Right before Christmas, my mother and I went to see the Boston Pops. The Symphony Halls is located in the back bay area of Boston. Here's a little historical note: the back bay wasn't originally a part of Boston land-wise, it was build using sediment. It's located right near the State House, Boston Common, and the theatre district. Boston is a small city with a lot of history, culture, and goings-on.

The back bay is home to many restaurants ranging from Italian, taquerias, cafes, and sea food. We ate at Lucca Back Bay. Some reasons we chose to eat here were because this restaurant was one of many in the area that offered valet for free if you were seeing a show at the hall, and who doesn't want Italian?

Lucca was an upscale restaurant that offered a mix of modern and classic Italian food. From the bread, to the appetizer, to the salad, to the entree, to the desert, it was delicious. If you ever go to Lucca, bring your appetite.

These were our salads:

This was my mother's ceasar: winter romaine, traditional Caesar dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano, white anchovy, crostini.

 

My delicious green salad had organic winter greens, black grapes, ricotta salata, spiced grape vinaigrette, candied pecans. 

My chicken was exactly what I needed that cold night. Warm, crispy yet moist statler chicken baby carrots, green apple, pearl onions, parsnip, carrot-tops.  All of the flavors lingered together and married so well. The veggies were great alone or with the chicken, however the onions and the chicken made the perfect bite.

Whipped sweet potatoes, pancetta & maple sciroppo, sage were a perfect accompaniment. The sweetness of the maple made these sweet potatoes indulgently sweet. I wanted to order a gallon if it to to go.

The Boston Public Market, a market full of local stands of cheese, wine, produce, juice, coffee, sweets, IPAs, and more, in Boston opened in July 30th, 2015. It's the only all-local, indoor, year-round public market like it in the United States according to the market's blog. I visited the St. Lawrence market in Toronto, which bore many similarities to it. 

The market is located attached to the Haymarket station so getting there is almost too easy. It is located conveniently close to Fanuel Hall, Boston's North End, the Government Center Garage, and the TD Garden/ North Station.

Sweater: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21

Shorts: H&M

Tights: Drugstore

Socks: Aeropostale

Boots: Primark

Jacket: Forever 21

The BPM "Kitchen" offers many cooking, yoga, and more classes to start the year off right.

 The Taza Chocolate bar sold Mexican stone-ground organic chocolate products from cacao. Products include chocolate drinks, wheels, and bars. Flavors range from coffee, to cinnamon, dark, and spicy.

I got a delicious juice from Mother Juice that has watermelon, cucumber, celery, and ginger. They also sell salads, rice bowls, and energy balls.

Q's nuts sold salty and sweet nuts.

We picked up these "Spiker's shrubs" that are multi-purpose. They can be used as a salad dressing marinade, or in a mixed drink. Flavors like pineapple, ginger, mango, and proved interesting enough for us to give it a try. 

The cookbook exchange - take a cookbook, leave a cookbook.

We also took home some organ wheat-based frozen raviolis from Nella pasta! I took home to corn & carmelized onion ravioli to eat at school. My mother and I bought the goat cheese, basil & roasted red pepper raviolis to eat some time this week. Being self-sufficient for my meals at school have given me a new love for frozen pasta. I trust that this frozen meal won't be full of sodium.

Appleton Farms from Ipswich, MA had a map of the local cheese farms in MA! Oh look, there's even one on Martha's Vineyard!

I have a special place in my heart for Asiago.

The BPM even has a place for plant-lovers!

We ate a vietnamese-inspired lunch from Bon Me. It consisted of BBQ pork, carrots, greens, and rice noodles.

Hopper's Alley is an aisle of local IPAs.

Do you have anything like this near you?

You know those days when you're just feeling brunch? My fellow brunch enthusiasts out there would answer this question "Yes, every day." If it was possible, I would make it every day. However, today was one of those lucky days. 

Don't get me wrong, I love good a good ol' bacon and pancakes brunch, however, I came across a place in Lowell on Foursquare called the "Connector Cafe" that prides themselves on their paleo menu. I never thought I'd have the chance to enjoy a paleo brunch outside of LA or somewhere trendy like that. I never expected it to come out of the Merrimack Valley, but I'm pleasantly surprised.

photo credit http://connectorcafeandgrill.com/

The cafe has two menus: a regular lunch and breakfast menu and a paleo lunch and breakfast menu. The non-paleo menu hails eggs with many different mat choices (steak, sausage, kielbasa), omelets, corned beef hash, home fries, toast, and more. Egg whites are also available. They also serve pancakes, french toast, and waffles topped with fresh fruit. The lunch menu has wraps and subs, paninis, burgers, clubs, and salads. 

The explanation of the paleo menu wraps up the paleo state of mind well:

 The Paleo diet is not a diet per se, but a decision to follow a healthier lifestyle. The diet includes meats, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and olive oil.  It excludes processed foods, grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars and processed oils.

Another cool note about the paleo menu is that the dishes are named after CrossFit workouts. The menu includes omelets with veggies in them with a side of sweet potato hash and sliced tomatoes, steak with peppers and onions, Eggs Benedict, and power muffins.

This is the grilled orange cranberry paleo muffin my mother got. All of their paleo muffins are made with almond flour, coconut, eggs, banana, pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, and whatever the flavor is.

This is my paleo Eggs Benedict. It includes two poached eggs with paleo hollandaise sauce over two broccoli cakes, smoked salmon and sweet potato hash. My first reaction was that this dish is very spicy. However, I am the biggest spice wimp there is. I looked at it as a way to build up my tolerance. The sweet potato has had a bit of spice to it, however the sweetness mellowed it out and made for an interesting flavor profile. The broccoli cakes had SOMETHING in them - maybe chili power, maybe Sriracha - I wouldn't know. However, the hollandaise and eggs helped balance that out. 

If you're in the area and want to switch up your normal breakfast routine, I would check out the Connector Cafe in Lowell, MA!

Last summer, I partook in my first teatox, the ever-famous "Skinny Me Tea" teatox. It was around this time. My reasoning for it this year was to cleanse myself from the dining hall food from the school year. Also, it was to kickstart the fat-burning summer. I did it this year for the same reasons. However, I tried a different teatox this year: Purgo.

Purgo TeaTox was created after its founder developed "leaky gut disorder" after years of bad eating and sleeping habits. He was burning the candle at both ends, and was unknowingly, simultaneously burning a hole in his intestine. He felt weak, tired, and helpless. Like many others, traditional medicine let him down and he turned to hollistic medicine. That's what lead him to make these herbal teas!

Before I ever did a teatoxes, I had only heard of the potent powers of herbal teas. When it comes to food and drugs, I definitely follow the "closest to nature" rule. The less the amount of artificial ingredients, the better. The less preservatives, the better. Therefore, I naturally believe in natural remedies and food, and believe in the healing powers of herbs. Ben teamed up with Chinese herbal medicine wiz's and came out with a potent blend of herbs he is proud to present in this teatox. 

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Here are the ingredients:

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This teatox was also very effective! I noticed physical effects on the outside and inside. My schedule this summer between my internship, my job, and half marathon training is hectic to say the least. There's a lot of early morning and coffee involved. Before I started this detox, I felt tired most of the day, and my thoughts turned negative by the end of the day. However, by the end of the detox, I felt a lot better!

I now have a renewed energy at both my internship, job, and running. I also suffer from many digestion issues, and this helped me as much as any probiotic I've ever taken.

I WOULD recommend this tea! I have enough for another week or two, so maybe I'll do a post-summer pre-school detox. 

Here's all the info on how to order and contact PURGO:

I'm going to lightly call this a review, because I know it's all going to be good stuff. I can't believe I haven't done this yet! 

"Life Alive" is  a vegan-friendly, hip, clean, and most importantly zen fast-casual restaurant in Massachusetts. There are three locations: Lowell, Cambridge, and Salem. Luckily enough, there is a life alive in where I live at school (Salem), and where I live at home (Lowell). I'm not sure about the other locations, but the location in Lowell has the whole Merrimack Valley area abuzz, and has for a while. I've been regularly eating there for about four years now, and I wasn't even an innovator.

People I know from my area talk about this deliciously nutrient-rich food just as endearingly as they do about a Doritos Locos Taco or a Whopper. They crave it. What do they put in their flaxseed sprinkles? Crack?

What's great about this establishment is that they promote a healthy, green, zen lifestyle in a warm, welcoming way. Free water in mason jars, herbal supplements for sale, and a bathroom that could be confused for a mediation garden are just a few examples. It's all about the decor. They also have a community bulletin board to ensure a sense of community. They also have live, local music as well.

So, what are some examples of the delicious, nutrient-dense food they serve? They serve filling bowls, wraps, salads, smoothies, coffee, tea, and more. Bowls are based on brown rice or udon noodles and are filled with veggies, nuts, cheese, and more and can be topped with add-ons such as hummus, avocado, flax oil, goji berries, granola, etc.

The Goddess Bowl

I usually get "the innocent", that is brown rice, corn, carrots, broccoli, and  tamari almonds, quinoa topped with a Ginger Nama Shoyu sauce. I get it alongside the "Elvis Alive" smoothie that includes peanut butter, raw cacao, banana, coconut-based ice cream, and rice milk.

I always go to Life Alive if I want an easy to love healthful meal, and don't feel like making one. Chain restaurants make eating healthy so hard, but Life Alive makes it so easy. It's also just a great place to sit and do some work. Good vibes all around.

Have you ever eaten at a Life Alive?

What's your favorite vegan restaurant or dish?

"I don't feel like going to a chain restaurant tonight," said my mother. I couldn't have agreed more with her. I usually don't feel like eating at chain restaurants unless I'm having a craving... like the Roasted Artichoke, Spinach and Feta pizza on Uno's nine-grain crust. 

During my trip to Greece, I learned that European's biggest form of entertainment is going out and sharing a meal; that's why they take so long to get to your table to take your order, and for your food to come. Not only is it a relaxed lifestyle, but it's entertainment. It's rude for them to bring you your check without flagging the staff down.  I've always loved findng new places to eat that aren't chains, whether it be cafes, thai places, indian places, organic eateries, pizza places, froyo shops - you name it. I always say if my career as a PR pro doesn't work out, I could become a foodie.

My latest foodie conquest was Fishbones in Chelmsford, MA. My mother suggested it after we decided to go shopping in that same area.

Fishbones is located in the quaint downtown area of the mid-sized town Chelmsford, in MA. Downtown Chelmsford has an old New England village vibe, so Fishbones puts a modern spin on it with a modern style inside. The dining is split in half by the open-style bar, and the light blue color tones keep a chill mood.

The tap water is served just like they do in Europe. A refillable bottle is split by the table. (Fun fact - in Europe, it's rude not to pour your neighbor's glass of water.)

We started off with an app and salads. Our appetizer was an arrangement of local honeys and cheeses, served with cranberry bread. This dish is SO  New England.

My mother's salad consisted of two roasted Romaine lettuce head halves topped with blue and gouda cheese, bacon bits, tomatoes, and their house vinaigrette.

My "Meyers Lemon Salad" was mixed seasonal greens topped with beets, blood oranges, fennel, goat cheese, mixed with a Meyers lemon vinaigrette and a balsamic glaze.

We both agreed upon the special of the day - herb roasted haddock, roasted brussels sprouts, bacon and fennel served with smoked maple accented mashed sweet potatoes.

I would give Fishbones a 9/10. Service was great, the design was modern and nice, the food was absolutely delicious and creative. I would have liked to seen a bigger selection, and a less noisy dining room. If you're ever in the Merrimack Valley, check it out!