Ptown state of mind

For those who may have to work and for those of you who do not celebrate US Independence, I promise to relax, drink and dance enough for all of you.

Restaurant Review: : Zócalo Back Bay

Zócalo, a Mexican restaurant recently opened in space previously occupied by Stix. The restaurant can accommodate 50+ inside but has a large patio for al fresco dining for lunch or dinner. Zócalo is owned by chef Erwin Ramos who also owns the very successful, Olé Mexican Grill in Cambridge.

Over the past year, Boston has seen several new Mexican restaurants open. Boston has not embraced Mexican cuisine and until recently, I could only name 2-3 Mexican restaurants in the area. So take my review with a grain of salt because my exposure to Mexican cuisine is limited at best. I've noted that the reviews of this new restaurant are very mixed, but my experience was pleasant from start to finish.

Dinner at Zócalo including an appetizer, main dish and dessert (no drink or tip included) will cost approximately $30.00 - $35.00 per person. Main dishes range from $17.00-$23.00.

Before our meal, I started with a delicious martini at the downstairs bar. My friends all indulged in a variety of margaritas; of which the passion fruit seemed the best. The service, starting with the bartender and including the patient waitress who helped us with our meal, was good from start to finish. While waiting for the main dishes to come out it was suggested we order sides of guacamole and salsa. These proved to be my favorite part of the meal. If dinner is not an option, grabbing some drinks and delving into the oversized portions of guacamole or homemade salsa is a great alternative.

For my main I opted for the chile rellenos. I thought the two roasted poblano peppers were very good. One was stuffed with cheese, spinach, raisins and almonds and the other with braised pork. The dinner also comes with a side of black beans and plantains, which strangely, I did not care for. The cheese on the beans tasted off and the plantains were too tough.

Chile Rellenos - $19.95
If you are looking to try someplace different or have a hankering for Mexican cuisine, give this place a try. The inside is very nice, the staff was friendly and in good weather you can make use of their oversized patio. Should you go, let me know your thoughts.

Zócalo is located at 35 Stanhope Street (617) 456-7849
Reservations not required but strongly recommended

Ban the bun

Tom Brady (a.k.a. Mr. Gisele Bunchen) is as easy on the eyes as his supermodel wife is beautiful. However, even a man with killer looks can appear like a complete tool as Tom Brady shows in the above photo.

Today's Boston Herald has a funny article called, Hey, Tom Brady! Bun there, done that. The picture is from the newspaper's site. They include some humorous examples of other famous 'hair buns' which you may enjoy checking out.

The Herald writes "perhaps it is yet another hairstyle that his wife, Gisele Bundchen, has pulled out of her lady repellent arsenal. If the femme headband didn’t keep the gals away, the heady Cinnabun is downright lethal!" Too funny for sure.

This is him!

Dan Savage poignant "It Gets Better Campaign" came about because of a grim reality regarding how marginalized gay and lesbian kids feel and the bullying that further isolates them. This past weekend, I was reminded of the happier side of Dan Savage's campaign - the part that addresses "The Better"...

There is a young man (18 years old to be exact) who lives in my complex. At first glance he looks like a tough city kid. His Boston accent, stocky build which mimics his gigantic father and cigarette permanently hanging from his lips makes him look anything like his friendly, easy-going personality. This kid (let's call him Adam), comes from a solid blue collar, take no crap kind of family. We've been neighbors for a few years now and while I don't know his whole story, I do know that he's gay.

As far as I was aware, he was closeted (maybe he still is). However, the other day he told me with quite a bit of pride that his boyfriend was coming to visit him. I was happy for him and told him so, but it wasn't until I saw him later this weekend that I realized how happy. On Sunday afternoon as my partner and I were driving through the courtyard we looked up and saw Adam with a friend. When Adam recognized us he lit up and started shouting as loud as he could pointing to the other young man. "This is Him!" I think he must have said it 2-3 more times at the top of his lungs. He was so excited and proud. And seeing this young, tough-kid from Boston all excited to be with his boyfriend and be shouting it for all the world to hear made me think you know what Dan Savage is right, it does get better. And if you're lucky like Adam - you don't have to wait that long to realize it.

Men of Twitter

I'm a fan of Twitter. I love how quick and easy it is to use and connect with people. Another perk is what I'll refer to as the "Men of Twitter" since there are so many handsome guys. Adding to their attraction is the fact they only talk in 140 characters.

Each Monday I post #MenOfTwitter profiles that catch my eye and whom I think you may enjoy following. As always, suggestions for profiles to feature are welcome and if you'd like to follow me, you can find me at @BosGuy.

Below are a few more #MenOfTwitter you may want to follow.

GreggyBennett – I first started following this guy because I thought he had the best smile I’d seen in a long time. I continue to follow Greg because he makes me laugh. For example his recent tweet “Proud of my roommates for embracing different spellings of the word "Work". Weeerk. Woooork. Weeerque.” How can you not enjoy following Greg?

Neily82 – This young Londoner looks so dapper. Is it just me or does he bear a resemblance to Adam Levine of Maroon5 fame? Neil is an interesting guy to follow and he joins a growing legion of Londoners that I am both crushing on slightly and enjoying following on Twitter.
MCase513 – Michael is an architectural designer who lives in Boston (lucky for Boston, eh?). He tweets regularly about life and pop culture. However, his most interesting tweets are his witty responses to conversations he has with people on Twitter. Trust me, you’ll enjoy following Michael.

BTW - If you like this post, ReTweet. If you love it, follow @BosGuy.
Link here to see past #MenOfTwitter.

Dot Out Tea Dance at dBar

DotOUT's 4th Annual Summer Solstice Tea Dance at dBar in Dorchester was on Sunday, June 27th from 4pm - 8pm. The proceeds from the Tea Dance went to DotOUT - a grassroots, member driven organization committed to the ideals of acceptance, inclusion, fairness, and equality.

Several hundred members of the GLBT community came out to enjoy the good music, tasty beverages and to mingle with friends. While I was not able to capture pictures of everyone who attended, I wanted to post a few photographs that Sergio took for me. Thank you to all for your patience if you posed for one of the pictures.

Click on the images below to enlarge

Public Market for Boston

According to an article from the Boston Sunday Globe last week, officials plan to have a 27,500 square foot market open 7-days a week, selling products currently only available at farmers markets. Its not clear how so much space will be made available since what's available to vendors is roughly half that (only 14,000 square feet) and the site offers little room for expansion.

Regardless, I would love to see this happen. A public food market featuring as many as 100 vendors hawking: fish, produce, wine, cheese, and other local products would be a welcome addition to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It would also help those neighborhoods which are closest to the proposed site since there is not a legitimate market nearby.

According to the article, construction could begin in early 2012, with the facility opening in 2013.

If you are interested and want to learn more, you can read the full story here.

NY says "I do" to same sex marriage

Massachusetts recognition of same sex marriage 7+ years ago was a game changer which both inspired the GLBT movement and horrified the Christian Coalition. Since then several states have legalized gay marriage, but California's hateful Proposition 8 and a number of State Constitutional Amendments defining marriage strictly in terms of Man and Woman have proven to be bitter reminders that progress should never be taken for granted.

New York's recognition of same sex marriage breathes new life into the GLBT and marriage equality movement. First, the state of NY is home to more than 1 million gay men and women. Second, NY is the nation's 3rd most populous state and home to our country's largest city. This may not seem like a big deal, but think about the implications. By legalizing same sex marriage in NY, more gay men and women now have the right to marry than in all of MA, CT, VT, NH, IA, and DC combined. That means something and don't discount it. Its also why New York's vote will galvanize marriage activists and hopefully bring more money and attention back to California. I hope this will also pressure the US Supreme Court to address the issue.

How will New York's vote impact you? I'd like to hear from you.

Travel: My drug of choice

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
– Mark Twain

I love to travel, and I've been very fortunate to visit many places. One of my favorite countries to visit is Brazil. Its an amazing country both exotic and familiar for American travelers. The country has the can-do, entrepreneurial spirit many Americans identify with and like the U.S. - Brazil is a giant melting pot of people, races and religions. However, its history is more closely aligned with Portugal and the Latin speaking nations of Europe providing a uniquely exotic personality that thoroughly romances you. The picture above is a breathtaking image of Rio de Janeiro; one of the most beautiful places I've had the advantage to visit.

What are some of your favorite destinations, and where do you dream of traveling some day?

Tweet of the Day: Marriage Equality

This is my response to the moving video from GetEqual. My hope is that in the next few hours that the state of NY will join MA, VT, NH, CT, IA and Washington DC in recognizing same sex marriage.

However, an even greater hope is for President Obama, a man I supported because of his promise of Hope and Change, will be a catalyst for the GLBT community by supporting same sex marriage. President Obama your time on the sidelines is over, its time for you to #EvolveAlready.

If you are on Twitter, perhaps you'll consider sending a message to President Obama.

51 year old marries 16 year old: Must be love

Recently a 51 year old actor married a 16 year old girl. Anderson Cooper provides an insightful and rather humorous take on the relationship, bride and groom and parents. Its worth the watch.

I might add that currently the NY State Legislature is debating if same sex marriage should be recognized. Many opponents claim that recognizing marriage between two men or women makes a mockery of the institution and takes away from their own marriage. Hmmm... is it really the gay community that is making a mockery of the institution of marriage? I think not. I'd like to get your thoughts if you have any to share.

Thank you to Rob from VA where I found the video.

Get your gay card

A bunch of guys on Twitter have been chirping away about a fun and free online quiz entitled The Official Gay Card.

The online quiz asks "So you think you're gay? Prove it!" Its free and takes all of two minutes to complete.

I've taken the quiz twice. The first time I took it I scored a 60. The second time I scored a 68. I can't recall what I could've answered differently, but I think a 60 or 68 rating makes me sound more bisexual so for the record, I'd like to set the record straight (LOL)... I'm 100% gay.

Take the quiz and share your score with me. I'm curious to see what kind of rating you get regardless of whether you are 'gay' or not.

How did you find BosGuy?

Earlier this week, I revealed that a blog posting dating back to early November 2010 entitled Every gay teenagers dream: Darren Criss continues to drive a fair amount of traffic to my blog.

This got me to thinking about what other postings continue to drive visitors to my site purely based on online search terms.

Most of the search terms that Blogger has identified are fairly logical. However there was one term / phrase in particular that caught my attention. Apparently when people type into Google, "Big Ass" my post from December 2010 entitled, Does this chair make my ass look big shows up at the bottom of the first page of search results. Who knew so many people were searching for "Big Ass" online? I'm pretty sure they are disappointed in the blog posting when they click through to the link.

iPhone 5: Available late August (maybe)

According to ThisIsMyNext the iPhone 5 design will change to a more tear drop shape and look more like the iPod Touch than the current iPhone 4. Note that the design in the picture is not an actual reproduction but rather due to some fancy Photoshop work from the blogger. If you'd like to read more about what they are saying click on the link at the start of this post.

Interestingly, the blog BGR is indicating they expect an announcement (and potential release) for the new iPhone 5 as early as the end of August.

My phone contract comes up the end of summer, and I've already decided I won't be getting another BlackBerry. I've been debating whether I should go iPhone or Droid. Hmmm...decisions, decisions.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I've been a bit disappointed by the past few books I've read, but that all ended when on impulse I picked up Kathryn Stockett's 500+ page book, The Help.

This book had me regularly reading late into the night. For those unfamiliar with the book which I understand has been made into a movie that will star, Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, it takes place in Jackson, MS during the early 1960s.

For those not familiar with modern US history, it may be shocking to realize the evil that was called segregation. The story centers around a college educated, single woman in her early 20s who's returned home after getting her degree and is struggling to start her career as a journalist / writer as well as two maids who work for different white families in Jackson.

Comparisons with Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird are easy to make. Both authors are southern woman, both address the racism that was rampant and the social injustices that seem inconceivable to us today. Unlike Lee's novel though, Stockett's story balances tension with humor and I found myself regularly laughing out loud. This may go down as my favorite book of 2011.

Looking for some summer reading? Don't be put off by the deep nature of the subject matter; this book is an absolute page turner. For those who are not of the reading variety, I've included the official movie trailer.

Darren Criss

I generally try to write about things that are of interest to me (although I'm not above pandering as my post Daddy Candy clearly shows). Sometimes the things I write about only resonate with me or a few others, but occasionally either my timing or point of view strikes a nerve with readers and results in a lot of attention.

Last November I posted an entry, Every (gay) teenagers dream: Darren Criss. The posting simply states that Criss is a character on the popular television show, Glee. I share some facts about Darren that I pulled from IMDB and posted a link to an earlier post I wrote called Serenading Kurt: Teenage Dream.

In my mind, its a fairly innocuous posting but every week it remains one of my most visited, and I've finally figured out why. If you google "Darren Criss" my little post appears near the bottom of the first page. Now how'd that happen? I'd love to have that pull with some other issues and posts. Any bloggers have any pearls of wisdom to share for this novice?

Go the F#ck to Sleep

Have you heard of Adam Mansbach's book which was released last week?

The book's facebook page, describes the story as a beautifully, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny book for parents new, old, and expectant.

Although I have no children, I'm familiar with the sleep deprivation that seems to go hand-in-hand with parenting and in light of this past Sunday's celebration of Fathers, I thought it somewhat timely to share. The book can be bought online and is sold at most major bookstore retailers.

Men of Twitter

I'm a fan of Twitter. I love how quick and easy it is to use and connect with people. Another perk is what I'll refer to as the "Men of Twitter" since there are so many handsome guys. Adding to their attraction is the fact they only talk in 140 characters.

Each Monday I post #MenOfTwitter profiles that catch my eye and whom I think you may enjoy following. As always, suggestions for profiles to feature are welcome and if you'd like to follow me, you can find me at @BosGuy. Below are a few more #MenOfTwitter you may want to follow.

DrewBoyTweets – For those following my weekly posts, you’ll notice I have an affinity for Aussies and Drew is no exception. A Sydney guy who now calls Melbourne home, I follow the advances (and temporary setbacks) for GLBT issues in Australia thru Drew’s tweets.

BostonMo – Need a personal concierge for Boston? Look no further, Sean (a.k.a BostonMo), is quite the man about town; always invited to trendy openings and with great advice on the very best Boston has to offer. Curious who’s having a killer sale? Keep Sean’s handle close and you’ll be among the first to know.

Nice2CStevieB – StevieB lives in Denver, CO and I follow him on twitter and read his blog, http://www.NTSSB.com. If you’re unfamiliar with this witty online personality, follow him on twitter and check out his blog.

BTW - If you like, re-tweet. If you love, follow on Twitter at BosGuy.
Link here to see past #MenOfTwitter.

Daddy candy

Yes, I'm pandering, but how can I not help myself when I'm provided such a tempting image? I'm only human after all. I think I might have to start watching more rugby games if this is the kind of visual simulation available.
Thanks to SeducedByTheNew blog for the photograph.

Happy Father's Day

I'd like to wish a Happy Father's day to my Dad and let him know how special he is to me.

Boston Bruins victory parade

Earlier this week the State House unfurled a large congratulations banner and since then, it seems like black-and-gold is everywhere you look. Today's victory parade for the Bruins brought record crowds into the city to celebrate, and the beautiful weather only made the parade that much more enjoyable for everyone.

Attending the parade over near Copley Square, it was hard not to get caught up in the emotion of the day watching tens of thousands of people cheering on each player as they went by in the Duck Boat parade.

However, one of my favorite memories of the day may have been after the parade when the players were back at the Garden. A local TV channel filmed Patrice Bergeron walking home to the North End followed by about 100 fans cheering him the entire way. Patrice is one of several players who lives in the North End and their approachability / no airs personalities are so refreshing to see in professional athletes.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins and their fans.

Fitness Friday update

Its been quite awhile since I've written about my work outs. In part because I hurt my left shoulder in late April / early May and have had to scale back my lifting regimen and in part because I've fallen off the work-out wagon (so to speak).

The horror of heading to Ptown in a few weeks has been enough of an impetus to at least get a few runs in this week and the purchasing of a new bathing suit has led to a renewed focus on getting more ab routines as well. Its probably all in vain too because I feel like between my gin soaked olives and the occasional afternoon cookie at best I'm treading water.

Do you work out regularly? How do you try to stay fit? Do you play sports, run, work out a gym? Misery enjoys company so inspire me with your dedication or make me feel better about my slacking by owning up and sharing your own backsliding (so to speak).

Decade of Dominance: Golden Age for Boston Sporting Teams

7 Championship Titles in 10 Years
I'm sure there are a lot of people who have strong opinions about Boston sports teams. I'll be the first to admit that this town takes sports very seriously (probably too seriously at times). However, ignoring the drunks and annoying braggarts, there is a large contingency of fans (myself included) who follow and really love the local teams, cheering them on with bravado.

The Bruins win last night, means that each of the major Boston sports franchises has brought a championship title to Boston in the past decade. I'm not sure if there is another city that's been so fortunate. A quick look on Wikipedia shows a pretty amazing streak for Boston sports teams.

2002 - New England Patriots win Superbowl (Football)
2004 - New England Patriots win Superbowl (Football)
Red Sox win World Series (Baseball) first time since 1918
2005 - New England Patriots win Superbowl (Football)
2007 - Red Sox win World Series (Baseball)
2008 - Celtics win 17th NBA Title (Basketball)
2011 - Bruins win Stanley Cup Trophy (Hockey) first time since 1972

This doesn't even count appearances these teams made in post season play. Some years it seemed like Boston had multiple teams playing in the finals, which only has added to the near religious fever residents have for the local sporting teams.

BosGuy

I've had a few people recently asking me what I look like so I've posted this photo of me while I was away on vacation visiting Australia. Although I have more recent photos, this is one of my favorites - probably because it makes me think back to the 3-weeks I spent visiting the Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne and Sydney. If you ever have the chance to make the trip to Australia, I would highly encourage you to go for it. Australia will always be a very special place; it really took my breathe away.

Next stop wonderland

Last week I posted a quick video of some filming that took place outside my apartment. Ever since Massachusetts signed into law a tax credit for filming crews, the state and Boston in particular have had what seems to be a never ending stream of movies filmed here.

Long before the tax credit a small, independent film called Next Stop Wonderland was filmed here by B.U. alum and film director Brad Anderson. The trailer below shows Erin Castleton played by Hope Davis, talking with her meddling mother, played by Holland Taylor. Using Boston as a backdrop and a bossa nova inspired soundtrack, the movie asks the audience do you think love is driven by fate or circumstance.

So enjoy the clip and let me know what you think. Is finding love a matter of serendipity?


*For those too young to know, before there was manhunt, grindr or scruff there was something called the personals which most local papers carried. Watch the movie and you can see what dating and single life was like before the internet really took off.

Congratulations Boston Bruins

Tonight the Boston Bruins won game 7 on the road, beating the Vancouver Canucks. The series was well played by both teams and filled with plenty of drama. The last time the Boston Bruins won the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Championship was the 1971-1972 season. As you might imagine the city has erupted into spontaneous celebration. Congratulations Boston.

The homepage of Boston.com has a tribute to the Bruins, this is my favorite picture. Tim Thomas the goalie skating with the Stanley Cup overhead.

Parking etiquette

As I was walking to get my afternoon cup of joe, I happened to see someone who was unable to park their extra large tank SUV within the white lines of the parking lot. The driver had some how managed to straddle two spaces at a near 45 degree diagonal.

Back in May 2009 I snapped the photo you see above and the following post which is below. Today's parking-challenged driver currently occupying two spaces, made me think back to the original post so I thought I'd share for new readers who may face similar frustrations and find this funny.

May 3, 2009 - Parking can be tough in Boston
I feel compelled to make a few comments. First, I've seen far worse parking in the city so this seems a bit harsh. Second, I doubt this helps Boston's image as an unfriendly city. Third, that is damn funny... In case you can not read the fine print, the person has checked off "two spots for one car" as the reason why the person parks like an asshole. Other options on the flyer include, "ummm...a little too close"; "over the painted lines"; "that's a compact?" among others.

You can go to YouParkLikeanAsshole if you would like to ticket someone in the near future.

Tweet of the Day: Republican Presidential debate

This is actually a couple days late, but better late than never. Huffington Post right now has a collection of funny tweets that were sent during the CNN Republican Presidential debate in NH. If you'd like to peruse them all you can link here.

$2 Taco Tuesday Nights

Every Tuesday, Tremont647 and adjoining Sister Sorel have a selection of $2.00 tacos you can order for dinner. Last night, I was going to join my friend and fellow blogger, 40Something Life, for dinner but plans changed when the weather did not cooperate so I opted to head over to Sister Sorel.

I'm a huge fan of cheap eats and one can have quite a dinner (beer included) all for about $10.00 on Tuesday's at Tremont647 or Sister Sorel. That's hard to beat. If you live in Boston or are visiting on a Tuesday night, its worth checking out. Although Tremont647 is larger and better known, I'm partial to eating at the shabby little sister restaurant, Sister Sorel and its candlelit bar.

What you see below are three tacos: lamb and yogurt; mushroom, cheese and poblano peppers; and finally fish and mango tacos. In addition, I ordered a delicious side of guacamole (paid extra for that bit) and my favorite redneck beer, PBR.

Dan Savage 5-word acceptance speech at the Webby's

Dan Savage wins Special Achievement award at the Webby's. His acceptance speech is 5-words only. Savage is a master communicator, you won't believe what he says.

By the way Dan, I 100% agree with you.

Thanks to JoeMyGod for the tip.

The real reason gay men don't get fat

Have you read the book, Gay Men Don't Get Fat? Its modeled after the successful (and cheeky) book, French Women Don't Get Fat.

According to the article in Gawker, "There is only one thing that keeps gay men in shape: fear. Yes, every gay—at least those of the stereotypical abdominal-obsessed physique that populates Fire Island and Palm Springs—is brought about because gay men are afraid that they will be alone for the rest of their lives."

I'm definitely prone to obsess about my weight and definitely have a far more intimate relationship with my gym (a.k.a. The Gay Temple) than any of my straight / heterosexual friends, but am I a walking cliche? What do you think? You can read the full article on Gawker, here.

UPDATE A reader pointed out that back in April I wrote a post called Is it vanity or health? The brief post was a question to readers who work out; what was their motivation. (Thanks for the reminder Mike.)

Thanks to Andy for pointing me to the article.

BosGuy's eggplant parmesan

Thanks to my mother's wise parenting skills, I'm very self sufficient and even somewhat adept in the kitchen despite the fact that I cook rarely. Although my mother's eggplant parmesan is superior, I've been able to replicate a tasty version that I feel proud to call my own so I thought I'd share.

The Prep: When I buy an eggplant I try to select one that is firm (not hard) and has no visible scrapes or bruises. One eggplant will make a tray and serve four people. The first step is to rinse the vegetable then I slice and discard the top and bottom. Make the slices approx 1/4" thick (or 1 cm). Salt both sides of the eggplant and let it sit for 10 minutes. At this point I usually pour a glass of wine and pull out the other ingredients which include: 1 egg, flour, bread crumbs, grated hard Italian cheese (whatever your preference), salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, shredded mozzarella and tomato sauce.
The Messy Part: After 10 minutes the eggplant will look like it is sweating. With a wet paper towel wipe off the liquid and excess salt. This makes the eggplant softer and less bitter. I dip each eggplant patty into the flour first (wiping any excess flour off), then quickly into the plate with one egg followed by the third plate which is 3parts bread crumbs / 1 part cheese (the grated hard cheese; not the mozzarella) with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning (the seasoning is subjective so use to your liking). Put the breaded eggplant into a skillet with olive oil on high heat and cook for 1-2minutes on each side; then put in your baking tray (add a bit of sauce first and then some over each patty along with shredded mozzarella). When done it should look like the picture below. The Easy Part:Bake your tray of eggplant uncovered for 30minutes (longer if the slices are thicker) at 350 F / 180 C. I use the time to tidy up and put a pot on to boil water so I can make pasta and check up on my red sauce. When you pull the tray of eggplant out of the oven it should look like the photo below (hopefully). Which means your dinner plate can look like this (all in about 45 minutes) and for less than a couple dollars per person.