Get a Taste of Spain on a Warm Evening at Taberna de Haro

Warm weather means the opportunity to eat outdoors. Taberna de Haro is the perfect spot.

With the winter behind us, it’s time to talk about where you can get delicious food and fine wine with outdoor seats on a spring or summer evening. Taberna de Haro is the perfect place for an outdoor evening with exotic Spanish food ranging in price and over 300 different wines. They open their doors at 5 p.m., which should tell you how seriously they take the evening atmosphere. Chef and sommelier Deborah Hansen said that there is no set date for their 30-seat outdoor café seating. “We open it up as soon as it reaches 70 degrees,” Hansen said. “I love when the day starts out at 70 degrees and the temperature drops. You can tell the New Englanders from the rest when the temperatures drop in the evening and they stay out there.” Last July, …

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New England Comics a Brookline Oasis

The comic shop has been in Coolidge Corner for about 20 years.

The New England Comics on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner is one of the original stores in Massachusetts. The store opened up 20 years ago after the original in Allston and the second store in Quincy. “Our most popular titles for Marvel Comics is Deadpool,” Manager Rosemary Benton said. “For DC Comics, it has to be Batman.” New England comics offers classic comics like Archie, Batman, Spider Man, X-Men and the Fantastic Four to newer heroes, Simpsons comics and plenty of other comics and graphics novels from Marvel, DC, Image and Vertigo comics from the U.S. and Japan. One of the unique features of New England Comics in Brookline is there local comics section. There is an entire shelf of comics written by local writers and illustrated by…

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In the Frame: The Picture Place

The Picture Place offers frame work for all of your meaningful photos, paintings and more.

The Picture Place has been a Coolidge Corner standard since owner Bob Granquist opened up at 320a Harvard Street 36 years ago. They frame anything from diplomas, awards, photos, tickets, and anything of sentimental value that can fit in a frame. “A man once asked us to frame a flower from his first date with a woman,” manager Michelle Lauder said. “He was giving it to her as a wedding present.” From framing people’s sentimental photographs, paintings or objects, Lauder has come to understand an intimate angle of cultural diversity. “Framing represents people’s hope and need for preservation. Brookline has such a diverse population, but everyone has objects of value. People have relationships with their objects.” Lauder said that people …

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Alton Place Barbershop Offers the Old School Feel

Using the comments section, tell us where your favorite barbershop in town is.

When I asked on our Facebook page, where was the best place to get a haircut in town, the only response I got was Alton Place. “We specialize in men’s regular haircuts with a hot lather shave,” Master Barber Mike Cafarella said. “We like to think of our selves as an old school, full service barber shop. Every cut gets a neck shave, shampoo and a back massage.” The back massager resembles a floor buffer, but it is the perfect ending after a hot lather shave and a shampoo styling. Cafarella said that he started cutting hair about 10 years ago after he hung up his career as a chef. His uncle is a retired and taught him his technique. What makes Alton Place stand out is the welcoming environment. “We offer coffee and tea to each of our …

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Fire Opal Woven Into Brookline Fabric

Learn more about Fire Opal at their website: http://www.fire-opal.com/

Brookline is full of small businesses. Brookline Patch will be featuring at least one each week -- whether a restaurant, florist, salon, etc.. Let us know if there's a particular one you'd like to read about in this weekly series. Fire Opal has been a part of the Brookline fabric since 1997. Each item for sale in this American Craft Gallery at 320 Harvard Street is handmade by artisans from all over the U.S. including local artists. With stores in Brookline and Jamaica Plain, Fire Opal specializes in jewelry, arts, clothing, ceramics, furniture, fibers and tableware. “We carry about 200 artists’ work,” owner Sue Stein said. “We love bringing in work from artists who work with new materials and new ideas.” During an interview with the …

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Bedford Woman Creates a Taste That's 'Simply Delish'

See how her hobby was transformed into a budding business.

In 2003, Teresa Stauber began selling prepared small meals and treats as a hobby at the indoor Farmers' Market at Salzburg Square in Amherst. Today, her business is flourishing. Stauber began selling pasta and potato salads with the Simply Delish label at the Meat House in Bedford, NH and Harvest Market more than two years ago, and the business has continued to grow behind an ever-increasing consumer demand. She now sells Simply Delish products throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including the Brookline Meat House location, and has opened a 2,000 sq. ft. commercial kitchen in the Manchester mill yard. "I went from having no employees to now having 12 part-timers on my payroll," said Stauber. Patch recently caught up with the proud …

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POLL: Will Starbucks' Price Hike Change Your Coffee-Drinking Habits?

Prices reportedly will increase only on some drinks. And only in certain parts of the country.

My tall, black extra-bold coffee is going to cost me 10-cents more. Word from the Seattle-based coffee company today is that prices will increase 1 percent. The AP quotes a company spokesman as saying higher costs are the reason. That same story says the last across-the-board price increase was in 2007. But only some drinks will be pricier — apparently the next size up, 'grande,' or  medium — remains unchanged. And the higher prices are taking effect only in the Northeast — including the Boston area — and the Southwest. Florida, California and the Midwest apparently had their prices raised in the fall. The Christian Science Monitor says the increase comes at a time when inflation appears to be heating up. The Monitor quotes US Bureau of …

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Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations": "Everybody lies to the cops"

Tony Bourdain and radio talk-show host Howie Carr discuss organized crime at Michael's Deli in Brookline.

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Viewfinder: 1st Light Festival 2011 (VIDEO)

On November 17, Brookline celebrated its 1st Light Festival. Here are some shots of the night and the performance by the Coolidge Corner Community Choir.

For the 1st Light Festival, Brookline stores joined the community in celebrating the upcoming holidays. Organized by the Brookline Economic Development Department, the Light Festival aims at promoted local stores for holiday shopping. At least 60 businesses participated in the festivities. Giveaways, food, and entertainment were provided. The younger participants could also partake in a town-wide scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt officially ends on December 3.

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