Step inside this real gingerbread house!

The fireplace with edible stockings.

Frosting-covered Christmas stockings.

The leg lamp from A Christmas Story is lit up inside.

The Christmas decorations at Mohegan Sun are breath-taking year after year. One of my favorite traditions is their life-sized gingerbread house made with real gingerbread and icing. It is put together by Mohegan Sun's bakers each year and never disappoints. The 2023 gingerbread house stands 24 feet tall. Guests can walk inside where there's a gingerbread fireplace with stockings decorated with a menorah and the Heat Miser and Snow Miser. The legendary leg lamp from A Christmas Story is also on display as part of a cozy scene featuring a Christmas tree and rocking chair. The gingerbread house is so much fun for kids and adults alike, so be sure to check it out this holiday season. 

Open-faced roast turkey dinner

Sea Dog Brewing, North Conway, NH

North Conway, NH

Sea Dog Blue Paw

All of their beers are on tap. I have always been a fan of their blueberry beer, Sea Dog Blue Paw, so I was quick to put in my order. It has a strong blueberry flavor. Apps include bang bang shrimp, brewhaus pretzel, fried pickles and hummus and country olives. There are also a number of soups including clam chowder and lobster bisque. I wanted something to fill me up after a busy day at Story Land, so I ordered their open-faced roast turkey dinner. It's made up of turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Very good. Other entrees include Cajun chicken pasta, steak tip poutine, a number of burgers, sandwiches and salads, along with lobster. There's also a kids menu with plenty of traditional options for the little ones.

Sea Dog offers a ton of merch for sale including stickers, beer glasses and clothing. They also have a Mug Club where locals have their own beer mug at the bar, along with a bunch of other perks.

A tray full of delicious arancini.

Chocolate chip cannoli

It wouldn't be the end of summer without the annual St. Anthony's Feast in Boston's North End. The Feast is a celebration of all things Italian, and includes games for kids, parades, masses and so much delicious food. We went on Saturday night and it was packed. The crowd and the heat didn't stop me from enjoying some of my favorites like meat-filled arancini and a chocolate chip cannoli. What a way to end August! Summer may be winding down, but fall festival season is coming and I can't wait for the granddaddy of them all, The Big E!

Mighty Subs closes after 33 years.

After 33 years, the popular Mighty Subs is closing. This little sub shop and its owners Artie and Karen Wright are beloved in Needham, Massachusetts. They are known for their gigantic sandwiches, so much so that their slogan is, "Our Small is Their Large." The owners are stepping away to spend more time with their family. Lines for lunch have been out the door over the past week. I've heard they have run out of bread, and even some of their meats because they have been so slammed. Best wishes to the owners in their well-deserved retirement!

Hot bar with pizza, pasta and bread sticks

The cold salad bar

Pizza Hut in Rochester, NH

In the 90's, I remember going to our local Pizza Hut for their buffet at lunch. There was a hot bar and a cold salad bar and it was all you can eat for around $4.99. Probably less. I thought the Pizza Hut buffet was long gone, until we made a stop in Rochester, New Hampshire. There it was. A big banner that read, "Buffet is Back." We had to try it out, and let me tell you, it felt like 1994 all over again.

There was the hot bar with pizza slices with a variety of toppings, baked ziti, those famous cheese bread sticks and cinnamon sticks. The cold salad bar was full of veggies like broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, along with slices ham, cheese and far too many salad dressings to choose from. All you can eat for $9.99. It's still a great deal. Our kids enjoyed it and so did mom and dad. A taste of unexpected nostalgia just off of the highway in New Hampshire.

Rigatoni Bolognese and Mai Tais from Burtons.

Beef grilled cheese and slaw from Framingham State.

Food lovers started off the week right at the 10th annual Taste of MetroWest in Framingham, Massachusetts last night. The event features tastings and drink samples from some of the restaurants in the MetroWest area. Attendees vote on their favorite dishes. My favorite food and drink of the night came from Burtons Grill, which served rigatoni bolognese and mai tais! The chefs from Framingham State also served up a tasty course of braised beef paninis with a slaw salad, while Nan's Market offered some delicious chicken sliders, which also won best entrée.