Task 30 - Go Pizza & Sub Cafe (Marlborough, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (57/20)

Restaurant: GO Pizza & Subs
Location:     27 Boston Post Road East
                     Marlborough, MA 01752
                     (508) 485-7222
Website:      http://www.gopizzasubs.com/
Rating:        4-Stars

Go Pizza located in the old Tino’s Pizza shop is a pizzeria/sub shop that also offers authentic Brazilian cuisine in Marlborough. They are located on Route 20 just across the street from FireFly’s and the Marlborough recreation area.

We got a pizza with mushrooms, onions, meatball, pepperoni, and onions. They certainly don’t skimp on the ingredients here as the pizza was both filling and nice to look at. It was delicious and the crust was perfectly cooked with a crispy outside and soft tasty center.

This is what a pizza should taste like. I will be coming back here again next time.



Task 30 - Lucky's Cafe (Worcester, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (56/20)

Restaurant: Lucky's Cafe

Website:     www.luckyscafeworcester.com
Rating:        4-Stars

Located in the basement of the North Works Building. It's a quaint roughly 40 seat breakfast/lunch spot.
The interior shows off the rustic nature of the build with the solid wood columns, exposed beams and wide plank wood floors. They feature local art work which are available for purchase.
We both ordered the cinnamon banana pancakes. They were mammoth and very light and fluffy. The cinnamon to banana ratio was spot on. We order two sides of bacon and again the portions were very generous an cooked to perfection.
This is a great place to go for some home cooked style eats.

Task 94 - Kayaking the Ct River (Essex,CT)

Task 94 - Kayak 6 new places (1/6)

Location: Connecticut River (South Cove, Essex,CT)

Distance: 2.09 Miles
Time:       0.53:17


Dan and I decided after breakfast that we would like to Kayak along the Connecticut River in Essex. The scenery is amazing with the marina's and all the power and sail boats. The Connecticut River makes a sharp turn in Essex and as a result the river created South Cove which provides a great place for boaters like me to stop to Kayak and enjoy the natural beauty of the shoreline it has carved.

We started our kayaking trip at the end of Main Street at the Essex Town Dock. They have a great launch ramp here that is great for canoe's and kayak's as well as for  jet Ski's and power boat's. Once we were in the water we paddled along the shoreline past a few of the marina's which had a few seriously large yacht's docked. The Lucky Seven was at the end and it was really a beauty.

We then entered South Cove with Thatchbed Island on our left and the main land on our right. South Cove is a quiet well protected cove. The houses along this stretch of the river vary greatly from the classic New England styles to the far more contemporary homes. It also was home to a variety of wildlife. We saw snowy egrets, swan's and comorants nesting and swiming around the uninhabited Thatchbed Island.

As we rounded the cove and along the front of Thatchbed Island we encountered a small boat with a fisherman hoping to catch some local seafood. He hadn't caught anything yet and I doubt he did.

As we approached the marina's again we went a little farther out and relaxing amungst the many sailboat's morred in the river before returning to the launch ramp.

Parking was pretty easy considering it was a beautiful weekend. I think it is mainly because there isnt too much to be found in the way of shops at this end of Main Street. Next time I am going to go the other way and explore North Cove and the Fall's River that flows into it.

Task 30 - Marley's Cafe (Essex, CT)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (55/20)

Restaurant: Marley's Cafe

Rating:          4-Stars - Food
                      1-Star Service and Management

What a quaint little breakfast cafe located on the Essex Marina Island. To get there you have to take a small free boat ride. The small ferry can only accommodate 6 at a time but the round trip is quick. When you debark from the ferry at the top of the ramp you find Marley's Cafe. It's a small restaurant with about a half dozen tables inside and a patio with a dozen outdoor tables with umbrella's.

When we arrived all the tables were full and we put our name down on the list. It didn't take long before we were sitting at one of the outside tables. We all ordered Eggs Benedict since that is their specialty. Dad, Dan and I all ordered the Californian Eggs Benedict and my mother the regular House Eggs Benedict. I ordered a water with lemon and they all ordered the Coffee.

It took forever for the coffee to come and once it did only two cups came out. She also brought no cream with her. My dad went and asked for cream so two could enjoy their cups before they got cold. The third was waiting for a new pot to brew. The first two cups were empty by the time the third came out and I had to ask for my water 3 times.Our waitress clearly couldn't multi task and was easily distracted and forgot about things she was asked for. It was a very painful process.

About 45 minutes had gone by and no food. I went in to investigate and was told they were coming out right now. Two of the breakfasts did anyways. the third took another 25 minutes and the 4th took 35 minutes. I multiple times asked to speak to the manager at this point and was told there wasn't one but the owner was there. I asked our waitress to come over.

She avoided our table like the plague. Mean while the table next to us who had been waiting almost as long gave up and left as their meals were just coming out and refused to pay for anything. At this point we had finished our meals which the slow and painful service aside were excellent but I still had not gotten to speak to the owner.

Finally I cornered the owner to express my dissatisfaction with the service and she conceded that we were not the only table complaining. She apologized for the wait but was not sincere with her apology and was honestly very rude. She repeated that it wasn't her fault but that they were doing the best they could. When I tried to get a reason for why the meals didn't come out at the same time she gave no excuse. I told her I expected an adjustment to the bill which we were ready for and she walked away.

It took another 20 minutes to get the bill. My dining companions were far more patient then I. I was ready to walk away. When the bill came no adjustment was made and I voted to skip out on the bill since it took over 2 hours to be served. I was unfortunately out voted. We paid but left no tip.

Even though I would rate the food 4 -stars the service was so bad I can't give this place any more then 1 star.

Task 38 - Deep River Muster

(38) Visit 10 Festivals or Fairs (09/20)

Event: Deep River Ancient Muster
When: July 21, 2012

Location: Deep River, Connecticut

Rating: 4 - Stars

Traditions are held dear in New England and if you live or spend time on the Connecticut River Valley during the summer months you are sure to include the fife and drums of the Deep River Ancient Muster as part of the sounds of summer.

Always held the 3rd Saturday in July the Deep River Ancient Muster is a gathering of Fife and Drim participants and enthusiasts from all over the world. It is known as the "Grand Daddy of All Muster". The parade started at Devitt's Field and proceeded down Main Street for roughly a mile.

This year I counted over 50 different groups. The groups were lead by the Local Deep River Drum Corp. Each group had their own uniquely colonial uniforms/costumes and marched down the street playing some old favorites like Yankee Doodle.

The groups came from near and far and included paritcipants of all ages. Those gathered along the mile long route also varied greatly in age and type. This is an event that many generations of families have at one time or another attended or participated. I know I have been coming here for years every summer with my parents and until this year with my grandmother.

I recorded some of the groups as they walked by and put together this compilation.



Task 96 - Go Mountain Biking 10 times (Assabet River Rail Trail)

(96) Go mountain biking 10 times (7/10)

Location:  Assabet River Rail Trail (Marlborough, MA – Hudson, MA)
Distance: 10.13 Miles
Time:        1 Hour 5 Minutes

With the heat soaring in the mid 90’s I wasn’t particularly excited about riding today. My brother of course wanted to go deep into the woods again but I suggested a more leisurely ride where we could take the kids and maybe even get my nephew to try riding without his training wheels.

He agreed that would be a good idea and that we could do it at the Assabet River Rail Trail and that it was about a mile away so we could ride our bikes there and meet my sister-in-law there with the kids so we could get a little more riding in. I agreed not realizing that my brother’s measurement skills are lacking and fired up run tracker and off we went. It is actually 4 miles away. The trip there wasn’t so bad mostly downhill with one climb that was a killer. 

Once we were there we got the kids on the trail and began following the Assabet River Rail Trail. It is a nicely paved path very level that follows Main Street to the center of Hudson. My nephew and I stopped and took our pictures with the rail car that is on display. This trail goes on for about a mile with a great stop off spot at McD’s to satisfy the kids hunger. I know not healthy but we were all a bit hungry.

Sadly my iPhone battery wasn’t cooperating and I had to stop tracking my ride. Thankfully Run Tracker lets you edit your ride so the distance calculated is accurate but the calories burned is about ½ and the pace and climb are not correct. My fault for not making sure the phone was fully charged before beginning.

We began the trip back to the car and the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves. Myy nephew seemed to be growing in confidence the whole ride although we didn’t get the training wheels off. I am hopeful that next time he will be ready to give it a try.

Once the kids were loaded up my brother and I had the not so fun task of riding back to the house another 4 miles this time in the dark. Thankfully the roads are lightly travelled and my sister-in-law followed us to keep the street illuminated. This return trip nearly killed me. I don’t know if it was just the intense heat or if the McD’s did me in but It was torture. I struggled to make it back and nearly collapsed when I got there.

It wasn’t even close to my longest ride but I’d say it was my hardest given the temperature and the humidity. I was a pool of sweat by the end.

Task 30 – Russell House Tavern (Cambridge, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (54/20)

Restaurant:  Russell House Tavern

Website:      www.russellhousecambridge.com

Rating:        3-stars

Russell House Tavern is located in the heart of Harvard square on JFK Street. They have a great our door seating area for the beautiful summer days. This was not one of them with the heat and humidity. We opted to sit inside at one of the high-tops near the bar upstairs.

Their menu had lots of great entrees but not being overly hungry we decided to order two things and share them.  We settled on the R. House Grass Fed Burger and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich.  The burger was 8ounces of perfectly cook ground beef served on an English muffin with cheddar cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. It was very juicy and a tad messy but it was very tasty. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich with an edamame and pecorino spread, pickled red onions, fried shishito peppers and arugula on a focaccia was a bit different but equally tasty. I enjoyed the variety of flavors that both entrees offered. Both meals were served with an ample serving fresh cut French fries.

If I had to choose one I would go with the burger just because it was a classic burger and those always hit the spot. The chicken was a tad messier then the burger with the spread oozing out of it as your took a bite.

Given that it was a Friday I decided to get a cocktail and with the waiters recommendation I got the Cure-All-Fiz made of Oxley Gin, Rhubarb-Infused Lillet, strawberry, lemon, burlesque bitters and soda water. It was very unusual and a bit weird honestly. I am not sure if it was the variety of citrus flavors that just didn't seem to mesh well or if it was the less than ample serving. My biggest pet peeve with restaurants is that when you serve a drink the ice shouldn't make up 90% of the beverage. Its purpose is to keep the drink cool not to be so dominant that unless you drink it immediately it becomes so diluted with water that you don't taste anything especially when you're paying 10$ a drink.

3 Stars. - I had to take a star away for the poorly executed cocktail.

Task 30 – Armsby Abbey (Worcester, MA)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (53/20)

Restaurant: Armsby Abbey
Location:    144 Main Street
                     Worcester, MA 01608
                     (508) 795-1012

Website:      www.armsbyabbey.com

Rating:         4-stars

Hungry as usual a friend and I decided to try Armsby Abbey for an early dinner. Having heard from so many people it was good bar and with neither of us are big fans of bar’s we had until today steered clear. What a big mistake. The atmosphere is more classy pub/microbrewery then dirty bar and the quality of their fresh locally grown farm sourced foods was amazing.

We both took the advice of the waitress and went with the Slow Roasted 100% Grass-Fed Adams Farm Beef. It had a black pepper-horseradish Crème Fraiche and roasted radishes, shallots, Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze Cheddar, and a Bacon Vinaigrette dressed Arugula all nicely sandwiched between two slices of homemade toasted baguette. WOW was it good. I am glad I don’t work in Worcester or you would find me here every day at lunchtime.

Even though it was a generous portion I couldn’t pass on the Smore dessert I saw coming out of the kitchen in rapid succession. I was lucky enough to get the last one. It was a cupcake style chocolate cake with a burst of toasted marshmallows’ and a chocolaty ganache that was so rich and tasty it melted in my mouth.  

Everything here was great from the ambiance to the food and especially the drinks. We had a cocktail whose name I don’t recall 100% something paradise and it was delicious. I can’t wait to go back and try more of the farm sourced creations they offer.

Task 30 – Hong Kong Star (Plainfield, CT)

(30) Eat in 10 New Restaurants (52/20)

Restaurant: Hong Kong Star
Location:     69 Lathrop Rd
                     Plainfield, CT 06374                     (860) 564-8498

Rating:        2-Stars - Food
                    1-Star Service

I stopped here on my way home from the beach. It’s a perfect halfway point and located just off of 395 in Plainfield, CT next to the Big Y. When we arrived we were the only customers. We were seated in one of the circa 1990 booths that looks as though it hadn’t gotten a good cleaning in a while and already on the table were some fried snacks and duck sauce.

After looking at the cleanliness of the booth I opted to pass on the complimentary table offerings. A few moments later our waitress came to the table and we ordered General Tao’s combo with crab rangoon’s and fried rice.

Within about 5 minutes our meals arrive but unfortunately they were spare ribs and not General Tao’s. She apologized indicating she must have written the wrong letter down. 2 minutes later our meals re-emerged. The crab rangoon’s were over cooked and had too little filling to be satisfying. The rice was clearly a reheat and the General Tao’s was bland and uninspired.

While we ate their staff of three sat in a booth by the kitchen and all watched us eat. It was a bit weird and creepy. Perhaps I expect too much from a shopping mall Chinese restaurant but next time I’ll try a different place.



Task 38 – OpSail 2012

(38) Visit 10 Festivals of Fairs (08/20)

Festival: OpSail 2012
Location: New London,CT

Website: www.opsail2012ct.com

When: July 6 - 9, 2012

Rating: 4-Stars

This year OpSail is celebrating the 200^th Anniversary of the War of 1812. Over 40 ships sailed into the Thames River including the 295ft USCGC Eagle and the 249ft Cisne Branco from Brazil. We arrived at Fort Trumbull and joined the line at the Pier to board the Tall ships. While in the 1 hour plus line we noticed that another much smaller sailboat docked at the pier was none other than the famous Amistad. Based in Mystic Seaport the Amistad the Amistad unfortunately was not open to visitors other than to appreciate her less refined beauty as she floats near the much larger tall ships.

The first ship we boarded was the Cisne Branco (White Swan) measuring in at 249 ft this white beauty is based in Rio de Janiero and the crown jewel of the Brazilian Navy. Built in 1998 she is not a fighting machine but rather used in national and international representation activities to showcase the Brazilian Navy and Brazilian Culture as well as a training ship for Navy Cadets. She is the third vessel to have the name Cisne Branco

Her dockmate the USCGC Eagle measures in at an incredible 195 feet and it too is white with the trademark USCG Racing Strips. Like her Brazilian counterpart she too is used primarily as a training vessel for the USCG and represents the USCG in many national and international activities. She is the seventh US Naby or Coast Guard ship to bear the name eagle since 1792. She was originally the German  Horst Wessel and at the end of WWII it was repatriated as a war reparation. It currently has a crew of 6 officers and 56 enlisted men.

Both were a real treat to see and to explore their decks. It is amazing to see two of the world’s greatest tall ships up close.