If you're back from the North Shore or you've finally cleared out the last speck of sand from your trip to the Cape but you're still craving a seaside meal, then you have to hurry out to Fresh Pond Seafood soon or you might have wait just a few more days for your fresh fish or fried food.  Fresh Pond Seafood, 75 Summer St., will be closed Aug. 21 through Aug. 23 to finish some work on their kitchen. What you can expect to find this time of year is some striped bass from Martha's Vineyard as the season has just begun. Also chilling behind the glass are: shrimp, scallops, lobster meat, halibut…

Summer's bounty offers a whole gamut of goodies from fresh corn to sweet blueberries and crisp green beans to the first few raspberries. To reflect this cornucopia of deliciousness, Arlington's food scene is also full of life this time of year. Coming up this month is restaurant week where local chefs are preparing special prix fixe menus with some of this season's farm fresh goodies.    Plan your week and meals ahead and save the date for restaurant weeks which are Aug. 14-19 and Aug. 21-26.  Two course lunches will be offered for $15.11 and three course lunches for $20.11.  Three course …

Whether you are headed to a friend's beach house or have been invited for a cookout, it is never good to show up empty handed. Even if your host tells you that you need not bring anything, it is always nice to bring a little something. Summer time calls for small bites that pack a punch of flavor, bright sweet in season fruit and perhaps a nice cold beverage. You can pull together the perfect host(ess) gift wherever you are in town with very little time and effort. It is, after all, the thought that counts! If you're headed for the Cape or driving up to the North Shore to spend the weekend, …

There is something different about pizza in the summer. I'm not talking about that cheese pie you order for the kids and their friends every Friday night—but a fresh summer pizza. There is no better place in town than Za Pizza and Salad for a little pizza inspiration that highlights all that is good this season. Then when you get home you can try it out yourself on the pizza stone or even on the grill. Za is not only constantly bringing in the freshest foods of the season, but they source it locally. Verrill Farm is a family farm in Concord, established in 1922 as well as being open to the …

Celebrating summer with good food and good friends on the Fourth of July was just the beginning. Just this month there is also Bastille Day, July 14, when you can totally indulge your French food cravings. And it just happens to be National Ice cream month. Not only is this an excuse to go out for ice cream this month, but ice cream sundae parties are a perfect, fun, easy way to entertain guests of all ages. Not everyone has access to some of the most unique Sundae "fixin's" but here in Arlington we've got all sorts of goodies to make the perfect sundae bar. You can start with some ice cream—…

Maybe you didn't get organized enough this year to sign up for the Cape Ann Fresh Catch fish share. And, it is tricky to remember to bring that cooler to the Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoons for your fish from the folks at Globe Fish. You don't have to worry now though, because a favorite fish spot formerly from Cambridge, has now set up shop in Arlington. Fresh Pond Seafood is now "unofficially open" at 75 Summer St.    You can stop by for fresh seafood for now, but once they get settled in, there will also be take-out and prepared foods available as well. Fresh Pond Seafood is open …

Nothing says summer like the clink of an ice cube in a glass, the cool drip of a drop of condensation on your "flip-flopped" toes, and the taste of your favorite summer elixir. Whether you drink iced coffee year-round or you save it for a few months each summer, there's nothing like a cool drink under the hot sun. So where can you go for your iced drinks in Arlington?  Well, it depends on what your beverage of choice is. From your first drink of the day to an after dinner indulgence, there is something to suit everyone's taste. Iced coffee tastes range from the cream over ice with a splash of…

Father's Day is fast approaching, and whether you have wrapped yet another tie or pair of cufflinks, it isn't really the gift that matters. It's the food, of course! Unlike Mother's Day, when it doesn't quite feel like summer yet and pretty much brunch or a meal out is the plan of action, for Father's Day, there are a couple of ways to go about it.   If your dad is the master of his grill this is not the time to take him away from his grilling lair. You can head over to the Bar B Que Barn and purchase some missing grill accessories or upgrade those old tools. You can stop by The Meat House …

Sometimes the best food in town is not at your local restaurant. No, it is not even the lastest "pop-up" restaurant where a chef serves you dinner in an alternate setting. Nor is it one of the many fabulous food trucks the latest kitchen trend riding down this new culinary road. It is food served "festival style." This past weekend, many indulged in some of the best Greek recipes in town that make an appearance once a year at the Saint Athanasius the Great's Annual Greek Festival.  If you missed that, then you can still enjoy the festival experience from some local food purveyors.  Coming up …

This summer heat calls for some food from South of the border, with lots of flavor and some lightness. Arlington just lucked out with the addition of one of its newest restaurants Acitrón, a Mexican bistro with a fresh, chic décor and a sophisticated menu. Acitrón, 473 Massachusetts Ave.,  is open for lunch and dinner and is the perfect spot for a business lunch, lunch with friends or date night. The menu has something for vegetarians, meat eaters and pescetarians, too. The meal begins with some unique bread and a trio of hummus and dips. Most meals are served with rice and beans, and the …

Arlington was once an agricultural city with farms and one of the first mills in the area. There were as many as seven mills grinding wheat powered by water from the swift currents of Mill Brook. When you stroll the sidewalks and drive the streets of Arlington today you might not see a hint of agriculture aside from a few raised beds and signs of urban farming. So now we let the farms come to us. Soon, the Arlington Farmers’ Market will bring everything from veggies to herbs, bread to cheese. One of the regulars at the farmers’ market is Smith's Country Cheese, which is a family owned dairy …

The weather may be misleading, but it really is barbecue season. Whether you are all about charcoal or love the convenience of gas, can't live without your smoker or have a crush on your shiny grill, or go the takeout route and just need to choose between Blue Ribbon BBQ's sweet, hot or gold sauce great barbecue can be at your fingertips. If you are going to grill at home, there is no time like the present to do some barbecue homework.  Even before you figure out where you are cooking and what kind of flame you will use, you need to know your cuts of meat and then there is the rub. For a …

Spring is here in full force and that means our local growing season has begun. So, where do you go for some great farm-to-table food in Arlington? Actually, going where farmers bring the food to you is the real question. The Arlington Farmer's Market will start up in a few short weeks in early June. If you haven't been in the past, it happens on Wednesdays, 2-6:30 p.m., in the Russell Common parking lot in Arlington Center. You will find locally raised meat, cheese, eggs, fish, honey, herbs and of course, vegetables and fruit. In addition local restaurants and bakeries will be there with …

Whether you're staying home and cooking your mom her favorite meal or you're making reservations. You don't have to go far from home for a great mother's day meal. If you're dining in, then you can head over to The Meat House for your cookout. To make it an extra special meal, plan ahead and have Bella Moto Baking make you one of their fabulous cakes. Something Savory can also help out with their catering services. If you'd like to pick up something for everyone then you can also call over to Blue Ribbon BBQ then all you need it so set the table, and enjoy time with your mom. If you're …

Now that the Boston Marathon runners have all cleared out of the Italian restaurants from their pre-race carbo-loading meals, you can safely head back out to dinner without feeling you need to have your game face on.  Whether you want to dine out or grab something to go, Arlington has plenty of choices when it comes to Italian. The new kid in town is Comella's.  Comella's is perfect for lunch or dinner with the family or a casual date night in or out.  With a huge menu of unique and somewhat traditional dishes, there is something for everyone on the menu.  Portions are large and prices are …

Cynthia Gold is the queen of tea at Boston's Park Plaza and a wealth of tea knowledge.  Gold "headed home" to Arlington, where she was owner of the former Tea Tray in the Sky, to deliver a new kind of tea service.    Tea was the highlight at Flora, this past Tuesday, as part of their Author Series.   Cynthia Gold is a tea sommelier and author of a new book, Culinary Tea.  While the book focuses on recipes and techniques to include tea in your cooking, the event was all about cocktail techniques with tea.    Gold read from her book and shared, just in time for your spring and summer tea …

When you think about barbecue, the Northeast is not the first region you think of nor do you picture a sandwich on a plate. But BBQ isn't just being done well in the South anymore, and it's not only a plate of finger licking ribs or charred chicken. The greater Boston area has one 'cue place after another beginning to make a name for itself.  Blue Ribbon BBQ is Arlington's very own BBQ spot to be proud of.  Most recently, Blue Ribbon was highlighted as the crafter of one of the city's top sandwiches on Boston.com.  Blue Ribbon's North Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich is a smoked boneless pork …

When it comes to cakes you can find a reason to celebrate almost any season, but come spring there are even more excuses for this particular food item.  There are graduation parties to plan for.  Mothers to celebrate.  Spring's Easter holiday and communions.  Spring is also often a season for baby and wedding showers.  Cakes Bakery in Arlington is ready for the season with all their new bakery items.The spring cakes at Cakes Bakery are fun, playful, and elegant.  There are the floral cakes with large day lilies adorning the top or playful colorful flowers.  There are soft yellow rose-like …

The weekend before last, we adjusted our clocks and this weekend we'll be adjusting our lights.  On Saturday, March 26th at 8:30 p.m. it will be Earth Hour.  No it is not a bank holiday, but it is an environmental awareness event that more and more individuals and businesses are recognizing.   This year you can even celebrate over a romantic candle lit dinner at Flora.    Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia four years ago.  Over 2,000 businesses, and 2.2 million individuals turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change.  Since that first year, landmarks such as…

You may have celebrated St. Patrick's Day this weekend, but it is not quite over yet.  The real holiday is March 17 when you can celebrate as you choose:  with a nice Irish brew and some corned beef, or green sugary foods from Dunkin Donuts' St. Paddy's Day sprinkles, to Quebrada's cookies with a little extra green here and there.  Corned Beef and cabbage are a traditional St. Patrick's Day feast, at very least on this continent, regardless of stories of gammon ham and bacon joint back in Ireland. So where can you find a little of that salty, brine-cured beef this week in Arlington?  There is…