Yearly Archives: 2012

Idina Menzel in Boston this week

Idina Menzel’s tour Barefoot at the Symphony comes Boston this week when she performs at the Wang on Saturday night, September 29th.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to see Idina perform part of her show when she was a special guest on the Western Caribbean Sea Atlantis Cruise.  Although the sets are the same, I’m inclined to think that her comments may have been a bit more raw knowing she was performing in front of an entirely gay audience. If you are going to the show in Boston we can always compare notes after.  

A healthy grocer on wheels rolls into Boston

BTFMy good friend and fellow blogger over at You Think You Know clued me in to a new local business called Bell Tower Foods (BTF).

Formed by young professionals  who met at Boston University’s School of Public Health, this group is passionate about encouraging healthy eating habits and fighting obesity so they have created the city’s first mobile grocery vehicle.

Think of it as a healthy grocery store on wheels

Really cool, right? Want to learn more? Check out their website, belltowerfoods.com. You can also like their facebook page, here.

BoMA Restaurant and Bar to open next week

BoMa Restaurant and BarBoMA restaurant + bar

Today I sat down with the very personable head chef of BoMA Restaurant and Bar, Chris Bussell, to talk to him about his new restaurant, which is just days away from opening.  Although he was quiet on the exact day he did say “for sure by next Friday”.

This eagerly awaited restaurant has transformed the former home of Pho Republique, enlarging and moving the bar to the left side of the restaurant and making the space feel much larger by installing floor to ceiling sliding windows that open on to Washington Street across from the beautiful Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

BoMa South End

BoMA Restaurant features a bar area that can seat 24 comfortably overlooking Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross

Bussell was most excited when talking about the menu he’s pulled together which is divided into five categories: Tiny plates (think tapas but with a twist); Small plates (appetizers); Medium plates (mostly lighter fare ranging $14-18); Large plates (main course ranging $21-27) and Sweet plates (desserts).

The kitchen closes at Midnight but the bar will remain open serving drinks until 1AM.  While BoMA will only be serving dinner initially, Bussell assured me that after a few weeks they will also start serving Sunday Brunch.  Sounds delicious to me and I can hardly wait.

BoMa Restaurant in the South End

BoMA Restaurant includes cozy dining nooks where patrons can quietly dine

BoMA Restaurant and Bar is located at 1415 Washington Street.

Free fitness classes for non members at Equinox

Starting tomorrow Equinox in Back Bay and in downtown are offering complimentary group fitness classes in honor of Boston Fashion Week.  This is a great way to check out a popular gym and see first hand how talented their group instructors are.

Group classes from September 27th through October 6th qualify, but advance registration is necessary and space is limited.  If you are interested reach out to Victor.Meservey@equinox.com (Back Bay location) or Jennifer.Birkett@equinox.com (downtown location).  Be certain to include your full name, phone number and the class you would like to RSVP for in advance. You can see the full calendar of classes available on the Boston Fashion Week site here

 

Free admission to museums this Saturday

Smithsonian Museum Day

This Saturday, September 29th, many museums nationwide will be participating in the Smithsonian Museum Day.  Simply download tickets on the Smithsonian website to receive free admission for 2 people on Saturday.  While not all museums in the area participate many do including: Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Harvard Museum of Natural History, and the Salem Witch Museum.

You can download the free tickets, learn more about this event and search what museums near you are participating by visiting the Smithsonian website, www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

A day at Fenway

Last weekend I made what is likely my final visit to Fenway Park since the Red Sox season has been more than disappointing and will conclude at the end of this month. It was easy to forget about their abysmal season since I was accompanied by my two nephews and brother. Boston GuyThat’s my brother far left followed by Jack and Austin.  It is hard to say what was their favorite part of the day: the game, the food, or the play ground afterward.   My favorite moment was when my nephew, Jack, told his younger brother, Austin, “when you go to middle school the playgrounds are just grass and you have to learn to deal with it, because life is hard.”

SoWa Open Market finds new home for Food Trucks

The SoWa Open market held each Sunday along Harrison Avenue in the SoWA neighborhood of Boston’s South End continues to grow.

Starting this past weekend the food trucks moved to a vacant building (where the SoWa Open market originally started – by Gaslight).  The food trucks popularity was causing so much congestion near the artisan booths something had to be done and this seems like the perfect solution. Just one block from the artisans, the vintage market and the farmer’s market about a dozen food trucks set up shop.

Did you miss all the good eats? Check it out this Sunday.

SoWa Market Food Truck

The new home for SoWa Open Market Food Trucks

SoWa Open Market

BosGuy cooks wicked awesome pork with maple syrup

I’ve grown up consuming real maple syrup all my life, and the abundance of this in New England makes it a popular ingredient.

I love to cook with maple syrup; a natural sweetener that complements pork and chicken as a glaze.  The meal I’ve pulled together in the video below cost approximately $12 and took me less than 20 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

South End gossip: DAVIDsTEA

davids tea bostonFINALLY!!! a vacant commercial space on Tremont Street that won’t be a bank!  DAVIDsTEA, a specialty retailer of loose leaf tea, tea related merchandise has signed a letter of intent to lease the storefront at 661 Tremont Street (formerly Aida’s Bridal Shop).

The Canadian retail shop with more than 40 locations would like to open its third American store here in the South End.  Although the majority of their business is retail, sale of tea by the cup will be available.  Sadly, no food is anticipated to be sold at this location.

Early next month, on October 3rd, representatives from DAVIDsTEA will make a presentation describing their plans for 661 Tremont Street. Let’s hope that they are given the green light and can open soon.

BosGuy meets Gay Guy

Late last week I was able to meet in person and host “Gay Guy” one half of a blog experiment between two friends aptly named, Gay Guy Straight Guy Blog.

Gay Guy (GG for short) and I have been chatting casually via email for more than a year so when he let me know he was going to return to Ptown for a quick visit to get away and recharge I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet in person.

I’m not sure how many bloggers I’ve now met, but GG continues a trend of meeting interesting, thoughtful individuals who I’d never have had the opportunity to meet or know if it wasn’t for this blog. When I started writing this blog in the fall of 2007 I had no idea I’d meet so many nice and interesting people.

GG – come to Boston again. It was great meeting you.

Tempation Tuesday

BosGuy Temptation TuesdayBack off – he’s mine.

Past Temptation Tuesday Posts

Nude Blacks rugby game in New Zealand

Nude Blacks Rugby in New ZealandThe Nude Blacks

Last week those crazy Kiwis hosted a nude rugby game so the sports enthusiast you all know me to be couldn’t help but write about this event.  The Nude Blacks started ten years ago as a joke but became popular enough to stage matches in Dunedin prior to regular international rugby events and this year the event drew many spectators despite threatening skies and cool temperatures.

Can’t get enough of this story? Check out the local paper which covered this game and includes an unedited video (NSFW).

The play you can’t say to your Mom

SpeakEasy StageThis past weekend I saw The SpeakEasy Stage production of The Mother-F**ker with the Hat.  The attention grabbing and funny name is appropriate for this Tony-nominated play. Performed without intermission, the show is divided into nine scenes.  The highly charged and dramatic vignettes are laced with witty lines that drew consistent and hearty laughs from the entire audience.

Cousin Julio proves to be the most lovable character and delivers some of the most humorous lines. However, one unintentional funny moment that caught my attention occurred when Ralph D (played by Maurice Emmanuel Parent) was standing stark naked stage left and Veronica (played by Evelyn Howe) was talking stage right.  Looking out at the audience I noticed nearly every man’s head remained stage left on Ralph D. I should note that I happened to see the play on “Out Night” when it seemed as if half the South End was in the room.  Do yourself a favor and call the box office today to reserve tickets to this show. You’ll enjoy watching this as much as you will talking about it. Plus, its fun to tell people the name of the play when they inquire what you saw.

SpeakEasy Stage Production Co.

From left: Jaime Carrillo, Maurice Emmanuel Parent, and Alejandro Simoes from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of “The Motherf**ker with the Hat,” Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo.

The SpeakEasy Stage production runs through Saturday, October 13th so hurry to get tickets by phone at 617.933.8600 or online here.

Gay Cities Photo Challenge

A couple of weeks ago I first wrote about GayCities Photo Challenge.  I can’t believe how many submissions they received; some of them are really impressive too.  However, I have no shame in saying…

Vote for Me!!  

Click on the link below and LIKE or TWEET my photograph today.

BosGuy’s Pic

Vietnam veteran’s pointed question

Initially posted in December 2011 during the Republican Primary season, Mitt Romney sat down with this Vietnam war veteran. The vet was undecided about who to vote for before he spoke face-to-face with Romney, and by the end of the conversation decided Romney’s views on same sex marriage made him unsuitable to be President. Listen and decide for yourself.