Providence Open Market

The Providence Open Market is every Saturday from noon to 4, and features local designers and artists – There are other open markets in New Bedford (see my review) and Boston. Think of them as a farmers market for artists and designers. The vendors vary from week to week and sometimes rotate through the markets so it can be hit or miss. I was lucky to discover Ms Viki who works with suede making handcrafted wallets, card holders, handbags and simple snap bracelets – all in plush colors.

www.msviki.com
www.providenceopenmarket.com
www.southendopenmarket.com

 

Eagle Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Holden, MA

Eagle Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is another secret Central Massachusetts Audubon spot – (see Wachusett Meadow). From the road the trail looks pedestrian enough – but once you wind through the woods – past a clear brook lined with thick moss you come upon a giant surreal fern glade. The path continues on to an overlook over Eagle Lake and a very piney Hemlock ridge. The 3 mile path winds through two loops – the highlights are in the Asnebumskit loop – which is all fairytale storybook.

www.massaudubon.org/eaglelake

 

Rubel Bike Maps or The Ice Cream Map

Imagine if there was an option on Google Maps to note all the ice cream stands on your chosen route. Well lucky for us in Massachusetts Rubel Bike Maps – based in Cambridge Ma. has been noting ice cream stands on scenic routes on their bike maps since 1970. The maps show all the scenic backroads, mountain bike trails, rails trails and even swimming holes.

I am not promoting improper usage of a bike map – but hypothetically you could use these maps to find the most scenic drives in Massachusetts and make sure you stop for ice cream along the way. Below – Indian Pudding & Reverse Chocolate Chip from Rota Spring in Sterling.

www.bikemaps.com

 

Best Food Blogs

Not to stray from New England Things too much but I wanted to list some of my favorite food blogs – the first one is of utmost importance:

nebsa.blogspot.com
NEBSA – New England Business Services Association? – no I’m sorry it is New England Banana Split Authority. The guy above has a two step program for the blog – 1) Visit a New England Creamery – 2) Eat a Banana Split.

Fooddie Farm Girl
If you have that secret fantasy of leaving the city, buying a farm, raising animals, growing vegetables, composting, and baking bread (and spending lots of time on your computer writing about it), you can live vicariously through someone who did exactly that.

Midtown Lunch
Midtown Manhattan is a challenging place to find a good lunch – but this blog is a block by block reference of all available food options with some major surprise like a Korean food window in the back of Pro Hot Bagel or a new Jamaican food cart on 47th Street. Lunch is the common denominator for millions of midtown workers so there are lively opinionated discussions.

perutbesi.wordpress.com
masak-masak.blogspot.com
Two Malaysian food blogs – If you like reading about meals from around the world that you’ve never heard of…

 

Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary

Sometimes I think the Audubon Society needs a good publicist. They have hundreds of beautifully maintained sanctuaries with well designed trails and guaranteed wildlife sightings – but I am usually one of just a few people visiting on any given day. I just went to Wachusett Meadow in Princeton Massachusetts and never realized there are almost 13 miles of trails, an 80 acre active! beaver pond and a heron rookery with nesting great blue herons. I do think more people should take advantage of these secret spots that are for all of us to enjoy.

My woodchuck sighting:

www.massaudubon.org

 

Kay’s Market, Watertown, MA

Old world shopping is alive and well at Kay’s Market in Watertown. Kay’s is one of the cluster of Armenian grocery stores on Mount Auburn Street that features middle eastern specialties and quality produce. Going to Kay’s is like walking onto a movie set of a perfectly recreated grocery store circa 1945 – which is when I believe it was established. The bins and shelves are wood and burlap and the walls are painted with murals in honor of food and the art of grocering. I have a new appreciation for the small grocer after visiting Kay’s.

Kay’s Market, 594 Mt Vernon Street, Watertown, MA

 

New Bedford Open Market

The New Bedford Open Market is every other Saturday in downtown New Bedford – part of the new craft movement – opposed to a few decades ago when string art ships, macrame owls and sand paintings were the crafts of choice. The youngsters have moved into silkscreening, clothing re-construction, stuffed animals plushy things and fabric handbags.

The market also features gardners – The Green Lion from Tiverton, RI sells plants and vegetable plantings that looked healthy and ready to flourish. The Gardner’s Guild from Lakeville, MA offered creatively potted plants (two violets in a distressed terra cotta pot – $5). I got the feeling that the pictured gardner below was hanging out in the woods listening to folk music and repotting moss and wildflowers into birch logs planters. Please bring back terrariums in giant brandy snifters.

http://myspace.com/nbopenmarket
http://www.myspace.com/greenliondesign
Gardner’s Guild, Lakeveille MA 508.946.8970

 

No Problemo, New Bedford

It is a skater-kid Mexican joint in downtown New Bedford! – I planned my trip on Saturday to go to the NB Open Market and eat a burrito. It turned out to be a city approved skateboarding day right downtown. Kids from all over brought skateboards and props and were granted one blocked off (non cobblestoned) street in front of No Problemo to do their tricks. No Problemo is one of the restaurants that is pioneering the New Bedford revitalization. Downtown New Bedford has a myspace page that is will give you a feel for the exciting things that are happening there.

http://www.myspace.com/downtownnewbedford

 

Richie’s Slush, Everett, MA

My cousin had a summer job at Richie’s Slush in Everett, MA. so I was able to do a private slush-tasting. There are more than 25 flavors and it bears no resemblance to sorbet or a snow cone and is more refined than a Slurpie. It comes with a spoon/straw thing to adequately scoop and slurp.

a few notable flavors

Honey Dew Melon – very refreshing
Sports Aide – a gatorade slush?
Sour Apple – like a Jolly Ranchers hard candy
Orange Cream -tastes exactly like Bayer’s baby aspirin
Pear – unique

It is summer fun at Richie’s – it is on Revere Beach Parkway in Everett but despite the name there is no beach in sight – I’ll give it the spirit of the beach though.

www.richiesslush.com

 

Happy Birthday Mike Leslie Junk Shoppe, Worcester

Jacob Berendes and Mike Leslie have reinvented the junk store and created a little cultural explosion a la Andy Warhol in Worcester. The store is a true curiosity shop and creative space where you can enter their homemade shoe box diorama contest – or check the events to see when a visiting artist is drawing $1 portraits. Recently Berendes built a Sun Ra Solar Myth Planatarium that is currently on view and they are producing a cable access show on Worcester’s Channel 13 called Snow Ghost.

The real deal for me though is joining the rent club – meaning you donate $40 to pay the store’s rent and in return you receive three surprise pieces of original artwork made by one of the artists in their creative network (one below left). On the right is a thrift find from the store – a 3D puffy birds wall hanging that I believe someone made from a dish towel ($7).

And the website and blog is unlike any other – I promise.

www.hbml.org