No matter where you are in life, or what challenges the universe throws at you, there is always something to be grateful for. And Thanksgiving provides the perfect time to reflect on that, beginning with the food we share and yes, overeat.
Dee Sez:
I wrote the following four years ago, but never shared it. Though I originally intended to post it on Facebook, it was really just for me to sort out my feelings. I recently found it and have decided it’s still relevant, so I’m sharing it here, instead. In 2015 I lost my brother Richie. In 2016, I came close to losing my husband. In 2017, I lost both parents within months. Now it is 2019, and my husband, our dog and bird are still with me, so my gratitude is way big.
Here’s what I wrote back in 2015:
I’ve been seeing lots of posts about “30 Days of Gratitude” and I think it’s wonderful and inspiring. But it saddens me that we need a Facebook platform to find something to be grateful for every day. I understand that it’s an exercise to stop and smell the roses. But in my opinion, there’s a garden of gratitude in just being alive and free.
I don’t know who decided we needed a 30 day format to express our gratitude, but today is Thanksgiving, so I’ll express it for today, to those who care to read, and then let it be.
Every day, and particularly on this Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to wake up, to open my eyes and see the light of day slowly creeping into my bedroom. To hear my little dog whining to get back up onto the bed. To turn to my husband, and, with a silly voice say, “Little girl wants to get back on the bed.” I’m grateful that she wants him–and not me–to lift her back up on to the bed, where she will then exert her authority over us, because in just six short years she’s got life all figured out. I’m also immeasurably grateful that my little parrot, Arnie, is still with me after 26 years (and counting).
I’m grateful to be able to get out of the bed and walk unescorted to the bathroom, where I am grateful to be afforded the dignity of my privacy. I’m grateful for my toothbrush and toothpaste (as is my husband when we share a morning kiss). I’m grateful for the clean water in the kettle that makes my tea, the hot shower that cleanses me, the clothes that aren’t too raggedy.
I’m grateful for a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast before I leave the house. And I’m grateful that when I arrive back home, intact, unscathed, it’s to a house that welcomes me with warmth in the frigid dead of winter and cools me in the scorching heat of summer. For that matter, I’m grateful for crisp autumn air, and the promise of spring.
More than anything, I’m grateful that sometimes in my head–and sometimes, if I’m lucky, in my dreams–I can hear my mother’s voice: a woman who now lives in an unreachable netherworld, who stares at me blankly through the eyes of Alzheimer’s, her thoughts, feelings, opinions and desires permanently extinguished. But if you can be grateful for Alzheimer’s, then I’m grateful she is unaware she outlived her son Richie. She has been spared the grief of losing a child.
Life is tough. It challenges us to find the meaning in our lives and particularly in our suffering. But every day, in spite of life’s trials and tribulations, I feel grateful for the simple things, which are abundant. I have all five of my senses, and the use of all my limbs and digits, which for starters seems like enough. I don’t need a 30 day Facebook exercise to express that, because, more than anything, I’m grateful for the freedom to be grateful, to express myself every day (or not), on any day (or not), and to live life in accordance with my own beliefs (always).
Every day, on any given day, and all year long, I am free. For me, freedom from so many difficult challenges is reason enough to be grateful, and it is the most important flower in my gratitude garden. Freedom is a precious flower because it has so many fragrances.
I am so grateful for that precious flower.
Dee Sez:
Before we were able to post this, Lisa lost her brother and Eva lost her Uncle Michael. Two weeks later, I lost my sweet baby bird, Arnie. Which just goes to show, sometimes it’s hard to be grateful. In fact, I was negligent in posting this in November 2019 because of grief. And maybe that’s when you need gratitude the most. To be grateful for those still with us; those that want to give you loving support; those that grieve along side you. Even in despair and grief, there is always a reason to be grateful. This past Thanksgiving was very hard for the Gertz Girlz. But we are all so grateful for so many blessings.
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
What grows in your Garden of Gratitude? We’d love to know. Among many things, the Gertz Girlz are certainly grateful that you read our humble blog.
We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. We wish you every reason to be grateful and thankful at Thanksgiving and always.
There are all kinds of situations which require comfort. Funerals, obviously. Sometimes weddings, for that matter. Divorce, moving, miscarriages, menopause, middle-age crises, loss of a job, illness, the friend fight that is irreparable. And alas, the Empty Nest.
Lisa Sez:
The last two years have had me in a roller-coaster of stress. Illness? Check. Make that a chronic “invisible” and under-researched vertigo type of illness. Loss of job and income? Check. Middle-age and menopause? Check. Let’s add getting your only child through senior year. And finally, the Empty Nest.
Dee Sez:
Can I just say that I suffered from Empty Nest by Proxy? Is that a thing? It should be. I felt your pain, particularly in realizing our girl had grown up. I wasn’t prepared to let her go as that sweet little girl. Sigh…
Lisa Sez:
Feeling completely out of control of my life last January, I decided to go on a Keto diet. If I couldn’t control anything else (including my inability to exercise due to chronic vertigo), I was going to control my weight through diet. I was at my heaviest since I’d been pregnant 19 years earlier. My goal was to lose enough weight to feel good by my daughter’s graduation in June. It gave me a personal goal on which to focus, aside from all the administrative work of getting my teenager enrolled in college. And as the pounds fell off, I did feel a sense of control that I had felt not in a couple of years.
We got through the gray, non-existent “Spring” of New Hampshire known as mud season, the acceptance and rejection letters from colleges, the “Senioritis” and finally deciding on a college. A visceral relief. Late May and “Senior Week” was here. Eva came down with the worst virus she has ever had. High fever, lethargy, no appetite. She missed all the fun Senior Week activities; the Convocation Ceremony, the Sunset Dinner Cruise with all her friends, Senior Breakfast, Visit Your Elementary School Teachers. All of it. Graduation was at the end of that week, on Friday evening. Eva was still weak with a fever. I thought “This can’t happen. She HAS to walk across that stage and graduate with her class!”
Eva Marie Gertz. Londonderry High School, Class of 2019!
With great determination, and the support of my group of girlfriends whom I love with all my heart, and of course with Advil…Eva walked across the graduation stage and took her diploma to thunderous applause. My relief was enormous.
But no time to relax. It was onto the next event the following weekend – the graduation party. This happily went off without a hitch. So happily, that I decided to fall off my Keto Wagon and have a piece of the chocolate cake with raspberry filling which we had ordered from a fantastic local bakery, Triolo’s in Bedford, NH. What can I tell you? I felt immediately…comforted.
Woot! Woot!A fitting ‘comfort’ cake for the LHS Lancer’s drum line captain!Stu, Dee and Eva at her graduation party.
There are a few things in life that can comfort us. Food obviously. The cozy pajamas. The chick-flick movie. The favorite book. Good friends. It turns out, I was going to need the whole package.
After Eva graduated, what followed was one of the weirdest summers I’ve ever known. It was a blur of activities, such as ordering sheets and bedding in “extra long” sizes. Many visits to the Bed Bath & Beyond store for laundry and storage items. Going to Orientation for an overnight at the college. Following a new Facebook page for parents of new college students. All the while knowing that I would be saying goodbye to my only child in a few short weeks. It was surreal.
Eva’s Roger Williams University Dorm Room
I stayed off the Keto Wagon for the duration. I was about to lose control of my life in a way I had not experienced. I was going to lose the most important role I had ever played. The Mom. I ate whatever the hell I wanted.
By the time I dropped Eva off at her college dorm (after setting her up with a weighted blanket, a month’s supply of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies, and the required mini-lights for the wall above her lofted bed), I drove home the two hours in a daze. The temperature had dropped 15 degrees since we departed that morning. I was going home to our empty apartment (affectionately nicknamed “The Treehouse” due to it’s third floor position and green views) and even the damn season had changed in that time period from Summer to Fall. I had no idea what to do. It was Empty Nest on steroids.
Lisa and Eva’s much loved Treehouse
My friends were fantastic. They checked in on a regular basis, made plans to meet me for dinner, gave me hugs and glasses of wine, texted my daughter to send her love and support. I will be forever grateful for that lovely support. But I would require more comfort.
I turned to reading a book that has been a lifelong favorite. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Eva also loved it as an adolescent and read it multiple times. I also started re-watching a favorite Netflix series that Eva and I loved – Downton Abbey. I started from Season One and began the comfort binge snuggling by myself and letting Mrs. Patmore work her magic. It definitely helped.
Downtown Abbey: a binge-worthy comfort in the treehouse
But I truly wasn’t feeling the comfort of Eva’s graduation cake. While I had been eating carbs at abandon for the two months leading up to the college drop-off, I hadn’t actually eaten the exact meal that would bring me COMFORT (yes in all caps). I began to give this some serious thought. I decided to stalk the aisles of my local supermarket for inspiration. It didn’t take me long to find what I needed. Surprisingly, both items I chose came in cans. Not surprisingly, both items came from my childhood.
Cream of Tomato Soup. My favorite of the Campbell’s collection, it has made me feel better at every age and every occasion and especially on cold, rainy days. I only make this condensed soup with milk.
Okay so now you are thinking “grilled cheese sandwich” (I’m a psychic). But you are wrong. While it is the perfect accompaniment to a creamy bowl of tomato soup, another canned good caught my eye before I could head to the bread and cheese section.
It was bread though. Bread in a can. I was just passing by the shelf with the B&M beans (another comfort food) when my eyes caught a glimpse of the B&M Brown Bread in a can with the same red label that I recognized from my childhood. I swiveled and stared. Perhaps that product had been stocked in the store for all 18 years I’ve been going there, but it was the first time I noticed it. Immediately, memories came flooding back of my mother serving this in the 1960’s and 70’s (probably with her homemade oven-baked beans) and my mouth began to water.
There it is. For Lisa yum, for Dee yuck.
If you’ve never had this New England specialty, it is a very dense and very moist brown bread, and it has a lovely molasses flavor to it. The serving tips on the can suggest everything from spreading it with peanut butter to cream cheese. But I knew that I would eat it warm and spread it. No, SLATHER it, with good butter.
Campbell’s Tomato Soup made with milk, and B&M Brown Bread slathered with good butter.
Dee Sez:
When I married Doug, I inherited a can of B&M Brown Bread. Doug tried to convince me that it was really good, but bread in a can is so foreign and revolting to me, I couldn’t face it. So the can stayed in the pantry for the first 14 years of our marriage (and possibly even longer before that), until we moved and I was relieved to toss it. The thought of opening that can reminded me of Pandora’s Box, and I didn’t want to unleash whatever hellish mess was inside. Lisa, you didn’t know how long your can was sitting on the super market shelf, but I knew approximately how long mine had been sitting around. Blech!
Lisa Sez:
I ran home with my two precious cans of comfort and prepared my meal. It was exactly what I needed. The soup made me feel coddled and loved. The warm, buttered brown bread (with 29 FREAKING grams of carbs per half inch slice), made me feel relaxed and young and content. And for a few precious minutes…I didn’t mind that I was all alone in my Empty Nest.
Alas all comfortz must come to an end until they are needed again. Now it’s time to bravely face my new next chapter, and to jump back on that Keto wagon so that my daughter still recognizes me when she comes home from college.
Eva Sez:
I still recognized my mother when I came home for my first visit a month later. I appreciated home so much more than when I left. And as for my welcome home meal – my mom didn’t open a single can! She comforted me with roasted pork loin and carrots and parsnips, potato pancakes with sour cream and homemade applesauce, braised brussels sprouts, and fudge brownies still warm from the oven. There’s no place like home!
Eva’s Welcome Home Spread
Dee Sez:
Eva, your mom is the BEST! The best cook, best mom, best friend, best heart, best soul. But she loses points on the canned bread 😉
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
Life throws us curveballs, but no matter what we do, we can’t duck them. They will hit us, and hit us hard. All we can do is seek out the comfortz that get us through: food, friends, family, hope, and love. Comfortz that are not so small after all.
In 2017, there was no celebration of Passover because we had lost both Gertz matriarch and patriarch, Fran and Jerry. In 2018, Dee held a Passover Seder to honor her father, mother and grandmother. This year, the Gertz Girlz skipped holiday traditions and went their separate ways for both Passover and Easter. Dee decided she was too tired to create another Passover Seder. It’s one of those transition years, where we just needed to chill in our respective corners.
Lisa Sez:
I’ve made it no secret that Easter is one of my least favorite holidays. It’s still too chilly here in New England for the lightweight clothing the catalog companies would have us wearing. Not a fan of a week’s worth of ham leftovers. Not a fan of pastel colors. And the smell of lilies makes me nauseous. Add to that fact that Eva and I were left with no real plans for this particular holiday weekend, and I was itching to get out of New Hampshire – so Brookline, Mass here we come! Specifically, it was Coolidge Corner that we headed to, in search of a non-Easter Sunday in this Jewish-centric neighborhood of my young adulthood.
Lisa and Eva start their road trip!
I have great memories here in this village, where I could go everywhere without ever getting in my car. Sunday mornings meant walking to Kupel’s Bakery for my iced coffee and a warm sesame seed bagel with smoked lox, capers, a slice of tomato, red onion and of course a “shmear” of cream cheese. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
A trip down memory lane: the mouth watering bagel sandwich at Kupel’s Bakery.
Then it was over to the Brookline Booksmith, arguably one of the best independent bookstores in the world, for a good browse. In the afternoon or evening I might take myself to the Coolidge Corner Theatre, an arthouse theatre that opened in 1933, where I could happily spend a couple of hours watching such subtitled and excellent films as Cinema Paradiso and Camille Claudel (available now on Netflix by the way). On a weeknight after work, I might head over to my favorite little Chinese restaurant on Beacon Street to sit at the bar with the little tv, have a glass of wine, and watch my favorite team, the Boston Bruins.
Ah yes, the Bruins. Another factor in this year’s Easter Sunday was that it was Game 6 and potentially our elimination game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the puck dropping at 3pm. So here was the plan: We would leave New Hampshire around 11am, get to Coolidge Corner by noon, find a first rate deli, gorge ourselves silly on good Jewish food, walk the neighborhood, and head home in time to watch the game on our own big tv (where I could swear at the refs all I wanted.) This executed so perfectly that it will go down as one of my favorite Easter Sundays ever.
There was little to no traffic as we glided into a parking spot less than a block from the action. My favorite deli restaurant, Ruben’s Deli was no longer, so we decided to try one that didn’t exist when I lived there in the 90’s, but which had high recommendations – Michael’s Deli on Harvard Street.
The stars aligned here! Great deli and lots of Bruins paraphernalia.
Man–when the stars align. Not only were we about to eat some of the best “deli” we could wish for, the place was covered with Bruins paraphernalia, including the owner (Steven, not Michael for some reason) who was wearing a B’s shirt. We were in heaven.
Friendly deli guy and (obviously) a big Bruins fan…hold the mayo!
Once at the counter, a friendly guy directed me to the item I had been fantasizing about for hours…a hot pastrami on dark rye. “You want that with mustard?” he asked. “Of course!” I barked at him with a smile. He grinned and leaned towards me conspiratorially, “You know I actually get people who ask for mayo?” he said. “Oh, that will be your next customer,” I said, jerking my thumb back to indicate Eva, who I was having fun throwing under the Jewish food bus. He winked at me as she ordered her Rueben sandwich ‘with mayo please’.
While we waited for our food to come out, we studied the visually busy little restaurant. Boasting a deli case filled with everything from liverwurst to their house-made pickles, we noticed another case just for knishes. I got a kick from a sign listing the specials titled “Bruins Playoffs Krazy Knishes: the “Jake DeBrisket”, the “Zdeno Ch-ocolate”, and the “Patrice Burger-on”. I had found my tribe here.
Dee Sez:
OMG…knish envy! Is there such a thing? There is now, I guess. I can’t remember the last time I had a knish. Probably in Baltimore, most likely 1995. To me, Baltimore and knish go hand-in-hand. Along with what any self-respecting deli would call roast beef, which is basically brisket. So good.
Lisa Sez:
Our sandwiches were ready fast, along with a plate of warm latkes (with sour cream and apple sauce for dipping). Oh Baby. Those sandwiches. My pastrami sandwich was perfection and I mean PERFECTION. Warm, salty and richly flavored with just the right amount of fat clinging to the edges, the meat was cut to the correct thickness and contrasted beautifully with the pungent and soft dark rye bread, and the spicy mustard.
Lisa’s pastrami sandwich, also known as PERFECTION!
Eva Sez:
I watched my mother’s ecstatic first bite and then tucked into my Reuben. The corned beef was a two-inch stack between the grilled rye bread, oozing with melted swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and yes, mayo (so sue me!). As I finished the sandwich I said, “There’s really no need to order a Rueben anywhere else, because I’ll never have one better than this.”
A very happy Eva with her Rueben…the best Evah!
Lisa Sez:
I agree and apparently so did Anthony Bourdain and the Phantom Gourmet, among others. We finished up our outstanding lunch and managed to chat with the owner Steven Peljovich, who does some really nice community service with donations to the Shawn Thornton Foundation, among others. Such a nice guy, and I tried to calm him down about the upcoming game.
Eva Sez:
As we left, I noticed a cool Jewish Food Zodiac chart on a fridge. We looked up our birth years and they were very appropriate. Mom’s was Pastrami and mine was the Black & White (Mrs. Maisel would approve!)
Jewish Zodiac? Oy vey!
Dee Sez:
I’m not able to read the chart, but if there is a knish, that would be my birth year. Latkes are a close second, but I’ve never enjoyed a blintz. Not sure why since it’s basically a crepe, which I love. And if the Jewish Zodiac could guarantee my grandmother’s homemade Kosher dill pickles, which were so crunching and garlicky, that would work. Man, I miss that taste! I’ve never experienced it anywhere, at any deli or supermarket. The taste was all hers.
Eva Sez:
The rest of the day we walked around Coolidge Corner, heading towards the section known as Little Israel, people-watching and noticing that everything was in bloom – forsythia, magnolias, and multiple small front yards filled with tulips and daffodils. I wanted to explore a side street and my mother chose Beal Street so I could see the cathedral of giant sycamore trees, and the birth home of John F. Kennedy.
Happy tree hugger Eva.
We ended up at J.P. Licks for some Extreme Chocolate ice cream to end our gastronomic adventure. As we left the shop, I noticed the marquee at the Coolidge Corner Theatre read, “Julianne Moore here on Thursday to accept her Coolidge Award!” From the ice cream to the theatre, this neighborhood remains “cool” in every way.
Eva’s ice cream in a very cool place.
Dee Sez:
Not a big fan of Easter either, Lisa. But I was as a child. My mother’s family did it up great (as a secular holiday). Egg hunts are among my favorite memories. My cousin Michael was very competitive, and I’m not, so I enjoyed finding eggs and leaving them alone so that he could find them. I didn’t care about the eggs; my joy was watching my adored cousin’s face as he found what I left alone.
In 2017, I hosted Easter for my husband Doug’s family. It was a lot of fun, making baskets for the grandkids, and watching them open them with the excitement I remembered as a child.
Handmade tags with Easter baskets for each of the grandkids.
And it was wonderful to see the kids enjoy what I had created. I imagine that was what it felt like for my grandparents.
This year, I found myself too tired to do Passover or Easter. I just wanted to be indulged. So my husband Doug, his mother Ellen and I went for Easter Brunch at the Westford Regency.
Ellen Short and Doug Short. The Easter bunny chair is in the background.
It was great. (And don’t tell anyone, but Ellen took her cranberry muffin home.) Plenty crowded, but so well organized you felt as if you were the only ones there. The staff was so attentive, and the food was plentiful, fresh and delicious. I piled my plate with the usual buffet offerings I go for. But I also added pot stickers, which Ellen pointed out to me. Yum!
Dee’s usual Eggs Bennie, assorted fruit and veggies, shrimp cocktail…and pot stickers!
And then there was the Easter bunny, which most of the kids seemed to love. Some kids are afraid of big, walking cartoon characters; I know I was as a child. As an adult, all I could think was how hot the actor must have been in the costume. But he (or she) carried it off with aplomb.
As always at a brunch buffet, I wished that I could make a second pass and try some of the other offerings, like ham and prime rib, but alas, I was too full. I did manage a cream puff (a usual go-to dessert) and it was heavenly. The Westford Regency does a Sunday brunch that I love. It’s not as expansive (or expensive) as this holiday brunch, but is always just as good.
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
We are happy for every happy holiday we have – even for the ones that offer us a break from the kitchen and offer up some quality time to simply enjoy a meal….with mayonnaise or not!
Dee was grateful for her hassle-free and wonderful brunch with her hubby and mother-in-law. And as for Lisa and Eva, they got home in time for the puck drop, and yes, of course the Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs to stay in the series. Because nothing could’ve gone wrong on their perfect “non-Easter” Sunday!
Hard to believe, but Dee is now another year older since we started the Gertz Girlz blog (funny how that works). For her birthday celebration, we traveled to one of her favorite past haunts. It was an uncommonly warm–and impossibly sunny–day for early March; in fact, it was a perfect day to visit Cambridge MA and be a part of the bustling life of city dwellers and college students; the frenetic bus, car, cab, and foot traffic; and the sense of belonging that occurs in one of Dee’s favorite cities.
Dee Sez:
Oh Cambridge, My Cambridge! How I’ve loved and missed you so. You were there for me at just the right time: when I was young and everything was possible, and you were right at my door (or just a few miles away). Back then, I lived in Belmont, within walking distance to the Mount Auburn Cemetery. If you’ve never been, don’t let the idea of graves keep you away. It’s an extraordinary place, filled with gorgeous landscaping, walking paths, horticulture, architecture, history; and in the spring, lush lawns abut a pond filled with gorgeous waterfowl. It’s a place that is magical and alive.
While my home was in Belmont, my life was in Cambridge. I knew every square inch of every Square (except Kendall, which in the 1980s wasn’t all that interesting; I understand it’s more interesting now). I ate hot dogs at The Tasty in Harvard Square, which is gone now, but immortalized in Good Will Hunting (as an aside, I find it irritating that the characters ate hamburgers…really?…the hot dogs were amazing!). I had so many dining experiences in so many of Cambridge’s Squares, and way too many to mention here.
But oh, the memories of Christopher’s…
Located at the corner of Mass Ave and Porter Rd, we can’t guarantee a day as gorgeous.
I’m now living in a country town I love. It’s nice to be a country mouse when you’ve had your fill of city life. But I have found that the city mouse in me still wants to scurry in the flurry of city energy once in a while, and so, the Gertz Girlz indulged me on a birthday trip down memory lane.
Thirty years ago, when I visited frequently, Christopher’s was the place for the young, casual, and hip, and I was two of those things–guess which two (lol). Today, with Lesley College taking the place of the Porter Exchange, it’s still–and especially–a young person’s place. And it should be. Cambridge is meant for the young, if not the young at heart. And after all those years, I was THRILLED to discover they still offer Yuppie Nachos on the menu. I don’t know if ‘yuppie’ is now an un-PC term, but good for Christopher’s for keeping the name, and more importantly, keeping it on the menu! Yuppie Nachos was all I wanted, and Christopher’s didn’t disappoint.
Yuppie Nachos, baby!
Yuppie Nachos, like all nachos, are easy to make, but years ago they figured out a winning combo: chips, jack and cheddar cheese, and the most important ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Back in ‘my day’, they didn’t offer guacamole, but they do now, thank you! DeeLish!
Eva Sez:
It was exciting to make a trip to the city (like my aunt and mother, I may be a city girl at heart). For someone who lives in the New Hampshire ‘burbs there is no end of fascinating people watching as you sit at traffic light after traffic light. And this was the perfect casual campus checkout…Lesley College you are not for me but at least I know where you are now!
Eva and Dee: two generations of city mice living a country life!Eva’s Boneless Buffalo Wings (made from naturally raised chicken) and side of steak fries.
Lisa Sez:
Buyer’s remorse is a real drag when you’re talking about food. I now have been on the Keto diet for three months. I have perfected cooking a >bleeping< omelet to the point where someone should be hiring ME to work the brunch station. Which is why I never should have ordered it at Christopher’s. But it had salmon and cream cheese in it and that was the bait for me.
Lisa’s Omelet. Dee hates salmon so also regretted Lisa’s choice 😉
Ultimately, I ended up looking longingly at other, more interesting choices and wishing I had made them…like a big juicy bun-less burger for instance. Still, I had my appetizer splurge and those Yuppie Nachos were all that Dee had bragged about. They made me want to tie a cardigan around my neck and change my name to Muffy. Let’s just say they were in the top five nachos I have ever eaten, and that’s saying something!
Eva Sez:
If there is one thing I love more than people, it’s dogs. So when we walked into Christopher’s I was instantly giving them props on their decor. Our extremely nice waiter Dan explained that they feature local artists’ work and change it up on a regular basis. Our timing was perfect…beautiful, huge, paintings of dogs on every wall surface of the restaurant and bar! I was in heaven.
Check out other beautiful art at CambridgeEatsandBeats.com
They are all for sale but I don’t think I’ll have that kind of space in my dorm room!
Lisa Sez:
I love good art almost as much as Eva loves dogs. It was kind of spectacular when we entered Christopher’s to see these very large-scale close-up paintings of all different breeds of our canine friends. Please note as of this writing that the Dog Exhibit has moved on. Christopher’s retains an art consultant named Hailey Cormier with CambridgeEatsandBeats.com if you would like more info on these gorgeous works of art.
This guy obviously wanted his fair share of our food!
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
It’s always fun to revisit your old stompin’ groundz. We were happy to experience this with Dee, to celebrate another birthday, and to see some of her young-self past with our very own eyes. Another bonus that day at Christopher’s was the staff.
Dan Flynn, the Beverage Manager, adding lemon shavings to Dee’s birthday martini. Such a nice guy!
We had two “Dan’s” (waiter and beverage manager) who couldn’t have been friendlier or more informative and patient with all our incessant Gertz Girlz questionz! We highly recommend this wonderful old(?) pub to everyone who loves wonderful old(?) pubs!
There’s a melancholy beauty to the beach in winter. When the sky is gray-blue and the wind still, the atmosphere is warm and cozy, even if the temperature is frigid. This was the perfect setting for a February visit to Seaglass in Salisbury, where the large dining room boasts windows all around. There is no bad seat for enjoying the ocean view.
Dee’s view during brunch, sans Surfside Five full-swing Sunday reggae party.
Which is great when you have a lot to celebrate. Like a birthday (Lisa’s) and a one year anniversary (Gertz Girlz). Not to mention the Super Bowl: on this Sunday we had these to celebrate, and more; it was also a long overdue meal for the three Girlz, who were dealing with the flu and more in January.
Lisa Sez:
I will eat vicariously through my carb-loving daughter for the next few months, but there is enough feast for the eyes in Seaglass to occupy anyone. It is quite pretty with some architectural details like a large fireplace and bar, and a decidedly sleek interior design. And as an Aquarian, I have a deep appreciation for personal space. One of my pet peeves at many brunch buffets is bumping into the elbows of people on the feed line. Seaglass offers a very spacious buffet room, with stations placed strategically around the room, and this was a very relaxed and enjoyable brunch browsing experience.
Plenty of seats at the bar!
The last time I dined here, a full moon and high tide created a dramatic dinner show of thunderous waves smashing rhythmically against the large picture windows which overlook the ocean. And if you come during the busy summer months, the windows to the right offer a view of the Surfside Five restaurant deck in a full-swing Sunday reggae party!
Lisa’s Keto Plate
Eva Sez:
Any place by the sea is for me!! I really like Seaglass restaurant and breakfast/brunch is my favorite meal out. The buffet here was great with a good selection, but my favorite dish was the creamy Eggs Benedict served over crispy home fries, a good contrast in tastes and textures.
A very happy Eva
Dee Sez:
I love a breakfast brunch buffet, though they tend to be a bit pricey for someone who gets full quickly, so I never get my money’s worth. But this is beside the point: the fun is in the variety, walking from one station and chafing dish to the next, lifting lids to discover hidden treasures, then locking in on what that first piled plate will include.
Dee’s first (and only) piled plate
At this point, Gertz Girlz readers know of my passion for Eggs Benedict. Unfortunately, this dish doesn’t do particularly well in a brunch buffet setting, but I still give props when it’s offered, as it was at Seaglass. I think they should consider keeping extra hollandaise on the side over a heated fondue pot, because these bennies were fairly naked. Instead of the traditional English muffin, the poached eggs rest on a hash brown patty. This made it harder for them to stay together and I found myself chasing them around the chafing dish with a spatula, sliding the egg back on top of the hash brown patty before hoping I could get the prize on my plate without an embarrassing incident (I did). But the taste pairing was right, and except for the yolks being cooked through, it was satisfying.
The bacon slices clung to each other in a jumble, but this is a good thing if you want a lot of bacon but don’t wish to look like a–AHEM–pig. The sausage was slightly sweet and yummy; I wish I had grabbed more than one. The breakfast potatoes had a bit of a spicy kick but were a little dry; I relied on my delicious and Instagram-worthy Bloody Mary to wash them down (there’s always a silver lining). I also helped myself to a healthy serving of shrimp cocktail, which was excellent.
The Bloody Mary…a buffet in a beverage!
Lisa Sez:
As usual with the Gertz Girlz, you never know where the conversations will go and during our leisurely mealz, we discussed Eva’s recent genealogy results from 23andMe. It turns out she is more Irish and Ashkenazi Jewish than we anticipated…which explains her deep love for both mashed potatoes and potato pancakes!
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
Everyone will be happy to know that Lisa did allow herself a splurge on her birthday, and at the end of her protein packed brunch, basked in the deep joy of a rich chocolate mousse, served in a guilt-free shot glass with a tiny spoon. That should hold her over for a few months?!
Overall, the Gertz Girlz left Seaglass quite satisfied, and were talking about the Superbowl snackz we planned to have later that day. We take pride in celebrating our one-year anniversary of the Gertz Girlz food blog with this latest post. Here’s to another fattening year, discovering new places to nosh, recipes to try/share, and family get-togethers to savor.
To quote our champion Tom Brady, “We’re still here!”
We have always loved Eva’s birthdate, December 1. It kicks off the most magical time of the year and the world seems ready to be festive after the gray days of November. It also has made planning her birthday celebrations a breeze, as there is no end to the holiday events that can be borrowed under the guise of a birthday event. In years past we have used sleigh rides, Santa parades, the Nutcracker, and even Scrooge to celebrate Eva’s big day and she was always happy. But this year she was turning 18 and something (or someone) had changed. As we began to discuss possible options to celebrate her birthday, we could see nothing was really getting her too jazzed.
Eva Sez:
Part of my mood had to do with my boyfriend being away at college, and I think part of it was I just was ready to separate my birthday from the holiday stuff. I’ve loved all my birthdays, but this year I just wanted something unique.
Eva and her unique 18th birthday!
Lisa Sez:
I was kind of leaving it up to her at this point to decide how she wanted to celebrate. Which was a good call, because she said out of the blue one day, “Hey Mom, have you ever heard of The Melting Pot?”. My head shot up. “You mean the fondue restaurant?!” Well! Eva had found something to “light her fire”.
We made the reservation and the Gertz Girlz, plus Eva’s dad Stu Gertz were looking forward to a grown up birthday adventure!
OMG, that’s what it’s all about.
As we drove to the restaurant, I reminded Stu that the home fondue concept was a huge trend in the early 70’s. Just about every middle-class home had a fondue pot (usually an avocado green or burnt orange color) with six forks whose handles were a variety of colors. I remember that being a big deal as a kid – choosing your fork color!
Stu and Dee with forks at the ready!
Cheese fondue has its origins in Switzerland where it was, and still may be, a popular midnight snack at parties. The ingredients don’t vary much: Swiss cheese, garlic to rub the pot with, a dry light white wine such as Neufchatel, and a fresh grating of nutmeg. Combine all over a low heat flame and the result is a delicious pot of melted cheese. This was all done at our table by the friendly waitress at The Melting Pot.
Dee Sez:
Every time I try to conjure this restaurant’s name, my mind switches it to The Magic Pan. Sure, they have the same initials, and the same ‘one syllable-two syllable-one syllable combo’ but I think it’s something else: both restaurants offer experiential dining. Or I should say one offers experiential dining; the other is defunct.
Back in the 80s, The Magic Pan was in the Burlington Mall in Burlington, MA where I grew up. It’s claim to fame: crepes. Dinner crepes like the famous Crepes Suzette, dessert crepes, and I believe, soups and salads, because man cannot live by crepes alone—they’re a bit scant. I visited on at least one occasion that I can recall, and didn’t feel particularly full at the end of the experience; just vaguely disappointed. I don’t like feeling full anyway, so it could have been the circumstances, which involved an ex-boyfriend and his mother, but I won’t go there.
A perfectly healthy apple, corrupted.
Vaguely disappointed and a dubious dining companion cannot be said for The Melting Pot experience. Of course it was the very special occasion of Eva’s 18th birthday, so that alone made it a slam dunk. And I have fond memories of fondue dinners around our family table in the 1970s, when I was a teen. But as experiential dining goes, this one was pretty good, if not too easy on the wallet (thank you Stuey for generously treating us). Particularly if you order–as we did–the Four Course Experience.
Lisa Sez:
The Melting Pot restaurant is pretty unique in terms of its layout. For one thing, it is enormous, with several rooms set up for perhaps larger parties and containing several tables. But the four of us were led through the back section, which can only be described as a warren of alleys containing what seemed like endless private booths, each one with its own built-in electric stovetop and fondue pot. The aesthetic is very pleasant, clean and warm. And always important to me, the noise level was comfortable, with Al Green type music playing in the background.
How it all begins…
The fondue experience is a bit more complicated than traditional dining. To quote one of my ancient old cookbooks from the 1950’s, “It has to be the right kind of a party–the guests have to be good eggs.”
A couple of good eggs!
Let me add to that, they also need to not be germaphobic or famished, and they should have some dexterity with a long-pitched fork! There is patience required as everyone begins to dunk their food into the same communal pot, twirling to coat their precious cargo with cheese or chocolate. Sometimes you lose your passenger. Sometimes two of you lose a passenger and then you are in a pickle, trying to find the one that belongs to you. The waitress, thankfully, left us with a large slotted spoon which she described as a “Search and Rescue”. That comes in handy!
Dee Sez:
I adored the cheese course! Unless you loathe cheese, there’s no way you can’t fall in love with this silky, creamy, gooey concoction. If I were to visit again, I would a la carte this fondue, pair it with a salad to assuage my guilt, and leave a very happy – and way full, but I would deal with it – woman.
The Classic
I ordered The Classic, a surf and turf combo. More turf than surf, it came with three shrimp and Certified Angus Beef® Sirloin, Memphis-Style Dry Rub Pork, Teriyaki-Marinated Sirloin and Herb-Crusted Chicken Breast. All the meats were wonderfully seasoned and tender. However, this dining experience comes with a democratic vote. One of four choices for the cheese and dessert courses, and you can choose only one of four cooking methods for the entrée course. I would’ve preferred oil, but a broth base won out. I have to admit, I didn’t love it. Meat boiled in vegetable broth? Not for me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I did. But I went back to my teen experiences of steak tips in hot oil and so the broth came up wanting. That’s okay. I have a fondue pot, so I can always have it my way. Of course, I never use it 😉
Stu Sez:
The experience was enjoyable, but I’m a big guy who would rather tackle a filet mignon with a fork and knife than go fishing for the bites of food we had. But, Moe, Larry, the cheese…fondue! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us7SZKdPDIM
The Cheese Fondue Dunkables!
Eva Sez:
Luckily there were lots of leftovers from the Girlz’ plates…they used to call my dad “the Seagull” in college because he would swoop in for everyone’s leftovers! My favorite part of the four-course meal was the dessert…a pot of melted milk chocolate with all kinds of fruit, pound cake, marshmallows and brownies to dunk in. Fondue is fun! I’d love to come back with a group of friends someday!
The Chocolate Fondue Dunkables!
Dee Sez:
Seagull, lol…yes, he shish kabobbed my remaining meat! Anyhow can you go wrong with melted chocolate and a selection of sweet dunking treats? Please…
Food aside, I can’t believe my little Sweetie Pie, my cute baby niece, is now a beautiful young woman. Snapshots of past memories fill me with so much happiness…and a bit of melancholy. As the saying goes, it went by too fast. But she is an amazing young woman who also fills me with pride for her sweet, kind and level-headed nature. A special and talented person, this Eva Marie Gertz! When she is sprung from high school next spring, it will be something special to watch what she does next.
The Birthday Girl!
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
Ah yes…18 years old. Another milestone, and we will need to not be offended if Eva’s next birthday celebration is absent of older adults…it’s the nature of growing up, we suppose. After all, she will be away at college next December 1st. So perhaps it will be just Lisa and Dee at home, watching a Christmas movie and firing up our own little fondue pot. We will just have to smile, make a toast to Eva, and say “cheeze”.
Gertz Girlz Lisa and Eva have been ramping up college campus visits these days, while Lisa and Dee scratch their heads, wondering how we got to Eva’s senior year so fast. Rites of passage are part and parcel of a child’s journey into adulthood, and while for teens it’s all about tomorrow, we adults find ourselves yearning for yesterday. With little birdie Eva preparing to fly the nest and meet her future, Lisa and Dee have been reflecting on past family meals. For example, how many times have you heard someone say, I tried a recipe and it was a big hit. Those hit recipes often go on to become legendary, highly anticipated year after year, and ideally preserved in the family archives. So much of what is placed on the family table ends up more in our hearts than in our stomachs.
Lisa Sez:
My mother, born Marie-Jocelyne Francoise Cardinal, is affectionately known by one and all (including her grandchildren) as Jocie. She has a 100% French-Canadian family and culinary background and is a wonderful cook. So my three siblings and I, and my father, were pretty lucky. It wasn’t till my young world opened up a bit though, and I started to venture outside my own family table, that I began to realize and appreciate her cooking skills. A mother of the 1960’s and 70’s, with a large family to feed three times a day, Jocie stuck to the basics like most women of that era. She cooked the middle-class favorites, but she cooked them really well. Her homemade (everything was homemade back then) spaghetti and meatballs were so good, I remember a neighbor boy who had eaten them once, and then tried to wrangle a dinner invitation when I told him that’s what we were having!
Dee Sez:
When I was 14, my mother went to work full time. Luckily her job was only a five minute drive away so she was able to keep close tabs on her latchkey daughter, now responsible for watching out for two younger brothers (and not very well, but that’s another story). Weekly food shopping was always on Thursdays after work, and dinner was always a Swanson aluminum tray with turkey, stuffing, wrinkly mixed vegetables, and a spongy (i.e., strange) cherry cobbler. I didn’t mind at first, but she became dependent on these meals and who can blame her? If we all loved to make a home cooked meal night after night, after eight hours of work day after day, there wouldn’t be a need for Blue Apron and the like.
Yep, this is the one. Yuck! And all for just 99 cents!
Frozen dinners are not something I miss, but at some point, and perhaps to assuage her guilt, my mother began making special birthday meals and we got to choose whatever we wanted. My brother Stu always chose Veal or Chicken Parm, and both were wonderful (I have since stopped eating veal for ethical reasons). My go-to was roast beef with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and pita bread, sliced in halves lengthwise, and generously buttered and broiled until bubbly and slightly browned around the edges. All bow to the Carb Queen!
Lisa Sez:
Even though my siblings and I are all in our 50’s now, we can all easily recall what our favorite “Jocie” dinners were when we were kids. I sent a poll via text for the purpose of this blog post, and literally got a reply within minutes from all of them. Mike was all over her American Chop Suey. For Jim, it was her Chicken Cordon Blue. But there’s always a Fussy One in every family…in this case it was my sister Lynn, who wryly informed me she was never a member of The Clean Plate Club. Apparently she only liked roast pork and only if it was well done! No wonder she was the skinny one! My dad who passed away almost twenty years ago, made no secret of the fact that he loved his wife’s New England Boiled Dinner (always served on a Sunday).
As for me, I adored my mother’s French-Canadian version of Irish Stew…ground beef, tiny diced potatoes and carrots, and peas in a fragrant beef broth. I remember spending an entire summer day playing outside, and coming in to eat dinner (which was only ever called “Supper”). The stew was already ladled into the light green, small bowls that we children ate out of…four of them lined up on the windowsill to cool, the steam visible to our hungry little eyes. And always, always, always…. there was bread and butter on the table. Because if it has gravy, you need to SOP it up!
Josie’s version of French-Canadian Irish Stew, courtesy of Lisa Gertz.
Dee Sez:
In addition to the gravy aspect (agree with you Lisa on the sopping with bread!) I loved the roast beef meal because it reminded me of the Sunday afternoon dinners at Nanny and Pop’s house when we lived in Maryland. They were my maternal grandparents and lived in a row house in Baltimore. I loved being in that urban environment, loved the smells, loved playing with my cousins in the small back yard, adjacent to the alley where we would kick a can around. Really! It was fun! And I loved the food. Unadorned, savory, hearty. After dinner I would sneak upstairs to tap out bad poetry on Pop’s typewriter, which now sits on the filing cabinet in my office.
Many a bad poem was tapped out on this machine!
We would also have broiled pita as an accompaniment to beef fondue, which may have been my brother Richie’s birthday meal. It was also an occasional weekend dinner treat (this was the 70s, and fondue was all the rage). The pita was easy to replicate, but over the years I have tried to make a gravy that comes close to the savory stuff I would pour to pool into the well of my mashed potatoes. I’ve made the occasional roast, but my attempt at gravy, well, let’s just say I’m no Gravy Master. Another favorite involving gravy was her Salisbury steak. Recently, in an effort to find something else to do with hamburgers, I came across a recipe online and guess what? It was just like my mother used to make. I’ve made it twice in two weeks and will be ballooning to a new pant size soon 😉
Salisbury Steak and an attempt at healthy eating.
Eva Sez:
I love to hear about my mother’s childhood memories and one of my favorites is of when my grandmother Jocie was making meatballs and she let her kids help her. My Uncle Mike was about 6 and he decided to throw a meatball into the air to catch it…apparently he never caught it because it STUCK TO THE CEILING!! I can imagine how funny that would be and my mom said it resulted in a fit of giggles!
Lisa Sez:
And a permanent round grease spot on the ceiling as a souvenir of that moment! As time goes on we try to replicate some of the Hitz We Miss, and we add to them too, creating an ever-evolving list of favorite dishes, some of which get passed down to become current “Hitz.”
Eva Sez:
One of my favorites is my mother’s No Fail Chicken Casserole.
Lisa Sez:
Which was one of MY mother’s recipes and it is loved by all who ate it. Credit goes to our family friend Cheryl Menino who I believe first gave it to my mom in the early 80’s. How can you go wrong with chicken, cheese, wine, and a can of good ol’ Campbells condensed Cream of Whatever soup? It’s easy and delicious and it feeds a crowd. This is one where you need to keep copies of the recipe around because you just know a friend is going to ask for it during dinner.
Eva Sez:
I just thought of two more favorites. My mother’s Chicken & Red Sauce over Couscous is amazing. I also loved my Papa’s Meatloaf…nobody could make meatloaf like Papa.
Papa’s Veggie Meatloaf (ketchup is a vegetable!).
Lisa Sez:
Except now we have his recipe and you will get it on a regular basis (at least until you go off to college!)
Dee Sez:
Growing up, my father (Eva’s Papa) didn’t cook, but in our teens, he developed an interest in trying his hand at the stove. The big fail of family legend was his idea to save time by mashing potatoes in the blender. The result was an inedible grayish goo and a lot of laughs and ribbing. But his Chicken Cacciatore over linguine was a huge hit. Richie would sneak downstairs in the middle of the night to steal leftovers, which would inspire huge fights the next day. Dad’s other signature dish was chili con carne, but it’s the cacciatore that will live on in my memories. Jerry Gertz’s Chicken Cacciatore
There are so many dishes that I miss, but mostly I miss the days of youth and the dinners that brought us together and defined us as a family.
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
It’s another wonderful rite of passage that one of the things you look forward to when you come home during college breaks are…The Hitz You Missed! Here’s to keeping the good ones in the rotation and creating new Hitz for future generations!
The ancient people believed that a person could read their own future if they put a moonstone gem in their mouths while the moon was full. We didn’t go to Moonstones in Chelmsford, MA for that reason, but let’s call it ‘serendipity’. With the full Harvest moon about to crescendo, we got our mouths full of the fare at this unique restaurant. We have seen our future and it looks pretty delicious. And we are proud to introduce a new honorary Gertz Girl by the name of Caroline McKinnon, who joined in our lunar gastronomic experience!
Caroline Sez:
I am a faithful reader of Gertz Girlz and patiently await the new review each month to get my taste buds dancing. I also quite frequently enjoy the benefits of Lisa’s home kitchen so know first-hand what a good cook she is. I hear Dee is even better and has an amazing kitchen to go along with the territory. As I read the blog each month and see the beautiful pictures of what looks to be scrumptious food, my mouth waters. So…I was absolutely delighted when the Girlz invited me to be a guest.
Dee Sez:
Allow me to interrupt and say I’ll cop to the amazing kitchen, thank you! But Lisa is the true gourmet talent of the Gertz Girlz!
Caroline Sez:
Along with my fellow sistah Lisa, I have become the “Goldilocks” of restaurants. Every place I go it seems to be too loud, too rough a crowd, too hot or too cold (I like it hot, Lisa likes it sub-zero). As I headed out to Moonstones, I was hoping it would be “just right”!
I couldn’t be more excited as I perused the Moonstones menu. I was most excited about the Poké. Ever since I read about Poké Bowls in the California Girlz write up, I’ve been dying to try one. I was also excited about peppadew peppers (with goat cheese and Chelmsford honey) and Korma Meatballs (golden raisins, cashews, basmati rice and mint yogurt) and of course, Poké!!! I often have order envy so thought I might end up trying everyone’s dish and really channel my inner Goldilocks. However, I was very satisfied and completely content with my own order and did not have room to try everyone else’s!
We ordered and shared the peppadews. They were small, adorable, and bursting with flavor. I found them to be absolutely delicious.
Scarlet Jewels: Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadew Peppers with Chelmsford Honey
Dee Sez:
You could stuff a pinecone with goat cheese and I’d gnaw on it! Just sayin’ 🙂 They were a surprising wonder!
Caroline Sez:
For my main dish, I ordered the Szechuan Eggplant Poké Bowl. It was beautifully plated and I couldn’t wait to dig in. In addition to the eggplant, rice, cucumber, avocado and pickled mango, it also included tofu and red peppers (I opted out of the red peppers). I was happy they were able to oblige. Often times, I ask for even the slightest variations and restaurants can’t (or won’t) accommodate. This dish was listed as “medium spicy”, which was an accurate description. I do not like things too hot, and it was just the right amount of spice.
Szechuan Eggplant Poké Bowl
The sweet-spicy, perfectly balanced, sauce soaked into the fried tofu and was outstanding. I guess I’ll have to wait for my next visit to Moonstones to try the Korma Meatballs.
Lisa Sez:
I was thrilled to have my dear friend Goldilocks (I mean Caroline) along with us! We have a regular weekly dinner together but have had palate fatigue lately, and so I was looking for a restaurant that would be a bit different. I checked out the Moonstone menu online and was intrigued. We had planned for a 2pm meal on a Saturday and so we were restricted to their lunch menu, but it was far from average. From the infused non-alcoholic “Refresh” beverages which can be ordered by half carafe or pitcher (Basil Cucumber Spritzer, Ginger Mint Iced Tea to name a couple), the gorgeous raw bar, the lunch bowls, a selection of special cheeses, and very nice dessert offerings, we were in for an interesting late lunch.
Moonstones’ Mixologist Jeff!
We were seated close to the bar and next to a group of women who were already having fun, from a look at their martini-laden table. Hmm…how could we be healthful and have fun too? Well, let’s take that Basil-Cucumber idea and make it into a martini? Our friendly server Hannah agreed that was a splendid idea!
Keith is ready to shuck the oysters!
Dee and I concurred after several sips that it was a delicious combination. And speaking of friendly – Moonstones is oozing it. From Jeff the menu-knowledgable bartender, to Keith who was manning the oyster bar, to the general manager herself, it’s apparent that friendly, great service is a priority here. That vibe is infectious and we had a truly great time, with me basking in the company of two of my favorite girlz!
Caroline Sez:
OK, let’s talk cocktails! I am in love with any place that has more than one sangria. And Moonstones did not disappoint. There were a few different choices of their ’stones sangria…a sexy Spanish infusion of fresh fruit, wine and spirits. I chose the rosé sangria (pomegranate, raspberry, grapefruit, topped with Prosecco). I do not like too sweet of a sangria and this was crisp, refreshing, and delicious.
Basil-Cucumber Martinis and a Rosé Sangria
Lisa Sez:
I felt the need to order one lonely Wellfleet oyster to start my meal off. It was fresh and briny, and it came well-appointed (on ice with the typical sauces and toppings).
The Lonely Wellfleet Oyster
The Poké Bowl I ordered (Vietnamese-style crispy shrimp, namasu with miso-sriracha aioli) was both pretty and plentiful with the shrimp having just the right sweet, firm bite to them.
Crispy Shrimp Poké Bowl
But I must say it was our Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews appetizer that most ‘wowed’ me. I had never had these scarlet beauties before, and all I can say is you MUST order these when you go. They come five to the order and are startlingly good! The other standout for me was the Warm Chocolate Paté from the dessert sampler we had at end of meal – it made me moan involuntarily.
Dee Sez:
Sometimes, and at its best, going out for a meal is about meeting new people. That’s certainly the case here. I was thrilled to enjoy a fabulous meal with a lovely new friend and Lisa’s BFF, Caroline. What a pleasure to peruse the eclectic menu at Moonstones over getting-to-know-you conversation!
Despite the eclectic offerings, sometimes you just gotta have a burger. And Moonstones obviously understands that, by offering two great choices. This almost inspired an ‘eeny meeny miny moe’ since both the Joe and the Fat Moon sounded so good. I opted for the Fat Moon because I love the onion/mushroom combo (especially on pizza) and don’t get me started on the wonders of bleu cheese.
The Fat Moon Burger
I ordered the burger medium rare, and it was cooked just right. The caramelized onions were sweet and complimented the earthy mushrooms, and there was just the right amount of tartness from the cheese to balance it out. The shoestring fries were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Totally addictive.
Fry Me to the Moon!
Caroline Sez:
At the end of our meal, we simply couldn’t say no to dessert. There were so many “must haves” that we decided on the sampler. It included the vanilla crème brûlée, Brazilian coconut pudding, chocolate pâté, and a surprise from the Chef. The surprise was a chocolate chip cookie bar. Of the four deserts, it was my favorite. It was warm, soft, sweet and delicious. I wish I could have ordered a whole pan of it to take home!
Sweet Surprise! Chocolate Chip Brownie Bar
Dee Sez:
The Brownie Bar was fantastic, but my favorite was the Crème Brûlée, and it was the first time I ever tried it. DeeLish! Since I have the ramekins and the torch, I will definitely be making this at home to hold me over until I can get back to Moonstones. Hopefully soon!
Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Fresh Berries
Caroline Sez:
I really loved Moonstones. I loved the ambiance, the food, the service and the overall experience. I hope to go back at some point for dinner or to have cocktails and appetizers at the bar. We were told the dinner menu offers several tapas choices. I’m so happy the Gertz Girlz invited me to the is lovely afternoon.
Eva Sez:
I’m in absentia as usual lately due to senior year commitments – but it sounded like a fun time and I’m sorry I missed dining with my two wonderful Auntz!! I promise to be at the next one!
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
Also unique is the architecture of Moonstones. Situated in a free-standing building on Route 110 in Chelmsford, it’s hard not to notice its contemporary exterior.
Once inside, that look continues with big splashes of citrusy colors, intimate and multilevel dining areas, and strategic patches of daylight offered from atrium ceiling windows. The lighting was just right and the music a soft rock whose volume we didn’t need to fight with to have conversation. Goldilocks was satisfied and you will be too!
There must be something in the human DNA that makes us happy at the sight of food in large quantities. Perhaps it’s some lingering genetic memory of times of famine. Whatever the cause, August is definitely the month to calm any insecurity you may have about food scarcity. Just visit a farmer’s market if you need proof of that. We have a beauty just down the street in Litchfield, New Hampshire called Wilson’s Farm Market, and this being National Farmer’s Market Week, the Gertz Girlz headed over with recipes on our minds, and plenty of shopping bags at the ready.
Dee Sez:
To prepare for our trip, I pulled “Vegetables” off the shelf–a cookbook written by James Peterson. I’m embarrassed to say that up to this point, I had not cooked a single recipe from its pristine pages. I love veggies and can only offer that I’m more carnivorous than I thought. I’m certainly CARBivorous 🙂 Bring on the potatoes and pasta, please! In fact, save time and bring gnocchi!
Lisa Sez:
They say timing is everything. I’m having some regrets at the moment over my decision to try the Keto diet that you’ve all heard about to death, just as all the beautiful fresh carbs of August come available. So while I would’ve loved to have made corn chowder, served with cornbread, and a side of corn relish, that is not happening until I fit into a favorite pair of jeans. Corn is the Lucifer of veggie carbs.
Dee Sez:
Mwah ha ha!!! I dine with the devil, because my first recipe was Corn Fritters, or as I like to call it: Cornzilla! Who says vegetarian dishes must be healthy? Not me. And since I’m not on the Keto diet, I took four ears of locally grown, super sweet corn kernels and deep fried them into these lovable little devils! My mom would make these on early autumn weekends but I don’t have her recipe. This recipe comes courtesy of Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman RECIPE and I followed it to the letter, EXCEPT hers calls for 1/2 tsp of cayenne so I halved it. It’s spicy enough, but I think it would be okay with the full amount, especially if you sprinkle on powered sugar to balance it out. I also bought a new bottle of maple syrup to make it extra decadent.
Corn Fritters (aka Cornzilla) sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Lisa Sez:
Happily, I was able to find some interesting alternatives and still have fun at the farm stand. I focused on the fragrant August tomato for my first dish, Shakshuka. I had never heard of this until I started searching for Keto recipes. For this recipe I went all the way back to the 2010 food blog of the Smitten Kitchen https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/shakshuka/ and simply swapped out the Anaheim peppers for our good ol’ farm stand green peppers. Shakshuka is a Mediterranean dish that is basically a slow-cooked marinara sauce made in a large skillet. Once the sauce thickens, you make three or four small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well. You cook this until the whites of the eggs have set.
Lisa’s Shukshaka
Because I have to be fancy (and also because I wanted to add more protein and fat to the dish), I added crumbled sweet Italian sausage to the sauce. It was so good I made it again a few days later. The versatility of Shukshaka is terrific…you can serve this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and everyone will be impressed.
Eva Sez:
My mother’s telling the truth – I loved the Shukshaka. But you know what would’ve been great with it? Cornbread.
Lisa Sez:
Honestly, I don’t know where she gets the snark. But onto my next dish which I liked for a lot of reasons, Cucumber Soup with Wasabi Avocado Cream. I found this recipe in my favorite kitchen bible, Ruth Reichl’s The Gourmet Cookbook. I made a small change and simply combined all ingredients instead of using the wasabi avocado cream as a garnish. I was drawn to the recipe initially because this New England summer has been an absolute scorcher, and the idea of a chilled cucumber soup was very appealing.
Cucumber Soup with Wasabi Avocado Cream
The cool cucumber and avocado flavors were magnificent together, and the little kick of wasabi was just enough to keep things interesting. It occurred to me that this would also be a phenomenal “palate cleanser” at a fancy dinner, served in chilled shot glasses with tiny spoons. The Keto Gods would be delighted! Cucumber Soup with Wasabi Avocado Cream
Dee Sez:
Well, the carb demon was in my kitchen yet again, because I bought sweet potatoes, and the next recipe I chose was Indian-style Sweet Potato Salad. This was a mistake with regard to leftovers; my husband Doug doesn’t care for sweet potatoes, so I ate it for a week. The good news is it was delicious and tasted even better the next day, and the day after that, and, well, after six days I threw in the towel. But I’m proud to say what I tossed fit in a small container.
The mandolin was a gift from my mom Fran back in the ’90s.
I also chose this recipe because it provided an excuse to haul out my rarely used mandolin to thinly slice a red onion. Props go to my husband for handling this part. I’m going to have to use this wonderful tool more often! Even a super sharp knife would never get the onions this uniformly thin.
Here’s my big takeaway from this recipe: rubbing coarse salt into the onions makes them even sweeter and oh so tender. After the salt massage, they rest in a colander for 20 minutes, then, thoroughly rinsed and squeezed of all their moisture, they are rendered limp. It’s a spa treatment; I’d be limp, too! I plan to use this method to top a burger, fold into an omelette, or even before caramelizing. What a revelation!
So beautifully thin!
I’m a firm believer in making a recipe exactly as written the first time unless something really stands out as wrong, like baloney with whipped cream (credit: The Three Stooges). So I made this verbatim with one exception: I didn’t use mint because it wasn’t available (not a big fan of the herb, I admit, so I didn’t try that hard to hunt it down). And I thought twice about using the 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, because ouch! But I did use it and…ooo yeah! It’s intense. If I were to make it again, I’d cut back to 1/4 tsp. I’d also use a thinner yogurt. I used Fage Greek which is fantastic and thick, but too much so for a yogurt sauce. Rather than dolloping the sauce, I would prefer to drizzle. It would make a prettier presentation as well. I’d like to point out that this was my error; the recipe doesn’t specify a type of yogurt, other than plain, of course.
Dee’s Indian-style Sweet Potato Salad
Would I make this again? No. Certainly not with sweet potatoes. But it specifies substituting with Yukon gold, so that might be worth a try. Indian-style Sweet Potato Salad
Eva Sez:
Back to the farm stand itself…Wilson Farm is one of our ‘happy places.’ I got my driver’s license this year and I enjoyed getting my practice hours in going to the farm in Litchfield…it’s very scenic with cornfields, blueberry patches, and historic farmhouses on either side. Once you arrive, it’s a pretty scene with flowers everywhere you turn. Inside you can find everything from whoopie pies to fresh bread baked right on the premises. One of my favorite things is the fresh whipped cream you can buy for dunking all the beautiful berries they offer. The people who work at Wilson’s are also very friendly.
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
It’s not often that a farm stand has an outstanding website so we would be remiss not to mention it. They offer about a hundred recipes which makes it easy if you need some ideas in a hurry before you visit Wilson Farm! (Locations in both Litchfield NH and Concord MA).
We are now well into the lazy, hazy, crazy daze (er, days) of summer, and the Gertz Girlz have heard the siren call of the sea (or in this case, the Merrimack River)! For this dining adventure, we channeled our inner mermaidz and headed to The Deck in Salisbury, MA. The day started overcast, which isn’t a bad thing on a humid day; sitting beside the water under a big umbrella with refreshing beverages makes for a cool, relaxing way to pass the hours. But to make it extra special, we were joined by our very first honorary Gertz Girl–and intrepid mermaid–Cheryl Notartomaso! As the afternoon wore on, the clouds burned away and left us with a perfect day for dining alfresco.
Cheryl Sez:
First I have to thank the Dee, Lisa and Eva for letting me be their first honorary Gertz Girl!
The Deck is always a great place to visit on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon and the company of the girlz made it all that much better.
When you first arrive the valet is ready to open your car door and park your car and reminds you to give your server your ticket when you are paying the check and it will be waiting for you when you are ready to leave. I like that! I was seated right way at a nice table with a view and our server arrived quickly to take a drink order while I waited for the girlz to arrive. Being in the hospitality business my entire career, great customer service is paramount and keeps customers coming back. I felt the service was on par from start to finish.
Caesar Salad with Chopped Kale and Seared Scallops
Our starter of Blue Corn Chips and Guacamole was just enough to hold me over until my ‘go to’ Caesar Salad with chopped Kale and Seared Scallops arrived. The salad, tossed with just enough creamy Caesar dressing and shaved parmesan was abundant and full of flavor. The fresh seared scallops were cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and sweet and tender on the inside. As an ‘add on’ it was totally worth the $12 price. I have visited the Deck in the past and I have had the Caesar with Grilled Shrimp and it never disappoints.
While the menu is a bit limited there is always something that even the most finicky eater can find, and if not just sit back order a cool beverage and enjoy the beautiful view in the day time or at sunset.
Dee Sez:
More often than not, I have a hard time deciding what to order. I try to study the menu online and narrow it down beforehand so I don’t irritate the wait staff or my dining companions. What can I say? I hate to regret a choice, which is probably why I don’t have tattoos. Anyway, The Deck has a limited menu which helps, but honestly, they could have put a bowl of Alpo in front of me and I would have been happy. Not sure it would have paired well with my Pinot Grigio, but…it’s about the atmosphere! The fragrant breezes! The water views! And of course, and most importantly, the company!
Cheryl and Dee
I was thrilled to welcome Cheryl as our first honorary Gertz Girl. She and I met through work in 2001, becoming fast friends, but life has since moved us along divergent paths, so it was a real treat to spend this beautiful day with her–along with Lisa and Eva, of course! And it was like a mini staycation for me as well; I haven’t been near the water since 2006. Sad, but true.
Oh yeah, so the food! I was torn between the Seared Scallops starter as an entrée, the Fish Sandwich and the Stuffed Portobello Mushroom. Cheryl kindly offered me one of her scallops. Thank you, Cheryl! It was perfectly seared and sweet, and I will most definitely order it on another visit, but I decided on the Fish Sandwich. I’m not a big fish eater, oddly enough, but since mushrooms grow in the woods, and particularly as I watched the boats bob in the marina, I thought it more fitting to go with seafood. When in Rome…
A table with a view!
It was a generous portion, and the haddock was gleaming white, moist and flaky. The coating was light and not a bit greasy, but it was also a tad bland. I would have liked it more with some salt and pepper–or dare I suggest, a smidge of Old Bay seasoning?–mixed into the batter. The lettuce and tomato brightened the sandwich but the tartar sauce could have been thicker.
Fish Sandwich
I also could have done with a slice of American cheese to make it a kicked up Filet-O-Fish, didn’t think to ask. These are quibbles; the sandwich was thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying. The brioche bun was nicely toasted. The fries were perfectly salted. I avoided the pickle, figuring it wouldn’t mesh with the wine, which was light, crisp and DeeLish!
Lisa Sez:
Summertime and the living is easy. Whoever wrote that nailed the feeling we all had the afternoon we landed on The Deck! Warm sun, blue skies, and incredible views all taken in under cheerful red umbrellas. I was coming off a tsunami of fried food that weekend – the usual suspects of breaded clams and scallops. I perused the menu at The Deck and went for something light. I ordered the Sesame Salad with the addition of grilled shrimp.
Sesame Salad with Grilled Shrimp
The salad is comprised of Napa cabbage, mixed greens, peanuts, red pepper, bean sprouts, chick peas, and carrots, with cilantro and a light dressing of ginger tahini. Crunch, crunch, and more crunch! I think this would satisfy any herbivore’s craving for a substantial salad by itself. But this mermaid was happy she ordered the grilled shrimp on top. The shrimp were just right, firm to the bite with a tender finish. Altogether very satisfying on a warm day.
Cheryl and Lisa (before the clouds burned away)
Lest I forget – the Mojito cocktail was pretty much the perfect accompaniment to both the salad and the festive ambiance offered at this seaside restaurant. If people-watching and boat-watching are your thing you will enjoy The Deck, which also has the added bonus of sitting beside a drawbridge which opens and closes regularly to let the taller vessels pass through.
Eva Sez:
Truth be told, I am a REAL mermaid and therefore I don’t eat my fellow sea creatures! I haven’t knowingly eaten seafood ever, although apparently my cruel parents duped me into eating it when I was little by ordering “Chicken Calamari” with a wink at the server. That said, I am most happy near any ocean, and I was content to be with the other mermaidz no matter what they ordered! So I went with the BLT.
World’s Best BLT, according to Eva!
Which is the biggest understatement in the world, because it should really be listed on the menu as World’s Best BLT ! There’s a lotta magic going in that-there sandwich which involved salty, thick bacon and just the right amount of fresh tomato and an amazing aioli mayonnaise to give it a kick. SO delicious! Alas, I also went at the fries pretty hard and so decided to take half the sandwich to go…that was a mistake.
Lisa Sez:
I mean my salad was terrific. But at 10pm that night the World’s Best BLT was calling my name (if you get my mermaid drift). So I owe Eva the other half of that sandwich and it will be a wonderful excuse to go back!
Eva Sez:
(Some mermaidz can’t be trusted with leftoverz).
Gertz Girlz Final Dish:
Newburyport is one of our favorite towns in New England, and some Gertz Girlz may even move there eventually. But if there’s one thing better than eating at a great restaurant in Newburyport – it’s eating at a great restaurant as you gaze adoringly across the river AT Newburyport. There’s a lot of summer left and before it’s gone, we strongly suggest you make your way to The Deck!!
Dee Sez:
Lisa Sez:
Eva Sez:
Stu Sez:
Caroline Sez:
Lisa Sez:
Eva Sez:
Cheryl Sez:
Gertz Girlz! 