Adirondack Lake Life — Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Big Wolf, NY

07 Jul 2015 7 Comments

by scolgin in Beverages, On the Road, Pork, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

We arrived at the lake, the last destination and second half of our epic East Coast road trip, on the eve of Independence Day. It felt uniquely American, crossing the border from distinctly French Quebec, to be winding along northeast country roads, past farms and cottages and through quaint villages, adorned with American flags, one and all.

Sunset on the lake

Sunset on the lake

It had been raining on and off all week in the Adirondacks, and one of the first things I noticed walking the Buck Summerhill Camp at Big Wolf Lake was a mushroom — a surprising revelation for a summer day. On a July 4 morning walk, up with the sun, I found not only Lost Pond but also a bag full of mushrooms — including several birch boletes, some black trumpets and a single lovely porcini. More

Au Pied de Cochon — Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Montreal

03 Jul 2015 5 Comments

by scolgin in Eating Out, On the Road, Pork Tags: , , , , , , , ,

A few years back, my pal Donnie brought a “duck in a can” over to our house. It was a dish he had experienced at a restaurant in Montreal that had changed his life, and convinced them to let him take one home. He and his wife Monica had texted me photos from the restaurant of whole pig heads passing by their table on large platters.

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The restaurant was called Au Pied de Cochon — “The Foot of the Pig” — and the “duck in a can” was duck meat, gravy and foie gras cooked in a can and then opened and poured over mashed potatoes and bread at table. A perfect example of Quebecois cuisine. More

Les Lofts Saint-Joseph — Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Quebec City

01 Jul 2015 11 Comments

by scolgin in Markets & Stores, On the Road Tags: , , , , , , , ,

We drove through northern Maine on high moose alert — the country was wild, wet and largely uninhabited, and roadside signs all along the route warned of moose crossings.

Flynn et Willa in our loft

Flynn et Willa in our loft

We didn’t see any moose. But we had a pleasant leisurely chat about web design and client management with the friendly officer at the border crossing as the cars piled up behind us. And then the signs were in French and the traffic lights were sideways and we were in Quebec. More

Lobstah Rolls, Baby — Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Bar Harbor, ME

27 Jun 2015 17 Comments

by scolgin in Eating Out, On the Road Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The rain in Maine falls Maine-ly on the Maine.

There are many businesses in Maine that use the pun, “Maine-ly” in their titles. On the highway, you pass “Maine-ly Maine Souvenirs” and “Maine-ly Speaking Clothes” and “Maine-ly Lobstah” lobster shacks.

Willa wearing her Maine pride

Willa wearing her Maine pride

Maine is just one of those places I always knew I would like, sorta like Alaska and Tokyo. Some places you have an idea of before you, and you get there, and you say, “Oh.” More

Fenway — Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Boston

26 Jun 2015 4 Comments

by scolgin in Uncategorized

There are two things you notice pretty quickly about Boston — a lot of really old stuff, and a lot of Irish pubs.

The evening we arrived there was a tornado watch. As the sky churned in hues of deep red and black, we found a restaurant from the 1890s called Amrheins with reasonably good clam chowder and a good selection of beer on tap.

The Birthday Girl at Fenway

The Birthday Girl at Fenway

The next day we took the Freedom Trail. For those unfamiliar with Boston, this is basically a red stripe in the sidewalk that leads you on a very reasonable walking tour of Boston’s most important historic sights — the Boston Commons; several burying grounds where you’ll find the earthly remains of the likes of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and so forth; the Old North Church; Paul Revere’s home; site of the battle of Bunker Hill and so forth. More

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