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Boy, oh boy! Hard to believe that it was my first time in Boston. I'll give you my "must-do" items for Boston and the places I wish we visited. So Evan and I went to Boston for, let's call it, 2.5 days. We got in Friday and left Monday morning!
Friday, when we got in, we checked into the Newbury hotel. Lucky for us, the weather was stunning! We met up with my step-sister and had drinks at the hotel bar. The Street Bar is the hotels' bar on the ground floor, masculine vibes with jewel tones, couldn't have asked for a better setting. However, will such gorgeous weather, we thought that grabbing a bottle of wine and sitting in the park could have also been the move. One should not overlook the Street Bar; the menu had a great selection of whiskey cocktails and cozy vibes. Post drinks, Evan and I headed to our reservation at O Ya sushi. O Ya is a 12 seat sushi restaurant serving an 18 course Omakase in Chinatown. I was looking forward to the meal the whole trip. The fish quality was terrific. The first few courses were nigiri followed by some unique combos and then wagyu. I thought it was stellar. Highly recommend o ya. Saturday, Evan and I headed to soul cycle and then grabbed coffee at Tatte. Tatte bakery is undoubtedly the place to be. With a line always down the block, I learned why! The bakery was outstanding, but the lunch menu was fabulous. It seemed like the most popular dish was the shakshuka. I had a salad with apricots, avocado, and their tuna salad - hard to put the combo into words. Post lunch, we headed for the freedom trail. I have to say the freedom trial was a highlight. I was worried that I would be uninterested, but it was a ball exploring Boston, walking, and seeing historical sites. We navigated the freedom trail on our own, but visitors had the option of a guided tour. The freedom trail takes about 3 hours and is a lot of walking around 3 miles. So wear comfortable shoes and bring water! After we arrived at Bunker Hill, Evan and I took an Uber to the Red Sox game. It was an activity-filled Saturday. Fenway has always been on my list of things to do! Fenway is unique in that it has many bars located inside the gate of the stadium. So now worries if you have no time to grab a bite before the game. There are plenty of options. The energy was so high at Fenway; it reminded me of going to games at Minute Maid Park when the Astros were playing during the World Series. The fans were rowdy! The Red Sox won, and the game ended with a walk-off! Post dinner, Evan and I biked back along the water. The sunsets in Boston are not something to be missed! We had just enough time to get ready and head to dinner in the little Italy of Boston. My high school friend, Kaitlyn, recommended the restaurant we went to on night two, Mama Maria. Such a stunning place. Upon checking in, the best staff greeted us. They made us feel like we were the most special guests. They gave us a table looking over the patio in a private room just for two! It was super romantic and looked at Paul Reveres' house. Evan commented on how stunning Boston is. It almost feels like Europe, eating dinner and looking at history. I have to agree! Our favorite dish of the night was the scallops. The scallops were served in a green sauce that was amazing. For dinner, Evan had the Osso Bucco, and I had the lamb Ragu pasta. We both agreed that our sauces were heavy, but the dishes were excellent. I think having the scallops before threw us off because they were that good! We ended dinner walking through little Italy and grabbing gelato! There are lots of touristy gelato and cannoli spots in little Italy. I wouldn't say where we grabbed gelato was anything special but check out the list below. There was a cannoli shop with a line down the block- Mikes Pastry. Our last full day in Boston was Sunday! It was a little gray, and Evan and I were unsure of what we should do. We decided on a bike ride through Boston- to check out Harvard and MIT. We tried to go to Saltie Girl for brunch, which came highly recommended, but we just grabbed brunch at our hotel with the weather! I highly recommend getting a lunch or brunch reservation at Saltie Girl if you have the opportunity. We biked past Fenway and then to Boston's Time out Market: friends also recommended we go to Eventide in Fenway. The same Eventide in Portland Maine. On Sunday night, I booked Contessa, one of the dinners I was most excited about on the trip. The restaurant is located in the Newbury hotel, and it's part of a major food group's restaurant portfolio. Ken Fulk did the interior design. Ken always mixed patterns and is known for a great atmosphere. The decor and interior design did not disappoint. At Contessa, Evan and I ordered the squash carpaccio, a unique dish that is a must! In addition to the squash, we got the lobster capellini and fusili Genovese. The lobster capellini was a on the spicy side with fresh Maine lobster, and then the fusili was in a green pesto sauce! Fusili was good not great but i always enjoy a gluten free pasta when i can get one. As if that was not enough food, we ordered the salmon and meatballs. Evan and I thought the chef prepared the salmon super uniquely, it was one of the highlights. It had fresh garden tomatoes and a hint of orange maybe even orange olive oil? Of course, we had to finish off with a monster bowl of gelato! Contessa did not disappoint I look forward to going back for brunch or dinner next time in Bean Town! Activities: Catch a Red Sox Game and see the Green Monster Bike through Harvard and MIT Swan boat in Boston Commons Freedom Trail- see bunkerhill and other famous sites Hotel: W Hotel Langham The Liberty Newbury Restaurants: Saltie Girl O Ya Sushi Pammys Celeste Oleana Contessa Mama Maria Tasting Counter Haley Henry Mariel Longfellow Bar Yvonnes Supper Club Lolita Coffee Spots: Tatte Bakery Thinking Cup Jonquils Cafe Sweet Tooth: Mikes Pastry Fomu- vegan ice cream Honeycomb Creamery- Ice Cream tacos J.P. Licks |
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