Two Days in Boston

This years trip to Boston was so much less fraught than the previous two years. Noah got there days before us, was already moved in and working on projects with his roommates by the time we got there. So really all we had to do was a few administrative things before we headed back to Rome (getting a drivers license for an expat kid who has never lived in America is no small thing.) It was the end of a long Home Leave trip back "home, " which any longtime expat knows is more admin than vacation so were going to make the most of our last days of AC, customer service and iced coffee. 

We took long walks, drank more than a few cocktails in expensive hotel bars and lured our reluctant college student out for a few more meals with his parents. 

The Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum had free entrance for Labor Day so we took a walk through the Fens and hopped in line. Cheerful docents moved people quickly into the extravagant and eccentric space that was once the home of the Italophile Gardner. The rooms are filled with her treasures from the arts and crafts tiled floor to the painted ceiling that she had brought from Orvieto. Mark, who has overseen over a dozen of our household moves, and I marveled at the sheer logistics of moving the art and architectural pieces to Boston. The empty frames of the stolen masterpieces only add to the allure. I loved the quirky rules like only pencils can be used and discounts for visitors in Red Socks gear.

Pavement Coffeehouse
1334 Boylston Street
This branch of the hipster coffee house is conveniently near the new City Target, but bagels were what was on my almost complete to do list. I had an toasted everything bagel with nova and a iced coffee. The perfect beginning to my last Monday of summer.

Boston Burger Company
1100 Boylston St

This very local burger spot on the Berklee campus has a Rome connection. What a wonderful surprise it was to be greeted at the entrance with a blackboard describing the Sophie burger. I had to prove to Noah's roommates that Sophie was, not some menu writers fiction but an actual person who just happened to be the daughter of my best pal in Rome.  I am a burger purist and don't enjoy anything but lettuce and tomato, but Nate was game and ordered the Sophie and reports it is delicious. 

Roost Bistro
259 Newbury Street

We had had a big lunch out on the Cape, (and like I mentioned earlier it was the end of Home Leave otherwise known as a month long eat-a-thon) so I just wanted a big salad and a bourbon cocktail. That is exactly what Roost Bistro offered. We sat in a pretty bay window and watched the endless pregame show for the season's first Patriots game and ordered seared tuna and a chopped Cobb salad and a Bostonian. Or two. 

Meyers + Chang
1145 Washington St

This might have been one of the best meals I had all summer. The lively South End spot is a happy pan asian mix of delicious. I sipped a spicy, tangy blood orange margarita we chose from the cheap date night specials and an added bowl of Hot Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles noodles and Nasi Goreng. It was far too much food, but we feasted on Korean BBQ sloppy joes and kimchi fish tacos. We walked off our asian food frenzy and vowed that we will savor the memory on a cold February night. 

Bar Boloud
776 Boylston Street

Located in the Mandarin Oriental on Boylston we stopped in here for a refreshing and elegant, just like it's namesake, Mrs. Bouvier made with with bourbon, ginger and citrus.