Guerrilla Queer Bar and First Friday options for you

No plans this weekend or looking to try something different? The first Friday of each month Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar overtakes a traditionally straight bar and fills it with gay men. Since the Boston bar scene can sometimes seem somewhat restricting, Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar gives Boston gay men and women the opportunity to break out of their routine. Curious which bar will be overtaken on Friday? Check in on the group's facebook page or its website, www.BostonGuerrilla.com

Is the bar scene not really your thing? Looking for something to do that won't break the bank? More of the Artsy-Fartsy variety? Then come over to my neighborhood in Boston's South End and join the thousands of others who will participate in First Friday. This event which runs from 5:00pm - 9:00pm at 450 Harrison Avenue allows you to walk through the many, many working art studios, view art and artisan crafts and chat with the artists. Its a great way to mingle and meet people and after you are done, there are literally a half dozen or more excellent restaurant options within 2-3 blocks to either grab dinner or enjoy some light bites while sipping your favorite beverage. Friday's forecast is low-to-mid 70s and clear skies so it should be a beautiful night to stroll about.

Shhh... new Italian restaurant to open in South End

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.

SoWa Open Market

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.

Addo Novo comes to the South End

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

Restaurant Review: Union Bar and Grille

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.

Weekend fun in Boston

Despite the rains and wind forecast this weekend, the Boston Book Festival will be in full swing on Saturday. If you've never been to this festival - you should really check it out.

Authors like Dennis Lehane - author of best sellers like Shutter Island and Mystic River, Pulitzer Prize winning non-fiction author, Stacy Schiff and Joyce Carol Oates are among a long list of distinguished and accomplished authors and poets who will be present. For more information check out the link above or you can go to the BBF blog.


If food is more your thing then come over to my neighborhood and attend the Boston LobsterParty. Unlike the BBF, this will cost to get in, but you can easily purchase tickets online here, and all the proceeds go to the very deserving Community Servings charity, which brings warm nutritious meals to those suffering from critical and chronic illness and diseases like AIDS.

How can you go wrong with chefs from all around Boston sharing different dishes with lobster and plenty of beer available to wash the tastey crustacean down. Event details: Saturday from 2:00 - 4:30pm at The Trolley Barn. 540 Harrison Ave., Boston.

Rocca's new menu disappoints

Rocca Boston is a neighborhood favorite, Italian restaurant that opened in the SoWa district of the South End several years ago.  Recently, a few weeks ago actually, Rocca which recently changed chefs also changed their menu; perennial favorites and signature dishes from the previous chef are now gone.

This evening I returned for the first time since the menu change, and I can not adequately express my disappointment.  Most of the options on the new menu were either unappealing or not what I would want to eat at an Italian restaurant (i.e. Pollo Brasato: apple and warm watermelon turnip puree w/ charred cauliflower).  However, of greater concern was the fact that nothing was appealing enough that I would want to try it again.  Everything from the rustic bread which they brought to the table (which is impossibly hard to break apart by the way) to the starters we ordered and shared to our individual main course meals left me wanting more - much more.

Hopefully the new chef, Tiffani Faison, will find her stride and seriously reconsider the menu she's pulled together.  I wish Rocca much success - its a well run, beautiful restaurant with a great lounge and patio, but for me Rocca's new menu disappoints.

Spring 2010 SoWa Art Walk

The weather this weekend in Boston was beautiful, drawing thousands to my neighborhood to check out the SoWa Art Walk.  I snapped a few photographs while I was walking around today and put them into an online photo album. 

Free stuff to do in Boston this weekend

Boston has vibrant downtown neighborhoods that come to life on each weekend during the warmer months when you can venture outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  Thus far, the weather in 2010 has been less of a nemesis and more of a friend.  This weekend Friday looks to be rainy, but Saturday and Sunday should be in the low 70s with plenty of sun; making it ideal for people who want to partake in the SoWa Art Walk.
Held each spring, this event draws thousands of people into the neighborhood to come and see the 200+ artists who exhibit their work. Studios will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 11am - 6pm.  Need directions on how to get here or want to look at a map to see where the studios are located - link here.

If the art walk is not your thing, pay a visit to Boston's most famous brewery, Sam Adams. Their summer brew is now on tap everywhere in the city, but you can sample it for free and see how it is made in their brewery in JP.  It is fairly close to the Orange Line Stony Brook T stop, and you can drive and park for free on the weekends.  The tour is free but a small donation is asked at the very beginning; proceeds go to a local charity.  For more information about weekend hours call ahead, (617) 368-5080.

Free stuff to do in Boston this weekend

Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar:

The first Friday of each month this group randomly takes over a traditionally straight bar and call it their own. Lines can get long with some nights drawing hundreds of guys. This Friday BGQB will be at Sanctuary in downtown Boston.

First Friday - SoWa Artist Guild
If the bar scene is not your thing, Friday, May 7th is the first Friday of the month which means the South End's many artist galleries at 450 Harrison Avenue will be open to the public. Parking is plentiful and you can spend a couple of hours looking through some very unique galleries. If you get thirsty after all that walking there are several lounges and restaurants just steps away (sorry those are not free). This is a bit of a precursor to the SoWa Art Walk which will occur on Saturday and Sunday May 15 & 16 from 11:00am to 6:00pm, but I'll write more about that next week.

Fort Point Channel open studios
Continuing with the 'art' theme, on Saturday and Sunday, the Fort Point Channel neighborhood which in many ways has become the 'new' South End is having their own art walk which will include 50+ artists and artisians. For those coming in from outside the city, there is free parking across from 249 A Street.  Fort Point open studios is from 4-7pm on Saturday and from 12-5pm on Sunday.  Visit, http://www.fortpointarts.org/ for more details.

Dusk in Boston

The weather in Boston has been beautiful.  Days have been sunny with temperatures in the low 80s and high 70s making it feel more summer-like than spring.  Dusk on Tuesday in Boston was absolutely gorgeous.

Unfortunately, I was slow to pick up my camera but I was able snap a few shots including this photograph of a fading rainbow.

The Beer & Bacon Festival and Slowfest hit the South End in Boston

Today is the 2010 Boston Beer & Bacon Festival.  The celebration is going on right now at the historic Power Station across the street from my home. The charity event, which will raise money for several neighborhood non-profits combines bacon themed dishes from area restaurants with local beers from New England's best breweries. I can hear the music from the bands playing as I type this entry and if the food is as good as the music - I'm sure it was worth the price of entry.  I snapped a few photos of people lining up earlier today, which you can check out below. 

Just a few blocks away on Tremont Street there is a similar event called Slowfest happening at the BCA.  Slowfest is a two day festival celebrating session beers from over 30 breweries and food samplings from local New England producers. Sound similar? I think so too, but I suppose you could always check out the Beer& Bacon Festival today then work your way over to Slowfest tomorrow since it is a two day event. However, I believe both events have actually sold out.  If you've attended either program or know someone who has - let me know what you thought of the event.

Out Magazine features Boston n'hood: SoWa

Imagine my surprise when I was thumbing through the May 2010 issue of Out Magazine and on page 36 I see my neighborhood, SoWa featured.  The title, "When in...SoWa: The new gay Boston thrives just south of the south end".  The brief article makes reference to the "red brick warehouses", lofts and apartments that have transformed the derelict district into a hip home.

Harrison Ave and Washington Street are referenced as are some of the restaurants in the n'hood, Stella, Rocca and Gaslight. Thanks to Raphael Kadushin and the editors at Out Magazine for the welcome surprise. I have to agree with them that this is the place to be.

Free stuff to do in Boston this weekend

Friday, February 5th is the first Friday of the month which means the South End's many artist galleries at 450 Harrison Avenue will be open to the public. Parking is plentiful and you can spend a couple of hours looking through some very unique galleries.  If you get thirsty after all that walking there are several lounges and restaurants just steps away (sorry those are not free). 

On Saturday and Sunday right next to 450 Harrison Avenue on Thayer Street, sixty designers, artists and artisans are attending the 1st Annual Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show. According to the website, cabinfevershow.com, you can choose from all sorts of gift items.  The show is put on by the people who run the South End's SoWa Open market.  I'm thinking of stopping by - they have asked that everyone pay $2 admission - which is nearly free (esp. when you consider parking is free). If you happen to be unfamiliar with the South End check out their website which provides directions.

Hollywood back in the n'hood

Tom Cruise flick, "Wichita", continues to film in the neighborhood and the parking lot across the street from my condo is filled with trailers again (although Tom's super-deluxe black trailer bus is noticably absent).  Should I happen to see the movie star or Cameron Diaz - the leading lady - I'll be sure to comment or post a tweet on my twitter account, twitter.com/BosGuy.

Open Studios this weekend in the South End

This weekend was Open Studios. This event happens twice a year (once in May and September) and draws more than 250 local artists (many of whom live here in the South End).  Thanks in part to the gorgeous weather, it appears as if the artists may have profited handsomely.  The streets in the South End and specifically SoWa had heavy foot traffic all day long on Saturday and Sunday, and I saw many people carring objects d'art with them as they were leaving the neighborhood.

Many of the artists who show during the Open Studios live in the South End and welcome you into their studios (which sometimes double as their homes).  While I have a few personal favorites, I'm always impressed by the number of participating artists who make their living from their craft and the variety of mediums artists use to express their creativity. 

If you did not get a chance to come into town to walk the streets, talk to the artists and enjoy the beautiful weather, I'm sorry for you because it really was a wonderful way to spend time. I wish I'd thought to write about this event earlier in the week and had the forethought to bring my camera when I walked around the neighborhood earlier today. 

View of SoWa Open Market and Antique Market during Open Studios

Bye bye banQ -- hello Ginger Park

photograph by: John Horner

The blog, Boston Restaurant Talk posted a write up from The Boston Globe mentioning that banQ, an upscale Asian-influenced restaurant on Washington Street in the South End, is going to be renamed, Ginger Park.

The Globe's article mentions that Ginger Park will be a reasonably-priced restaurant featuring Asian food (with an emphasis on Chinese cuisine).  I wonder what "reasonably-priced" means?

Sunday, May 31st

Although I was still convalescing and did not step outside yesterday, I could see that the weather was absolutely beautiful. However, early in the evening there was a brief shower and after the rain subsided the sun broke through the clouds again. Looking out my window, I could clearly see a large rainbow just off the horizon. I wish this picture could do the rainbow justice but it seems to lack the ethereal glow and brilliance of color that was present. The rainbow lasted for nearly a half hour and was a beautiful cap to what appeared to be a gorgeous day.

SoWa Open Market returns

This weekend the SoWa Open Market in the South End returns. The market opens this Saturday and Sunday and will run every Sunday through October 25th from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

This year the market has expanded significantly. An antiques market will be held behind the traditional artisan and crafts market in the former transportation building, which I featured in a former Flashback Friday entry.

Two blocks up Harrison Avenue is an expanded farmer's market that will also draw visitors to the newly remodeled store fronts along Thayer Street, which include galleries and shops like Mohr & McPherson. No doubt this has contributed to Rocca's decision to start hosting brunches again during the Open Market. If you have the chance, stop by and check it out.

Rollins Square

Rollins Square is located between Washington Street and Harrison Ave in the heart of SoWa (South of Washington). This area of the South End more than any other has flourished in recent years as previously vacant buildings and empty parking lots have been transformed by developers in partnership with the city of Boston.

Rollins Square was the first apartment complex in the neighborhood built with public access to green space. The open courtyard is meticulously maintained and since opening in 2003 the trees have flourished. In a few more weeks flowers will also be added to the courtyard adding more color and fragarance. I thought I would share these pictures to show off how beautiful this space is right now.

Facing 2 Rollins building

Facing 519 Harrison building

Facing Town Houses

Facing Washington Street

Facing Harrison Avenue