Boston, it may not necessarily be exotic, but Boston is a ton of fun! A vibrant city, packed with history, it’s got universities in every field along with a constant influx of students. Boston is also a Mecca for high tech, biotech and IT companies. One of the oldest cities in the Union is a thriving, vibrant metropolis.
I recently spent a lovely weekend with my friends, Trish and Dave, eating and exploring my way through this coastal, colonial city. I call it my “Boston Tequila Party Weekend”. A thriving tourist town, I was happy to do my part to support the industry for a few days.
Boston is a vibrant, thriving city with a beautiful downtown coastline.
Arriving in time for dinner, I headed straight to Townsman in Chinatown to meet with my old friends. This bistro and bar has a great menu and some deliciously creative cocktails. Townsman has exceptional staff and we felt doted on and special from the moment we stepped inside. The atmosphere at the bar is great and the dining area looks out at downtown Boston through floor to ceiling windows. Being in a festive mood, I tried the Pineapple Paloma cocktail, it was tart and delicious. Trish enjoyed what she called some of the best Pinot Noir she has ever tasted. We feasted on a variety of delicious selections but by far the highlight was the Full Hen.
The Full Hen from Townsman in Chinatown.
Not listed on the menu, this dish serves two or three, and arrives in a somewhat startling presentation. The Full Hen is a whole hen, sans head, deboned and fried. It is presented on a platter with its feet in the air, still attached to its rear. This dish provided drama and laughs upon it arrival at our table.
The Diablo Blanco in Chinatown.
The next morning, we were up bright and early and headed downtown to Long Wharf for a great ferry ride on the Brant Point Ferry out to George’s Island. Despite the throngs of school kids riding along with us, the ride was spectacular. As the ferry pulled away from the dock, more and more of Boston’s skyline came into view. We were lulled by the motion of the boat, warm sun and gentle breeze as we left the harbor.
Boston Harbor.
As the ferry passed Logan airport, we watched planes take off and land. About an hour later, we docked at George’s Island, home of the Civil War era Fort Warren, which served as a prison during the Civil War. George’s island is a great place to visit, and full of history, but we were just ferry riding that day. And lucky for us, all of the school kids got off to learn some history and we got to ride back to Boston in blissful quiet.
A wonderful walk in downtown Boston.
Once back at the wharf, we hopped off and wandered around Boston. We stopped for delicious clam chowder at the touristy Sail Loft Cafe and Bar and then headed to the New England Aquarium just in time for the penguin feeding. The aquarium has over 80 penguins in pools that surround the central reef tank. We watched the feeders hand out individual fish to the penguins and mark on white boards, how much each penguin ate. The feeders seemed to know each penguin by name. The highlight of the aquarium for me, was the shark and ray touch tank.
The stingray touch tank at New England Aquarium.
Visitors can lean over shallow tanks and reach in as rays and epaulette sharks glide by offering their slimy, soft bodies up for touching. The rays really seems to love it and would seek out any hand that was reaching into the water. After the aquarium, we wandered around for miles and finally headed back to Trish’s house to rest up for dinner.
Once we were refreshed, we headed to Barcelona on Beacon Street in Brookline for dinner. Chef Emilio Garcia creates unbelievably delicious Tapas in a warm atmosphere that is typically packed wall to wall with people. There was amazing people watching in the bar while we waited for our table. I enjoyed the El Mestizo cocktail, composed of Libelula Joven Tequila, Lustau Palo Cortado Lemon, Agave and nutmeg, another amazing tequila drink. Once we sat down, the fabulous waitstaff brought out one mouthwatering dish after another.
House made mozzarella with arugula pesto from Barcelona.
Some of our favorites were the Hanger Steak and the House made Mozzarella with Arugula Pesto, but honestly, everything was exquisite. Even though we were stuffed to the gills, we managed to share some cheesecake to die for and just as we were reaching critical mass of food consumption, the flan arrived. Needless to say we just had to have it!! Overall one, of the most amazing meals I have had in recent memory.
Banana tart with butterscotch and chocolate crust at Cook in Newton.
I was heading home the next day but of course, we had to first go to Cook restaurant in Newton for our send-off late breakfast/lunch. At this point I was not sure I could eat another morsel of food, but Cook is yet another exceptional restaurant. An American style casual Bistro, the food and drinks are the stars here. We feasted on Cobb salad, lobster rolls, and Mimosas. Everything was prepared beautifully and the highlight was the banana tart with butterscotch pudding and chocolate crust, sounds as amazing as it tastes! At this point, I could barely function from eating so much but laughing with old friends and exploring Boston helped. It was a memorable weekend and I am truly grateful for wonderful friends and for their hospitality.
Tall Ships glittering in the harbor.
