Thanks for everything, Google Reader. (Hello, Feedly.)

image via Feedly

Confession: I follow more blogs than I can count. My casual habit turned into an addiction when I discovered Google Reader (eight years ago when it first came out; I'm a nerd). Whenever I see a blog that piques my interest, I add it to my reader for a trial run. Every so often I pare down so I can do more with my life than just read blogs, but I can't imagine a life without my daily dose of posts.

The day Google Reader announced it's retirement, I panicked, counted to five, then did a Google search for replacements. Going without a feed reader was not an option I would accept.

Several suggestions kept cropping up, but Feedly was the one that caught my eye. I loved the clean, simple design, the logo color (green!), and the smooth transition. Feedly was running on Google Reader's infrastructure, but they were already preparing to clone Reader's nuts and bolts to ensure seamless service as Reader sails off into the sunset.

I logged into Feedly using my Google account. All of my subscriptions and starred posts were there waiting for me with no export/import migration hassle. Also to my amazement, reading blogs on my phone was now an option I enjoyed thanks to the Feedly app (iOS and Android).

If you're interested in giving Feedly a shot, log on with your Google account before July 1 (Reader's official sunset date), and you'll feel like you still have the Google Reader you know and love, but with a fancy new outfit. (While you're at it, subscribe to the blog if you haven't already!)

Google Reader, you've made my life better for the past eight years. Thanks for the memories, and enjoy retirement.

Food Truck Throwdown: Boston vs. NYC, the rematch

A month ago (so much for timely reporting) we spent a late afternoon at the Boston versus NYC Food Truck Throwdown rematch. We knew we could catch the Boston trucks around the city on weekends (most show up at SOWA all summer), so we decided to focus on the NYC offerings. We started with dessert.

We hopped in line at Itizy's for a "palate cleanser" (Ian's words) of rosemary lemon ice cream. This turned out to be more of a small meal. We loved the delicious and refreshing summery flavor. We also were drawn in by the "ice cream with a passion" message. For every five scoops they sell, they donate a meal to a child in need via the World Food Program.

Next up was dinner. After scoping out all our options, Ian and I split up to cover more ground. I hopped in line for empanadas at Nuchas, while Ian decided to pick up food with a more Asian flair at Momos & Buns.

I was impressed with Nuchas. The truck was well designed and efficient, and I loved their solution to identifying the different flavors: a letter stamp in the corner of each empanada. The fancy video monitor menus and gleaming ovens didn't hurt either.

When Ian and I finally both made it through the lengthy lines, we met up to share our spoils. Unfortunately, Momos & Buns had sold out of buns, so we ended up with just momos (dumplings) over rice. We swapped bites while huddled over our warm food in a tiny square of sunshine. (May might be springtime, but it's still chilly in New England.)

Overall, we were impressed with the NYC food trucks: great design and great food. But we're also glad we live in Boston. I'm sure we're biased, but we're big fans of our city's food trucks, especially Bon Me, la Tour Eiffel, and my first food truck love Roxy's Grilled Cheese. Long live the green muenster.

Boston food truck Pennypackers won Best of the Food Truck Throwdown, la Tour Eiffel won Best of Maker's Mark and Roxy's Grilled Cheese won the Food Truck Fans Favorite, while Nuchas took home the Best of NY award. And food truck fans, have you ever thought about the politics behind mobile food vending? New York food trucks face plenty of bureaucratic challenges, while Boston's food truck initiative has paved the way for a growing food truck culture. Thankfully, the NYC Food Truck Association is working to make life easier for food trucks. Best of luck to them!

a springtime walk through the Public Garden

Spring in Boston is always exciting. After months of burrowing into giant puffy coats and trudging through slush puddles, no one takes warm sunshine and bright blooms for granted. But this year spring was a tease. Just when we thought winter was gone, the temperatures would drop again. Thankfully, despite the up and down weather, the Public Garden still erupted with color.