roost open house on Thursday

This just in from Jamie and Kate at roost:

"We had so much fun last month, we're doing it again. Stop by Thursday, Dec 17, between 6-9pm, for wine, cheese and special discounts . Be sure to enter your name for an incredible door prize...a silk-screened print of Aaron Foster's iconic license plate map."

roost is a new shop that specializes in "urban country design." They carry everything from jewelry (I love the bird pendants that are painted on maps) to vases (there is one that is reversable - fits a bud one way and a bunch the other) to books to soaps. It's one of the best-smelling stores in Salem. Really - you may want to stop by just to breath it in.

I love the Patron Saint sculptures that are on the wall by the door.

In these economic times, it's important to note that roost prices their products really well. Cool stuff with style and great pricing? Don't you wish you were there right now?!

Stop by roost on Thursday - or any day - at 40 Front Street in Salem, MA, and discover it for yourself.


PS: roost is in an awesome neighborhood, so make sure to swing around the corner and visit Treasures over Time, and Caffe Graziani. On Front Street you'll find great shops like J. Mode and Maria's Sweet Somethings. You can knock out quite a few holiday gifts in one square block of Salem!

Last Chance to Vote!

The photo contest comes to an end tomorrow, so make sure to cast your vote for your favorite image. The winning image will be the cover of the 2010 Salem Visitor Guide, and the winning photographer will win $100.

Check out the pictures online here: http://www.salem.org/photocontest/ and you can vote by sending an email to us at destinationsalem@gmail.com or "like" the photo on Facebook.com/destsalem.

I'll be back with the winners on Friday!!

New Specials at Reds

Chances are you've heard of Red's Sandwich Shop in Salem. It's "where the locals meet to eat." Red's has one of the best breakfasts in town, and it's my pick for a BLT for lunch in the summer, and a hot turkey sandwich in the winter (gravy, mashed 'tatoes, turkey, yum!).

Today I learned three things about Reds Sandwich Shop:

1) Red's now has an online store! You can send gift certificates to your friends and family, and buy merchandise with Reds' logo on it for you holiday gift-giving. How great is that? What perfect gifts for locals and visitors, alike?

2) Red's is on Facebook. Be a fan and learn all about their...

3) Specials! Red's has taken their specials board and kicked it up a notch with daily specials that are truly inspired. Now, this information (and pictures at right) won't help you on Tuesday, but when I was in on Monday, they were featuring a Turkey Tenderloin with a port wine sauce, a Grilled Swordfish on herb risotto, Beef Stir-fry on lo-mein noodles with ginger-soy wasabi, and a Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich. And each special is only $6.95. How cool is that?

The specials change daily, and are determined by what is fresh. You can be sure I will be branching out from my BLT and hot turkey sandwich this year.

If you haven't been into Red's in a while, it's time. Earlier this year they completed a lot of renovations, and the restaurant looks great.

The counter's still there, and locals know if you want to get a seat quickly and there's a line out the door - ask for the counter. There are often seats available, and you'll have the added bonus of watching the kitchen at work.

Discover the magic of local hospitality, good food, and affordable prices at Red's in Salem!

On this day... (well, on the 12th, which was Saturday...)

...in 1901, George, Charles, and Edward Parker incorporated a game company: Parker Brothers. Started by George in 1883 with a single, self-invented game named Banking, Parker Brothers quickly capitalized on the nation's interest in new games and novelties. By 1900, the company was a major force in the game industry. The Great Depression took its toll on the Salem-based company, and only the 1934 introduction of a real-estate selling game kept the company solvent. George Parker had first rejected this game as too complicated. He quickly realized his error in judgment and introduced Monopoly to a game-loving American public. Purchased by Hasbro in 1991, Parker Brothers continues to be an internationally recognized leader in games.

To learn more about this story, visit MassMoments.org, which is a great site to subscribe to if you like historical tidbits. You can also listen to the audio file of this "Moment."

Today in Salem, you can see the site of the former Parker Brothers headquarters on Bridge Street, adjacent to the MBTA station (it is now an apartment complex), and you can see George Parker's former home on Chestnut Street.

What's Open in Salem this Weekend

I know, it's the off-season. But that doesn't mean there's not a lot to do in Salem this weekend! Here's a list of what's open and what's hot. Bring your shopping list with you, and don't forget your appetite. You'll never want to leave...

If you haven't seen the film at the Salem Regional Visitor Center, this is the weekend. Where Past is Present is a great overview of the history of Salem and the region, which is the Essex National Heritage Area. It's free, 27-minutes long, and beautifully done. Great for all ages (my 8-year-old is a huge fan), it spans early settlement, maritime, and industrial heritage of the region.

The Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem | www.pem.org
The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The museum's collections are among the finest of their kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture (including four National Historic Landmark buildings) and outstanding Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime and Photography collections. In addition to its vast collections, the museum offers a vibrant schedule of changing exhibitions and a hands-on education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 22 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States. (Check out the Iris Apfel exhibit. It's wonderful!)

The Salem Witch Museum, 19 ½ Washington Square North, Salem | salemwitchmuseum.com
The Salem Witch Museum brings you back to Salem 1692. Visitors are given a dramatic history lesson using stage sets with life-size figures, lighting and a narration - an overview of the Witch Trials of 1692. Their exhibit,Witches: Evolving Perceptions, examines the stereotypical witch, aspects of witchcraft in the 17th century, modern witchcraft and the phenomenon of witch hunts. Do you believe in witches? Don't answer until you visit us.

The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street, Salem | 7gables.org

The 1667 Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, more commonly known as the House of the Seven Gables, is an American masterpiece and a New England treasure. One of the most famous structures in America, The House of the Seven Gables features some of the country’s earliest Georgian interiors, a secret staircase, and Colonial Revival gardens. And, the property is decorated by local garden clubs for the holidays.

After visiting the House of the Seven Gables, be sure to stop into Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie at 122 Derby Street. America’s oldest candy company still sells Gibralters, which were the first candy made and sold commercially in America, and carried around the world by Salem sea captains and their crews.

The Salem Maritime National Historic Site, 160 Derby Street, Salem | nps.gov/sama

Salem, Massachusetts is one of the most important parts of our early nation. Visit historic buildings, stroll the wharves stretching out into the harbor, board the reconstructed tall ship, Friendship, listen to stories of the sailors, privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of the Far East back to America. See the free film, To the Farthest Ports of the Rich East in the Orientation Center.

Home for the Holidays at the Phillips House, 34 Chestnut Street, Salem | historicnewengland.org/phillipsmuseum

Historic New England will be hosting an open house on Saturday, December 12 from 11 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Phillips House. This Federal-style mansion contains a family collection that spans five generations, and is the only house on historic Chestnut Street that is open to the public.

Finally, it's Salem Open Studios this weekend. Visit more than a dozen artists in 17 spaces throughout Salem. The map and artist listing is online here: http://saa.onefireplace.org/Default.aspx?pageId=501826

Home for the Holidays at the Phillips House

Historic New England will be hosting an open house on Saturday, December 12 from 11 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Phillips House on 34 Chestnut Street in Salem, Massachusetts.

Jim and Maggi Dalton of Singing String Music in Salem will perform “Harmonies for Home and Hearth,” which will include holiday music and parlor games for all ages. The cost for the performance is $5 for Historic New England members and $10 for nonmembers. Family pricing includes 2 adults and 2 children and is $15.00 Historic New England members and $20 nonmembers. Performances will take place at 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. Advance registration is suggested.

Free activities for the public include the “Christmas with the Phillips Family” house tour, light refreshments, and a stop on Salem Art Associations’ Open Studios tour in young Stevie Phillips’ playroom. A special holiday sale, benefitting Historic New England’s 36 historic homes, will be ongoing in the gift shop as well.


About Historic New England
Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. We bring history to life while preserving the past for everyone interested in exploring the authentic New England experience from the seventeenth century to today. Historic New England owns and operates thirty-six historic homes and landscapes spanning five states. The organization shares the region's history through vast collections, publications, public programs, museum properties, archives, and family stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England. For more information visit HistoricNewEngland.org.

Tis the Season for Champagne!

This just in from Salem Wine Imports, where there is a wine tasting this Saturday from 3-6:00 PM.

Just about everyone likes a good Champagne now and again and now there's a reason to drink it other than pure pleasure. A recent article from the British Journal of Nutrition, states that drinking the elixir daily (oh to be so fortunate) with its polyphenols, raises the nitric oxide in blood and, consequently, leads to better arterial function. So, drink Champagne and help your heart along with your mood!

Salem Wine Imports is stocking two very affordable styles made by small independent, family wineries. No corporate board room decisions here, these wines are created by mom and pop, with maybe a sibling or other relative chiming in creating unique, one of a kind wines. Legras & Haas for $32 and Paul Laurent (Gruet family) for $29.99. Both traditional styles with Pinot Noir dominating for fruit flavors, Chardonnay for style and structure.