May 18, 2012

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Cupcake Shops in Boston

The inside of a Boston cream cupcake.
Image via Wikipedia

Cupcakes, in all their dessert glory, are quickly becoming the biggest baking trend sweeping America. Seemingly overnight cupcakes boutiques are popping up in every major city coast to coast. Cupcake tower birthday cakes are the number one alternative to traditional wedding and birthday cakes. It is easy to see why, cupcakes are wildly customizable and adventurous foodies can sample from a seemingly endless variation on a theme. The serving size of a cupcake is usually less than a traditional slice of cake thus making the cupcake a nice portion controlled alternative. From Kickass Cupcakes in the Davis Square Subway Station to Sweet Cupcakes on Newbury, Boston has no shortage to this crafty confection.

Kickass Cupcakes, as the name suggests, is full of some seriously bold, innovative, and mouthwatering flavors ranging from the traditional to the extreme. Taking full advantage of regional flavors like Samuel Adams Beer, the Green Monster is made from the luscious Sam Adams Cream Stout forming the ganache center topped with a whipped chocolate green beer frosting. While The Green Monster is only offered for a limited time, Kickass has a popular selection of rotating “Flavors of the Day” including Friday’s S’mores Cupcake which features graham cracker cake, topped with chocolate ganache frosting, and a vanilla bean marshmallow to top. Kickass Cupcakes are baked from scratch every day and do not use any artificial ingredients like trans fats or hydrogenated oils, nothing fake in these cupcakes!

Another must-stop shop to satisfy your sweet tooth is Sweet Cupcakes in Harvard Square and on Newbury Street. Sweet Cupcakes is gourmet dessert fans wildest dream come true. Using only the finest ingredients, Sweet Cupcakes features a wide array of seasonal and artesian cupcakes with unique flavors made with uncompromised ingredients. The Boston Cream Pie, is a twist on a hometown legend, delectable chiffon cake is filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate ganache frosting.

If you are on a mission to find the best cupcake in America, look no further than two of Boston’s most famous cupcake shops.

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It’s Like Europe, Without a Passport

Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Image via Wikipedia

Boston is a city of endlessly excellent architecture. While it is not quite the same as the Mediterranean holidays you can find on the other side of the Atlantic, you do have a whole lot of history to explore. And all of this, without the infrastructural problems that Europe is beginning to suffer from. Ever since 1625, history has given Boston and its citizens plenty to brag about. For instance, there is the statue of Mary Dyer, who was executed in Boston Common and became the last martyr in America. But believe it or not, a large number of the buildings in Boston date from after 1760, when the largest recorded earthquake in the history of New England occurred there. That’s one way to push urban renewal.

Because there were so many early battles in the Revolutionary War fought in and near there, Boston is often referred to as the Cradle of Liberty. While the streets and some of the buildings may be as old as some in Europe, this is the place where Europe and the United States of America parted ways in a slight but meaningful way. Maybe we just got sick of drinking tea all the time. The only way you are sure to find out is if you go and check out the place. They even have a Freedom Trail.

But maybe the history of warfare isn’t quite your thing. The history doesn’t end with peace. For a hundred years, Boston was among the wealthiest trading and production cities in the world. And since that time, though the world has changed, fortune favors the well prepared. And considering that Boston has plenty of cultural tours to boast about, and is even in the bidding process for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 (might as well try for both), they are definitely the type of city that prepares. Who needs a passport?

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Sharing Good Times with Other Tourists and Locals

The Cheers site in Boston from the street like...
Image via Wikipedia

When you visit some of Boston’s most popular nightspots, you’ll meet tourists and locals with whom you can share stories and travel tips. For instance, you may be able to find out information on the best holiday villas in Portugal when you’re visiting a couple of Boston’s more famous bars.

One of them is a bar that is actually named “Cheers”, after the TV show of the same name. That bar has its own unique atmosphere, but if you want to see the one that was used for the exterior shots on the show, you will have to go to the Hampshire House. Its original name was the Bull and Finch.

The two bars are just two of the many things you’ll see when you visit Boston. After your tour of Beacon Hill, the Old North Church (where the lanterns were hung to signal to Paul Revere how the British would be arriving) and other famous historical locations, you can go back to one or both of the bars and continue sharing your adventures.

If you live close by, traveling to Boston may be a regular thing for you, and you may know some special dining spots or other attractions that aren’t exactly found on the tourist sites. If you are making Boston your vacation destination, however, and this is your first visit, don’t be afraid to wander a little bit off the beaten path. You never know, you might find those very same hidden places.

If you feel more comfortable staying in or around familiar places, that’s all right, too. You can still meet some local people, and may still see something that no one else has ever noticed before.

If you can, try to visit Boston during the fall. The leaves are at their peak of color, and the weather is usually very pleasant.

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Getting Commercial Refrigeration for Your Restaurant

When you start up a restaurant or any kind of business where refrigeration is necessary, getting what you need can be difficult and a little bit overwhelming. You can’t just go to the nearest appliance store and buy a big refrigerator and go on with your life. You’ll need to have a commercial refrigerator. These are much larger than the appliances you see in people’s homes, and they can also cost a lot more. Getting them delivered and set up can add to the expense. However, it’s not a good idea to try to hook them up yourself if there’s any kind of plumbing involved.

If they simply plug into a standard socket, there’s less of a worry – but many of them run on more power than a standard socket offers, and will still need to be installed by professionals. As you start looking for commercial refrigeration options, keep that in mind. If you don’t have the right kind of electric lines or outlets, you may need an electrician to come in and do some work in your building before you can even get the refrigerator. It’s not a good idea to try to rig something up that works. That’s not only a code violation, but also a serious fire hazard.

You can get great commercial refrigeration ideas by shopping around a little bit and seeing what companies are offering. There are new and used choices, and you’ll want to find out about warranty information. That’s especially true if you’re looking at a used refrigerator, because you may not be able to get any kind of warranty on it. Don’t buy something you’re not sure of, or purchase from a place that’s not reputable. A commercial refrigerator can be a big expense for a restaurant or other business, and you’ll want to spend your money wisely.

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A Hopeful Boost For The Boston Fishing Industry

An oroshi hocho in use at the Tsukiji fish mar...
Image via Wikipedia

Boston seems to have hit a gold mine when it comes to the seafood industry. After the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a good chunk of the fishing industry was quick to go out of business. Luckily, however, the oil spill didn’t effect the North Atlantic fishing business, among which Boston has continued to have stable sales of seafood. This is partly due to the inclination for more cold-water species of seafaring creatures that aren’t found in the South, but are prominent near the Boston area. Among these are fish like cod, flounder, and bass.
But prices for these local Boston fish have remained at a stable rate, even though the Gulf oil spill led to a tangled mess of economic and environmental decline. This is likely due to the economy in general: people have less money and less motivation to dine out. Though most of the general market on the seafood industry of Boston won’t end up too effected because of the economy, one major boost that the fishing business will probably see in the near future is in the popular Boston fish known as the bluefin tuna. This huge fish carries with it an equally giant tag, as it’s prized for use in making sushi. The reason Boston can be assured to cash in on the bluefin tuna is because tuna was a popular fish in the Gulf of Mexico where a hefty number of larvae were laid in the spring season – but now, it’s unlikely that many of these baby fish survived. This means that Boston bluefish will be in high demand.
Another side of the fishing industry would be the shrimp and shellfish of the seafood business. Most of the shrimp production for the nation – nearly 70 percent – was gathered in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf region harvests almost the same percentage of oysters. Boston is, therefore, quite a lucky area to have their own local crop of shrimp and oysters, so the people of Boston can still enjoy their fill of such seafood fishes without having to worry about unavailability.

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