Tag Archives: South End

Shhh… new Italian restaurant to open in South End

Posted on May 20, 2011 | 5 comments

The very successful Boston restaurant company, The Aquitaine Group is poised to open their fourth fifth restaurant in Boston’s trendy South End neighborhood in the space formerly occupied by Rocca.

When this new eatery will open in the South End is unclear, but plans to remodel to make it uniquely their own is underway. Lets just hope that they open soon enough that residents like yours truly can enjoy the fantastic private patio for some dinner al fresco.

News of this (although not official yet) makes me very happy. With Rocca, Pho Republique and Ginger Park all closing within the past 18-months SoWa was in need of some good restaurant news. To the Aquitaine Group’s latest venture I’d like to say benvenuti and buona fortuna.

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Thursday night means Noche

Posted on May 19, 2011 | 1 comment

I’m not sure how it happened… Perhaps it was back when the charming bartender Adam came over to Noche to tend bar? However, the “how” is no longer relevant. What does matter is it is Thursday and for the few gay men who still call the South End “home” – this is the bar to be. Cocktails flow, conversation carries and the people watching simply doesn’t get any better. The picture of the empty bar provided below will be chalk full of guys of all ages tonight. A recent influx of Boston’s version of Bridge-N-Tunnel crowd has not ruined the atmosphere, but there has been a noticeable increase over the past few months. Good thing that the bartenders are so handsome and quick with the pour. If you happen to find yourself in Boston this Thursday and are wondering where to go, why don’t you join me and check it out.

Noche Boston
3 Appleton Street
(617) 482 0117

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Where all the men are

Posted on May 5, 2011 | 5 comments

I’ve posted this picture in the past, but I never grow tired of it. This tiny park on West Newton Street in Boston’s South End always makes me chuckle when I walk past it, because words do matter and no matter how wonderful Mr. (or Ms.) Hiscock was – its an unfortunate name. Ironically, this park happens to be in the traditionally gay neighborhood of Boston, the South End.

If you happen to live in Boston, I say with all sincerity, “I hope you can stop by this spring or summer to enjoy Hiscock”.

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Posted in People say the funniest things

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SoWa Open Market

Posted on May 1, 2011 | Leave a comment

SoWa Open Market returns starting today, Sunday, May 1st from 10AM – 4PM at 460 Harrison Avenue. Through the past few years, I’ve watched this Sunday market grow both in size and variety. A couple of years ago the market grew so large and popular they moved it up Harrison Ave to where it currently resides.

Each Sunday, the market includes scores of artisans; food trucks selling all sorts of tempting food ranging from the savory to the sweet; a farmer’s market; as well as many unique boutiques that line Thayer Street.

The market which runs every Sunday through the autumn (excluding holiday weekends) draws thousands now and is worth checking out.

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Posted in Free Stuff

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Restaurant Review: PICCO

Posted on April 25, 2011 | 2 comments

PICCO (short for Pizza & Ice Cream Co.) is a very casual restaurant open for lunch and dinner with a large patio overlooking Tremont Street in the South End. Although they are best known for their pizzas (which are excellent) and their homemade ice cream, the restaurant features other delicious options all reasonably priced and well made.

Because of the reasonable price-point and menu, PICCO generally has a lot of tables with young children. This is a place to grab a quick bite or order for take out, and the restaurant seems to recognize and embrace this. Prices are less than most restaurants in the neighborhood. One can have an entire meal (appetizer, main course and dessert) for less than $25.00 – if you share a pizza the average price drops below $20.00.

On my most recent visit I opted to have fish tacos which are delicious. One order comes with 3 flour tacos filled with flaky white fish, cabbage, black beans, chilies, avocado, chipotle vinaigrette & cilantro; total cost $14.00

It is hard to visit PICCO without indulging your sweet tooth. On many summer evenings I’ve been known to find all sort of excuses to walk by PICCO so I can order an ice cream to go. On this occasion I shared the decadently delicious dark chocolate brownie sundae ($7.50), which is so large it really should be shared.
PICCO is located at 513 Tremont Street in the South End (617)927 0066
Reservations not required walk-in table service available.
Picco on Urbanspoon

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Taste of the South End 2011

Posted on March 9, 2011 | 4 comments

Last week I first wrote about the Taste of the South End which benefits the AIDS Action Committee, and the event did not disappoint. Although there were no beads or parades to commemorate Fat Tuesday, nearly all who attended left a bit fatter than when they first arrived. And how could you blame them? With 40+ restaurants, wineries, beers and cocktails all tempting the tastebuds it was a food lover’s delight.

Restaurants new to the neighborhood like The Gallows and Noche kept pace with veteran establishments like Mistral and Stella. There were some noticeable absences, which will lead me to ask “Why?” on my next visit to these restaurants. You can see the full list of participants on the Taste website. Support these restaurants and thank them for their participation.

If you were unable to attend the festivities, you can check out this 2-minute video, which shows you some of the tempting treats cooked up for attendees. Again, sincere thanks to all the cooks and volunteers who made this a fantastic event.

The Boston Foodie also has a nice write up with more pictures from the event which you can check out by linking here.

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Posted in Philanthropy, Video

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Addo Novo comes to the South End

Posted on March 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

Addo Novo a Portland, Maine modern furniture and lighting atelier is opening its first store in Boston later this month in retail space previously occupied by Red River Trading Company.

Although I cannot afford a lot of their inventory, I can appreciate the beautiful design and am happy to welcome them to the neighborhood. I have no doubt I’ll be checking out what they have and praying there will be a clearance section.

You can check out some of their beautiful furniture here.

Addo Novo
1313 Washington Street
Wilkes Passage Building
857.284.7071

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Taste of the South End – March 8, 2011

Posted on February 27, 2011 | 4 comments

In just a few days one of my favorite charity events in Boston will take place, The Taste of the South End. As the name implies this is one of the city’s many charitable fundraisers that revolves around food, but I think this is one of the best organized taste events, and the fact that the proceeds benefit such a wonderful organization, The AIDS Action Committee (AAC) is really a bonus. In addition to the participation of 40+ neighborhood restaurants, local chefs provide cooking tips and demonstrations. If you really enjoy food and dining out this event gives you an opportunity to sample some of the fare offered at some of the city’s best restaurants. While it won’t confirm if a restaurant has great service it does give you a preview of the type and quality food the establishment serves. If you arrive early with a VIP pass like I do each year, you also can chat with the chefs present before the event becomes truly crowded.

Below, I’ve included a two minute video from the 2009 event. It provides a quick preview of what one can expect on March 8th and closes with a shot of your’s truly stuffing his face with a fish taco.

Purchase your tickets here

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Wholy Grain: new coffee shop & bakery opens in South End

Posted on February 22, 2011 | 10 comments

This past Friday another cute coffee shop & bakery opened in the South End. The Wholy Grain sign outside claims it’s “a little taste of heaven”. I hope it proves to be just that because this place is nestled a block from The South End Buttery and across from South End Formaggio at 275 Shawmut Avenue. Both the Buttery and Formaggio enjoy a strong, loyal following, but that doesn’t mean Wholy Grain can’t thrive. One thing that might help it in the mornings is that it opens at 7AM (30 minutes before places like the Buttery and Flour).

This tiny little place has limited seating but serves good coffee (I know I just tried my first cup), sandwiches, scones, muffins and tempting treats. You can check out their full menu here. I’ll be stopping by again (and I’m sure again). Check out the coffee shop and let me know what you think.

If you can find a seat (there are a couple of tables) you can bring along your laptop and leverage their free WiFi… Password is: WholySmoke (cute right?)

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Street sign on Tremont Street

Posted on February 18, 2011 | 2 comments

Words to live by

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Posted in People say the funniest things

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Restaurant Review: Union Bar and Grille

Posted on January 16, 2011 | 6 comments

Union Bar and Grille (a.k.a. Union) is part of the Aquitaine Group, a local restaurant group that also owns and operates, Gaslight, Metropolis Cafe and three establishments that take the name of the management group. Previous restaurant reviews have focused on dinner, but an excellent (and affordable) alternative is brunch and Union does this better than most. On Saturday (from 10am – 3pm) and Sunday (from 10am – 11am) they offer a special that includes coffee cake, an entree from a select menu as well as coffee and juice for $9.95. You can check out the early riser menu here. I love the sytlish decor of this restaurant. The photo of the dining room is from Union’s website – for more images, check out their website here. Both the bar and the booths in the dining room are very comfortable and make it difficult to leave (esp. on cold winter days). Another plus with Union is their consistently excellent service.

The brunch menu includes traditional items such as eggs benedict, french toast and a variety of omelets as well as sandwiches with their deliciously crispy fries. Below I’ve snapped a few photos from our brunch.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich Huevos Rancheros If credit card bills from Christmas are now coming due and you need an affordable option to treat yourself – check out Union’s brunch. The food, service and atmosphere won’t disappoint and is one of the best deals in Boston.

Union Bar and Grille is located at 1357 Washington Street Boston, MA (617) 423 0555
Reservations (even for brunch) strongly recommended.
Union Bar and Grille on Urbanspoon

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Snowy Streets of Boston’s South End

Posted on January 13, 2011 | 10 comments

The Buttery (Union & Shawmut)Union Park & Shawmut StreetWaltham Street (facing east)Waltham Street (facing west)

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Snow My God! (SMG!)

Posted on January 12, 2011 | 6 comments

Boston is in the midst of its largest snow storm of the season, but I’m quite comfy in my 4th floor apartment looking out at the blizzard (pronounced here as blizzaahhd). In my previous post, I was a victim of a random act of kindness I alluded to some good fortune. Yesterday, we were offered a spot in a parking garage for our car; thus avoiding the need to dig out our car from the storm. Looking outside – I can’t tell you how happy I am knowing the silver bullet (my nickname for our 2001 Golf) is safey tucked away in our building’s parking garage.

I started taking pictures at 9:00am of Harrison Avenue (near Gaslight Brasserie) and will continue to add to this post through the day. I live in a downtown neighborhood which is normally quite busy with pedestrians and traffic, but not today. A snow emergency was in effect as of 9:00pm Tuesday to ensure the streets would be clear for the snow plows. School was cancelled and most employers asked employees to work from home to avoid any potential accidents.

Harrison Avenue @ 9:00am
Harrison Avenue @ 12:00pm
Harrison Avenue @ 4:00pm

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Posted in GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome

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Boston Santa Speedo Run 2010 Video

Posted on December 11, 2010 | 8 comments

In addition to the pictures I’ve included below, here is my debut as movie editor, piecing together video clips from all the fun earlier today.

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Posted in Back Bay

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Boston Santa Speedo Run 2010

Posted on December 11, 2010 | 7 comments

Watch the 2-minute 2010 Santa Speedo Run VideoThe Boston Santa Speedo Run started in Boston in 2000 and quickly became a Christmas tradition that is now copied in a handful of cities through out North America to raise money for charity.

Each year I go down to Boston’s BackBay neighborhood to watch, laugh and mingle with the crowd of spectators which rivals (if not dwarfs those running). The celebration commences and concludes at Lir on Boylston Street – located across from the Hynes and near the Prudential Mall entrance. Runners line up outside the bar and run a brisk 1 mile up parts of Boylston and Newbury Street much to the delight and surprise of visitors doing holiday shopping. Below I’ve included some pictures from this year’s race. Click on any of the photos to enlarge.




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Posted in Back Bay

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