installed the last of the crown moulding in my bedroom. It took about 3 hours including cutting, nailing it up, caulking the edges and puttying the nail holes. It went up easier then I thought it would and now just needs a good coat of paint. I am very pleased with how it came out and owe thanks to a good friend and great contractor.

From this project another is born. I have decided to replace all of my base moulding throughout my condo. What I currently currently have is ordinary and for not much money I can make a huge improvement.

 

Margaret Cho: T-Shirt Giveaway Winner

I never win anything but I never stop trying. Guess what today I won!!! I was reading the newest e-mail from MargaretCho.com while riding along with co-workers to lunch and I noticed the t-shirt giveaway at the bottom. It said it was only for the first 10 people to send them an e-mail.  So I typed up a quick e-mail and sent it off.

A couple hours later I got an e-mail Sarah Martin telling me I won. Too bad it wasn't the lottery. But I wont complain. I can't wait to get the shirt!!

Task 30 – Gerardo’s Italian Bakery (West Boylston, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (24/20)

Restaurant: Gerardo’s Italian Bakery

Rating:      5-stars

Although there are many bakery options in the area Gerardo's sets the bar high. Their bakery displays are packed with such a variety of tasty and visually appealing different treats it’s almost impossible to choose. Tonight I selected a Key Lime Bomb and my buddy selected the Cappuccino Latte Dulce.

The Key Lime Bomb had a creamy whipped texture and was light and moist. It was just the right size but you will want more because it's so good. It was also a beautifully presented.

The Cappuccino Latte Dulce was a multi layered cake. Each of the layers added another awesome dimension to dessert. The powdered chocolate and coffee bean garnish made it not only tasty but pretty to look at.

I can't wait to return to try another of their tasty treats.

Task 30 - Oli's Eatery (West Boylston, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (23/20)

Restaurant: Oli's Italian Eatery

Location:  339 W Boylston St
                    West Boylston, MA 01583
                    (508) 854-1500

Website:   www.oliseatery.com

Rating:      5-stars

Having driven by many times tonight I tried Oli's for the first time. I certainly can say that I wasn't disappointed actually they exceeded my expectations. My dining partner and I ordered the Shrimp Scampi ($14.99) and the Italian Trio (15.99) as recommended by our waitress.

The Shrimp Scampi came with 8 large and tender shrimp in a light white wine, butter and garlic sauce that was so tasty I wanted to lick the plate clean. The linguine was cooked perfectly and the diced tomato's just melted in my mouth.  What can I say there wasn't a single thing I would change.

The Italian Trio is a pairing of chicken parm, cheese ravioli's and meatballs. The chicken was fresh and juicy with a light and crisp breading. The two jumbo meatballs were flavorful, juicy and perfectly cooked. The cheese ravioli's were typical but very delicious.

Both portions were generous but not excessive. Nothing to take home because it would be a crime to not finish their food on the spot.

The interior was nicely decorated and intimate enough for our conversation to stay private even though the place was packed. The service was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. She visited just often enough to keep us satisfied with out being a nuisance.

This place will definitely find its way to my regulars list. I can't wait to go back and try another meal.

  

UPDATE 1/20/12: Visit #2 thrilled me even more then visit #1. This time a group of 4 of us were sarenaded by a guitar playing sinatra singer. We also had different meals. Two of us picked the Chicken Fontina and it was incredible. the chicken was tender and juicy and you could cut it with a fork the sause was a garlic lemon and was perfectly balanced. Another choose the Grilleed Salmon with goat cheese, onions and a sun dried tomato vinaigrete. The salmon melted in your mouth. The third slected the Italian Variety Platter and it was as good as the first time.  I can't seem to get enough of this place.

  

Task 07 - EcoTarium

Task (07) Go to the Zoo or Aquarium

Location:  222 Harington Way
                    Worcester, MA
                    (508) 929-2700

Website:   http://www.ecotarium.org/
 

I visited the EcoTarium in Worcester with my family recently. Having lived in the area my whole life I wasn’t surprised that I had never visited before. If you drove past it, without having picked it as a destination, you wouldn’t even know it was there. It is kind of sad since it has so much potential and is a great place to go with young kids. My sister-in-law and I went with three little ones.

My 4yo niece, 6yo nephew and 35yo bother had a great time. They got to experience 74+ mph winds, climb a rock wall, learn about Asian longhorn beetles, see a huge boa constrictor snakes, size themselves up to a massive slide of a Redwood tree, witness an American icon the bald eagles, and see many other great things. One of the cool new attractions that they had was a video tour of Mount Washington called “The Arctic Next Door”. The video simulated the journey to the top of the mountain and you could play it forward or reverse.

They also have an awesome interactive learning center where people of all ages can learn games called the “Playing Together: Games” exhibit.  Here you can learn games like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, Skittles, etc. This section while cool was an annoying place to be. They have a large chess board and my nephew who has been learning wanted to play. No one was using it and we went through the process of setting the board up. Of course once someone was actually trying to use it everyone wanted to and other kids start moving the pieces around and their parents not saying a word. Control your children people and tell them to wait their turn when it was obvious we were playing a game.

They also have an extensive network of trails and an outdoor train which you can ride (too cold today).
 

They also have a large list of animals at the facility but they just sat in a cage or case and you could only look in. I felt bad for the Bald Eagles however. These large birds were cages out near the parking lot and looked miserable. They were so far away from the facility that no one even stopped to see them. They are spectacular and it was a shame that more attention wasn’t given to an icon of America.
 

Additionally I thought we were going to get some kind of lesson about Boa Constrictors when two staff members came and opened the case with the snake. Of course they drew a large crowd and we were all disappointed when all they did was weigh it and put it back and disappear. We were there for several hours and other then the weighing of the snake we saw or heard nothing from any staff members.
 

At $14.00 for an adult and $8.00 for a child it was a bit of a letdown. I would have liked to have seen more interactive exhibits with staff explaining things. A more obvious path to enjoy the exhibits might also help improve the experience. There was no flow to the exhibits and it was kind of a free for all with people jockeying for their chance with some of the cooler exhibits.
 

With the cold weather maybe I didn’t get to experience everything the facility had to offer but I would not rush back unfortunately. It has so much potential and a great resource in our city. Hopefully they can find ways to improve.

 

  

Task 30 - Calabria Restaurant (Millbury, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (22/20)

Restaurant: Calabria Restaurant

 

Website:   www.calabriamillbury.com

Rating:     1-star

I visited Calabria with a couple friends for dinner on a Friday night. I should have known we were in trouble when we couldn't figure out which door to enter. When we finally got some guidance by another patron we walked into a dirty and dingy curtain hanging as an attempt to shield the restaurant from the outside elements.

First impressions were that the interior was clean and nicely decorated albeit a bit sparse.  We were greeted by the friendly host and were told a table would be ready in a moment. Shortly there after a different host seated us promptly in the dining room opposite the bar.

Sadly the aforementioned curtain didn't do its job and we asked to be moved after a frigid breeze came pouring into the restaurant from the entrance. We relocated to the second room where it was not only warmer but considerably quieter.  I hadn't noticed how loud the previous room was until we were moved.

For an app we ordered the bruschetta while we reviewed the menu. The ingredients were fresh and tasty and it was a great way to start the meal. Sadly the good experience ended when the bruschetta plate left the table.

We each selected a salad as a next course. What we got was an over dressed average salad with a few sliced onions and two tomato wedges. 

for our entrees two of us selected the chicken saltenboca. I might be wrong but I believe it is correctly spelled saltimboca with an im and not an en. The chicken was swimming in a lake of broth but was unfortunately dry and tasteless. I had to ask for a steak knife to keep the table from shaking as we all sawed through the cheese and prosciutto.

As a side we both had pasta one with a meat sauce and another with a tomato Alfredo sauce. Sadly the sauce was heavy and drowned the pasta.

Our third dining partner had the chicken consentino. Unfortunately the ingredients (artichokes, olives, and sun dried tomato's) were all from a can or jar. The sauce was a wine reduction that needed a little bit more time to reduce. The whole meal seem disjointed and lacked any continuity and left you looking for more.

Not really satisfied with our dinners we hoped dessert might leave us wanting to return. The tired looking selections instead left us asking for the check instead.

All three meals lacked that wow factor and were average at best. This isn't the place for a quiet romantic meal or a relaxing night out. It has lots of promise and could be a great restaurant but it has lots to improve to really be a 4 star restaurant. At nearly $20 a plate It was priced more like an urban hit rather then a suburban dud.