Mark Lo

Spicepepper Garden
36 Great Road
Acton, MA
(978) 369-8808
http://www.spicepeppergarden.com/

Spicepepper Garden has certainly started off with a bang. The Sichuan and sushi restaurant opened its doors at the beginning of May, and its parking lot is full just about every time we go by. My family and I made our first visit there on a Sunday night and found it just about filled to capacity, except for the bar area, which remained almost empty.

Crossroads Cafe
405 Nagog Square
Acton, MA
(978) 263-9733
http://www.crossroadscafeacton.com/Main.htm

On Saturday night my family had nothing planned for dinner, so we decided to go out to grab a bite to eat. We didn't want anything too fancy, too expensive, or too spicy, so we found ourselves at the Crossroads Cafe.

We hadn't been in several years, but the place looked just as we remembered it: dark wood tables, high-backed booths, and vintage photos of Boston landmarks and sports teams. The bar area seemed to be made of wall-to-wall TVs, some of which were probably added since our last visit.

Part 1 of 2

The snow is falling as I begin this blog entry, but I'm already thinking of spring. For one thing, the fruits of last fall's harvest are almost gone. The only fresh vegetables I have left are one lonely butternut squash and a few heads of garlic. I also have a dozen Ziploc bags of last year's produce in the freezer, but I know these, too, will soon be gone.

I'm sure some of my friends and family members are studying the seed catalogs and web sites, planning what crops to plant in their backyards this spring.

For those of us who crave fresh vegetables, but lack the space, the time, the skill, or the patience to grow their own gardens, there is an alternative. And that is the phenomenon known as Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, for short. When you belong to a CSA, you pay a set fee at the start of the year for a weekly share of produce throughout the growing season, roughly from the first of June to the first of November.

Ichabod's
166 Great Road
Acton, MA
(978) 635-9269
http://www.ichabodscafe.com/

The transformation is now complete.

When my family and I first visited Ichabod's Cafe, a couple of years ago, it was known as a place to grab a cup of coffee and a muffin, or maybe a sandwich. But the little cafe had higher aspirations, adding a dinner menu and a selection of Middle Eastern specialties. Then Ichabod's started serving alcohol and gradually began going more upscale. The cozy little breakfast nook of the front room has now vanished, only to be replaced by an intimate lounge area, where live bands play on Fridays and Saturdays.

Part 2 of a series

When I was little, my family would regularly take a fall leaf-peeping tour along Route 119, through Groton and Pepperell and to points beyond. Today, this road is considerably more built up than it was when I was a kid, but it's still a lovely drive. And plenty of farm stands still dot the route.

Part 1 of a series

So, you still haven't bought your fall apples and your Halloween pumpkins yet? Not to worry. The autumn bounty is still plentiful and the foliage in Eastern Massachusetts hasn't even peaked yet. Weather permitting, the next two weekends will be great for getting outdoors to visit the area's orchards and farm stands.