Jeanne O'Brien Coffey

In Gloucester, boats unload catches of squirming lobsters, bluefin tuna, haddock, and cod at the bustling docks, as they have for centuries, surrounded by this Massachusetts town’s panoramas of postcard perfection. That duality has been irresistible to artists for more than 150 years.
Gloucester’s working waterfront often serves as inspiration for artists. Photo by Mauritius Images GmbH/Stock Photo
“There’s something about the water and the working waterfront,” says Loren Doucette, a Gloucest...

While the craziest a doughnut got even a dozen years ago was probably Boston cream, modern makers are not above sticking just about anything on a fried round.
Trendy places proffering outlandish toppings have their fans, but so do shops that have been around for decades, sticking to the basics: honey-dipped or powdered sugar.
After hundreds of miles and many, many calories, we’ve discovered a place in our hearts (and bellies) for both. Here are our highly subjective picks from t...

From classic crab cakes and lobster rolls to unique ceviche tostadas and crab-topped fry bread, you’ll find all the best catches at these top seafood restaurants in America
It’s a seafood shell-abration! As the days get warmer, cravings for seafood towers, lobster rolls, and fresh ceviche increase. Seafood is also the second most popular Recognitions category earned by Yelp reviewers across the country. So we’re shining a spotlight on our community’s favorite places (and dishes) from coast to...

New England has eclipse fever. Of course there are themed cocktails and viewing parties, but small towns in the path of totality are girding themselves for some apocalypse-level craziness. A Facebook post from the Plainfield, Vt., (pop. 1,236) Department of Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation warns residents not to attempt to drive on highways or rely on cell phones, because visitors will be “totally unaware that our cell networks can't handle the traffic.” The post also suggested loca...

Ah, the simple pleasures of burying oneself in a good book. Northern New England offers plenty of independent bookstores to scratch that itch.
Around Northern New England, independent bookstores offer a snapshot of local interests while serving as outposts of community. Visitors can find good reads, of course, but also perhaps a recommendation for the best sandwich around or a special hiking trail. Denizens discover everything from local scuttlebutt to ...

Stepping into The Lincoln, a new hotel in an old mill building in Biddeford, Maine, feels like entering a portal to an imaginary alternative life. One where I am an urban dweller with impeccable taste and all the time in the world to sip cocktails in a chic lounge while leafing through books on design.

There’s a lot of dreck in the zero-proof space. While overall the offerings are improving every day, there are still many that taste more like a punishment than a treat. So it’s not surprising that when Sean Goldsmith decided to stop drinking four years ago, after a long weekend in Miami, he found his options sadly limited at first.
That void led Goldsmith and his friend Trevor Wolfe to launch The Zero Proof, a one-stop shop filled with only items they can vouch for.
“We taste everything and ...

Business
Spindrift founder Bill Creelman wants to upend the seltzer industry and do for carbonated water what Sam Adams did for beer. And he’s starting by asking what the competition is really made of. —By Jeanne O’Brien Coffey
On a brisk day just after the new year, Bill Creelman, founder and CEO of Spindrift, sets a shiny, unlabeled aluminum can on his desk at the seltzer company’s new headquarters in Newton. The unassuming gesture is ripe with anticipation: Inside is Spindrift’s newest fla...

This Central American oasis beckons with rainforest cacao farms and the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere.

Nature will find a way. From dandelions pushing through a crack in the pavement to an eastern red cedar clinging to a rocky ledge, plants are driven to survive despite the odds.
Crevice gardens—landscapes that depend less on water and more on rocks—rely on those survivors to beautify rugged spaces and thrive with little human intervention. As water conservation and the changing climate become critical concerns for horticulturists and home gardeners alike, these sustai...

Our Long Island Wine Travel Guide shares a brief history of the region, terroir, where to sip, where to stay and things to do beyond the vines.
The North Fork is where most of the wineries are found. The area remains bucolic, with small B&Bs and motels, mom-and-pop farm stands and very few chains.
Taking the train from New York City or the ferry from Connecticut enables you to skip the dreadful traffic on Long Island. Ride-share services are few and far between, as is public transportation on...

If you hear banging coming from the kitchen at Chicken & Pig, the new fast-casual restaurant at MarketStreet Lynnfield, don’t worry. It’s not a temperamental chef, nor construction behind the scenes. It’s just the cooks pounding fresh chicken breasts to the perfect thickness.
“You’ll hear the hammer going constantly,” says Guy Ciolfi, chef and founder of Chicken & Pig, so-named for the menu of specialty chicken sandwiches and gourmet hot dogs. The pounding is integral to the quality, as is th...

I blame The Sound of Music for my fascination with snowshoeing. I was making a valiant attempt at a different winter sport—cross-country skiing—at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, when Sam von Trapp, who runs the lodge with his family, suggested I might be better suited to a different winter sport.
“Snowshoeing is much easier than skiing,” von Trapp assured me, as he attached a pair of metal rackets to my boots. He fastened a similar pair to his own, and off we w...