Recommended Places to Visit: Watertown

Recreation

Museums

Armenian Library and Museum of America

65 Main Street

Magic Art Studio
137 Spring Street

Watertown Historical Society
28 Marshall Street 

Cemeteries
Mount Auburn Cemetery
580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge


Parks

Arsenal Park

485 Arsenal Street

Shopping Malls

Watertown Mall

550 Arsenal Street

Arsenal Yards

130 Arsenal Yards Boulevard

Events
HarvestFest


Arts Performances

Arsenal Center for the Arts

321 Arsenal Street

Architecture

Monuments

NESN
480 Arsenal Street

Saltonstall Park

~149 Main Street

Watertown Square
Main Street and Mount Auburn Street

Sir Richard Saltonstall Statue
Riverside Street and Wheeler Lane

Bridges

Watertown Bridge
Galen Street between California Street and Mount Auburn Street

Places of Worship

Grace Chapel
525 Main Street

Church of St. Patrick
212 Main Street

St. John's United Methodist Church
80 Mount Auburn Street

Redeemer Fellowship Church
111 Mount Auburn Street

First Parish Unitarian Universalist
35 Church Street

The Church of the Good Shepherd
9 Russell Avenue

St. James Armenian Apostolic Church
465 Mount Auburn Street

St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church
Artsakh Street

Taxiarchae/Archangels Greek Orthodox Church
25 Bigelow Avenue

Sacred Heart Church
770 Mount Auburn Street

Armenian Memorial Church
32 Bigelow Avenue


Belmont Street Baptist Church
126 Templeton Parkway

Schools
Watertown Creative Start
26 Chestnut Street

Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street

Lowell Elementary

175 Orchard Street

Town Facilities
Police
552 Main Street

Fire Department
99 Main Street

Free Public Library
123 Main Street

Private Charles J. Shutt Detachment Marine Corps League 139
215 Mount Auburn Street

Dams
Watertown Dam
Pleasant Street between Conant Road and Brook Street


Historical Buildings
Aetna Mills
Bridge Street and Pleasant Street

Mount Auburn Village
134 Mount Auburn Street

Bell Tower Place
444 Mount Auburn Street

Brigham House
341 Mount Auburn Street

Morton A. Madoff Center
705 Mount Auburn Street

The Commander's Mansion

440 Talcott Avenue

Watertown Savings Bank East Watertown
10 Bigelow Avenue

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Breakfast
Uncommon Grounds
575 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Very Berry Pancrepe

Western
The Talk
116 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Warm Apple Blossom
Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

Shrimp Fantasia

Buttermilk and Bourbon (chain)

100 Arsenal Yards Boulevard

Recommended Dishes:

Soft Serve Mimosa

Pork Belly Cracklings

HOUSE SPECIAL BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

GOLDEN BEET SALAD

Crawfish and Dumplings

Soft Serve of the Day

Mediterranean
Shiraz Persian Cuisine
72 Bigelow Avenue
Recommended Dishes:
Mirza Ghassemi
Shiraz Soltani
Cream Puffs
House Doogh


Italian
Stellina
47 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Baked Cabbage and Onion Soup

Kobe and Boar Bolognese

Mexican
La Casa de Pedro
343 Arsenal Street
Recommended Dishes:
Caraotas Blancas
Yolanda's Seafood Mix
La Falda de Yayi

Tequeños

Pedro’s old times with Vargas

Milk Quesillo

Chinese
Joyful Garden

550 Arsenal Street

Recommended Dishes:

Pork & Shrimp Dumplings

Braised Chicken Feet in Black Bean Sauce

Shrimp Rice Flour Roll

Deep-fried Bean Curd Skin Roll

Juicy Pork Dumplings

Baked Egg Custard Tart

Silky Sweet Tofu Pudding

Pan-fried Turnip Cake 

Sichuan Cuisine
30 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Scallion Pancake
Shredded Beef with Chili Pepper
Chengdu Spicy Chicken

Thai

What Da Chick
1 Crawford Street
Recommended Dishes:
Spicy Chick Rice

Roasted Chick Rice

Japanese
Super Fusion Cuisine II
54 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Beni Toro Banana
Sea Rainbow Papaya
Wonton Mango Maki


Tried:
Western
Old Country Buffet (closed)
550 Arsenal Street

East Side Wings and Grill
613 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Sweet Thai Chili Wings
The Coolidge Burger

Donohue's Bar and Grill
87 Bigelow Avenue
Recommended Dishes:
Beef Barley Soup
Steak Tips
Snickers Pie

Breakfast
Spot Cafe
385 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Luba's Omelet
Hot Chocolate
Blueberry Crumb Cake

Diner at 11 North Beacon
11 North Beacon Street
Recommended Dishes:
Belgian Waffle with strawberries, blueberries and bananas
Steak and Eggs
Corned Beef Hash

Deluxe Town Diner
627 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Southwestern Omelette
Hot Chocolate
Sweet Potato Flapjack

New Yorker Diner
39 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Kielbasa and Eggs

Tresca's Eating Place
25 Church Street
Recommended Dishes:
Steak and Cheese Omelet
Hot Chocolate

Crown Cafe
106 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Pancake  

Kefi's Kitchen and Coffee
142 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
White Chocolate Hot Chocolate

Power Cafe
45 Lexington Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Hot Cider


Japanese

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar (chain)
101 Bond Square
Recommended Dishes:
Kazunoko

Golden Crunchy Roll

Seared Salmon Japanese Mayo

Edamame

Umami Oil Seared Beef

Spicy Popcorn Shrimp Roll

Premium American Beef

Tonkotsu Ramen

Tiger Roll

Aburi Salmon with Miso Cream Cheese

Spicy Garlic Tempura Philadelphia Roll

Harajuku Summer Salad

Caterpillar Roll

Philadelphia Roll

Hokkaido Scallop

Tuna Yukhoe

Ikura Norimaki

Sea Urchin

Inari

Hokkaido Milk Creamy Tart

Fried Takoyaki

Warabimochi

Shishito Salmon Skin

Japanese Style Soy Milk Donuts

Deli
The Meat Spot
28 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Prosciutto Lovers Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich
Corned Beef Sandwich

Red Leaf Cafe
123 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Smoked Turkey, Swiss Cheese Sandwich

Big Sky Bread Bakery and Cafe
142 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Lithuanian Dark Rye Bread
Garlic Basil Parmesan Bread
Snack Granola
Ham and Cheese Croissant

Joe's Variety Deli and Sub Shop
278 Orchard Street
Recommended Dishes:
Corned Beef Bulkie

Japanese
Edamame
171 Watertown Street
Recommended Dishes:
Age Tofu
Tuna Dumpling
Edamame Special Salad
Shrimp Mango Roll
Spicy Tuna Sandwich

Mediterranean
Molana
5 Spring Street
Recommended Dishes:
Jubeh Kebobs
Pomegranate Juice
Zoulbia and Bamieh


Italian
Grappa Restaurant
71 Elm Street
Recommended Dishes:
Rolled Eggplant
Grilled Hake Special (if available)

Andrea's House of Pizza
620 Mount Auburn Street
Recommended Dishes:
Meat Lover's Pizza
Ziti Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Baklava
Kataifa

Pizza Hut Express (chain)
550 Arsenal Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Wings
Cheese Pizza

May 31st 2022: Buttermilk and Bourbon, Watertown

Today, while at the new Arsenal Yards shopping area in Watertown,

we were originally deciding to check out Kura Sushi, but due to the long wait time, we decided to go to the Watertown location of Buttermilk and Bourbon right next door instead. Really nice decor inside.

We got the Soft Serve Mimosa (blueberry pomegranate sorbet, prosecco),

the PORK BELLY CRACKLINGS (cheddar salt, honey-mustard),

the HOUSE SPECIAL BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN (Chicken wings, white BBQ sauce)

the GOLDEN BEET SALAD (preserved kumquats, smoked yogurt, pistachio & pumpkin seed granola, Banyuls vinaigrette),

the Crawfish and Dumplings (celery root, sassafras, black pepper, white wine),

and the Soft Serve of the Day (Mango) for dessert.

Of all the dishes, only the dumplings, which was more of a casserole with bits of crawfish in it, was a little underwhelming in terms of flavor. Other than that, the beet salad had an interesting combination of sweet and tangy, while the chicken was crispy without too much breading, and the pork fat was oozing in a delicious way. The drink was an interesting concept too, although the ice cream would have been enough, as was the mango flavor, creamy yet not too sweet. Overall, a pretty good meal here. Unfortunately, my other half left her purse here, so I have to come back tomorrow.

May 30th 2022: Third Time at Kinzen, Marlborough

After a day at Memorial Beach in Marlborough, we decided to get lunch at Kinzen, a ramen place in town we have been to twice in the past.

This time around, we got the TAKOYAKI   (Fried octopus ball with cabbage and green onion topped with bonito flake, scallion and katsu Mayo and hoisin sauce),

the SUPER HOT LAVA RAMEN   (Spicy pork broth, chili pepper, chili hot oil, new zealand mussels, scallop, shrimp, menma (Japanese bamboo), wood ear mushroom and scallion.),

and the Grilled Salmon Miso Ramen (pork broth, wood ear mushroom, beansprout, scallion and black garlic oil).

All the dishes were delicious as always, and the seafood fresh, and even the lava ramen wasn't that spicy in the end. Overall, another satisfying meal here.

May 29th 2022: Walking Along Newbury Street, Boston

 Today, we decided to walk around the Newbury Street area of Boston, 

Trident Booksellers and Cafe

Anime Zakka

360 Newbury Street

Muji

Trader Joe's

getting brunch at Krasi, a nice Greek restaurant on Gloucester Street.

We got the KRASI MIMOSA (Greek bubbles, mango juice, dill),

the BAKLAVA MUFFIN (walnuts, Greek honey, cinnamon, clove), 

the STRATA (loukaniko, spinach, olives, feta, mixed greens),

the LALAGITES (lemon-mizithra filled fried pancakes, carob honey syrup, lemon zest).

The drink was just alright, while the muffin was just that, thought it would ahve more a baklava texture. The quiche was pretty good though, and the fried stuffed pancakes were an interesting concept. Overall, pretty good place for brunch.

We also got chocolates from Royce' Chocolate, a Japanese chocolate company with really good Nama chocolate. 

I managed to try the Pure Chocolate White,

the Nama Chocolate Matcha,

the Nama Chocolate White and the Nama Chocolate Sakura Fromage.

All the chocolates were really good, especially the chewy Nama chocolate, which has to be stored cold, although I did not take to the cherry flavor of the Sakura one.

Next, we visited April 23 Cafe, one of the many bubble tea places along Newbury Street. It is actually more of a flower shop, with flower arranging classes as well.

we got the Piggy Peach Mousse

and the Osmanthus Pineapple Oolong Fruit Tea.

The drink was pretty good, but the mousse just tasted like gelatinous cream. A little on the disgusting side. Overall, will probably try one of the other bubble tea places rather than come back. 

Our final eating destination was Eva, a new restaurant that has taken over from Cafeteria Boston, which I visited a few times in the past. It is the same owner though, and the decor looked the same as before, so I am not sure if I consider this to still be the same restaurant as before.

We got the Cobb Salad (Romaine and mesclun greens, bacon, chicken, avocado, egg, blue cheese, and tomatoes with buttermilk ranch dressing)

and the Steak Tips and Eggs (served with homefries and sourdough bread).

Really good combination of flavors for the salad, and the steak was cooked perfectly, with crispy homefries and runny eggs. Really good meal from this place, comparable to before I guess. 

With that, we ended the day in Boston, heading home to eat a MEDITERRANEAN (Grilled marinated chicken, spinach, feta, tomatoes & olives) pizza. 

Pretty good to end a day of walking along Newbury Street in Boston.

Recommended Places to Visit: Harvard

Recreation

Parks

Rogers Field
37 Buena Vista Street

Devens Common Center
31 Andrews Parkway

Ryan Land Park

55 Depot Road

Golf

Red Tail Golf Club

15 Bulge Road

Fruit Picking
Carlson Orchards
115 Oak Hill Road
Recommended Dishes:
Peach Crisp
Chicken Fingers
Lemonade

Museums

Fruitlands Museum
102 Prospect Hill Road

Fort Devens Museum
94 Jackson Street

Historical Society
215 Still River Road


Water Bodies

Robbins Pond
Robbins Pond Road and Barnum Road

Williams Pond
Stow Road and Murray Lane 

Old Millpond
22 Old Mill Road

Beaches
Bare Hill Pond
End of Pond Road

Beautiful Scenery

Sprague Land

West Bare Hill Road near Still River Road

East View Conservation Land
34 Ayer Road

Hiking

Recommended:
Clapp-Scorgie-Tufts-Smith

Still River Road between Turner Lane and Prospect Hill Road

Hermann Orchard

Ayer Road close to Mill Road

Ohlin Land
Ohlin Lane near Poor Farm Road

Pin Hill
47 Depot Road

Horse Meadows Knoll

45 Sherry Road

WestOak-Dunlap

100 Oak Hill Road

Delaney North

Finn Road

Black Pond/Vesenka/Smith Conservation Land

158 Littleton County Road

199 Whitcomb Avenue, Littleton

Old Mill Road

87 Old Mill Road

Mirror Lake
End of Mirror Lake Road

Tried:
Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
End of Still River Depot Road
80 Hospital Road

Sheridan Road and Tank Road

Prospect Hill

55 Depot Road

Holy Hill Conservation Area
South Shaker Road near Ann Lee Road

Blomfelt

292 Ayer Road

Bare Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

186 Bolton Road

Maxant Land

Ayer Road and Lancaster County Road

Tripp Land

50 Brown Road

Powell Reed Abbott

East Bare Hill Road and Brown Road

Shaker Spring House

End of Green Hill Road

Architecture

Monuments

Town Common
Ayer Road and Fairbanks Street

TaraVista Behavioral Health Center

85 Patton Road

Schools
Hildreth Elementary School
27 Massachusetts Avenue

Immaculate Heart of Mary School
258 Still River Road

Places of Worship
Unitarian Universalist Church
9 Ayer Road

Holy Trinity Church
15 Still River Road

Evangelical Congregational Church
5 Still River Road

St. Benedict Abbey
275 Still River Road

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church

282 Still River Road

Historical Buildings

Old Hapgood Memorial Library

7 Fairbank Street

Commercial Buildings
200 Ayer Road

200 Ayer Road

Rollstone Bank and Trust (chain)

283 Ayer Road

Town Facilities
Public Library
4 Pond Road

Town Hall
13 Ayer Road

Historical Society
215 Still River Road

Police
40 Ayer Road

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Latin American

Bandoleros Mexican Grill

4 Ryans Way

Recommended Dishes:

Carnitas Quesadilla

Western

Devens Grill (closed)
4 Ryans Way
Recommended Dishes:
Shrimp and Scallops Ravioli
Chocolate Explosion

Tried:
Italian

Sorrento's Brick Oven Pizzeria (chain)

285 Ayer Road

Recommended Dishes:

French Fries

Carnevale

Chicken Domenico

Western

Harvard General Store

1 Still River Road

Recommended Dishes:

Hot Dog

Thai

Siam Pepper

325 Ayer Road

Recommended Dishes:

Pad Thai

27th May 2022: Spending Time with the Little One

 This morning, we headed back to Harvard for another hike, this time at Prospect Hill, which I visited once before in the past, this time to try to look for Dean's Hill. The path we took while here after walking through Ryan Land Park

is shown below in blue.

Unfortunately, the views of the orchards were just alright.

After our hike, we decided to head into Westborough for a quick bite from Swanski's Bakeshop, which has taken over from Yummy Mummy Bakery, which I visited once in the past. We got the Lavender Honey Roll,

which unfortunately was nothing special, especially due to the cinnamon in it.

For dinner, we decided to head to Leicester at Castle Cantina Tapas Bar and Restaurant, located within a castle which used to be the Castle Restaurant, which I visited once in the past. Much nicer inside now.

    

We got the Muy Baya Sangria (blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, brandy, red wine, apple juice and lemon lime soda),

the Tostones Rellenos (fried plantain baskets topped with Garlic wine sauce shrimp),

the Aguacate Rellenos (freshly cut avocados topped with chimichurri steak),

the Del Mar Paella (saffron rice, shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari, clams, red and green peppers, peas and basil),

and the Papajotes for dessert.

Unfortunately, the food tasted overly simplistic, definitely not worth what we paid for. What a pity.