Yakitori Zai South End Japanese restaurant

Yakitori Zaiwww.YakitoriZai.com 

For more than a year people have been talking about Zai – a new Japanese restaurant opening at 315 Shawmut Ave (in the space formerly occupied by Joe V’s). As you can see from the photo snapped this weekend, Yakitori Zai (or Zai for short), is nearly ready to open. Last week a Front of House Manager position was posted on Craigslist and in recent days much of the paper covering the oversized windows that over look Shawmut Avenue and Union Park have come down providing a glimpse of the renovated restaurant space.

SHHH!!! Rumor is Zai will open late next week.

Yakitori Zai

Zai’s owner, Kazu Aotani wants us to think beyond sushi and teriyaki when it comes to Japanese cuisine so his restaurant will feature yakitori, a type of charcoal-grilled meat.  The tiny wrap around bar where you can watch these tasty morsels grilled looks to seat approximately ten.

Zai to feature Japanese cultural classes every second Sunday

Every second Sunday from 12:00 – 2:30pm Zai will feature cultural classes and demonstrations. The first class / demonstration is Sunday, May 13th: Yakitori Techniques will discuss Tare, the sauce used in yakitori cooking followed by sake pairings fit for Tare.  You can learn more about this and future events by linking here.

Boston’s favorite same sex couple

BosGuyTomorrow, Boston’s favorite same sex couple returns to the Boston Public Garden. Romeo & Juliet, the two graceful swans that make the pond in the Public Garden their home will be back on Tuesday, May 1st. Back in 2005 (just a year after same sex marriage was legalized in MA) it was learned that Romeo is in fact a female, which caused many conservatives who like to scream about how unnatural homosexuality is to cry foul (or was it fowl?)!

BosGuyAccording to the zoo keepers who watch over the couple in the winter months, the two swans have been nesting together for approximately 10 years so if you should find yourself in Boston, head over to the Boston Public Gardens and congratulate the city’s favorite lesbians on their longevity together. I’m not sure what the divorce rate among swans is like but they’ve certainly outlasted many of their human counterparts.

Men of Twitter

BosGuyEach Monday I feature men on Twitter who catch my eye and whom I think you may enjoy following. I refer to these posts as Men of Twitter.

Regular readers will notice that this week I have updated the Men of Twitter masthead. So this week I’m taking a hiatus from featuring new profiles and focusing on these four men in case you missed them before.

BosGuyFLHotty1 A little more than a year ago I featured Will who lives in Florida.  We actually ended up meeting last year in Provincetown, and I have to tell you he’s as handsome in person as he is in pictures but what you can’t tell from the picture is that he’s an absolute sweetheart too.

BosGuyTheNickAdams This handsome Broadway star, Nick Adams, was featured earlier this year in January. Considering the hectic nature of Nick’s schedule, I was really surprised how engaging he was on Twitter. Here’s to hoping for continued success for Nick Adams.

BosGuyJonathanAB was featured in 2011. This handsome guy with the killer abs is from Cape Town but now lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. I’ve always wanted to visit South Africa and following Jonathan makes me feel like I get a glimpse into life there.

BosGuyBertomio (A.K.A. Rob) was the first Men of Twitter profile I featured in 2012. I think readers will agree Rob has a killer smile and fantastic body. It turns out this Philly boy who now calls NYC home is also quite sweet and nice to chat with on Twitter.

I hope you like the new masthead and the men I’ve featured.  Be sure to come back again next Monday when my more traditional Men of Twitter posts will resume. If inclined you may follow me on twitter, @BosGuy.

Hotel review: Westin Copley Place

It is rare for me to review a hotel in Boston but work required me to be on-site for three days this past week, while we hosted a program at the Westin Copley Place so I thought I’d share my impressions.

This Starwood property has a four diamond award from AAA and is fairly large by Boston standards with more than 800 rooms. However its best feature is the fact that it is in the heart of Back Bay. The property was renovated recently and both the rooms and meeting space are much the better for it. Below are photos of my room.BosGuy

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Property tips:

If you are a Starwood preferred member, internet access is free at this property as is the complimentary bottled water in the bathroom.

No need to pack your work out clothes.  This property has a deal with New Balance and for $5 they will give you everything you need (including sneakers) to rent for the day.

The best rooms for a view of Back Bay end in the following numbers: 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14; note that 12 and 13 are much larger.

Westin Copley Place is at 10 Huntington Ave (617) 262-9600

SoWa Open Market returns – Sunday, May 6th

BosGuySoWa Open Market returns for its 9th season starting next Sunday.  Each week the market will draw more than 60 local farmers and specialty food vendors, than 100+ local artists and designers as well as more than a dozen food trucks.  Next to the Open Market, the SoWa Vintage market will also be returning.

The market runs each Sunday, starting May 6th and ending in late October.  Hours of operation are from 10am – 4pm.

The market is located at 460 Harrison Avenue.  You can learn more about the SoWa open market by visiting their website at www.sowaopenmarket.com.

Want to participate in a Flash Mob?

There will be a practice session this Sunday:
April 29 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm (Event date is May 6th)
At the big barn behind 530 Harrison Ave in the South End.

Click here for the facebook event and details

Here are the videos to learn the steps:

Here is a video you can practice with the music:

Cheers: Urban Grape South End location approved

Earlier this week I shared that the popular Chestnut Hill wine shop, The Urban Grape, was looking to open a second location in the South End in available space in the trendy, Bryant Residences at 303 Columbus Ave. Their petition was heard on Wednesday, April 25th.

You can read the scoop here.

On Thursday, April 26th, the city approved The Urban Grape’s request for a retail liquor license.  Their new store in the South End is expected to open after Labor Day and be open 7-days a week.

Drunken Sailah

Boston GuyThanks Chris for being such a good sport and letting me snap a photo of your t-shirt.  Lets head down to NYC for Fleet Week with this shirt.

Chris Evans LGBT ally

Actor Chris Evans whose brother, Scott Evans, is gay and who he accidentally outed in an interview recently said the following about same sex marriage.

“Are you kidding me? It’s insane that civil rights are being denied people in this day and age.  It’s embarrassing, and it’s heartbreaking.  It goes without saying that I”m completely in support of gay marriage. In 10 years we’ll be ashamed that this was an issue.”

While I don’t speak for the LGBT community, I think I speak for many when I say, “Thank You”. I agree that those who oppose same sex marriage are on the wrong side of history and should be ashamed (cough, cough) Mitt Romney… or should I have typed nearly every elected official of the Republican Party.

Is it any wonder at times I feel like a leper in my own country?

In case you are wondering, your votes matter – register today.

Furry Friday

Boston GuyI have no idea who this handsome guy is but I love everything about him and thought he was definitely worthy of a “Furry Friday” post.

I’m a bit frustrated by the lack of potential Furry Friday men of color. Try as I might, I could not find a single photo of a black or African American man. Why is that? If you have any potential candidates forward them to me at BosGuymail — AT — gmail — dot — com.

BosGuy brain teaser

Boston GuyEach Friday I post a new riddle.  Some of these are more difficult than  others, but I find all of them entertaining and hope you do too. I will admit that this week I couldn’t figure out the answer and I’m curious which of you may be clever enough to correctly guess.

I will post or affirm correct responses in the comments section in the afternoon.

I can run but not walk.

Wherever I go, thought follows close behind.

What am I?

Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

Lake ChargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamauggMost towns in New England are named after places in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. However, many of the lakes have Native American names.  For example, my parents have a home on Lake Winnipesaukee. However, difficult that may be to spell it pales in comparison to the 45-letter lake which I’ll refer to as Lake Webster since its in Webster, MA.

Curious how to say this incredibly long name?  Well I just so happened to stumble upon a song all about the lake. The song first mentions Lake Chargoggagoggmanchuaggagogg (I hope I spelled that correctly) around the 40 second mark. The whole video makes me think of the talent show at Kellerman’s resort in Dirty Dancing.

Book review: The Last Dickens

A few weeks ago I wrote a book review of Pearl’s first novel, The Dante Club.  I was so taken with the story that I picked up a copy of his latest mystery, The Last Dickens.

This historical fiction mystery takes place in 1870 and spans three nations: the colony of India, England and The United States.  While the novel revolves around the Boston publisher, James Osgood, who travels to Charles Dickens home in Kent after learning of the authors untimely death, there are two related back stories that Pearl does a fantastic job weaving into the book. The first is about Charles Dickens much celebrated second visit to America in 1867 and the other is about the Opium trade then regulated by England in their colony of India.

While I preferred The Dante Club, this was still worth the read for those who enjoy this genre of literature. There is plenty of drama and plot twists to keep you glued to the book.

You can read more about the book and the local author, Matthew Pearl, who lives in Cambridge, MA on his website, www.matthewpearl.com.

Carrie Manolakos cover of “Creep”

BosGuyDo you love Radiohead’s song “Creep”? I do.  The song was released when I was in college back in the early 90s and it perfectly described how I felt about myself at the time; a combination of self loathing and hatred mixed with confusion and despair.  Sound overly dramatic? What else would you expect from a closeted gay man who’d never been comfortable with his sexuality and seriously thought aside from those mentally ill – was the only person who harbored such thoughts.

I’ve come a long way and for that matter so have we all, but I still love the song and loved Carrie’s version which was recorded in Greenwich Village this April.  This song will be on Carrie’s debut album “Echo”.

News anchor fail compilation

Perhaps you have seen this compilation of news goofs. If not, the two minute clip is sure to appeal to the juvenile and give you a chuckle.