Closed - TOAD

*SIGH*

I was looking at various venues in Boston to see if there were any interesting live shows coming up, and sadly, I stumbled upon an old hangout only to find out that it's closed its doors for good.

TOAD in Cambridge was a huge haunt of Jay's, and I spent many evenings over the years bending my elbow with him at the bar. It was a nice little place at the top of the mountainous stair climb of the Porter Square T stop.

Often there was live music, and we (Jay, Brian, Gavin, etc...) got to see a few good shows there, including blog favorite Abbie Barrett doing bluesy versions of her "Dying Day" album songs, plus a lot of Neil Young covers. Add in the bonus of Christopher's Restaurant being right next door, and TOAD was truly the place to be for a night of inexpensive fun with friends...

Thanks for the great service, fun lineups, awesome beer and fantastic memories. You will be missed.

BEER - Laser Cat Imperial

I hadn't had a beer in over three weeks, and Saturday night when I jumped back in I decided to try Laser Cat Imperial IPA from Medusa Brewing Company out of Hudson, MA.

A nice dark pour, not too foamy, I was hit by the mix of hoppy and tropical scents. It is a good blend of hops and citrus, and despite being 8.0%, it doesn't have a boozy nose. Very smooth, with great flavor, and not too bitter, not too sweet. I think a road trip to the source is in order...

Upgrade

I have the best aunt ever. She got herself a pair of Apple AirPods, and liked them so much that she decided that her favorite nephew needed a pair too!

They arrived from Amazon yesterday, and after finishing watching the Monaco Grand Prix, I synched them to my iPhone X, and then spent 2 blissful hours listening to the Groove Salad station on SOMA FM. What an amazing gift...

BEER - Connect the Dots

Last night I had a couple of Connect the Dots New England IPAs from Progression Brewing Company out of Northampton, MA.

Wow, this beer is hazy! It's a decent combination of Simcoe and Citra hops, with each coming out in the flavor at various times. I enjoyed everything about this beer except for the occasional boozy 'a bit off' scent from the pint (I'd poured a can into a pristine glass). Good stuff! I definitely want to try out other beers from this relatively local brewery...

BEER - Let the Field Go Fallow IPA

Let the Field Go Fallow IPA from Belleflower Brewery in Portland, ME is a light and flavorful experience. Not too boozy at 5.8%, it goes down very smoothly. I hope to get up to Maine at some point this year to try it on tap, for it pours out a bit foamy from the can. Highly recommended.