Like a wine pairing... on your bike!
We are so excited to launch a new series-- Boston Bike Pairings.
A lot of people love pairing a certain cheese, fruit, or dish with wine. Well, we thought we'd add a little twist.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a series of what we're calling "bike pairings."
We’ll introduce you to our favorite bike rides in Boston, with a twist. Each ride is mapped out to include a special treat: ice cream, doughnuts, breweries, and more. Enjoy!
Our inaugural bike pairing combines our favorite bike ride on the Charles River Esplanade with Toscanini’s ice cream, once said by the New York Times to be “the best ice cream in the WORLD!”
(Full disclosure, we firmly believe that the title of “best ice cream in the world goes to Good Lood in Krakow, but Toscanini’s is pretty darn good, too.) What do you think deserves the title of world’s best? Let us know in the comments!
As we’ve said before– we don’t currently own our own bikes. We have an annual membership to Blue Bikes, which we super recommend for visitors to Boston! You can opt for a single ride, day pass, or month pass. Since we live here, we have the year pass, which costs us less than $10/month for unlimited 45-minute rides.
(This is not an ad for Blue Bikes, btw, just the bike service we choose to use!)
Our favorite bike ride by far in Boston is along the Charles River Esplanade. As we mentioned in our Top 5 Boston Bike Rides, the Esplanade bike path runs parallel to the Charles River, and is an ideal way to see the beautiful river and its surrounding nature without worrying about cars.
You can hop on the Esplanade at multiple entry points, from Watertown to downtown Boston and beyond. We usually grab bikes in our neighborhood (Coolidge Corner) and access the Esplanade via the Arthur Fiedler Bridge in the Back Bay.
Here’s a map of the loop:
The full loop is approximately 8.5 miles, and takes us a little less than an hour to complete, starting and ending in Coolidge Corner. There was a lot of traffic this day– hence all the yellow!
Again, you can start this loop anywhere— on either side of the Charles River (Cambridge-side or Boston-side), as well as at any point along the path. Another recommended place to access it is along Memorial Drive near Harvard University, if you’re in Cambridge.
Wherever you start and end, you’ll be delighted by gorgeous river views, boats bobbing in the water, and skyline views. It’s so nice not to have to worry too much about cars, too, since much of this is protected bike path.
And now, to that treat we promised...
If you’re on a Blue Bike, there’s a dock right by to Toscanini’s at Rogers Street and Land Boulevard.
Once you enter Toscanini’s, you have some options to choose from. They have tons of quirky flavors (updated daily here), as well as the usual range of sizes (mini, small, medium, etc.) We got a small, which allows you 2 flavors.
Here’s the “scoop,” so to speak… (sorry, had to do it!)
As pretty much everyone in the Google Reviews and shouting from the rooftops will attest– you MUST try the B3 flavor.
We don’t make the rules here.
B3 is a signature Tosci’s concoction of browned butter, brown sugar, and brownies. We shared the small size, and it was definitely enough, even for two major ice cream fanatics like us. It’s super sweet and a little overwhelming, but absolutely delicious. They also have some sorbet options, for those who aren’t big dairy people.
If you start biking on the Esplanade near the Back Bay area, Tosci’s ends up being a nice halfway point at around 4 miles in. Note that they don’t have restrooms!
Overall, we certainly don’t deny that Tosci’s, and the B3 flavor in particular, is delicious, and we recommend checking it out!
However, while we may be ice cream fanatics, we’re not ice cream purists, and we found Tosci’s to be very pricey for the amount of ice cream you’re given. For reference, our size small (about a fist’s worth of ice cream) is $5.67 with tax– costing more than a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and containing much less ice cream than comparably-priced local chain JP Licks.
Is Tosci’s better than both of those? Yes. Will we be going there often? No.
One last tip, though– it seems to be a better “bang for your buck” to buy a pint. Priced at $8.50, it’s still very pricey but contains much more ice cream.
After you’re done with your treat, you can continue onwards on the Esplanade to your heart’s content! While we like making our loop 8 to 12 miles long, you can make yours as long or as short as you desire.
Let us know what you think of our first Bike Pairing, and stay tuned for for bike rides and treats coming your way soon.
16 comments
Being an avid biker this is a unique and extremely fun, article! Thank you
So glad you liked it, Angel! 🙂
This is interesting and helpful. The passion glows through the writing.
I really love this article!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Yusuf!
Such a fun article! I like to cycle and love ice-cream so this is an excellent pairing. thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Daniella!
I love this article! If writing can be “cute” this post is it, haha! Thank you for a great read!
You are so kind! Thank you Naia!
Great article! We’re hoping to visit Boston for a weekend trip soon! This looks like an awesome way to see the city. And the ice cream looks delicious!
How fun! Definitely let us know if you need tips! 🙂
I really like this idea! Great post and something fun to try. Who doesn’t love ice cream?
Fun post! Love Boston. Almost moved there. btw – the word’s best ice cream is Rainbow Cone in Chicago! I’m a native Chicagoan & blog about all things Chicago. Perhaps we can collaborate? http://www.adventuresofcitygirl.com
Aww, we LOVE Chicago! Amazing city. You would have loved living in Boston, too, I’m sure. Would love to collaborate! We’ll send you a message!
Wow! What a nice article. Thank you
This so interesting and imparting. Keep it up
Next time I’m in Boston I’ll definitely try this delicious ice cream!
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