Tag: shopping

Foodservice Food Convention – Boston MA

It’s not often I am invited to food conventions, in fact this would be the first and likely last time but that’s what life is about – taking opportunities to do new things! And try new foods! This one was technically for restaurant owners and those that work in said restaurants to pick companies to buy large amounts of food off of. I am not said people but luckily I’m lovable and no one asked.

The convention was at Gilette Stadium which I have driven past many times but I don’t believe I have ever visited. Even though it was in a huge stadium I didn’t really think it’d have a lot of people. I was wrong. This place was packed! We were greeted at the door by someone my companion knew and I was asked my name as a customary introduction. In a state of sudden overwhelm I forgot what it was. This was largely how the rest of the afternoon went. I was already a little concerned because I was having a hormonal day where my body thought it’d be hilarious to make random smells I normally like so repulsive I could puke on spot like a pregnant woman. I’m not pregnant, my body just hates me.

That being said it was lovely. First, we saw the produce section full of fruits, greens, and mushrooms of all sorts. Really beautiful. I paused to look at a bushel of apples to see if they were Pink Ladies but they were Honeycrisps, which are also good. I was told to take one. What? They’re samples. How is an apple a sample? I threw one in my free reusable bag that they gave me at the door.

I also tried dragon fruit! That did look like a sample as they were tiny sliver sized pieces impaled on toothpicks. I was disappointed. Tasted like a mild kiwi but without the tingling sensation (which I’m told in adulthood is probably a sign I’m allergic to kiwi.)

We wandered on to the real food. My companion found a bowl of peppermint suckers and gave one to me just in case knowing I am prone to nausea and sucking on peppermints usually really helps. That’s how you know you’re loved. From here we started trying all the samples – some tacos, lemonade, and lobster bisque. I gravitated towards anything bread and or cheese to appease my peasant ancestry. And the seafood! Which I am not normally that keen but my tastes have been changing a lot in the past few years. My favorite though was a bite of duck that tasted exactly like my slow grown roosters back when I was on the farm. I was not expecting that! It gave me an intense pang of nostalgia. Someday. Someday I will be back on a piece of land with some birds.

At this point I decided to really tempt fate by trying some sort of clam and cream cheese spread. That was intense. Funny enough it wasn’t bad but my body was insistent it was poison and swallowing it proved difficult. I probably made some faces. We wandered around some more trying to find some water to drink but all the free water was fresh out. I managed to get a cup at the bar but by this time I was having a hard time drinking it – which was a bad sign. Suggestive of I wasn’t just overheated but actively so and getting worse. I was unable to eat anything after this though I did force the water down.

My companions had eaten their fill after three rounds and I had to pass on what was supposed to be the best ice cream because my stomach was officially turned off from heat exhaustion. I considered taking a time out in the bathroom, but everyone was getting hot and overstuffed, and we were heading back to the car anyway.

All and all we spent more than two hours there, ate until we nearly exploded, and had a lot of fun in the process. Taking photos with no people in the way was near impossible but I did try. All and all, despite getting sick this was a positive experience.

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Random Sights of Bennington Vermont

Since we were already in Adams MA my phone told me that was only 12 and a half miles away from Bennington Vermont which I surmise is the cutest goddamn town in New England and I kinda wanted to share my joy in it – maybe hit one of their galleries. There was also a fish store here. Or so that’s what Google claimed. So off we went!

The fish store address just brought me to a random house in a very residential neighborhood. Now, I know fish stores are frequently run out of people’s basements but this place didn’t even have the traditional half-assed plywood sign. Nothing. I was content to leave this one alone, not wanting to become the next missing person disappeared from the Bennington Triangle. But my companion wanted to know more and called the number. An answering machine answered and he promptly hung up.

We went back to town to go play with some of the wildlife statues. Every year they’re different, done up by local artists, and auctioned off at the end of the season. On previous trips I’d seen moose and bears but this year was catamounts – what the locals call cougars. Officially speaking cougars have been extinct in New England since we hunted them all over 100 years ago but that’s not to say their memory doesn’t still linger or that chance individuals don’t still show up in Maine after wandering down from Canada. It’s always been an interesting prospect to me. And the statues? ADORABLE.

Lucky for me my companions also loved the catamounts as we found two walking. We tried to find more but online sources are evasive about the Catamount Prowl and it was getting late. We needed food in our bellies, the Prius needed a long-deserved drink from hauling ass up the mountains, and a bathroom was also in order. So, we tried the local pizza parlor which was sufficient. And a sketchy-ass gas station which was a bit odd considering the general adorableness of the rest of the area.

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Main Street Antiques – Bennington Vermont

Onto another antique shop! This place was typical of a main street antique place in that it was small and orderly. We walked in and were greeted with a $300+ cast iron dutch oven and a very ornate wood stove. There was also THE SADDEST AND CREEPIEST CLOWN and a doll with glowing red eyes for no apparent reason?!

But really we were most enamored by the coins. So. Many. Coins. My travel companions were ahead of me and poking at some confederate coins when the shop keep lit up and gave us all an impromptu history lesson.

“You want to see something you’ve never seen before?”

“YEAH!”

He pulled out a note from his pocket that stated it was worth a 20-dollar gold coin. And he showed us the coin that someone could have traded it for. And then said how worthless it was at the time due to wartime inflation. Very cool.

We chatted a little bit. I think he was hoping we were monied folks but we are not. Though we did stop to look at the Nazi occupied country coins, which were interesting in their own way. It never really occurred to me the currency changes in occupied countries. I guess because I never had to think about it.

In the back we found a bottle labelled Boyes Oil and I cracked a joke. And continue to do so. Did you try the Boyes Oil? I found a bunny cake pan that looked like it did. DAMN was that the most ripped bunny I’ve ever seen. Why did it have the muscles of a bull?! What a terrifying Easter someone must have had.

Anyway it was a cute little shop, with a lovely staff and lots and lots of coins if that is your thing. Or bottles. Some of those bottles were super unique. One even had a Halloween cat stretched across it shaped into the glass.

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The Plant Connection – North Adams MA

As we were walking away from the Berkshire Emporium we happened upon this sweet little plant shop and it looked so inviting so we stepped in for a moment. I’ve been to plenty of plant stores but those were mostly focused on plants you’d keep in your garden or yard, this place was a little house plant store and it was so well lit and maintained! In the far corner there was even a potting station if you decided to get both a plant and pot.

Although it was small I was impressed with the variety. There were a bunch of plants here I had never seen before, many of which were delightfully bizarre either in form, name, or both. I had bee-lined to the succulents because they are by far my favorites. I giggled like a twelve-year-old at the booby cactus that was apparently named because of its many tits. Impressive.

Here in the succulent section both myself and one of my two travel companions for the day spotted a little gem at the exact same moment – a series of pots containing living stones. Neither one of us had ever seen one in person. There were green ones and brown ones and I egged my companion on to buy one and I the other so we could mix and match both colors. This turned out not happening but only because he decided to buy his a pot. Mine went home to find a more suitable enclosure in something I already owned.

The ambiance of this place was so peaceful and the woman working the counter was very sweet. I went home very happy, hoping my living stones would find a window full of Christmas cactus sufficient company. Definitely would recommend this place to anyone looking for a house plant.

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The Berkshire Emporium – Antiques & Snack Bar – North Adams

I rarely need reason to go back to the Berkshires, a gorgeous portion of New England that I have scarcely gotten a chance to poke at (mostly because it’s so damn hard to get to.) No worries the four-hour drive was still worth it, well worth it!

We started at the Berkshire Emporium, our plotted out starting point. From the descriptions online it looked big which is always a plus when you are making a day of it. And I have to say getting there was just as much of an adventure. The scenery was out of this world as we drove a grumpy Prius through the mountains!

When we eventually got to the cute little town of North Adams we found the Berkshire Emporium without any troubles in part due to their greeter – who happened to be a velociraptor standing in front of a basket of props you could put in its mouth, or in its talons, or the top of its head if you wished. Just inside the door there was a little mini bakery cafe which was decorated with lots more dinosaurs, some were featured in portraits done by a local artist! There were also cookies. Big ones. I nearly fell to temptation but beyond that delicious distraction was the antique store…

Of course the emporium was another winding maze of absolutely random things. One of the first things we came across was Bigfoot in all his glory. Or rather a costume of Bigfoot chilling in a big room with The Bumble…. which I’ve been calling the Abominable Snowman for like… 38 years… my bad. The next room to them had all kinds of cool instruments and an old off-key music box which played Farmer in the Dell in the same way a horror movie might. In fact this place seemed wonderful inspiration for such a venture as I also found the creepiest box of antiquated plushies, some Halloween memorabilia, a flying monkey, and a number of disquieting art pieces made from melted sneakers poured over manikins and clothes. Quirky.

We had a lot of fun at this place but it wasn’t quite as big as we’d anticipated and we didn’t spend too terribly long, though we did take a moment to give the velociraptor a fish. It only seemed right. From here we’d do some ambling to see what other trouble we could get ourselves into.

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The Red Lion Inn (restaurant) – Stockbridge Massachusetts

To be honest we would have eaten at Alice’s restaurant if it was open that day (because I’m that big of a nerd) but just down the street there was a brooding inn with gift shop and food and it was just about to open to hungry diners. We were told we could wander the lobby for half an hour while we waited.

This place was… something else. We were immediately greeted by the newest staff – one of two hotel cats, who seemed bewildered at the amount of attention it was getting. It’ll settle in, I am sure. Beyond that there was this crazy metal cage elevator that I couldn’t help but think was haunted. The “lobby” was a set of rooms in a Byzantine maze set up with a series of quirky antique chairs. Beyond that there was a gift shop that was small but entertained us for way too long. It had 1950’s styled colored small appliances, expensive candles, some soft plushies, a nice selection of cookbooks, and apparently the rape whistle to end all rape whistles which came in a moderately decorated box saying, “Your mama will want you to have it!” Apparently, it was less of a whistle and more of a pocket-sized flashing siren. Weird choice of a gift shop item… everything else seemed normal!

Just outside the gift shop there was a chessboard set up next to the most anguished looking rocking horse (unicorn?) I have ever seen in my life. Though I took several photos during this visit it was only the rocking horse who came out. Haunted? Maybe. A patron asked if I was allowed to take photos of the rocking horse, staff assured him I could. Not like anyone was on it??

Anyway, when the clock finally timed out and they started letting dinner patrons in we meandered to the dining rooms. One was a proper dinner restaurant with duck on the menu. The other was a little mini pub with bar food. None of us had planned for this so we went with the cheaper option. I had the fish and chips which was… odd! I expected it to be beer battered like fish and chips normally are but no, it came out in breadcrumbs like a piece of chicken?? It wasn’t bad, it was just different. And I was unable to peel the batter off as I would have been able to do with a beer battered fish (because I’m weird and don’t really like the batter, just the fish.) The chips were also good. My companions were also happy with their options, a smash burger, some “spicy” carrot soup, and something I can’t remember. The only complaint we really had was the fact we were some of the first patrons of the day in a not-very busy setting and it still took us almost an hour to get served. But you know… the ambiance was worth it in this preposterously old building with original wood floors (square nails still visible keeping them down!) Decorations were odd and there was even a stain glass window. Again, all my pix came out blurred to the point of not being able to recognize anything in them despite having worked the rest of the day. Maybe the ghosts like their privacy.

Anyway… I do think this place was well worth a good poke. I do wonder what the rooms in the inn look like!

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Williams & Sons Country Store – Stockbridge Massachusetts

After the cemetery we decided to check out the center of town to see what was there. To my absolute joy we ended up parking directly in front of what used to be Alice’s Restaurant back in the day, you know, the Alice’s Restaurant the song was named after? DELIGHTED, I tell you! But it wasn’t open so we continued ambling down the street and the first thing we saw after Alice’s was this country store.

This place is part old timey general store and part weird hippie niche shop and I loved every second of it! There were TONS of old candies to chose from as we entered. They even had candy cigarettes which I haven’t seen in a dog’s age and Sugar Daddies! The only candy I really remember growing up as my mother never bought us candy except when I had a tooth that was way too loose that I refused to pop out. Then she’d diabolically feed me a sugar daddy in the hopes I’d get the ill begotten tooth stuck in that sticky sugary mess and rip it clean out of my head. Twas more pleasant than my brother’s suggestion of tying the tooth to a door handle and slamming it. Brothers!

Anyway, beyond the usual general store items there was a lot of novelty things – rag dolls of various famous personalities – Michelle Obama, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Rosie the Riveter, Ghandi. And then there were novelty games and trinkets and bizarrely a whole wall of what looked like Catholic candles but instead of saints they had even more random actual people on them. Ruth Bader Ginsberg merch was strong here but there was also an Edgar Allen Poe saint candle? Sure, sure, for the Goths and raven lovers, I get it. And then of course there were a bunch of Normal Rockwell books which is what the town is famous for…

This place was such a happy jaunt. It is the perfect summer vacation shop with just the right amount of weird mixed in. And the shop keep was lovely and talkative! Definitely check this place out if you are looking for some nostalgic candies, random general store goods, or a chuckle.

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Re Antiques and Interiors – Kingston Rhode Island

By now my companion was looking a bit off and not feeling up to his usual so we decided this would be our last stop of the day. Really, he just wanted to go out on a high note and the last antique store was… underwhelming.

Luckily, we hit another treasure with this one! It seemed to be all the weirdness of the first antique store of the day combined with all the respectability of the second, in a larger space. Fancy paintings adorned the wall with old foreign ad posters. We found cultural items from all over the world – some which I still maintained probably came with a free curse for the white people buying them, but I digress. There were African statuary, a bunch of scary masks, and even full Samauri armor. I was also mesmerized by this gorgeous swinging baby cradle. Other hits were a writing desk fit for a wealthy historical fiction author, a wire rat Halloween decoration, a country chic armoire, and a tin Easter bunny from the bowels of hell.

A woman sat in the main part of the shop and kept an eye on customers, and I knew my photo taking was making her a little tense but me being me I wasn’t about to say anything. I swear to god, I’m not casing the place, and the things I am taking photos of are not the most valuable items, more like the most random. Congrats on that Easter bunny!

As I was leaving she finally asked if I was having fun taking photos or something along those lines and I said, “Yes! I’m taking them for a travel blog.” The ensuing conversation honestly just served to confuse her more, but she did say if I ever get the chance I should go to England. Touché. My companion seemed more entertained by this conversation than myself who resorted to self-depreciating humor because I lack the imagination to see myself financially well off enough to go overseas again and I also suck at lying. Especially on the spot. These things take planning. And need crazy detailed back stories. No? I guess I may be the odd one here.

Maybe someday I will visit England. Or all the countries on those two little islands half a world away where all my ancestors seem to have come from. Or perhaps I can see the Oracle at Delphi, or revisit the Parisian catacombs, or sit with the rats at the Karni Devi waiting for a white one to approach. It is nice to dream, isn’t it?

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Corner Cupboard Kingston Rhode Island

Onto the second antique of the day we decided to hit the Corner Cupboard. It was yet another one of the shops we had not hit because they were not generally open on the two days a week we were out and about. But today was Thursday! Glorious Thursday!

It had a nice little parking lot right off the street and although the traffic on that day was near suicidal I got there just fine. Inside the shop was very country chic. In fact, that seemed to be the theme of the entire place. It even had a Norman Rockwell birdhouse. I didn’t even know those existed!

Still, it was small, and lacking in the creepy and depraved things we usually look for – haunted dolls, “satanic” photos, portraits of tuberculosis-addled Victorian children, and the like. This place seemed… respectable. And there were plenty of people in it which is why I didn’t take almost any photos. I was already getting weird looks from other customers best not make a scene.

No shade to those that like this sort of thing it just wasn’t what I was looking for. In any event if you are in the area and looking for the perfect country chic item I still strongly suggest this place.

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Antiques at Old Tiverton Rhode Island

It was an unusual circumstance in which my companion had an illustrious Thursday off. A Thursday that all the antique stores closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays would be open. AHA! A BUCKET LIST!

And this first one was a riot. We drove all the way there (GPS fucking with me the entire time, because why not) and when we got there we found a building with a very small parking lot of sorts fitting about five cars. It was full. Luckily one of them was leaving, an old couple who seemed VERY confused I was waiting for their spot.

We checked out the yard first. The yard which legitimately had a fire exit… In case all the junk spontaneously combusted I suppose. It was fun junk too. Yard decorations, old street signs, a cross gravestone (with no name – probably either an extra or replaced by something else.) There were some big ceramic jars and a wild assortment of random things all packed into a very small area. It was like being in Maine again!

Inside was much the same. Just really random things all piled up in a small space, the people in the shop talking about how they have to sell things for the price they’re at to make a profit. I don’t know why anyone would try to haggle here, everything already seemed cheap considering the other prices in the area. There was even a drawer full of glass apothecary bottles I had to pry myself away from. Yes, they’re cool, what would you do with them though? MAKE SPELL BOTTLES? You’re not a witch, cool your tits.

There was also a little area for a local glass artist who had some adorable sea creatures. The rest of the shop had everything from old can labels and coupons, to a few creepy masks, to a seriously cool old leather cat carrier. It looked like it had been custom made for Hannibal Lecter’s cat and I looooved it. But alas, I am catless. Woe is me.

All and all I liked this shop. It clashed violently with all the other chichi froufrou upscale antique stores in the area. This was a common man’s store. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

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