BosGuy brain teaser

Posted on March 16, 2012 | 1 comment

Finally, I figured out one of my weekly riddles!  Perhaps you will as well! As usual, I will validate guesses Friday afternoon. Enjoy this week’s brain “teasah“.

A man wanted to get into a members only club but he wasn’t a member so he hid and watched as the bouncer said a number to each member as they approached. If the member responded with the correct number they were let in, but if they responded incorrectly they were turned away.

The guard said 12 to the first guy to approach; the man responded by saying 6 and was let in. The next member who came to the door, the guard said 6 and the member responded 3 and was let in. Believing he had heard enough, he walked up to the guard. The guard said 10 and he responded 5 but was turned away.

Why wasn’t the gentleman let in?  What is the correct response? If you think about it, I’m confident you’ll figure it out!

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Restaurant review: Coda bar and kitchen

Posted on March 15, 2012 | 1 comment
Coda South End

Coda Kitchen & Bar 329 Columbus Ave.

Coda bar and kitchen has been a welcome and friendly addition to the South End since it first opened in 2007. Located just blocks from Copley Square on the edge of the South End, this casual bar and restaurant is a great destination to meet for a drink after work or for a quick bite.

Keep it simple and you won’t be disappointed

10oz. Angus burger Served on brioche bun w/ fries

Lunch and brunch on the weekends are affordable, and for a quick bite or a casual dinner, Coda is worth trying.  Their dinner menu can be a bit of a stretch with some entrees at or near $20, but the lower end options which are pure comfort like the mac & cheese ($15) and the even better priced 10oz Angus burger for $10 will not disappoint – and leave you pleasantly full.

No reservations are taken at this neighborhood bar and restaurant but there is rarely a long wait as the tables turn quickly and the bar staff can keep you distracted with their list of house cocktails and beer selection.
Coda Bar & Kitchen on Urbanspoon

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South End: Before and after

Posted on March 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Earlier this week The Boston Globe posted a series of “before and after” photos of the South End.  Like many of Boston’s downtown neighborhoods, the South End was a lot tougher a few decades ago.

Depicted below: Washington Street from 1986 & present day

You can trace the turn around to the early and mid 1980s when many artists started moving to the South End to take advantage of the neighborhood’s cheap rent.  It was also around this time Boston’s gay community started to call the South End “home”.  It would take another 20+ years for the neighborhood to truly transition.  For the section of the neighborhood I call home (SoWa), you can still see that transition taking place (e.g. Ink Block).

You can see more “Before and After” shots by visiting Boston.com, here.

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Family wine tasting

Posted on March 15, 2012 | 4 comments

Every Christmas my parents give a “family gift”.  When we were younger this was often a trip but as we got older and the family got larger, my parent’s started to identify things we could do together rather than places to travel and I have to admit I appreciate and enjoy this gift each year.  This year’s gift was a wine tasting at their home this past weekend.

My parents had a sommelier come to the house and pair old world wines (wines from Europe) to similar varietals from new world wines (everywhere else).  The tasting of eight different wines really interesting, and I think we all walked away with something that helped us better appreciate wines.Even though nearly everyone in the family preferred red wines, all of us really enjoyed the Domaine Carneros California sparkling wine from Tattinger. The bottle appears to retail for approximately $20.00.  My favorite red happened to be the biggest and boldest – a malbec from Argentina. All told, it was a relaxing and fun weekend.

Depicted below: siblings Timothy, Elizabeth, and Susan, Travis (brother-in-law), Ashley (sister-in-law) and yours truly

Thanks Mom and Dad.  We all had a really great time and enjoyed the afternoon.  Can hardly wait to have one of these bottles with you when we see you next.

Depicted below: Mom and Dad

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Off to NYC

Posted on March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

It is going to be a longer work day than usual. After I finish my 5PM conference call I have to dash off to Gotham for work and won’t be returning to Boston until Friday so I’ll have limited access to my blog and email.

I’ll do my best to publish any comments that come in and to respond to my personal email so thank you for stopping by and saying hello.

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The 45 Places to Go in 2012

Posted on March 14, 2012 | 2 comments

Do you love to travel or are you content to dream about far away places? Either way, the New York Times article from earlier this year, The 45 Places to Go in 2012, is a fun read. In typical New York Time’s fashion, the article stretches the imagination suggesting places as mundane as San Diego, CA then listing “Space” (as in the final frontier) as plausible destinations.

Perhaps you have travel plans already in the works or maybe you are considering several possible destinations to explore this year. If so, check out their list to see if any of your destinations are mentioned.  Aside from identifying cities, the article shares interesting sites to explore.  You can read the full article in the travel section of the Times online here.

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Fire rips through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood

Posted on March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Listed below are a few photographs I’ve pulled from the web that were taken last night after two transformers in the Back Bay neighborhood caught fire and knocked power out in one of the most densely populated parts of Boston.

The Back Bay, aside from being a large, affluent downtown neighborhood with tens of thousands of residents is second only to the financial district in terms of numbers of businesses and is the largest retail and restaurant district so the loss of power and damage to property is significant.

View from Cambridge looking across the Charles River

Source: WBUR.org Photo by, Bianca Vazquez Toness

View from South End

Back Bay Fire

Source: Live.Boston.com Photo by: Dmattbrothers

View of Newbury Street and Mass Avenue

2012 March Back Bay Fire

Source: BostonDrunks.com

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Happy hump day

Posted on March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m not a numbers kind of guy. Ask anyone who knows me and they can assure you I struggle with nearly all forms of statistics.

However for people who work Monday thru Friday, one thing I’m quite aware of is that at the end of the day 60% of the work week will be completed.  So I’d like to wish you a very happy “Hump Day”.

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SpeakEasy Stage gives BosGuy a shout out

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 1 comment

The SpeakEasy Stage included a quote from my review of Next to Normal, the rock-musical currently playing at the Calderwood Pavilion, that rocked my world when I saw it last weekend. I’m no Joyce Kulhawik (sorry its a local reference for those who grew up in Boston) so I was pretty darn flattered.

You may read my full review of Next to Normal here and purchase your tickets here.  Get a few friends together and check it out.

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Posted in Theater

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As I was saying…

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 1 comment

My other half regularly accuses me of this terrible habit when we go out together or are at a family function. I’m working on being a better listener, but I blame this on coming from a large, boisterous family.

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Play ball

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 2 comments

One month from today is Opening Day at Fenway Park. At 2:05pm local time the Boston Red Sox will host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and this city will be abuzz with excitement.

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Posted in Gay, Sports

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TripAdvisors best hotels in the US

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 2 comments

Last week travel website, TripAdvisors.com, named the top hotels in the  United States as voted by their 20 million members. The Waldorf Astoria in Chicago (depicted below) was ranked the best hotel in the US.  I’ve listed the top five and included a link to the larger list for all you travel fans looking to book your next destination.

1 – Waldorf Astoria ♦ Chicago

2 – The Grand del Mar ♦ San Diego

3 – Four Seasons ♦ Maui at Wailea

4 – Old Edwards Inn & Spa ♦ Highlands, NC

5 – Heathman Hotel ♦ Kirkland, WA

Boston’s Hotel Commonwealth which is just around the corner from Fenway Park was named the 6th best hotel.  I can’t say that I’ve ever stayed there so I couldn’t comment on the amenities or service, but the hotel does have two very good restaurants and is conveniently located in the Fenway so it doesn’t surprise me that it was recognized by travelers.

If you’d like to see the full list of Best Hotels or if you would like to see TripAdvisors list of best luxury hotels, Inns, or Spas, you can check out members’ rankings here.



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Wicked bummah

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 2 comments

WickedGayBlog.comDavid over at WGB has decided it’s time to take a break from blogging. WickeGayBlog, which started with a definite Boston slant (hence the name), over the years became more focused on gay issues and pop culture. However, David (a resident of Hull, MA) never forgot his roots and remains a great supporter of my blog and other local bloggers.

I have an irrational relationship with a handful of blogs – and David’s is one of them.  I go to David’s site at least once a day and have enjoyed the banter back and forth over the past few years that has evolved in our online communications. I do hope that he eventually returns to blogging but if he doesn’t I still wanted to acknowledge his contributions and express how much I admire both David and his commitment to his blog over the past 5+ years.

Stop by and leave a comment on his blog. He’ll be blogging through the end of May.

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Posted in Gay, Pop Culture

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Ben Cohen

Posted on March 12, 2012 | 3 comments

Hunky Ben Cohen is on the cover of the April / May issue of Metrosource magazine.  Ben poses for photographer, Edwin Santiago, in the latest issue and talks about his transition from a British rugby star to an ally of the gay community with his Standup Foundation, dedicated to anti-bullying.Ben Cohen Metrosource

You can read the full article here

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SpeakEasy Stage presents “Next to Normal”

Posted on March 12, 2012 | 3 comments

Next to Normal, The SpeakEasy Stage’s latest production, explores a family that is anything but what its name implies. This rock musical centers around a  mother who struggles with bipolar disorder, and how she and her family are impacted. This musical which opened on Broadway in 2009 and went on to receive 11 Tony nominations is making its Boston premiere  at the Calderwood Pavilion on Tremont Street in the South End.

SpeakEasy Stage’s production is compelling.  Kerry A. Dowling’s performance as Diana – the housewife struggling with bipolar disorder – is reason enough to see the show.  However, Dowling is not forced to carry the show on her own, the entire cast comes together. In particular, I found myself extremely sympathetic to the high school daughter, Natalie, played by Sarah Drake who’s struggling to make sense of her life which lacks love and attention from her ill mother and her father too obsessed with “saving” his wife to notice her.  More than once I could hear sniffles from the audience so I know I wasn’t the only one touched by this performance.

Next to Normal was extended and now runs through Sunday, April 15th.  I dare you to step out of your “normal” routine and make date to check out this new show. Be sure to bring along some friends, because after the curtain drops you’ll want to talk about what you just saw. You can read more about the show and purchase tickets online here.

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Posted in Theater

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