Every community has a dedicated donut shop.

In Somerville, the favorite donut shop is Union Square Donuts.

Union Square Donuts is an award-winning donut company with locations in Boston and Somerville, MA, that has spent years perfecting something that others devour in just minutes (or seconds). Our donuts are made fresh, by hand, every single day. We pride ourselves on our commitment to producing the best donuts possible, using high-quality ingredients, an extraordinary attention to detail, and all with a passion that shines through to everything we make. 

These donuts are unlike any other donuts I've tried.

I ordered the Sea Salted Bourbon Caramel - A rich and gooey caramel glaze, topped with sea salt sprinkles, finished with a kick of bourbon.

But look at that interior! It's like airy and light. So neat. Have you been here?

Do you know what time it is? It's time for ice cream.

Christina's Homemade Ice Cream is well-known for their delicious flavors.

I went with salted caramel (obviously) and Kulfi - which is like an Indian ice cream.

Have you been here before?

Oh my goodness, Sarma.

This is a popular restaurant in Somerville known for small plates of Mediterranean food.








The menu is large, and I wanted to order everything.

And between the three of us, we may have.

Plus, they bring around delicious freshly made options to your table.

I think I ended up ordering five or six, plus nibbling on things from Josh & Kaitlynn.

But here are some of the ones I remember.






Pork belly biscuits jalapeño-whipped feta, cider

I'll admit, I'm not much a fan of dark chocolate.

Maybe it's a taste that comes with age or experience. But all I know is that the more sugar, the happier I am.

But Somerville - Kaitlynn's town - is home to their very own chocolate factory.

And how often do you get to visit a chocolate factory?

We took a tour of Taza Chocolate where we learned about the products they produce and how it was all inspired by this drinking chocolate the owner had.

So, of course, the shop has all sorts of drinking chocolates available.

They have flavors like ginger and coconut, but they also come in various percentages of cacao. 















The different flavors wer unique.

But, of course, my favorite ended up being the original with only 60% dark chocolate.

Have you taken a tour?

This restaurant in Boston was life-changing.

I don't say that often. And it may be for reasons other than you're imagining.

But the Cornish Pasty Co. has changed my life.

You see, I wrote a book on pepperoni rolls, but during my entire research, I really never stumbled upon pasties. (PAST-TEES)

The history of the pasty sounds similar, no?

The Cornish Pasty (pronounced PASS-TEE) originates from Cornwall (Southwest England) and can be traced back as far as the 1200’s. Mining was once a thriving industry in Cornwall and at that time pasties were baked by the wives and mothers of the tin miners. Pasties were made with a thick crimped edge along one side so the miners could use the crimp as a handle to hold on to while eating. The miner’s hands would often be covered in arsenic from the mine, so the miners would discard the handle when they were done. The crusts were never thought to be wasted though, as many miners believed that spirits of former miners inhabited the mines and the leftover crusts would keep them content. At one time Cornwall had nearly 2000 flourishing tin mines, but by the 1880’s tin mining had become a rapidly declining industry. At this time, Cornish miners began immigrating to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for copper mining bringing pasties with them.    

I ordered the "Pilgrim Pasty," which had house-roasted chicken, sweet potato, grilled onion and homemade stuffing, served with red wine gravy and cranberry sauce. I love a good Thanksgiving mash-up.

But what I love more is this distant relative to the pepperoni roll. There are tons of foods created with a pastry coating and filling side, but this one had the same reasons behind that. And now I'm hooked.