Boston’s best bakery for sweets doesn’t serve a single blueberry muffin. Instead, the treats lining Sofra’s white-marble counter are inspired by the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East: Persian spiced doughnuts, Egyptian bread pudding, pistachio olive-oil cake. The pastries look so decadent and tantalizingly come-hither that most patrons don’t even bother parsing the […]
boston
Magazine
Stephen Willette | Artisan Profile
Woodworker Stephen Willette doesn’t like things going to waste, but there’s another reason why he often builds with reclaimed barn wood. “It has a certain look to it, with weathering deep into the grain,” he explains. “That comes from years and years of storms, harsh sunlight, and freezing winters. You can’t fake it or reproduce […]
Looking for someone who can repair a cherished possession? Use this guide to fixers around New England. QUILTS Betsey Telford-Goodwin stocks fabrics dating back to 1780, so there’s a decent chance of matching materials when restoring heirlooms and antiques. Everyday quilts in need of TLC are welcomed here, too. Rocky Mountain Quilts, York, ME. 207-363-6800; […]
Have a broken heirloom clock, book, or china teacup that needs repairing? How about an antique doorknob that needs refurbishing? Meet the New England antique repair experts (or “Fixers”) whose specialties and expertise will give nearly anything you own a second or third life. In a world of easy disposability, these New England restoration artists aim […]
Super Bowl Sunday isn’t quite the same without the Pats, but many of us will still be gathering together to watch the action. Whether you’re a diehard football fan or just tuning in for the commercials, there’s no denying that you and your guests will need nourishment for the big game on Sunday (or at […]
Magazine
DeCordova’s Boston Biennial
Back in 1987, the then-DeCordova and Dana Museum and Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, mounted New England Now: Contemporary Art from Six States, a truly authoritative regional survey of the sort that New England needs. The DeCordova became the New England regional hub for new art under curator Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, but, now renamed DeCordova […]
Massachusetts
Two Days in Northampton, Massachusetts
After the birth of our son my wife and I made a pact to incorporate more rituals into our family life. Travel factored into a lot of it. Day trips and weekends certainly, but also midweek excursions; one or two night trips that would get us out of the house without thrusting us into the […]
New Hampshire
Christmas Comes to Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has many different identities. There’s Market Square, of course, and buzz of shops and restaurants that rivals Boston’s Newbury Street, minus the parking nightmares. Its compact size and sheer number locally owned stores, however, gives it a small town feel. It’s a working waterfront city, too, with tugboats and bigger ships on […]
Magazine
Isabelle Abramson | Artisan Profile
Isabelle Abramson is a fan of serenity. That’s why the ceramics artist, who works in a studio in Boston’s South End, is house-hunting in Vermont. “I feel really good about my neighborhood in Boston, and I needed to be in a city to get started so that I could have access to people and show […]
1 Simon Pearce’s substantial “Brookfield” bowl ($90-$125) goes from oven to table and works for mixing, baking, or serving. Simon Pearce, Windsor, VT. 800-774-5277; simonpearce.com 2 Cara Taylor creates her porcelain “Seam Series” bottles ($16-$24) using the slip-casting process. Taylor Ceramics, Northampton, MA. etsy.com/shop/taylorceramics 3 Rob Cartelli crafts elegant yet sturdy porcelain bowls ($28 and […]
Think you know New England shellfish? These gems from Matunuck Oysters in Little Rhody are a new reason to savor the oyster.
At a Jewish day school in Northampton that her children attended, Simona Pozzetto was known as “the challah lady,” despite the fact that she’d been raised Catholic in Milan, Italy. Her bread was so beloved that some children refused to eat any loaf that wasn’t Simona’s. As it is, Simona’s is an unlikely story. But, […]