Grey's Anatomy: The Musical

I have been reading now for weeks that Grey's Anatomy was planning a musical episode. Many shows have decided to take a stab at this: Scrubs, House and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just to name a few. I was feeling iffy about the whole concept, but looking forward to experiencing this new approach.

Let me say, I was blown away. First, I am naming this episode "The Sara Ramirez Show" (who plays Callie) because damn can she sing! After a little research post-show tonight I learned that Ramirez won a Tony Award in 2005 for her role as Lady of the Lake in "Monty Python's Spamalot." She sang with such genuine feeling and an incredible power in her voice. I had goosebumps every time she sang.

I was also pleasantly surprised that Chyler Leigh (who plays Lexie) also has a great voice. I loved her rendition of Anna Nalick's "Breathe (2am)." Wow. While we're on the subject of Lexie, I hate that she is moving forward with Dr. Avery when she is clearly still in love with Mark. It's cruel and won't end well. I was proud of Dr. Avery for standing up for himself!

I found it a bit eerie that the cast sang two songs that were made famous by Grey's Anatomy during very traumatic scenes: "Chasing Cars" and "How to Save a Life." Though I enjoyed the performances, they brought back really sad memories of episodes past. And more goosebumps.

I found it incredible that even though this episode was extremely painful and stressful, when the cast busted in "Running on Sunshine" you couldn't help but smile! The choreography for that particular song was adorable and every cast member got in on the singing and dancing action. I can't decide if Eli and Bailey or Karev and OB/GYN were my favorite.

Stepping away from the musical aspects of the show, there was some serious plot development! I was not surprised that Teddy shunned Cristina and proclaimed, "I can't teach you anymore. Find someone else!" However, I do wonder if that means Teddy will leave Seattle Grace. What do you think?

I think Mark and Arizona's struggles this episode were perfection. Bravo to the writers for an authentic portrayal of the stages of grief.

For me, the most poignant moment of the episode was when Meredith broke down to Derek in the elevator and asked him to explain the reasons behind the cruel, mean universe. I think we've all felt that way at some point or another and I began tearing up. Tissues, please!

I had no idea Addison was making an appearance this episode! That was a fun surprise.

At the close of the episode, when Callie opened her eyes, I couldn't believe the first thing she wanted to say was, "Yes, I'll marry you." Wow. More goosebumps!

I really loved this episode. Sara Ramirez's acting and singing blew me away. A big round of applause for the whole cast who likely stepped outside their comfort zone to records these songs.

Previews for next week's episode look intense. Thankfully it seems Callie is awake and high functioning, but it seems her baby is in jeopardy. Looks like it will be another super emotional episode!

Dining Out: The Abbey

Back in January I read food critic Devra First's review of The Abbey in the Boston Globe. I found it very interesting that two people who worked at Washington Square Tavern (Josh Sherman and Damian Dowling) opened The Abbey literally three doors up the street from their previous employer! Ballsy.

Last week I received an invitation to a birthday dinner at The Abbey. I checked out the menu online and saw very few vegetarian options. I was nervous about what I would order when the actual date rolled around.

Over the course of the week leading up to the birthday dinner, it was revealed via an email chain that when called to double check if they had a dessert menu (who doesn't want cake on their birthday?), The Abbey said they do not have dessert and you are not allowed to bring dessert into the restaurant. Hm. Bringing in a cake for someone's birthday seems like a pretty small, unobtrusive request. The person on the phone from The Abbey went even further and suggested that our large party relocate after to dinner to Athan's Bakery up the street if we really wanted dessert that badly. It wasn't even the day of our dinner yet and I was already feeling annoyed.

When we arrived tonight with our party of nine, the hostess told the birthday girl "we don't take reservations." The birthday girl had discovered this when she called multiple times over the course of the week and the person kept saying, "We don't take reservations, but come in, it's no problem." Well, it was a problem. There were no open tables when we arrived. Two of the largest tables in the restaurant had only two people sitting at them. In fact, I overheard one of the waitresses say to two patrons waiting to be seated, "Feel free to hover near that table over there. Those women really need to get up." Um. So not ok.

We waited about thirty minutes before we were seated a table in the back corner of the restaurant. The table itself was beautiful and had a fun painting hanging over it, but there was no way nine people were comfortably sitting there. We were all sitting on top of each other (and our coats! No coat rack).

The Abbey also suffers from a serious case of mood lighting. Though it's probably great for awkward first dates and romantic, heavy petting evenings, it was impossible to even read the menu.

Speaking of the menu, it was different than what is posted online. There were more vegetarian options (phew!), but not the item the birthday girl was looking forward to ordering. Ugh!

We started with the fried pickles. I order these everywhere I can. These fried pickles were ok, not great. The best fried pickles are still at Union Street in Newton Centre. I wouldn't order these again.

For dinner I ordered the eggplant parmesan which was fantastic! It was a tower, layered with breaded eggplant, tomato slices and melted mozzarella cheese over a delicious, creamy tomato sauce. Yum! Highlight of the night for sure!

Next to me (and in front of four other people) was the burger which came with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and a huge portion of fantastic, thinly cut french fries. One friend ordered the truffle fries, which were sublime!

Someone ordered the house specialty, the bison bolognese, but she said it was too spicy. So much so, she couldn't eat it. Other diners at the table sampled it and loved it, so don't write it off.

One person ordered the special entree for the evening which was shrimp and sausage over cheddar grits. She said the shrimp and sausage were cooked perfectly and the grits were creamy and super delicious.

As mentioned before, The Abbey doesn't have a dessert menu, so once we finished our dinner, we packed up and headed out.

Let me say this, The Abbey is a physically beautiful restaurant. It has an exposed brick wall, fun art work, mood lighting, an open kitchen and a unique (mostly meat) menu.

However, the customer service from the phone calls before the dinner, to encouraging people to give other customers the stink eye, was unacceptable. I will also never understand restaurants that don't take reservations.

Though my entree was quite tasty, it wasn't enough to outweigh all the other negative factors. I won't be returning to The Abbey.

Coming Soon: Kennebunkport Festival

Today while reading my Twitter feed I stumbled upon a promotion for the Kennebunkport Festival in Kennebunkport, Maine. How can you not love Maine? Just the mention of the state conjures images of summer sun, beautiful beaches and of course, lobster. I hadn't heard of this festival before so I clicked on the link to the website.

Immediately I was struck by the beauty of the logo:

The festival is taking place May 31st - June 4th and celebrates food, wine and art. These events showcase local chefs, wineries, breweries, artists and musicians. Check out the incredible event list here.

I found myself wanting to attend absolutely everything! The catch? An all access pass costs $525 dollars! You do have the option to purchase tickets for individual events a la carte.

Hopefully I can win the lotto and road trip to the festival. If not, I look forward to reading the recaps from those lucky ducks who attend!

Dining Out: South End Buttery

Is there anything better than Sunday brunch?

That was a rhetorical question. Not only is Sunday brunch my favorite meal of the week, but I think the quintessential place in Boston to have this meal is the South End.

This morning I met my nanny from growing up at the South End Buttery for our 10:00am reservation. She had been to the restaurant before and suggested we reserve a table since it's so popular. Thankfully, the South End Buttery is on Open Table, so it was an easy click to make a reservation.

The South End Buttery looks like a brunch spot you'd see on the streets of Manhattan. It's located at the corner of Shawmut Ave and Union Park.

When you first walk in you see a counter to your left, up against the front window which has about ten stools. To the right, there are about ten, two person tables and straight ahead is the bustling counter, serving baked goods, coffee, tea, juice and more. The upstairs caters to a grab-n-go crowd.

The staff all wear brown and yellow Red Sox hats, which are the South End Buttery colors! I love that.

The hostess stand is located at the back of the front room and once we gave our name we were walked down a flight of stairs to the restaurant section. The room our table was in was so cozy! We sat in a gorgeous, milk chocolate colored leather booth, which was punctuated with maroon and gold throw pillows. The room also had a working fireplace and large bay windows casting natural sunlight across the room.

To start we ordered a cappuccino and a hot chocolate. The cappuccino got a rave review (from a non-coffee drinker no less!), but my hot chocolate was about 99% milk, 1% chocolate.

We decided to begin the brunch with the Buttery Bakery Basket which comes with an assortment of baked goods from upstairs. Our basket arrived with a blueberry scone, an apple muffin and a mini loaf of banana bread. It also came with fruit preserves and meticulously swirled butter.

I am not normally a scone fan. I find them painfully dry and their crumbly nature annoying. However, this blueberry scone was one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life! The banana bread was also delicious, though my Mama still makes the best. I would pass on the apple muffin next time.

My nanny ordered the Buttery Breakfast which is two eggs any style (she went with fried), breakfast meat (she picked bacon) and two pancakes. She said the eggs weren't great, the bacon wasn't quite crispy enough, but the pancakes were fluffy and super delicious.

My brunch go-to is typically a veggie omelette, but since that wasn't on this brunch menu, I decided to go with the huevos rancheros, which I am noticing I order more and more. I was able to select the style of eggs and I chose scrambled. They came served with home fries, black beans, and a cheese quesadilla topped with salsa verde, guacamole and sour cream. Absolutely everything on the plate was superb, particularly the home fries and the quesadilla. Yum!

Since we hadn't finished our Buttery Bakery Basket, our waitress offered to pack the remaining muffins and bread to go. Now I have breakfast for tomorrow too!

When we were first seated at our table, there was only one other booth with diners. By the time we left at 12:00pm every single table was full!

I would highly recommend the South End Buttery for either sit down brunch or grab-n-go as you explore the boutiques and beautiful brownstones of the South End. Don't forget to order the blueberry scone!

Live: Matt Wertz with Ben Rector

Last night my opening act good luck continued as I arrived at Royale on Tremont Street for Matt Wertz's show. I first discovered Matt in September 2008 when he opened for Gavin DeGraw. Then I went to see his headlining tour and discovered an amazing band that opened for him, the Alternate Routes. Last night my opening act good luck returned yet again with Ben Rector!

Ben opened the show for Matt and I fell in love with him instantly. First of all, he was dressed adorably. He was wearing black pants, a denim colored shirt and suspenders! How can you not be charmed by suspenders? He belted out incredible songs while playing the keyboard and played his final song on the acoustic guitar. To me, his voice was David Gray meets Eric Hutchinson.



For his final song, he told the audience he would work in a word of their choice into the final verse. Someone in the audience shouted "chowder" and he went with it! He improved a hilarious verse about Boston and chowder that had the whole room laughing and clapping riotously.

When Ben finished his set I was sad to see him leave the stage. In a wonderful turn of events he returned to play keyboard for Matt Wertz during his entire set!

When Matt took the stage the room exploded. This was my fourth time seeing him in Boston and it seemed many people at Royale were also long time fans. In fact, I learned last night that his manager is from Boston.

Matt came out wearing a red bandana around his neck, the same bandana he is wearing on his new album cover and in his new music video for "Feels So Right." Didn't think I'd notice that, did you, Matt?

Matt performed so many of my favorites from his previous albums, including: Heartbreaker, Sweetness in Starlight, Carolina, Marianne, 5:19 and The Way I Feel. He also played several tracks off his new album, Weights & Wings, including: Feels So Right, Someone Like You and Easier Tonight. I took a few videos during the show. Enjoy!

Carolina:



5:19:



Someone Like You:



After a fantastic, high energy set, Matt took a bow and left the stage. The crowd immediately started cheering "One more song! One more song!" and sure enough, Matt, Ben and the band returned to the stage and did the most out of this world cover of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin." I was smiling so wide I thought my face was going to break! I whipped out the camera to tape it, and less than a minute in I got the menacing message "Memory card full." Ah! Here is the snippet I was able to capture:



If you aren't familiar with Matt Wertz or Ben Rector, you need to get acquainted. These are two supremely talented, charming, humble performers who make beautiful music. Check out Matt's website here and Ben's website here.

I already own all of Matt Wertz's albums, but the first thing I did this morning was download Ben Rector's album, Into the Morning. Thank you opening act good luck for continuing to expose me to these superb artists!

Dining Out: Bukowski Tavern

Before leaving the house this morning I checked the blog multiple times, searching and re-searching because I was positive I had already written about Bukowski Tavern. I searched by multiple key words and finally realized, I'd somehow managed to go over two years without blogging about one of my absolute favorite places!

When I first graduated from college I moved into an apartment in Inman Square with three roommates. Only one of us had a job lined up before graduation, so the remaining three (which included me) would wander around Inman Square getting to know our neighborhood during our blissful unemployment. Each week we'd make at least one trip to Bukowski Tavern for lunch. We'd sit at one of the high top tables in the front window and just watch the neighborhood go by. Sigh. The good old days!

After we were employed, we still made regular trips and today, post-Science Museum, I returned with one of my original Inman Square roommates to re-live the glory days at Bukowski.

Bukowski Tavern is located on Cambridge Street in Inman Square right next door to the East Coast Grill. They have huge front windows that they roll up completely in the summer time, allowing you to basically sit on the sidewalk.

Though it was too cold to open the windows today, we did grab a high top right in the sun with a great view of the square.

When our waiter brought the menus we were suprised to learn they have a brunch menu!

To start, we ordered the sweet potato fries. I've got to say, no one does them better. The fries are cut thin, crisped perfectly, salted heavily and come with a dijon mustard dipping sauce. We inhaled them.

For lunch my former roomie ordered the Barfly Burger and a side of plantains.

I ordered the vegetarian meatball sandwich, which was faux meatballs made of eggplant, smothered with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. It was fantastic! Bukowski have awesome vegetarian options.

There are many other menu items we wanted to order, but alas, we had to show some restraint. We also lusted for the white trash cheese dip (yes, it is actually called that), the noodle salad, the mac 'n cheese, the veggie burger, the nutella and banana sandwich and much more.

If you're into beer, Bukowski is a must. They have a significant list and if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can even spin the wheel of beer and let fate pick your next choice.

Bukowski is awesome for lunch, dinner or drinks with a big group of friends. The vibe is definitely hipster, so prepare yourself from some tight jeans. Also important to know, Bukowski is cash only. Thankfully there is a Citizens Bank and Bank of America right in Inman Square.

The next time you're craving exceptional bar food, grab a stool at Bukowski's.

Explore: Charles Hayden Planetarium

I have been going to the Museum of Science since I was a little girl. My parents took me and my sister frequently, I went there on countless school field trips, and even spent a night sleeping in the Museum with my Girl Scout troop. When I graduated from college and moved to Inman Square in Cambridge, one of the first things I did was purchase my own membership to the Museum. It was, after all, just two miles away. Since moving to Brighton I haven't been over the river to the Museum often enough. When I read the Museum recently completed a $9 million dollar renovation of the its planetarium, I knew I had to check it out.

I woke up this morning and met one of my friends at the Museum at 11:00am. There is construction on the street the Museum is located on, so be sure to leave yourself extra time to get there and park if you go in the next couple of weeks.

We had purchased our tickets online the day before and just needed to print them at the kiosk in the lobby. I appreciate that the Museum allows you to purchase your tickets in advance and that the pick up process is so simple.

With tickets in hand we headed to the new Charles Hayden Planetarium. The area where you stand in line was also part of the renovation and now features an interactive solar system exhibit. In fact, we were standing in line right next to the sun portion of the exhibit.

When the staff opened the doors to the planetarium and we took our first steps over the threshold we were immediately struck by the enormity of the blue screen.

We took seats in the center of the dome, in the second row. The seats are incredible! They are reclined almost all the way back to give you an easy view of the "sky" above. I wish I could put these seats in my house! They were so comfortable!

As we settled into our seats the announcer let us know there would be a preview before our show our the new 3D capabilities of the planetarium. Let me tell you, the future shows are going to be awesome! I was seated next to a five year old girl who kept saying "Wow!" over and over again. Wow, indeed.

The show we selected to see was called "Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun." The 40 minute show explored how astronomers research solar systems beyond our own and how they seek possible, habitable planets orbiting other stars. I took an astronomy course in college and this show was bringing back all of those lectures about the color and heat of stars, the different types of planets, the shape of galaxies and more.

The 3D capabilities in the new planetarium are incredible (No photos allowed during the show. Sorry!). Most of the people in the show were families with young children and though I am sure the children were lost on the narration, the images were absolutely amazing. You felt like you could reach up and touch the stars, planets and galaxies they were showing on screen.

I absolutely plan to go back and see the other planetarium shows which include: "The Sky Tonight" and "Cosmic Collisions." What's nice about the planetarium is that you can just buy tickets to that, and not have to pay admission the Museum exhibit halls. For us, it was the perfect start to our Saturday!

Thank you to all of the donors that made this renovation possible. We had a superb experience and can't wait to return.

Grey's Anatomy: The Callie Whisperer

This week Grey's Anatomy returned from its spring break with a highly emotional episode. In fact, I am still wiping away tears.

I knew I would love the episode from the opening scene which was set to Adele's new song "Rumor Has It." That album (21, for those who don't know) is absolutely incredible.

Let's start with the lighthearted: Lexie and Dr. Avery are enjoying each other's hotness and making out pretty much everywhere. Poor Dr. Kepner keeps running into them. Literally.

Poor Dr. Kepner again, for being pursued by a much older, crabbier Dr. Stark. She faked it for as long as she could, but as soon as Karev insinuated she'd have to sleep with him - all bets were off. Do you think Dr. Stark will turn on her now?

Also in the good news category, Meredith tells the OB/GYN a bit about Karev's difficult past which seems to soften her feelings toward him. In fact, she makes the first move on him! Right on the front steps of his trailer. I love that he moved into the hospital parking lot to get closer to the Chief. Absolutely hysterical.

This week's interaction between Dr. Bailey and nurse Eli was perfection. I love that he calls her out and puts her in her place. She needs someone who challenges her. I think their relationship dynamic is amazing. I imagine Shonda Rimes herself is a lot like Dr. Bailey. At least from what I can gather from following her on Twitter.

Now onto the sad twists: first, Scott Foley's character makes a sincere play for Teddy's heart and she flat out rejects him. How cute was he on the table before the MRI? I have been rooting for these two to get together since the beginning! I know he will have a Denny-like demise, but I still hope they do wind up together.

My heart broke this hour for the Chief as it became clear his wife, Adele, has developed Alzheimer's. The scene where she breaks down in front of the Chief, Derek and Meredith was torture. I also find it ironic that Adele has developed the same disease as Ellis Grey, the woman who tore apart her marriage. I am curious why they decided to write the story this way. Anyone else have thoughts?

The ultimate heartbreak this episode came from the final scene. Callie and Arizona are driving out to their private weekend at the B&B when Arizona asks Callie to marry her. As they were driving you knew something bad was going to happen because no one was watching the road. I already had both hands covering my face when the screen went white and all you could hear was the impact of their car colliding with something.

In previews for next week's episode we see that Callie and Arizona did in fact hit a truck and they are both being treated at Seattle Grace. The preview also indicates this is the famed musical episode we have been reading about for weeks. Apparently the cast will sing throughout the hour. A lot to anticipate over the next seven days!

Dining Out: Yard House

I was visiting my parents in Miami in December 2009 when my mom took me to lunch at a place called the Yard House. My mother told our waiter my entire life story and when she got to the part about me visiting from Boston, this young man offered up the fun fact that the Yard House was actually opening a Boston location.

I would soon find out that the location he was referencing was actually in Legacy Place in Dedham. Despite it's suburban location I was still looking forward to checking it out. I tried to go last July, however a freak, summer power outage kept me from my intended visit.

Tonight, over a year later, I finally experienced Massachusetts' first Yard House! I returned with the same friend who I met up with last summer for our first attempt and we were thrilled to be seated right away. We were greeted by our superb waitress who tossed coasters down onto the table as she took our drink order. I noticed right away how cool the artwork was on the coasters:

Though the Yard House boasts over 100 kinds of beer, we opted for a cocktail called the Southern Belle. It was sweet tea vodka, lemonade, fresh strawberries and fresh pineapple. Yum!

We started with the appetizer called the onion ring tower. This is the most beautiful presentation of onion rings I have ever seen! The tower came with a ranch dipping sauce and a chipotle dipping sauce. The onion rings were perfectly crispy with the sweetness of the onion on the inside.

For dinner, my friend ordered the ginger crusted salmon which came over wasabi mashed potatoes, snow peas, carrots and spicy peanut vinaigrette. It was topped with a heaping pile of fried carrot strings. A stunning presentation!

I ordered something off of the "Sub Vegetarian" menu, which is a menu composed of fake meat items! The Yard House uses Gardein, a chicken or beef substitute made from soy, wheat, pea proteins, vegetables and ancient grains. Usually I don't have many entree options on pub/bar menus, so this was incredible!

I decided on the Gardein "chicken" sandwich which came with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and mayo on a poppy seed bun. It was incredibly delicious! My plate also came with a side of sweet potato fries which were excellent.

Our waitress boxed up our leftovers and asked if we'd like to order any dessert. We were so full we didn't even look at the menu. I know, a rarity.

The Yard House is a great place to park yourself for an afternoon or an evening while you watch a game, order a bunch of appetizers and try beer after beer. There are several tables and booths in the restaurants that can accommodate really large parties. If Dedham feels like too much of a haul from the city, fear not! The Yard House is opening a Fenway location in early 2012!