2016: A GOOD YEAR FOR SELLERS
This year was another banner year for sellers, with high prices, multiple bids, waived contingencies, and high activity throughout the year. In short, it was similar to the last 3-4 years, but with less price escalation overall.
What will happen in 2017? We don’t have a crystal ball, and election years are always a little hard to predict. However, we have seen signs of the market softening a bit, and we expect that to continue in 2017. That is likely to mean that prices will stabilize and properties may sit on the market a little longer—not everything will sell in a week. If the Fed raises interest rates in 2017 as predicted, that will usually result in a surge of activity initially, as buyers try to lock in a rate before additional increases are made. Later in the year, it may result in slower sales. That said, our micro-economy in the Boston area is very strong, and most buyers in the Somerville/Cambridge market will not be adversely affected by the downturn we inevitably will see in real estate markets in other parts of the country. Our lack of buildable land, growth in employer base, and high demand for the wide variety of types of property (condos, multis, singles) insulate us from most of the factors that crash other markets (over development, loss of major employers, uniformity of inventory). If consumer confidence is lower nationally, that will affect local buyers’ feelings of confidence as well, but our market should still be active.
If you had a good year, please help those who did not No matter how good this year was for many people in our area, it was an especially difficult year for residents struggling to meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Please remember to make year-end donations to local charities, especially those that address homelessness, affordable housing, and food insecurity. Some of our favorites are Somerville Homeless Coalition, Community Cooks, Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund, Greater Boston Food Bank, Food for Free, Community Servings, Heading Home, and RESPOND.
~ Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate
Listings
26A Kidder Avenue, Somerville ~ $499,000 Davis Square top floor 2 bed, 1.5 bath condo with central air and in-unit laundry. Common yard and patio. Ideal Davis Square location, walkable to subway, shops, restaurants.
26 Marshall Street #2, Somerville ~ $699,000
10 Hall Street #1, Somerville ~ $425,000
Lovely contemporary townhouse with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, central air, and garage parking— just around the corner from Sarma. Three living levels with oak floors. Open layout on the first floor. Two bedrooms, full bath, and laundry on second level. Entire top floor is a stunning master suite with vaulted ceilings and skylit master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower.
Near Davis and Porter Squares, this 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo with a private yard is ready for your touch.
Thalia Tringo
Coming Soon
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
North Cambridge 1-Bedroom in Mid-Rise with Garage Parking ~ $479,000 Davis Square 1-Bedroom with Private Garage and Porch ~ $tbd
Niké Damaskos
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Union Square Large loft ~ $tbd
Free Classes Jennifer Rose
How to Prepare Your Home for Winter Wednesday, November 30th
6:30-7:45 pm
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Do you worry about pipes bursting? Ice dams? Clogged gutters? Broken downspouts? Heat loss? Damage from broken tree limbs? Heating system failure? Routine maintenance is the best way to prevent damage to your most important investment: your home. Come to this class to get a checklist and explanation of the things you need to do to maintain your home—and sanity.
First Time Home Buyers
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
an overview of the buying process Wednesday, January 18th OR Tuesday, February 28th
6:30-7:45 pm
If you’re considering buying your first home and want to understand what’s in store, this is a quick and helpful overview. Led by our agents, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
a primer for non-traditional homebuyers Thursday, January 19th
6:30-7:45 pm
When two or more people, whether or not they are related, buy property together, what are their options for taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, percentage legal interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements can be made in the event one or more parties want to move on but others want to keep the property? What type of financing is available? We will address these and other questions in this class with a follow-up Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate attorney. If you are a first time home buyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers Workshop (Jan. 18th) or make an appointment with one of our agents so you’ll have your prerequisites for this class.
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time for homeowners contemplating a move Tuesday, January 24th OR Monday, February 13th
6:30-7:45 pm
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one make your head spin, this workshop will help make the process understandable. This workshop, led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods or coats/gloves/hats for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Adaria Brooks
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 ::: VOLUME 23 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE
8 // WINNERS & LOSERS Two Cambridge professors were Nobel Prize winners this year. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? We have so many pizza updates for you. 14 // NEWS: THE CURIOUS CASE OF HISTORIC HARVARD SQUARE Plans to redevelop a block of buildings have come to represent more than the one-off loss of a beloved bookstore, spurring a fight for the culture and future of the neighborhood. 16 // PHOTOS: A BITTERSWEET EVENING AT LANES AND GAMES “I love the strange, carpeted walls. They have foot-flush buttons in the bathrooms.”
16
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
52 // SCOUT OUT: HONK IF YOU LOVE MUSIC The street music fun doesn’t stop with HONK! Festival. Every Sunday, musicians young and old are learning to play with a parade through the city. 54 // SCOUT OUT: IN THE KITCHEN WITH “CHOPPED JUNIOR” CONTESTANT BEN BERINSKY Get to know this 11-year-old Cambridge chef before he makes his Food Network debut. 60 // CALENDAR 61 // MARKETPLACE 62 // SCOUT YOU
18 // FEATURE: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Step away from the laptop and shop right here in town with our annual roundup of the the coolest presents Cambridge has to offer. 32 // TRIALS AND FERMENTATIONS Get in on the kombucha craze with the help of Cambridge Naturals, Modern Homebrew Emporium and this handy how-to for beginners. 44 // MOM KNOWS BEST: A FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY HANDBOOK No one’s busier during the holidays than parents, which is why we’ve put together a special gift guide just for you.
54
Photo, top: Going for the spare at Lanes & Games. Photo by Derek Kouyoumjian. Photo, bottom: Ben Berinsky shows off his knife skills. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. On the cover: Just a few of the great gifts you can find right here in Cambridge.
scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien hbanks@scoutmagazines.com
I
n late October, with less than a week until this issue goes to press, I’m frantically texting my colleague, former Scout managing editor Emily Hopkins. I want to reference an article she sent me recently in my editor’s note (which should have been written weeks ago), and I just can’t find it. She doesn’t remember, either—Poynter? Nieman Lab?—and I so don’t have time for this, so I’ll paraphrase it here rather than quoting it directly. The story was about… well, just that, actually—the fact that our newsrooms, operating as they are with skeleton crews and limited financial resources, are often able to do only the bare minimum. They can get through the day-to-day work of publishing a newspaper or magazine, but they’re struggling to. They Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. certainly aren’t able to innovate or make big-picture changes that would better serve their readers. Taking a long view is tough when that view is obstructed by a mountain of emails and meetings and interviews that need transcribing. Can’t see the forest for the media inquiries. It’s one of the strange conundrums of our time. We have more technology at our disposal than ever, yet we’re somehow busier than ever. There’s more to do, not less. Often, that irony is brought into sharp relief around the holidays, when everyday challenges are compounded by additional planning—seasonal parties, travel arrangements, gift shopping. That’s part of the reason we publish a local gift guide (p. 18) each year. We want to support local businesses, but we also know how helpful it is to have a carefully curated list of items you can buy in the same city where you live or work. I’ve thought about that article—if anyone knows where it was published, please tell me, because this is eating me alive—countless times since I first read it. I think it’s so important for media organizations and individuals, too, to continue growing rather than staying still, limited resources and time and mental capacity be damned. In this issue of Scout, you’ll read all about people striving to nurture something new in themselves, whether they’re taking a Sunday afternoon to tentatively toot out a few notes on a plastic horn thanks to the School of HONK (p. 52) or readying to make their TV debut at age 11 (p. 54). We’ve even included a how-to guide for first-time fermenters who want to try something different (and a little intimidating) in the kitchen. I know it’s not the new year yet, and maybe this is a little too much pre-resolution self-reflection to take on in the tail end of 2016. But it’s my hope that in between the party planning, traveling and shopping, you, too, are able to take time to try something new, just for you. Think of it as a present to yourself.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Cassel ecassel@scoutmagazines.com emilycassel.me DEPUTY EDITOR Katherine Rugg krugg@scoutmagazines.com OFFICE COORDINATOR Shannon Aubourg saubourg@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jess Benjamin jbenjamin@scoutmagazines.com jsbenjamin.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kendra Long, Eliza Rosenberry, Kat Rutkin, Hannah Walters CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Adrianne Mathiowetz adriannemathiowetz.com Joseph Maxwell josephmaxwellphotography.com CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Lauren Costa COPY EDITOR Joshua Eaton WEB HOST Truly Good Design truylygooddesign.com BANKS PUBLICATIONS c/o Scout Cambridge 191 Highland Ave., Ste. 1A Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutcambridge.com scoutcambridge Office Phone: 617-996-2283
Emily Cassel, Editor in Chief ecassel@scoutmagazines.com
O
ur annual gift guide is more than just a list of stuff you can buy—at its core, it’s a celebration of the incredibly vibrant small business community in Somerville and Cambridge. So this year, we’re having a little after-hours mixer to celebrate that community!
6
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
scoutcambridge @scoutmags
Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 5:30 PM • THE ARMORY 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE ADMISSION IS FREE
CIRCULATION 40,000 copies of Scout Cambridge are printed bimonthly and are available for free at more than 250 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). You can find a map of our pickup locations at scoutcambridge.com/pick-up-spots or sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutcambridge.com/shop.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PAPER ORNAMENT PAPERWORKS ELEMENTS: PAPERBAG
House brand paper that resembles a paper grocery bag. Has been edited to work with both ink jet and laser printers. Various sizes in 80lb text or 80lb cover weight. 100% recycled. Starting at $13 for a package of 100
PLATINUM CARDS
Perfect to make a holiday card your own. Sizes range from 4 bar to lee. Cream and white, panel/no panel, foldover/no foldover. Plus plenty of options for inside card. Starting at $12 for 250 cards and envelopes
STARDREAM ENVELOPES
FILL A BAG!
You never know what you’ll find, but always stocked with fun and funky sizes in all different types of paper. Just $5
OTHER THINGS WE DO…
Fs inF O % 10 r purchasere only) (fo ille sto rv o S me
2. Stack circles in patten: for 3 - A BBCCAA B B C C A, 2-ABBA A B B A, etc. Fold circles in half 3. Staple circles at top and bottom on the fold line
Fun and fancy flair! Metallic and pearlescent surface on both sides with beautiful colors - a top seller, especially for the holidays! Come in sizes a2-a9, in a euro (pointed) flap or square flap Starting at $10 for a package of 50.
UT ‘SCO R N O I O T MEN GUIDE’ F T F GI
1. Cut out circles of any size. 4 of each color (I chose to do 3, but 2 or 4 would also work)
• • • • • • • • • • •
Announcements & invitations Coated paper Menu papers Letterpress paper & envelopes Colored paper & envelopes Custom in house cutting, perforating, and scoring Recycled papers and envelopes Speciality papers Wide format papers Folio (flat sheets) sized paper Copy paper
FAMILY-OWNED AND OPERATED FOR MORE THAN 75 YEARS. 691 Broadway | Somerville, MA 02144 | (617) 440-6300
4. Use a pen and put a mark at the bottom right side on front circle, and top right on next half circle. This is where you will glue.
5. Add string to hang between any circles (I didnt have any string!) 6. Alternate gluing every other like shown in picture.
FINAL PRODUCT!
W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
OLIVER HART AND BENGT HOLMSTRÖM
TICKET FEES As Cambridge Day noted in September, Massachusetts drivers and cyclists who try to dispute a ticket lose even if they win thanks to a 2009 state law that introduced a $25, non-refundable fee— sometimes more than the cost of the ticket itself—to file an appeal. That doesn’t sit well with Joseph Cohen, who started a change. org petition in August aimed at amending the law. If he gets the 200 signatures he wants, the North Cambridge resident will send the petition to Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey and Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh.
Congratulations to Harvard professor Oliver Hart and MIT professor Bengt Holmström, who shared the 2016 Nobel Prize in economics! The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in early October that the two had been selected thanks to their decades of work in contract theory. Boston magazine reported that the economists—both of whom have been with their respective institutions since the ‘90s— will split a reward of 8 million Swedish krona or about $923,968.80 in U.S. dollars. WEIRD SCIENCE In other Nobel news, the Ig Nobel Prize awards were held at Harvard in September. Each year, the Ig Nobels—which are handed out by former Nobel Prize winners—celebrate weird, wacky and offbeat contributions to science. Among this year’s honorees were a group of German researchers who learned that you can relieve an itch on the left side of your body by scratching the right side of your body while looking into a mirror and (and vice versa) and a team of American and Canadian scholars who published a serious, scholarly study called “On the Reception and Detection of Pseudo-Profound Bullshit.” EATIN’ GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Conde Nast Traveler published its list of the 207 best restaurants in the world in early October, and two Cambridge spots—Alden & Harlow and Oleana—made the list. “It is very humbling,” Alden & Harlow chef Michael Scelfo told the Cambridge Chronicle of the recognition. “In Boston, they could have named a lot of restaurants. It’s not lost on me that as a restaurant, being named on that list, there’s a responsibility, and I think we’re up to the challenge.”
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY You know how we’ve spent decades thinking fat was to blame for poor heart health? According to documents published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September, a group called the Sugar Research Foundation paid Harvard scientists to publish findings in the 1960s that downplayed sugar’s connection to coronary heart disease, instead pointing the finger at saturated fat. “They were able to derail the discussion about sugar for decades,” Stanton Glantz, the University of California, San Francisco professor of medicine who discovered the industry’s role in our collective misunderstanding, told the New York Times. Not so sweet after all. CAMBRIDGE CARNIVAL ATTENDEES In a lede that could’ve been ripped from the Onion, a September 26 Cambridge Chronicle story begins, “Despite the fact that four men were arrested for fighting and one woman was hospitalized after being slashed with a knife during this year’s Cambridge Carnival on September 11, City Manager Rich Rossi said the event was an improvement over past years.” The Chronicle went on to outline the “trend of violence” at the annual festival; last year, panic ensued and a Roxbury woman was struck in the leg by a stray bullet when shots rang out.
Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy? Let us know at scoutcambridge.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser. 8
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the November/December edition of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: SOMERVILLE EDITION Exhausted your Cambridge shopping options? Head to the ‘Ville!
HIGHWAY TO HELP Every year, these bikers rev up their engines to help families in need.
“THE PHOENIX RISING” It’s been a wild year for Paramount Bicycle owner Tyler Oulton. Scout Somerville is available at McCabe’s on Mass, the S&S Restaurant and hundreds of other places throughout Cambridge and Somerville. Head to scoutsomerville.com/pick-upspots for a full list of locations!
True Home Partners: We Partner With You
LISA J. DRAPKIN
NANCY M. DIXON
Mobile: 617-930-1288 Lisa.Drapkin@NEMoves.com
Mobile: 617-721-9755 Nancy.Dixon@NEMoves.com
PREMIER ASSOCIATE
“Lisa engenders immediate trust, with a strong knowledge of the real estate market, great ideas for how to prepare for a sale, and an infinite network of connections to help you get the job done.”
DEBBIE LEWIS REALTOR®
REALTOR®
DAVE WOOD REALTOR®
Mobile: 617-388-3054 Dave.Wood@NEMoves.com
Mobile: 617-461-6797 Debbie.Lewis@NEMoves.com “Debbie has a charming personality, bringing humor to the often stressful process of home buying, and always brightens our day. We would not hesitate to recommend Debbie to anyone looking to purchase in Cambridge, Somerville, or the surrounding areas.”
• A partnership of five full-time Coldwell Banker real estate professionals. • Full-time Executive Assistant. • Combined 55 years of experience.
LAURIE CRANE REALTOR®
Mobile: 617-866-8865 Laurie.Crane@NEMoves.com
• Honed negotiation skills. • Innovative marketing. • Intimate knowledge of current market conditions.
TrueHomePartners.com Call us to find out how we can partner to sell your home or find your next one.
scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
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WHAT’S NEW?
NOW WHAT?
KENDALL SQUARE
FOUNDRY DEVELOPMENT
For years, the city has been working to develop the Foundry building, aiming to create a “creative, innovative center that offers a collaborative environment with a mix of cultural, arts, educational, manufacturing and commercial uses,” according to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority. But a September report from the CRA showed that only a fraction of the 50,000 square-foot space was slated for full-time use by the community, nonprofits and arts organizations. “This is not acceptable and this is not what we were promised,” councilor Nadeem Mazen wrote in a September 29 email newsletter, urging residents to attend an October 6 meeting and voice their support for the Foundry’s use as a community space.
FLAVORS OF FALL HARVARD SQUARE
THE HOURLY
KENDALL SQUARE
M
ore and more oyster bars seem to be popping up around Cambridge—not that we’re complaining! The Hourly (15 Dunster St.) is the latest from the Grafton Group, which also owns Harvard Square standouts Russell House Tavern, Park and Grafton Street. Here, you’ll find a menu stocked with seafood staples—clam chowder, lobster rolls, beer battered fish and chips—along with tuna poke, charred octopus and a must-try poached salmon salad. CENTRAL SQUARE
of experience into one space while welcoming new friends to connect over food and drink.
PAGU
Chef Tracy Chang grew up in her grandmother’s Japanese restaurant, and many of the dishes at PAGU— like the “childhood fried rice” pictured here—are things she’s been cooking for years or even decades. “A lot of the menu is based off of nostalgia,” Chang told us in October. “It’s more of a narrative of my personal experiences.” When PAGU opens at 310 Mass. Ave. this fall, Chang hopes it will be a place where she can combine her lifetime 10
CENTRAL SQUARE
COMING SOON ROXY’S A4CADE
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
It’s been almost a year since Area Four and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese announced plans to team up and open a barcade in Cambridge. But good things—pinball included—come to those who wait. Roxy’s A4cade will open this December at 300 Mass Ave., according to Boston magazine. Boston reports that the Roxy’s restaurant will be Roxy’s in the front, Area Four speakeasy in the back—with vintage 8-bit
games, pinball and more. INMAN SQUARE
MOONA
Put down this magazine and get yourself to Moona (243 Hampshire Ave.), the delightful, 30-seat Arabic and Eastern Mediterranean smallplate spot that opened October 24. The name comes from an Arabic word meaning “storing” or “pantry,” and the flavorful, shareable plates you’ll eat here reflect that term—Moona “cherishes the culinary tradition of nourishment, sustenance and COMING purity in the Arabic and Eastern SOON Mediterranean tradition,” according to its website.
VOLPE CENTER
In the heart of Kendall Square, the Volpe Center—with 14 acres of buildable land—sits waiting to learn which builder the federal government will choose the redevelop it. In September, the Boston Globe’s Tim Logan noted that this is “one of the most prized development sites in Greater Boston, if not the country.” But the government—and people—of Cambridge have been given little to no say whatsoever on what will become of this prime piece of real estate. The government is considering proposals under, essentially, a “cone of silence.” “The lack of information really hinders our ability to talk with each other and explain to the community what we think is going on,” Councilor Craig Kelley told the Globe. “It’s going to make things harder for everyone.” We’ll all find out soon enough—the Globe reports that a winning developer for the site will likely be chosen by the end of the year.
Hourly photo by Joel Benjamin. Pagu photo by Matt Li. Area Four photo courtesy of Area Four.
OVER THE RIVER
We Sell Properties
3%
AREA FOUR BOSTON DEBUTS
“M
ore than anything else, we define our success at Area Four Cambridge by our ability to grow in tandem with the community and evolve into the go-to eatery for Kendall Square,” Area Four owner Michael Krupp said in an October statement heralding Area Four’s arrival in Boston’s Ink Block neighborhood (264 East Berkeley St., Boston). “We see a lot of commonalities between Kendall and the Ink Block, and we are going to do everything we can to become the neighborhood restaurant for this exciting part of the city.”
ALL STAR HEADS TO BEACON HILL
Inman Square’s All Star Pizza Bar is opening another Cambridge outpost… sort of. In late September, Eater Boston reported that brothers and co-owners Kosta and Johnny Diamantopoulos would open a second All Star Pizza Bar at 204 Cambridge St. in Boston. The Beacon Hill All Star will have the same delicious ‘za and “interesting flavor combinations” as its forbear—and, of course, the same warm, welcoming vibe. “When you come into an All Star establishment,” Kosta told Eater, “the first things that hit you are the sights, the sounds, the smells,
the colors, the staff that interacts with you. We try to create an atmosphere where people want to be here.” CENTRAL SQUARE
SALONIKI
Rejoice, Saloniki fans—and we know there are an awful lot of you out there. The fast-casual Greek eatery, which has been buzzed about since it opened up in the Fenway in March, is coming to Cambridge this November (181 Mass. Ave.), according to Eater Boston. Get ready to mow down all the pita, spicy lamb meatballs and rice bowls you can, plus a new fried dough dessert called loukomades.
Commission
T R U S T. KNOWLEDGE. EXPERIENCE. VA L U E . GRIFFIN PROPERTIES
2285 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140 55 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 Phone: 617-354-5888
www.VisitGriffin.com
scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
11
What’s New?
GUESS WHO’S BACK
HARVARD SQUARE
B.GOOD
B
urger, bowl, salad and shake joint b.good bid farewell to Harvard Square earlier this year, when construction on Harvard’s Smith Campus Center shuttered it and a few other eateries. But in October, the restaurant made a triumphant return in a new location just down the road at 1 Eliot St. INMAN SQUARE
EAST COAST GRILL
Our faith in humanity (and barbeque) was restored back in April when the Highland Kitchen team announced plans to reopen East Coast Grill (1271 Cambridge St.). It looks like that return is imminent—the restaurant was hiring as of mid-October, and its website promises a fall 2016 return.
PORTER SQUARE
BARAKA CAFE
After 20 years spent cooking up delicious French-Tunisian fare just outside of Central Square, Baraka Cafe closed in midSeptember. But fear not! The delightful little restaurant is simply relocating to 1728 Mass. Ave. According to a recent Facebook post, they’re looking to be up and running in the new space by mid-November. EAST CAMBRIDGE
KIMCHI KITCHEN
A few weeks of repairs turned into a few months for Kimchi Kitchen (847 Cambridge St.), which closed just before summer for what Eater Boston called “unspecified damage” to the space. The Korean eatery returned in
mid-September under new ownership, which means you could be eating their pan-fried dumplings right now. INMAN SQUARE
BEAUTY’S PIZZA
Nearly two years ago, a devastating fire ripped through the building that housed Beauty’s Pizza—but they’re finally back! Beauty’s reopened in Inman Square at 187 Hampshire St., the space that was formerly Pizza Pie-er, in September. “It has been very difficult for us being away from our Beauty’s family for so long,” a Facebook post from the eatery read. “In the process of preparing we have already seen so many familiar faces, but we would love to welcome everyone back for their favorite Beauty’s lunch.”
WHAT’S IN STORE
NORTH CAMBRIDGE
CURIO SPICE CO.
Somerville-based small-batch spice company Curio Spice Co. will open its first brick-andmortar location in Cambridge (2265 Mass. Ave.) this fall. 12
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
Coincidentally, the new storefront will be located in the same block of buildings that houses Jeremy Spindler and Spindler Confections, another small-batch Somerville company that made a move into Cambridge within the last year. “We were talking about it!” spice maker and owner Claire Cheney told us in September. “Both of us were initially looking for a space in Somerville and just kind of ran out of luck.”
INMAN SQUARE
PRACTICE SPACE
A small storefront in Inman Square will soon become “a place for creative thinking and slowing down,” according to coowner Diana Lempel. Practice Space (1307 Cambridge St.) is a “research studio for art, design and everyday” created by Lempel, a historian, literary scholar and urban planner and Nicole Lattuca, an art maker and educator. Lempel and Lattuca hope to create a space where people can relax and get into a creative headspace.
Lempel says Practice Space will open in the new year, with a small retail space full of purposeful, meaningful objects. They’ll be popping up throughout the holidays, ideally beginning on November 26 (Small Business Saturday). She’d like to create a cozy, warm feeling in the spirit of hygge, a Danish term that refers to the intimate comfort and coziness of, say, curling up with your cat or connecting with friends around the dinner table. “There will always be a pot of tea,” she says. “That’s one of our commitments.”
B.Good photo courtesy of B.Good. Curio photo by Chattman Photography.
BYE BYE, BEAUTIFUL
HARVARD SQUARE
UNO PIZZERIA
The city is down a deep dish spot after Uno Pizzeria (22 JFK St.) closed its doors in early September because— what else?—the cost to stay in Harvard Square had gotten too high. A representative for the pizza joint told the Crimson that the rent had simply “gotten out of whack.” HARVARD SQUARE
FIRE + ICE
COMING SOON
Another Harvard Square staple, Fire + Ice (50 Church St.), also shuttered in early September
after roughly two decades. Those who want to pick their own ingredients and watch ‘em get fired up in real time can still head to Fire + Ice’s nearby outpost in Back Bay (205 Berkeley St., Boston).
If you’re suffering with a severe illness:
CONSIDER CANNABIS THERAPY • • • • •
RA Headache Crohn’s ALS MS
• • • • •
Cancer Neuropathy Chronic pain HIV/AIDS Anorexia
Seizures Glaucoma Hepatitis C Parkinson’s Insomnia
We’re here to help you feel better, and return to a more productive, enjoyable life.
NORTH CAMBRIDGE
Already have a card? Unsure about your treatment?
NIMAH MARKET
The Pakistani and Bangladeshi convenience store Nimah Market (2180 Mass. Ave.), a favorite thanks to its selection of bulk spices and Halal meats, closed suddenly in September. No word as to what led to the closure.
SCOUT CHECK
• • • • •
COMING SOON
Catching you up on news we already covered recently, in print or online.
•U rban Hearth is now open at 2263 Mass. Ave., with daily cafe COMING service (and free WiFi) and a nightly supper club. SOON • Get your hands on more than 150 types of tea at David’s Tea, which opened at 35 JFK St. on September 30. • Sibling Kendall Square restaurants Blue Room and Belly (1 Kendall Sq.) reopened in early September, more than a year after a fire shuttered the two eateries. • You can officially grab growlers full of beer or coldbrew coffee at 284 Broadway—Lamplighter Brewing Company and Longfellows opened up their shared space on September 30. •H oneycomb Creamery is officially serving up sweets—and homemade cones!—at 1702 Massachusetts Ave. • The newest Flour Bakery + Cafe location is open at 114 Mt. Auburn St. in Harvard Square. Another pint-sized Cambridgeport outpost will follow later this winter—likely in early December. • Looks like an early- or mid-November opening for Benedetto, which will come to the former Rialto space at the Charles Hotel (1 Bennett St.). • The seafood-centric Glass House swam into Kendall Square (450 Kendall St.) on November 1, with a raw bar and more in a casual, modern setting.
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scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
13
NEWS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF HISTORIC HARVARD SQUARE Plans to redevelop a block of buildings have come to represent more than the one-off loss of a beloved bookstore, spurring a fight for the culture and future of the neighborhood. BY HANNAH WALTERS | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
S
top by the Curious George Store in Harvard Square on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll find scores of children and parents exploring the aisles, stopping to inspect plush monkeys, board games and bright yellow, red and blue children’s books lining the wooden shelves. Those who have shopped in the store since it opened in 1995—international travelers and locals alike—know the warm feeling of this bustling children’s bookstore well. Now, imagine standing in the same space. But instead of facing the shelved walls that make up the back of the store, you’re surrounded by walls made entirely of glass as you gaze out and up at open space that extends up several floors. After entering a sleek elevator to the right, you ascend to the second floor of a shopping pavilion which is also encased in glass, light streaming in from above. This is the vision of Equity One. The New York-based real estate development firm bought the famed Abbot Building at the intersection of JFK and Brattle Streets, which houses the Curious George Store, 14
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
as well as the connected buildings at 9-11 JFK St. and 18-20 Brattle St., last October. Equity One’s redevelopment plan for the parcel, which the firm has rebranded The Harvard Collection, involves transforming the back of the Abbott Building into an all-glass, five-floor shopping pavilion with a green roof. The brick facade of the building’s front will remain, with some enlarged windows on the first floor. The space that currently houses Curious George will act less as a standalone shop and more as a yawning entrance to the shopping pavilion. According to Equity One, the main goals of the project are to add usable retail and office space to the square, which would “activate the street” and restore the aging building.
O
n October 6, the Cambridge Historic Commission held a public meeting where examining—and potentially voting on— the firm’s plans was a key agenda item. (The conversation
continued an initial three-hour meeting held in early September at which the vote was delayed.) The commission is charged with fulfilling nine rather detailed objectives for historic districts like Harvard Square. Among them are maintaining the vitality and diversity of the square by preserving historically or architecturally significant buildings and supporting contemporary design for new construction that complements and contributes to neighbors of the district. The commission does not, however, have the power to preserve current use or restrict future use of a building or its interior, or to dictate which tenants rent retail space inside historic buildings. A building permit cannot be obtained without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the commission, which will grant one if it approves the modifications. After a presentation of the development plans, William Brown, vice president of development at Equity One, described the aesthetic and effect of the glass addition as “quiet, simple and transparent. We want to respect the existing buildings—we think they are beautiful.” Equity One representatives say they appreciate the historic quality of the building and want to emphasize those attributes while energizing the square. But the building’s reconstruction has sparked a public outcry and, in some, feelings of mistrust and suspicion toward the firm. The project would require current commercial tenants like the Curious George Store to vacate the building for two to three years during the renovations, and there’s no guaranteeing those same tenants would ever return to Harvard Square. “Even if we were asked to come back [after construction], what does ‘back’ look like? What does ‘back’ cost?” asks Adam Hirsch, the owner of the Curious George Store. He says he wouldn’t be surprised if his rent doubled. “I’m not against development … but I’m of the mind it’s not if, it’s when,” Hirsch explains regarding the increasing presence of national chains in the square. Yet the fight to stay is critical for him as the owner of one of the last bookstores—and the last children’s-specific bookstore—in the Cambridge area. While another neighborhood would undoubtedly welcome the Curious George Store with open arms, the forced relocation is at the very least a disruption to Hirsch’s livelihood. Were construction to begin as Equity One intends, tenants would have one year to find new digs. “Everyone hangs their hat on Harvard Square,” Caroline James, a Harvard School of Design-educated architect and a supporter of the Curious George Store, noted before the October 6 meeting. James is spearheading a separate petition to save the Out of Town News Kiosk and has founded a group called Our Harvard Square, a collective voice calling to preserve the kiosk and Curious George Store. According to James, international students, longtime residents of Cambridge and homeless people all have a tradition of sharing space in the square. “The overall aesthetic [proposed by Equity One] is troubling because it sanitizes,” James reasons, adding that it may be more forward-looking in the world of architecture to embrace the traditional spirit of neighborhoods. “[In architecture], we’re going back to the more regional. What is vernacular?” Wrapping buildings in glass, she says, is not in keeping with the spirit of the largely brick, historical square. James suspects that Equity One will offer short-term leases after redevelopment and sell the building in about five years at a major profit. She echoes Hirsch’s outlook. “We’re not anti-development, we’re just thinking it needs to be balanced,” she says. “And right now, the Equity One proposal is to maximize their five-year profit and then get out.”
B
oth Hirsch and James were in attendance at the October 6 meeting, which drew around three-dozen attendees. While the initial September discussion saw an outpouring of concerned citizens, this follow-up resembled more of a trickling—likely because another meeting of interest regarding the future of the Foundry building was occurring at the same time at city hall. The conversation began with overall civility. A handful of audience
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News
members from the public who had architectural backgrounds asked long into the winter. detailed questions about the square footage of glass and the start Whether the commission rejects Equity One’s proposed glass and stop of slab lines, while others inquired about shadow studies and addition—one of the more offensive aspects of the proposal to the whether lights would emanate from the building late into the night. public, who see it as smacking of suburbia—the question of the square’s But at a certain point, the questions became more pointed. future identity will likely be anything but resolved. “What other alternatives have you considered besides solid glass The public movement to preserve a building in which the first walls, because of the concern about suburbanizing, mallification and floor is composed almost entirely of an Urban Outfitters, and which is especially blinding night lights from a space that is undoubtedly going situated across the street from a Starbucks, a CVS and a National bank to be open late?” one member of the public asked the Equity One chain, seems ironic to some. Similar tensions simmered last year when representatives. Harvard University moved forward with the buildout “Somebody already raised the awful specter EVEN IF WE WERE of its Smith Student Center (also with a glass facade), of the mallification of Harvard Square. I’ve been displacing institutions like Al’s Harvard Square Cafe ASKED TO COME here for 44 years and watched the square totally and Clover Food Lab, along with the Au bon Pain deteriorate … you might as well be in a damn rental and its tables and chess boards, famously featured BACK [AFTER mall,” said resident Harvey Bowman. “When you do Good Will Hunting. But when the Au bon Pain first CONSTRUCTION], inarrived this renovation, how much more expensive will it be in the 1980s, many residents cried foul. In WHAT DOES ‘BACK’ time, the cafe was brought into the canon of Harvard to rent space? Who is going to be able to afford it? We have enough banks and box stores. What are we iconic spots. LOOK LIKE? WHAT Square’s going to be left with?” Friction between those who want to welcome DOES ‘BACK’ COST? bigger commercial chains and those seeking to Prior to the public question portion of the meeting, William B. King, the chair of the commission, requested preserve the quirkiness of the square is not new, that the public not pose rhetorical questions during the fact-finding portion nor will it likely dissipate anytime soon—even if the commission rejects as there is time for comment at the end, after informational questions are Equity One’s proposal. Is there, perhaps, a Harvard Square with neither posed. Once the meeting had moved to the public comment portion, one the culture it had 45 years ago nor one that’s sterilized by a glassy audience member—Mr. Williamson—asserted that the only reason there exterior, national chains and high-end eateries and shops? was not more public outcry was because the public is unaware of this plan. As Hirsch puts it, “The most salient point for us is: What is Harvard Were more people informed, he said, “they would be horrified.” Square? What is Cambridge? Many will answer, it is an epicenter for Again, no vote was held at the close of the meeting, which, like the education and learning.” first, ran for over three hours. Historical Commission representatives A Barnes & Noble encased in glass may not be a worthy say that a December meeting will likely be the next opportunity for the equivalent. public to comment on the issue, and the conversations could trail on 16
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
Come in as a customer “That first trip to John was in the 1980s. I have honestly lost count of how many cars I’ve bought from him since, but I haven’t bought from anybody else in that time. I buy two at a time. Just in the last year I bought a 2000 VolksWagon Beatle and a 2001 PT Cruiser within six months of one another.” – Roberta Ferrara
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“Within two days, John set me up with three pre-owned vans to choose among, all in my price range. The van I chose has been fantastic. The way it’s handling, I expect it to last quite a few years. I’ve told my friends and family that I’ll never buy “brand new” again. I’d buy another car from John tomorrow, and I’d tell all my friends to go there too.” – Suzanne Fontano “You know how it feels when a friend just lands himself in a great situation? You see what your friend has, and you think, man, I wish that were me. For the first time in my life, thanks to John’s Auto, I’m that guy! I’m so proud of the car John found me.” – Alan Kinbell 181 Somerville Ave (across from Target)
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DEVELOPMENT N G AT I N E V E T E E W A BITTERS
s e m a G & s e n La Fans wish the old-school North Cambridge bowling alley would be spared from development BY ELIZA ROSENBERRY | PHOTOS BY DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN
L
anes & Games on Route 2 in Cambridge has been a home to local bowlers for more than four decades. But if an August development proposal moves forward, the building could be demolished as early as next summer to make room for condominiums. Scout spent a recent Saturday evening chatting with the bowling alley’s employees and customers about the atmosphere, the history and what it is that makes this place so special.
“It hasn’t changed much physically,” says Manager John Leverone, pointing to the carpeted walls. He’s worked at Lanes & Games for 40 years. “It’s got a lot of history.” When a bowling alley closes, John estimates that as many as half of its customers stop bowling altogether, which in turn hurts the popularity of the game. “Bowlers refer to a bowling house as their home,” he says. “They’re like family.” That’s especially true for John, who met his wife of five years, Lory, during one of his shifts here. Lory Leverone has worked here for 16 years. She eventually became the in-house driller, customizing bowling balls to meet players’ specifications.“I have a love-hate relationship with it,” she laughs. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, she’s meticulous and thorough when it comes to handling expensive sporting goods and getting things exactly right for her clients. “It’s really different,” she says of her unique line of work. “You don’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I want to be a driller.’” It’s also commonly a male-dominated field. Lory went through the training process to take over ball-drilling with a group of other employees—all men—and ultimately, “the girl was left standing.”
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November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
Wally Flannery has been an employee of Lanes & Games for three years. He worries about the future of candlepin bowling—a local specialty. “Candlepin is a lost art,” Flannery points out, adding that the Worcester-developed sport is almost exclusively played in New England and Nova Scotia. Still, he sympathizes with Lanes & Games and other alleys like it that are closing up shop. “Because of the economy, a lot of [people] are offering a lot of money to these bowling places,” he says. “And it’s hard to turn down.”
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Development
A Bittersweet Evening At Lanes & Games
Allston resident Kevin Garelik decided to celebrate his 30th birthday here with friends and family who were visiting from New Jersey. “I love bowling. I’m not competitive, though,” he chuckles. He first came here a few months ago for a Big Lebowski event that included a movie screening, themed cocktails and—naturally— bowling. “This offers everybody a place to bowl,” he says, whether they prefer ten-pin or candlepin.
Ed Kim brought his son, Harry, and Harry’s friend Josh to bowl candlepin and hang out in the arcade. He’s brought his Newton-based family to Lanes & Games for birthday parties before, but he hadn’t heard about the potential condo development. “It’s kind of an awkward place to build condos,” Kim muses. “And I’m not a big fan of destroying the old stuff.”
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Valerie and Ryan found out about Lanes & Games through a friend. “It’s great. I love the strange, carpeted walls,” Valerie enthuses. “They have foot-flush buttons in the bathrooms.” “It’s like driving a toilet,” adds Ryan. “I love the weird, retro seating. I love how casual the staff are. I love the pinball room,” Valerie continues, noting that she prefers Lanes & Games to more generic bowling venues in Boston. “This is more relaxed, townie and old-fashioned.” They planned to bowl at least six games that evening. “The arcade, the pizza. It’s a nice, fun, family-friendly place,” Somerville resident Sarita explains. “You can plan ahead or come on a whim, and you can still bowl.” She regularly brings her grandchildren—Daniel, 15, and Roger, 12—to hit the lanes and play arcade games. “The arcade’s awesome,” Daniel confirms.
Annie McGraw, Shailyn Flynn, Anastasia Portenko, Bridget Paulson and Kayla Tymon have huddled around a bar table to share pizza and beers before hitting the lanes. The group admits that the potential for condo development is what motivated them to come out together. “[The development proposal] is actually the reason we’re here,” McGraw says. “I feel like it’s just a staple,” adds Tymon. The group works at Crate Escape in Huron Village, which holds its annual Christmas party at Lanes & Games. So they were disappointed to learn their favorite local hangout could soon be gone. “It’s a hidden gem!” exclaims McGraw. “It looks like nothing, and then you come in and it’s awesome.”
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Amaury Bonfim and Sidney Freitas come to Lanes & Games often—but not to bowl. “Now it’s like, once or twice a week,” says Bonfim. “Always for pool. I love it. It’s like home. It’s a good place to stay.”
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Holiday
Gift Guide WE TRACKED DOWN THE BEST GIFTS IN TOWN FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST. Happy shopping!
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November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
For the
Animal Lover CAT BONNET
Perfect attire for a night in with your feline friend spent reading Little Mouse on the Prairie—or just about anything written by Paw-ra Ingalls Wilder. $7.50, Joie de Vivre
PAINT-YOUR-OWN BIRD FEEDER
This feeder that bird watchers can paint themselves will brighten up the yard all year round. $24, Susanna
CATS ON INSTAGRAM
Cats. On Instagram. But in a book. What else can we say? $16.95, Porter Square Books
CAMBERVILLE DOG TREATS PAWZ WATERPROOF DOG BOOTS
Natural rubber boots from Pawz protect your pups from hot and cold surfaces, and their design lets your dog feel the ground beneath their feet, which helps them feel secure when they step out. Available in lots of colors, too! $16-$18, Laundromutt
Small-batch, vegan and made by hand right here in Cambridge, Camberville Dog Treats come in flavors including Harvard Square (sweet potato and peanut butter), Davis Square (kale and banana) and Porter Square (apple and pear). $8 per pouch, cambervilledogtreats.com
Gift Guide
For the
Artist
SPEEDBALL SUPER VALUE FABRIC SCREEN PRINTING KIT
Artists who want to try designing their own tees and musicians looking to make their own merch will love this kit. $50.12, Artist & Craftsman Supply
ANDY WARHOL CRAYONS
Pop off the lid for pop art fun. $9.99, Nomad
DALI CLOCK
Bring a bit of the bizarre to the home of your favorite art aficionado with this Salvador Dalíinspired timepiece. $18, Joie de Vivre
MAC & CRAFT
Know someone who turns everything into an art project? Mac & Craft’s template and instructions will help them make houses from old macaroni boxes. $6.95, Black Ink
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STUDIO DESIGNS FUTURA GLASS DRAFTING TABLE
It’s a splurge, to be sure, but if your artist, artisan or crafter doesn’t have a place to draw and sketch their designs, this adjustable, modern drafting table will make their eyes light right up. $179.99 in-store or $264.99 online (includes delivery), Artist & Craftsman Supply
ORGANIC, HANDMADE CULTURAL GIFTS
FAMILY OWNED TIBETAN STORE FOSTERING A PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE. WE CARRY MANY UNIQUE HANDICRAFTS AND STYLES FROM THE HIMALAYAN REGION.
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Gift Guide
For the
der n e t r a B
BLOMUS BOTTLE OPENER
This sleek, stainless steel and silicone bottle opener is a serious upgrade from whatever free keychain you’ve been using to get the job done. $18, Abodeon
THE COMIC BOOK STORY OF BEER
The Dark Ages, the Age of Exploration, the spread of capitalism—beer was there for all of it, and often, the sudsy beverage even helped shape the events. History buffs, comic book fans and craft beer enthusiasts alike will enjoy this illustrated chronicle. $18.99, The Million Year Picnic
BIKE CHAIN WINE RACK
Artisans in Moradabad, India, handcraft recycled bike chains into beautiful—and in this case, functional—pieces of art. $59.99, Ten Thousand Villages
For the
PROUD POUR SAUVIGNON BLANC
Cambridge-based company Proud Pour is doing wine a little differently, as each sale of their sustainablygrown beverage supports a local environmental species. This sauvignon blanc helps rebuild oyster reefs; every bottle sold restores 100 oysters. $19.99-$22.99, available at Hops Test Kitchen, Cambridge Spirits and Liquor World
Style
Icon
CERAMIC AND GOLD EARRINGS
Cambridge-based artist Maeve Mueller is behind these gorgeous, shimmering ear adornments. $40-$100, maevemueller.com
LANDS DOWNUNDER PAPAYA ITALIAN HERRINGBONE THROW
Master crafted in Italy from ethically sourced materials, this four-season Lands Downunder throw is versatile, stylish, lightweight and so, so soft. $110, Syd + Sam
WATCH SPRING BRACELETS
A set of thin, light-as-air bracelets made from actual Italian watch springs. Available in light silver, stainless steel and black, they can spruce up any look. $12 per set of 12, Abodeon
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GOLD-RIMMED PORCELAIN PINCH POT
Each delicate, dreamy pinch pot from Isabel Halley Ceramics is made by hand, and each has a beautiful, organic shape that’s all its own. It would be at home in the kitchen or just about anywhere—in the words of the designer, it’s “made for salt and pepper, perfect for special things.” $38, Syd + Sam GIFT GUIDE CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
Gift Guide
Trials and Fermentations Sure, you can show up to that holiday party with a bottle of wine or a cheese platter—but a year from now, who’s going to remember what you brought? Here’s something everyone will remember: if you arrive with something you fermented yourself. Fermentation is a fairly intuitive process—it’s not nearly as intimidating as it might seem. With the right parameters, you can turn
cucumbers into pickles and flour into sourdough. Even coffee and chocolate require fermentation. We asked local writer Kendra Long, who’s worked in restaurants for more than eight years and knows a thing or two about a pickle, to round up three at-home fermentation projects that are easy enough for beginners and guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
BY KENDRA LONG | ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAUREN COSTA
KOMBUCHA Arguably the lowest-maintenance project for a first-time fermenter is kombucha. Its exact history and origins are a little hazy, but the first written occurrence of the name is from Japan in 415 AD. References to a similar drink date back to China’s Tsin dynasty in 212 BC. Kombucha is great because it requires no babysitting or regular feeding. Just put your ingredients together and check sporadically for progress. Otherwise, it’s a set it and forget it sort of affair. To start, you’ll need a SCOBY, a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. You can brew your kombucha using an established SCOBY, which you can obtain at Cambridge Naturals, through Craigslist or even from Facebook groups. Or, you can start your own SCOBY from scratch, either by buying a kit or a pre-made bottle of kombucha. IF YOU HAVE AN ESTABLISHED SCOBY: 1. For a 2” x 2” SCOBY, brew six cups of tea. Strength and flavor are up to you—I really like Earl Grey, but any black, green or white tea will do. Add one cup of white sugar. Let cool to room temperature. 2. Pour the tea into a jar large enough to hold all of it and add your SCOBY. Put on a tight lid and leave it somewhere warm and dark to ferment for about a week. Taste after a week. If it’s too sweet, let it hang out for another week or so. A white disk on the surface is normal—that’s your yeast! But if you see a lot of mold, throw it out and start over. 3. Once it’s suitably tangy, sour and bubbly, strain off the majority of the kombucha, refrigerate and enjoy. Depending on ambient temperature, this could be up to a month, so be patient! To store the SCOBY (which by now should look like a slimy pancake—yum!), cover it with kombucha and store it in a glass container with a lid in your fridge. To use it again, just let it come to room temperature, and once again feed it a sweet tea mixture. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SCOBY: Buying a kit is going to be the easiest way to do this successfully, and you can find them at local shops like Modern Homebrew Emporium. If that’s not of interest, you can make kombucha from a bottle of kombucha you’ve bought—local shops like Cambridge Naturals have kombucha on tap—provided your bottle is raw and not pasteurized. 1. Brew a cup of tea, adding 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Let cool completely. 2. Pour your sweet tea into a glass jar, along with a bottle of raw kombucha. Make sure any bits of SCOBY—sometimes called mother—make it into the new jar. They’ll look like translucent slimy strings near the bottom of the bottle. 3. Cover with a dishtowel and secure in place with a rubber band. Leave in a warm, dark spot for about a month, checking weekly for 28
November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
yeast (which is good!) or mold (which is bad!). Your SCOBY should start to form. At first, it will look like a thin white or clear film on the top, eventually growing thicker and more opaque. 4. If, after a month, you have nothing—or if you have mold or a horrible rotting cheese smell—throw it out. Your kombucha could’ve been too weak to propagate, the container could’ve been contaminated, the planets could’ve been misaligned—there are a lot of reasons this can happen. In general, it’s better to start over than try and fix your failed ferment.
SOURDOUGH Here’s the simplest way to think about sourdough: It’s not a type of bread, but it’s a type of yeast used to make bread. Dried yeast from the grocery store is really just a replacement for what sourdough starter has done for millennia. Starter itself is also fairly hearty—Boudin Bakery in San Francisco has been using the same starter since 1849. Because almost every flour-consuming culture on Earth has a sourdough recipe, I’ve chosen to focus on two: one that Boudin favors that’s somewhat standard in American bakeries, and one that’s more common in Italy. They’ll yield tasty bread either way, and making both can be a good learning opportunity! BIGA, OR ITALIAN GRAPE SOURDOUGH STARTER 1. Stem 1/2 pound of organic red grapes, wrap in cheesecloth and knot shut to form a bag. Crush. 2. Combine 2 cups of bread flour and 2 1/2 cups of water (filtered, or boiled and cooled water is ideal, as tap water’s chlorine content may inhibit yeast growth). Add the grape bag to the mixture, and make sure to submerge it. 3. Cover tightly with a lid, or plastic wrap and a rubber band. Stir daily. Once the starter is yellow and smells somewhat sour, squeeze the liquid from the bag into the mixture, discard the bundle and transfer the starter to a clean container. Refrigerate. BOUDIN STARTER Where biga relies on yeast from the grapes to start the process, it is also possible to just add flour to water and feed yeast already present in the air. The tricky part is it can be a much slower process. 1. Add 40 grams of flour to a jar. Add 40 grams of filtered (boiled and cooled) or bottled water. Stir well. Cover with a kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm part of your kitchen overnight. 2. The following day, remove all but 40 grams of the starter. Add 40 grams flour and 40 grams water, stir well, cover and leave for the following day. Repeat this for a week. 3. The starter should start to become more bubbly as time goes on, and take on a somewhat sour smell. If water seems to be pooling on the top, reduce the water content slightly or up the flour
content with each feeding. If at any point there’s a rotten smell, mold or a pronounced red tint, it’s best to throw out and start over.
KEFIR
Good food makes party. Box Sampler Thethe Party Great food makes your The perfectparty additiongreat. to any holiday event !
Kefir is a yogurt-like drink that traces its origins back to the North Caucasus mountains, in the area between Georgia and Russia. Of the three types of fermentation featured here, kefir is the most labor intensive. Every 12 to 24 hours, it has to be strained and refrigerated, lest you starve your grains and create a curdled yellow nightmare on your countertop. STARTING WITH ESTABLISHED KEFIR GRAINS: 1. Put 1-2 teaspoons of active kefir grains and 4 cups of milk in a glass jar. 2. Cover with a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. 3. Let sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. 4. Strain out the kefir grains, either with a plastic or stainless steel strainer. 5. Put the finished kefir in the fridge, and put the kefir grains into fresh milk to begin the process again. WITHOUT ESTABLISHED GRAINS: As with kombucha, one can start with a kit or with grains from a store, but it is possible to make from a bottle of store bought kefir. 1. Mix 2-4 tablespoons of kefir into a quart of room temperature milk. Let stand for 12-24 hours, until thickened. 2. Refrigerate and enjoy. 3. Save 2-4 tablespoons from this batch to add to the next batch. Because there are no grains, this will be somewhat of a finite process. If, on the second or third use, the milk hasn’t thickened after 24 hours, your kefir was probably exhausted and the milk should be tossed out.
Pictured Here: Pan-Fried Happy Family Platter
The Party Box Sampler The perfect addition to any holiday event !
Gluten free, non pork, and vegan options are available. Prices vary, starting at $1.20 per piece.
Marc@DumplingRoom.com Catering Line : 617.901.5159 Marc@DumplingRoom.com Catering Line : 617.901.5159 Gluten free, non pork, and vegan options are available. Prices vary, starting at $1.20 per piece.
There are a few places in the Cambridge area to pick up the ingredients you’ll need—from kefir grains to kombucha SCOBYs—as well as troubleshooting tips if things aren’t going quite right. MODERN HOMEBREW EMPORIUM 2304 MASS. AVE. While the shop’s primary focus is beer and cider, Modern Homebrew Emporium is also a great place to pick up dried kefir grains, kombucha starters, do-it-yourself kits and a wealth of knowledge from staff and fellow fermenters. Classes are offered weekly on a variety of subjects. CAMBRIDGE NATURALS PORTER SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER, 23 WHITE ST. Not just a shop for essential oils and all-natural medicines, Cambridge Naturals also stocks kefir and yogurt kits, raw kombucha and a wide variety of loose tea. DICKSON BROS 26 BRATTLE ST. A favorite stop for cheap and sturdy glass jars, bottles and just about any other storage vessel you need. OGUSKY CERAMICS CLAYROCKS.COM AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT BOSTON If you want to get serious about fermentation, Jeremy Ogusky’s hand-thrown pottery and helpful classes are a great place to start.
CONTINUE SHOPPING!
Since 1987, Brickbottom artists have opened their live-work studios, showing and selling work in a variety of media and formats. This year, over 50 artists will participate, along with the artists of Joy Street Studios, a block away. Visitors will find work in every price range. Free performances, admission and parking.
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Gift Guide
For the
al c o L Proud MBTA TOKEN CUFFLINKS
We’re thrilled to live in the age of Charlie Cards, but there’s still something charming about old-school subway tokens. These are placed in silver-plated settings and come in an MBTA map box. $89.95, Wardmaps
MANHOLE COVER TRIVETS AND FLOOR MATS
REVEL REVEL CAMBRIDGE PRINT
From the Shell sign to city hall, this celebratory print by illustrator Amanda Galvin was originally created for former Mayor David Maher as a gift for the city’s volunteers and is packed with references to the Cambridge spots we all love. $45, shoprevelrevel.com
MBTEA
Gearing up for a long commute? Unwinding after one? These giftable tins of tea will help do the trick. $9.99, Wardmaps
These hilarious, offbeat—and surprisingly realistic!—floor mats and trivets make a totally unforgettable gift. $20 Trivets, $46 Mats, Nomad
For the Natur
alist
FOLLOW THE HONEY GIFT BASKET
The nature lover in your life will be all abuzz when they see a beautiful, personalized gift basket from the hive at Follow the Honey is waiting for them this holiday season. Available for Most Budgets, Follow the Honey
DREAM LIGHT
This solar-powered night light flickers and flashes to mimic the glowing of fireflies, so it’s like a warm summer night in the country, even when it’s actually a frigid winter night in the city. $38, Joie de Vivre
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WHALE SPREADERS
A set of four charming teak spreaders to spruce up the kitchen during the months when it’s a little too cold to go whale watching. $24, Black Ink
SUNPRINT KIT
Sunprint paper lets artists create oneof-a-kind works with sunlight and just about any object they have on hand, be it leaves, feathers, jewelry—you name it. Talk about mixed media! $6-$16, Harvard Art Museums
HAPPY ! HOLIDAYS
Small-batch, Handmade Candies Chocolates Caramels Brittles Pate de Fruits Gifts Books Classes Wedding Favors Stocking Stuffers Custom baskets Mention this ad for 10% OFF your holiday order! 2257 MASS AVE, NORTH CAMBRIDGE • SPINDLERCONFECTIONS.COM
Gift Guide
For the
e
i d o o F
POPCORN LOVER’S DREAM GIFT
Your movie night deserves an upgrade. Ditch the Pop Secret for a gift set stocked with butterinfused extra virgin olive oil, buttery popcorn salt, blue cheese sea salt and sriracha sea salt. $42.95, Salt and Olive
SOFRAMIZ
This cooking collection showcases more than 100 recipes—savory and sweet, globally inspired and delicious—from Sofra Bakery & Cafe’s Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick. And better yet, if you’re local, you can buy an autographed copy straight from their awardwinning restaurants! $35, Sofra and Oleana
SCOOP THAT!
Not your parents’ ice cream scooper, this award-winning gadget uses a heat transfer principle that allows the warmth of your hand to heat the scoop, making it easier than ever to dig into that frosty treat. $22, Abodeon
GÂTÉ COMME DES FILLES CHOCOLATES
SAVENOR’S BUTCHER BALM
Whether you’ve got a giftee whose hands take a beating from butchering or just, you know, because they’re surviving a New England winter, this balm made with rendered beef fat, shea butter, beeswax and essential oils will keep them feeling soft. $12, Savenor’s Market 32
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Great news for area chocoholics: Somervillebased chocolatier Gâté Comme des Filles, whose wares have been heralded as “pointblank the most astonishingly delicious chocolates I’ve ever tasted” by Edible San Francisco editor Bruce Cole, will be doing a three-month pop-up at Lizzy’s Homemade Ice Cream (29 Church St.) beginning this December. $75 for a gift box of 16, $43 for a gift box of nine, $22 for a gift box of four.
COFFEESOCK COLDBREW KITS
We know plenty of caffeine fiends whose coldbrew cravings extend well into the winter months. They can make their own—and avoid skeptical glances from their local Dunkin employees—with this cool kid from CoffeeSock. $18.95, Cambridge Naturals
Fresh oils and vinegars, artisan salts and spices
• Organic spices, teas and salts from around the world • Voted “Best of the New” by the Boston Globe, 2015 • Custom gifts for every occasion • Hand-crafted Italian and French ceramics • We Ship! Saltandolive.com | 1160 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA | 857.242.4118 | Open 7 Days
Gift Guide
For the
Geek BOBINO SCREEN SHELF
What are our computers even doing for us? (Besides everything, obviously.) Give the PC gamer in your life that top-of-monitor shelf space their behemoth Gateway used to offer with a handy screen shelf. $15, Boutique Fabulous
CONCRETE TAPE DISPENSER
This tape dispenser from famed Norwegian designer Magnus Pettersen is cast from solid concrete and perfectly marries elegant design with function—dense concrete keeps the dispenser in place while in use. $24, Black Ink
SPINNING TOP
Stuff a stocking with a few flatpack spinning top kits, which your giftee can color and assemble themselves. $6 each, Harvard Art Museums
WATERSHED ALL-WEATHER WATERPROOF NOTEBOOK
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will stay the note-jotter in your life, so long as they have a Watershed notepad with synthetic waterproof paper handy. Works with ink and graphite. $11.95, Black Ink
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CIRCUIT BOARD TREASURE CHEST AND CLOCK
Flash drives, USB cables and other office supplies can be neatly stowed in this clever box, while a matching clock ticks time away. Clock: $29.99, Chest: $49.99, Ten Thousand Villages
BARDS DISPENSE PROFANITY Shakespeare meets Cards Against Humanity in Bards Dispense Profanity, where the answers are taken from Shakespeare quotes. $19.95, Porter Square Books
For the
Bookworm STEP ASIDE, POPS! A HARK! A VAGRANT COLLECTION
The second comic collection from the unbearably hilarious Kate Beaton picks up where her first left off, skewering historical and literary figures and current pop culture icons with smart, funny, perfectly deadpan panels. You might even learn something! $19.95, The Million Year Picnic
15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, SOMERVILLE 233 ALEWIFE BROOK PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE 2153 MYSTIC VALLEY PARKWAY, MEDFORD 48 BROADWAY, MALDEN
KOBO EREADER
Give the bookworm on your list something they might not have known was possible: the convenience of an eReader and the comfort of supporting their local indie bookstore! Kobo lets users register as a Harvard Book Store customer so they can shop local and virtual at the same time. $129, Harvard Book Store
STORY BOX: CREATE YOUR OWN FAIRY TALES
With 40 beautifully illustrated, double-sided, interlocking puzzle pieces that can be arranged in different orders to create a different story every time, this is a treat for the kids or the whole family. $14.95, Porter Square Books scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
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Gift Guide
Mom Knows Best:
A Family-Friendly Holiday Handbook
AND NOW, HERE’S A GIFT FOR MOMS AND DADS: A SHOPPING GUIDE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE MOST FRAZZLED AND TIME-STRAPPED AMONG US. We asked Scout’s friendly local parenting expert, “Mom Knows Best” columnist Kat Rutkin, to track down the best gifts for kids of all ages at her favorite shops in the city. Some are practical, others are purely fun, but all are guaranteed to inspire big imaginations in our smaller residents. BY KAT RUTKIN
Babies months) (0 to 12
PADMINI IS POWERFUL
NEST AND STACK BUCKETS
This adorable set is a space-saving shapesorter and stacking cup set in one—crucial for avoiding that toy creep that stealthily strangles your post-baby living space. My son got this from an actual Magic Beans expert for his first birthday—my kids both still love it, and my oldest is now five. $22.99, Magic Beans
Published by Bharat Babies—a company founded by Somerville mom and constant inspiration Sailaja Joshi—Padmini is Powerful is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Hindu Gods in a baby-friendly board book format. Bharat Babies books are available at Porter Square Books and Magpie Kids. They’re totally charming, with an original, local flair. $9.95, Porter Square Books
Toddlers to(184myeonarths)s SCHYLLING BROOM SET
Yes, it’s a set of miniature cleaning supplies. Trust me on this one—I have never seen any toy get as much use in our house. And the colors are pleasantly gender neutral, because we all know cleaning is everyone’s work. $11.99, Henry Bear’s Park 36 November | December 2016
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PUSH AND PULL BRUINS ZAMBONI
Nothing says winter fun in New England like a tiny little Bruins zamboni! This is sure to please the tiniest hockey fans in your house well into the offseason and stands out from boring ol’ wooden cars. $17.99, Porter Square Books
SEEDLING MAKE YOUR OWN SUPERHERO CAPE
If there’s anything cuter than a kid in a superhero cape, it’s a kid in a superhero cape they designed themselves. Unleash the superhuman creativity of a child in your life with this great Seedling set. $39.95, Magpie Kids
BOBA MINI DOLL CARRIERS
Cute, tiny versions of a baby carrier—just like mom or dad wears!—for your little one’s stuffed animals and dolls. (Replicating parental exhaustion is optional.) $29.95, Diaper Lab
Young Kids
(Roughly 5 to 8 years)
KIDOOZIE POGO JUMPER
PEACEABLE KINGDOM COOPERATIVE GAMES
This line of games gets children working together as a team to win rather than pitting them against each other. While they won’t create total peace in your kingdom, they do teach valuable life skills like listening, sharing and collaboration. “Race to the Treasure” and “Outfoxed” come recommended as favorites of parents and kids alike. These games are great for the 5-8 crowd and remain interesting to parents even after repeated play. Starting at $17.99, Henry Bear’s Park
Tweens
& Teens
LASER MAZE
This is the kind of genius thing I can’t believe I didn’t know about sooner—I only just saw a kid at the park with one a few months ago. Budget-friendly and available locally at Magic Beans and Henry Bear’s Park, it’s essentially a tiny, less dangerous pogo stick. It squeaks hilariously (sometimes frantically, depending on size of jumper… yes, it can support an adult’s weight) and can be used indoors and out. This is a must for any New England parent who doesn’t want to deal with storing a trampoline indoors but needs to get the kids moving during the winter months. $19.99, Magic Beans
(8 years to about 13 years)
This single-player logic game uses a real laser and all kinds of tricks to help kids complete 60 challenges. It’s great for independent play and problem solving, and with challenges that range in difficulty, the game can grow with your child for quite some time. It’s recommended for ages 7 and up, by which time kids can mostly be trusted not to point the laser at their siblings’ eyes. Adventurous parents with better vision insurance can also check out the Laser Maze Jr. $29.99, Henry Bear’s Park
365 THINGS TO DO WITH LEGO BRICKS
If you, like me, have a giant tub of Lego bricks, long-lost directions, a bored kid and little-to-no master building skills, this is the book for you. It has lots of project ideas to inspire creativity and imagination in your child, as well as building tips from reallife Lego Master Builders. (Talk about a dream job!) The book includes a timer with a random selection button for those afternoons when even picking a project feels like too much. $24.99, Porter Square Books
EMOJI PILLOWS
Tweens rejoice! There’s no need to speak anymore— this pillow can do all the expressing you need. Plus, it feels pretty awesome, as it’s stuffed with tiny beads. $14.99 and up, Henry Bear’s Park
PACIFICA EYESHADOW PALETTE
If your tween or teen is starting to get into makeup, Pacifica palettes are a great choice. They remind me of my own mother’s coveted Mary Kay palettes but are updated with natural ingredients. Muted, natural tones are all made with vegan, cruelty-free ingredients and methods. They’re also free of parabens, sulfates and chemicals to keep that young skin free from harm. Starting at $13.99, Cambridge Naturals
RUSH HOUR
EEBOO SKETCHBOOK AND SERIOUSLY FINE FELT TIP MARKERS
Anyone who’s ever sat in Cambridge traffic will understand the point of this game—a sliding tile puzzle with cards presenting the true-to-life challenges of gridlock. Sadly, Alewife rotaries aren’t included. But this will keep your singleplayer gamer age 8 and up entertained while you flash back to those real-life traffic jams in your head. $19.99, Henry Bear’s Park
Every budding artist needs some really sweet supplies. Henry Bear’s stocks a variety of sketchbooks from eeboo and others, plus an amazing set of fine point felt tip markers great for detail coloring, illustration and journaling. $6.99 and $17.99, Henry Bear’s Park
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Get the Goods ABODEON
CAMBERVILLE DOG TREATS
1731 Mass. Ave. abodeon.com
ARTIST & CRAFTSMAN SUPPLY 580 Mass. Ave. artistcraftsman.com
Available at Cambridge Naturals, Crate Escape Too and Pemberton Farms cambervilledogtreats.com
CAMBRIDGE NATURALS 23 White St. cambridgenaturals.com
BLACK INK
5 Brattle St. blackinkboston.com
DIAPER LAB
200 Elm St. diaperlab.com
BOCONCEPT
999 Mass. Ave. boconcept.com
FOLLOW THE HONEY
BOUTIQUE FABULOUS 1309 Cambridge St. boutiquefabulous.com
1132 Mass. Ave. followthehoney.com
GÂTÉ COMME DES FILLES gatecommedesfilles.fr
HARVARD ART MUSEUMS 32 Quincy St. harvardartmuseums.org
HARVARD BOOK STORE 1256 Mass. Ave. harvard.com
HENRY BEAR’S PARK 17 White St. henrybear.com
JOIE DE VIVRE
1792 Mass. Ave. joiedevivre.net
LAUNDROMUTT
489 Concord Ave. laundromutt.com
MAEVE MUELLER
maevemueller.com
MAGIC BEANS 361 Huron Ave. mbeans.com
MAGPIE KIDS
95 Elm St., Somerville magpiekids.com
THE MILLION YEAR PICNIC 99 Mount Auburn St. themillionyearpicnic.com
MODERN HOMEBREW EMPORIUM 2304 Mass. Ave. beerbrew.com
NOMAD
1741 Mass. Ave. nomadcambridge.com
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS 25 White St. portersquarebooks.com
REVEL REVEL
shoprevelrevel.com
SOFRA
1 Belmont St. sofrabakery.com
SUSANNA
1776 Mass. Ave. susannacambridge.com
SYD+SAM
290 Concord Ave. syd-and-sam.com
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES 694 Mass. Ave. tenthousandvillages.com/ cambridge
WARDMAPS
1735 Mass. Ave. wardmaps.com
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MEET THE MOM BEHIND SUMMER LULU Sarah Wilson’s handmade teething jewelry is by moms, for moms. BY EMILY CASSEL | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
S
For
Chewelry Moms:
Summer LuLu
arah Wilson never meant to start a chewelry company. In 2013, the Cambridge resident and new mom just wanted to find a babyfriendly necklace. It was surprisingly difficult—she prefers to shop local rather than online, and few stores in the area carried any. So while she was on maternity leave, Wilson, who has always loved crafting (and hated sitting still), took matters into her own hands. She bought a bunch of colorful silicone beads on Etsy and made a couple of fun, funky, chewable accessories for herself and for her two best friends, who were also pregnant. Shortly thereafter, her bright, beaded bangles caught the attention of a pair of Somerville children’s shops—Two Little Monkeys and Magpie Kids—while she was shopping with her daughter. “Both stores, independently, were like, ‘Where did you get that? We’ve been wanting to sell something like that,’” she recalls. Wilson runs Summer LuLu with business partner and best pal Karin Effland, and the chewelry is handmade by Wilson, Effland and a small but dedicated team of stay-at-home moms. They’re committed to creating high-quality, perfect products, and their accessories are catching on with appreciative (and stylish) parents everywhere. Recently, Wilson got a wholesale order from a new store whose owner learned about Summer LuLu after a fan talked up their wares while she shopped. “It all happened because this woman who doesn’t even know us told people how much she loves our stuff!” Wilson effuses. “It’s things like that that just make me so excited.” Learn more about Summer LuLu at scoutcambridge.com/summerlulu!
COMFORT FOOD WITH ATTITUDE ALL YOUR OLD FAVORITES PLUS 30 NEW MENU ITEMS, INCLUDING 9 SALADS! TRY OUR DELICIOUS BREADS MADE FROM SCRATCH IN HOUSE
AND ONE OLD SCHOOL NEAPOLITANSTYLE PIZZA!
CALL FOR CATERING! DINNERS, PASTAS, PLATTERS AND MORE.
HOMEMADE PASTAS FROM DEANO’S OF SOMERVILLE
WE DELIVER
WEB ORDERING AT CITYSLICKERCAFE.COM RECEIVE 15% OFF YOUR FIRST ONLINE ORDER! 588 SOMERVILLE AVE / SOMERVILLE / 617-625-0700
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SCOUT OUT!
HONK
IF YOU LOVE MUSIC
EVERY WEEKEND, SCHOOL OF HONK TEACHES ASPIRING ARTISTS TO MAKE SOME NOISE. BY ELIZA ROSENBERRY | PHOTOS BY JOSEPH MAXWELL
O
n a Sunday afternoon in October, more than 50 expectant Community Arts Center building, drop their backpacks and cases on a musicians have filled a gymnasium in Cambridge. They stand small set of bleachers and get ready to play. They assemble and clean in a wide circle around trombonist Kevin Leppmann, clutching their own instruments or pick one up from HONK’s available selection. their instruments. Some chat with each other, but many are focused on warming up, “We’re here to have fun,” says Leppmann, looking around at the rehearsing familiar melodies or tooting random notes. A few reference eager group of artists both young and old, novice and experienced. sheet music scrawled with handwritten comments—they’ve been “And you can’t have fun while worrying about playing the wrong notes.” practicing the arrangements at home—while others are here for Leppmann tries to communicate this sentiment weekly at School of the first time. HONK, a free and open street band gathering that’s part rehearsal, part School of HONK leadership assign greeters at performance and part party. Open to everyone— each week’s meeting to welcome from those who have never played a single note to attendees, make sure newcomers seasoned musicians—the school originated from feel comfortable and provide the much-loved HONK! Festival, where spectators instruments to anyone who’s “We’re here to have fun, are encouraged to join the parade and sing along without. Participants gather in the and you can’t have fun to familiar tunes. More than a decade old, the gym, generally sorting themselves annual event brings together bands who perform by instrument type, and joyfully while worrying about with their horns and drums while dancing through deploy their skills (or, in the city streets, drawing from a wide variety of musical case of some newcomers, their playing the wrong notes.” inspirations. enthusiasm) to crowd-pleasing “People kept asking about participating,” songs like “Billie Jean” or the Duffy explains. Realizing that there was a desire Ghostbusters theme. The for a broader community around HONK!, Leppmann and saxophonist group then breaks into smaller circles, with Shaunalynn Duffy co-founded School of HONK with trumpet player designated section leaders teaching basic Maggie McClellan and percussionist Paul Gregory in 2014. notes or more advanced arrangements, Today, participants filter into the sun-filled gym at the rear of the before reconvening to play the song again— 40 November | December 2016
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this time, on surer footing. After rehearsing a few songs, the group meets outside to parade around the block, with spectators and performers alike moving to the beat through the neighborhood. “It’s the only time in the U.S. you can be dancing in the streets,” says Hugo Angeles, a Northeastern University student who was drawn in by the school’s energizing, street festival atmosphere. The Central Square resident is holding a HONK-provided plastic trumpet, which he says he might actually play next time—this is his first visit to the class, and today, he just wants to watch. Hilary Lahan joined School of HONK in 2015 after graduating from college. She was looking for a way to continue playing music without becoming a professional musician, but it wasn’t just the opportunity to play that drew her in. The school teaches choreographed dances on selected Sundays alongside musical arrangements, and on those days, Lahan sets down her trumpet. “If there’s an opportunity to dance, I usually choose that over my instrument,” she smiles. School of HONK has a broad organizational structure, with experienced musicians or longtime attendees serving as mentors or section leaders, taking on the responsibilities of promoting inclusiveness, ensuring safety and encouraging and coaching participants from all backgrounds and experience levels. With its stash of instruments for those who don’t have their own, Leppmann says, the school provides curious musicians with “the opportunity to take that first step.” There are plastic trombones and trumpets as well as brass and percussion instruments, not to mention instructors on hand and a supportive group all around. Leppmann says people usually end up buying their own instrument after a while, a process instructors at the school can help with as well. School of HONK strives to put a variety of instruments in people’s hands—especially wind and brass instruments, which have been largely exiled from popular music—and show them how to play and have fun. And, Leppmann says, it’s working. “It brings out the musician in everyone,” he effuses. “It’s not a trick. It’s a process we see, week after week.” There are 50 or 60 people who attend School of HONK on a weekly basis. On some weeks, more than 100 show up. Some participants are in elementary school while others are retirees, and the band is almost equally divided between men and women, Leppmann says, with a broad range of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds represented. “The music is what holds all that together,” he says. “Who doesn’t want to dance?” School of HONK meets every Sunday, and newcomers are always welcome. Find the full schedule and more info at schoolofhonk.org.
Serving Lunch, Dinner & Weekend Brunch Mention this ad for
25% off your total bill! For dine in only, Sunday through Thursday!
Excludes holidays, tax, gratuity & alcohol. Offer valid through 2/28/2017.
Contact us for catering, holiday rentals & to go orders!
Join us for live entertainment nightly! mideastclub.com . zuzudining.com 472-480 Massachusetts Ave . Central Sq
ur annual gift guide is more than just a list of stuff you can buy—at its core, it’s a celebration of the incredibly vibrant small business community in Somerville and Cambridge. So this year, we’re having a little after-hours mixer to celebrate that community!
O
Join us for an evening of food, fun and merriment at the Armory, where we’ll raise a glass to recognize the little guys. We’ll have bites from City Slicker and Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room and some snacks from the shops highlighted in this year’s guide. We’ll also be accepting donations to benefit the Somerville-based charity Toys for Local Children—especially for kids ages 0-2 and 10-15. All that’s missing is you!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 • 5:30PM THE ARMORY • 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE ADMISSION IS FREE
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Scout Out
IN THE KITCHEN WITH “CHOPPED JUNIOR” CONTESTANT BEN BERINSKY The 11-year-old chef will make his Food Network debut on November 15. BY EMILY CASSEL | PHOTO BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
B
en Berinsky first stepped into the kitchen when he was just four years old. As his dad prepared dinner for the family each night, he’d help out in whatever way he could—stirring sauces or cutting the occasional vegetable. “By eight, I was making breakfast for the family, and by nine, I was making dinner once a week,” he says proudly. So perhaps it’s not so surprising that the lifelong Cambridge resident’s culinary creations piqued the tastebuds of producers at the Food Network, who reached out to Berinsky after receiving his audition tape for “Chopped Junior.” After a series of phone and Facetime interviews, they invited him to come to New York and compete in the show earlier this year—a dream come true for the Rindge Avenue Upper School student, who’s happier in the kitchen than just about anywhere else. “Cooking is a great experience. It’s something where you can really express your feelings and have fun,” he says. “You can put your mind on a plate, kind of, and share that with people.” Lemon chicken is one of his favorite things to cook, and he also loves to make tacos. Steak is another standard; he’s thrilled that the family’s kitchen is equipped with a grill he can use year-round. “At first, it was kind of hard to let the whole family rely on a seven year old making dinner for everyone,” he explains, “because if I burned something, then we didn’t have anything to eat.” And now? “I feel like the less they cook, the happier they are,” he says, while his mom, Deirdre Logan, smiles and nods in agreement. “I love the weekend breakfasts—he does waffles and things like that,” she says. “That’s really fun.” She’s also a fan of his grilled chicken and mango tacos. Berinsky says one of the toughest things about competing on “Chopped Junior” wasn’t necessarily finding a way to use all of his basket ingredients—though that certainly wasn’t easy—but keeping it a
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November | December 2016 scoutcambridge.com
secret from his classmates and friends, which he had to do for months. And keeping the news to himself only got more difficult when he had to miss three days of school—and, more importantly, a baseball game—to head to New York and shoot the episode. “I told my baseball coach that I had a very special opportunity, and he was like, ‘It better be pretty special!’” he laughs. There’s not much this 11-year-old would miss baseball for. When he’s not cooking, he’s often playing sports—he plays basketball and football in addition to baseball. He likes to read and—believe it or not—tackle challenging math problems, and he belongs to a club called Destination Imagination that presents kids with open-ended academic challenges in STEM fields. Berinsky isn’t sure what he wants to do career-wise—hey, he’s only 11!—but says he might want to become a chef, especially one who works for a professional sports team, which would give him the chance to meet and cook for the players. “If someone hits a grand slam, I’m gonna be like, ‘The food I gave them—that’s why they hit that grand slam!’” he says, adding with a shy smile, “At least I can tell myself that.” The young chef says the biggest surprise from his “Chopped Junior” experience was just how fast the time went. But while his time in the “Chopped” kitchen may have flown by, you can bet he plans to continue cooking those weekend breakfasts and signature dishes for the foreseeable future. “If you have an opportunity to cook, you should definitely try to make the most of it, because cooking is something people have been doing for thousands of years,” he says. “It’s always brought family and friends together.” You can catch Berinsky’s appearance on “Chopped Junior” on November 15 at 8 p.m.
SERIOUS INSTRUCTION for The Home Chef at
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
Give the Gift of Good Taste with The CSCA Gift Certificate. Planning a birthday, anniversary, or bachelorette party? Call us to plan a hands on cooking party at The CSCA.
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Recreational Program offers classes designed to introduce the amateur chef to the world of specialty cooking. Students prepare recipes in a hands-on environment with assistance from professionally trained chef instructors. Wow your friends and family with a gourmet meal, perfect pie crust, or well-seasoned sauce. The school offers extensive career programs, and we provide at-home chefs the opportunity to take their skills to the next level through our recreational programs. Choose from one-day classes as well as short series courses in techniques, baking, pastry, wine, international cuisines, seasonal and specialty classes. You’ll find classes for individuals, couples and teens. You can even create your own class, selecting from our course offerings or working with us to design a custom experience. For more information contact 617.354.2020 or visit cambridgeculinary.com
2020 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE | PORTER SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE 617.354.2020 | www.cambridgeculinary.com
Register for one of our Holiday Cooking Classes. Looking for a Holiday Gift Idea? Give the gift of cooking!
CALENDAR
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BOOKS | November 30
DANCE | November 18 and 20
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SHOPPING | December 3 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and 4th (1-6 p.m.)
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SCIENCE | November 19
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COMMUNITY | December 17
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CREATIVITY | November 20
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THEATRE | December 17-31
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POETRY November 30
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COMEDY | December 24
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FILM | November 18
“DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” AND “AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY” DOUBLE FEATURE 7:30 P.M., $10 THE SOMERVILLE THEATRE 55 DAVIS SQ., SOMERVILLE Nothing goes together like 007 and Austin Powers. The famous spy and his famously randy spoof are perfectly paired on 35mm film for this one-night engagement at the Somerville Theatre. DANCE, YES WE CAN: A POST-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PERFORMANCE 8 P.M. AND 6 P.M., RESPECTIVELY, $30 JULIE INCE THOMPSON THEATRE, 536 MASS. AVE., CAMBRIDGE “Ideally these performances will not only allow us to take a collective deep breath post-election, but also enjoy companies and dancers that don’t necessarily identify as political, but are doing politically charged work—asking pointed questions about race, identity, art construction and otherness,” says executive director Peter DiMuro of this election cycle palate cleanser from the Dance Complex.
MIT HACKING ARTS CONFERENCE 9 A.M.-4:30 P.M., $35-$75 MIT MEDIA LAB 75 AMHERST ST., 6TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE Interested in the intersection of science and the arts? These eight expert panels will cover it all—“from fashion to virtual reality, biotech to dance and beyond.” TRASH BASH 2016 2-8 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWING CO. 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Trash Bash is back! The fourth annual recycled art show comes to Aeronaut for a celebration of sustainability and creativity to benefit Somerville Local First. Prizes will be awarded for originality, best use of recycled content and more.
POETS & PINTS: PETER GIZZI, DAVID RIVARD AND MAGGIE DIETZ 6 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWERY, 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Porter Square Books and Aeronaut have teamed up for a new monthly series celebrating Cambridge and Somerville’s vibrant poetry community. You can mingle with writers and poetry fans at a social hour that kicks off the evening, then enjoy a reading from 7 to 8 p.m.
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CAITLIN MORAN 6 P.M., $5 BRATTLE THEATRE 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE Hilarious British journalist and How to Be a Woman author Caitlin Moran comes to the Brattle for a conversation about her new book, Moranifesto, with Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein.
ESTHER’S SEASONINGS A FAIR TO REMEMBER FREE 62 CLARENDON AVE., CAMBRIDGE For the last 17 years, Cambridge resident Esther Splaine has opened up her home each December for a holiday market, where she sells spices and herbal salves made from her vast herb garden along with honey from her beehives. She’s joined by local artisans selling an array of jewelry, crafts and fine foods. It’s a seasonal community event unlike anything you’ve ever attended. ILLUMINATIONS TOUR 4:30-10 P.M., PRICE TBA SOMERVILLE CITY HALL 93 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE If you’re a Somerville resident, you know well the transformation the city’s homes undergo each holiday season—the bright lights, the homemade ornaments, the incredible craftsmanship—and the annual trolley tour that takes you to see it all. If you’re not, well… trust us when we say you won’t want to miss this. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH SHOWTIMES VARY, $20 LOEB DRAMA CENTER 64 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE If you’re not planning to catch the ever so slightly more scandalous performances of the Donkey Show at The A.R.T.’s other venue, OBERON, this family-friendly stage adaptation of James and the Giant Peach might be more your speed. JEWMONGOUS 7:30 P.M., $20 CLUB PASSIM 47 PALMER ST., CAMBRIDGE The “colicky, uncircumcised brain child of Sean Altman,” JEWMONGOUS performs unforgettable comedy anthems like “They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let’s Eat),” an Irish drinking song called “Christian Baby Blood” and so much more. The songs are hilarious, wicked— and actually, pretty catchy!
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scoutcambridge.com November | December 2016
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SCOUT YOU
Photos by Joseph Maxwell
Alex Sylvanus tickles the ivories on a “Play Me, I’m Yours” street piano in Kendall Square. Longfellows owner Alisha Fowler holds a growler in the brand new space her cafe shares with Lamplighter Brewing Co. (284 Broadway).
Harvard University food service workers and members of Local 26 march through Harvard Square for better wages and benefits.
Chess players plan their moves in Harvard Square.
Jess and Eric wait in line for dumplings outside Thelonious Monkfish during the fifth annual Festival of Dumplings in Central Square.
Students hang out in front of the Harvard Lampoon building on Bow Street. 46 November | December 2016
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MAKES A GREAT GIFT!!
HOW IT WORKS
YOU SHOP
The most ridiculous burgas, mac-n-cheese, and fries.
How does it work? Simple. You can subscribe to ‘The Burgabox’ and receive monthly or buy just once.
WE SHIP
We ship all ingredients in an insulated cooler.
What do you have? We have the most ridiculous burgas, loaded fries, and mac-ncheese in the world.
IT ARRIVES
Unbox all ingredients, prepare, and eat like a boss
How does it ship? We ship all ingredients with simple cooking instructions for you to cook at home.
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