Bringing New Bites to Beverly

A few days before New Year’s Eve in 2018, the Back Bay’s legendary French restaurant, L’Espalier, announced that it was closing on Dec. 31 after 40 years in operation. Or, rather, chef-owner Frank McClelland, who took over the restaurant in 1988, announced that it was closing, telling the Boston Globe that “The lease is up, and I don’t really have the desire to continue to do this and renew.” A new project, he said, was in the works.

Accordingly to Boston.com, that new project is Frank, a market, café, bar, and restaurant that recently debuted across from the commuter rail station in downtown Beverly (officially opening last Friday, November 15). The all-day gathering place serves coffee, tea, tonics, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches in the morning, with savory sandwiches, soups, and salads available throughout the day — plus sharable plates like lamb meatballs and hummus, and a Frank hamburger featuring raclette cheese, smoked bacon, and housemade hot sauce. There are grab-and-go items available — spiced pumpkin soup, for example, or cauliflower mac and cheese — as well as a curated selection of products that includes wine, tea, and sauces.

For more of a sit-down experience, the 130-seat dining room boasts a sleek bar, where diners can sip on organic wines, local beers, and cocktails. Like the all-day menu, the dinner menu is a reflection of McClelland’s farm-to-table ethos that has been a guiding principle throughout his culinary career. There’s the Cape Ann fisherman bouillabaisse, the seasonal hummus, the haddock with creamed leeks and fingerling potatoes, and the maple chili pork shoulder with Puy lentils and autumn vegetables, plus desserts that range from a warm fruit crostata to crème brûlée.

We are frankly so excited to try this new local spot. Can't wait to dig in and devour the details of everything Frank has to offer! Get a feel for Frank here and make your reservation today.

Monday Mashups: The Magic of Dr. Seuss

Who wouldn't want to spend a day in Whoville or pass the time learning from the Lorax? Or eat some green eggs and ham?

Proving the enduring appeal of Dr. Seuss and his whimsical creations is a new immersive attraction based on the world of Dr. Seuss in Toronto. And in Los Angeles, Netflix celebrated the premiere of its Green Eggs & Ham series with a colorful event.

According to BizBash, "The Dr. Seuss Experience," located in a 15,000-square-foot former Sport Chek location at Mississauga’s Square One Shopping Centre, comes from Kilburn Live, the live events division of Kilburn Media in conjunction with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Running until January 5, 2020, the interactive experience invites fans of all ages to participate in a nostalgic and whimsical journey.

While the attraction is earning buzz as a family-friendly version of Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrors” exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Kilburn Live C.E.O. Mark Manuel noted differences. “There is a trend for Instagrammable exhibits,” he said. “We wanted to build on this by bringing a fully immersive and interactive experience to the marketplace. The idea was to take the visually stunning aspects of these exhibits and make them more active and thematic.”

The experience offered parents and educators opportunities for teachable moments using messages from each book. Each room displays a quote from the books on the walls. In the Lorax room, “I speak for the trees, I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues,” makes a reference to the importance of protecting the environment, while in the Sneetches room, the quote “the day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches, and no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches,” underlines the value of inclusion. Manual explained: “We purposefully tried to avoid overt teaching moments and be respectful of how each person wishes to spend their free time.”

Each room has a theme that designers wanted to feel “instantly recognizable as the story on which it is based, while also feeling new and unique.” While the finished space has been under construction for over a year, Manuel shares, it took three years from ideation to creation and installation. The finished product combines high-tech audiovisual components with sculptures built by fabricators and artisans from all over North America.

Since the exhibit opened in October, Manuel shares that many families have come to the exhibit, but it’s the adults who seem to be having the most fun. Once the show wraps in Toronto, Kilburn Live has plans for a North American tour with stops in Boston, Seattle, Houston, and other cities.

In the U.S., meanwhile, another fun Dr. Seuss-inspired event took place on November 3. The premiere for Netflix's new Green Eggs & Ham series took place at Hollywood Post 43 in Los Angeles. In addition to a screening, the event offered a family-friendly outdoor experience with on-theme games, snacks, and photo ops.

Series stars, including Diane Keaton, Ilana Glazer, Adam Devine, and Keegan-Michael Key, walked the green carpet, which featured mechanical arms holding skillets and plates of—what else?—green eggs and ham. Outdoors, the venue's parking lot was transformed into "Meepville"; attendees could take photos in a "Chickeraffe cage," make friendship bracelets, and play with building blocks at "Guy's Invention Park." Netflix's in-house events team worked with experiential agency Rock&Paper on the event.

In the wise words of Dr. Seuss, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." That is surely true in this case! We hope you've read this place and will devour the details of another place to go. We'll see this cast of characters in Boston!

Bone Up Some Cash for Pups in Need

For the first time ever, Bone Up Brewing will be hosting a Pints for Pups event. $1 of every pint sold will be donated to Harvey's Hope Animal Rescue. The event will be held at the brewery this Saturday, November 16th, from noon to 6PM. And yes, all good boys and girls are invited to join in on the fun!

Harvey's Hope Animal Rescue (HHAR) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization that exists to rescue, re-home, and rehabilitate homeless, unwanted, abused, and neglected dogs and place them in loving and responsible forever homes. They aim to decrease the euthanasia rates of their high-kill shelter partners by promoting adoption and educating the public on the importance of spaying/neutering and microchipping their pets.

In addition, HHAR strives to maintain a network of dependable foster families, capable veterinarians, and experienced trainers to ensure preparedness of our rescued pets for healthy, fulfilling lives in their adoptive homes. This wonderful organization was started when a loving family saved a sweet pup from suffering the most horrific conditions. Harvey-Dent, formerly “Shermy,” was dumped at a high-kill shelter in Texas with his mama and siblings. They were pulled from the shelter by BARRK Animal Rescue and placed into foster care. Next, they were transferred to Georgia. Harvey contracted Parvovirus on the way up. A very common, $12 vaccine, that if received as a puppy could have prevented this. 90% of puppies who do not get treatment for Parvo die. Thanks to Dr. Terry and the amazing staff at Lake Hartwell Veterinary Hospital, Harvey made a full recovery and found his way to his forever home.

Calendars and merchandise will also be available at the event. Proceeds from these items will support HHAR in full. Join us this Saturday at Bone Up Brewing to devour the details of helping to save these poor animals that can't survive on their own. Your support means more than you know!