On this short post I have to start out by saying that I am not one of the those girls who is crazy about sports, but living in New England makes it a little hard to resist turning into one. Boston happens to be a very lucky city, not just because we have amazing teams, but also because the majority of them play directly in the city (besides our beloved Pats), which can make it easy to make a day out of it, on a whim.
Itinerary:
Morning: Brunch @ Enoteca Bin 26 and Charles street shopping
Afternoon: Bruins game
Evening: Dinner @ Felcaro’s
Morning:
This past weekend I wanted to take one of my favorite little buddies out to a hockey game, so my entire day was set around it, plus a 8 year old’s desires, that I would not dare to deny.
We could have easily stayed in the West End for all of Saturday but we decided to head towards Beacon Hill with its adorable Charles Street shops and restaurants.
We started our morning late, so for brunch we went to one of my favorite little restaurants on Charles street, Enoteca Bin 26.
I would say this is a hidden gem because it doesn’t usually come up on restaurant searches and I have not seen them advertised anywhere. Their food is amazing and the wine list is equally satisfying, and made better by the fact that they have different size pours (100ml, 250ml, 500ml & 750ml). But since it’s brunch and I had a long day ahead of me, I went with the very delicious mimosa.
For my meal I invariably end up with the same thing, because you absolutely cannot go wrong with duck hash. That is not to say I haven’t tried a number of their other dishes, all equally delicious, like the pappardelle bolognese and the risotto with duck confit.
After brunch we casually strolled down Charles Street, away from the Park and towards MGH. There are many cute shops. Although on this occasion we only had time for a couple of quick ones (Artifaktori and Flat of the Hill), there are many boutiques with unique clothes and jewelry. Beacon Hill is one of the oldest areas in the city and a great neighborhood for spring and fall walks, taking pictures, looking at houses…
Afternoon:
Since we needed to make a 1PM game we didn’t have time for much else, so we headed towards the Garden, which is somewhere between the North and West end. It is the proud home of the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics, as well as a huge concert and show venue that hosts anything from Disney on Ice to Justin Timberlake to Monster trucks and WWE.
Hanging out with a child made for a different experience than I would have otherwise had. For example, at the game, I didn’t drink a single alcoholic beverage (I know, impressive) and spent all the breaks going to different floors looking for a place where he could get his face painted, and then spending the rest of the time looking for Dunkin Donuts munchkins, which surprisingly were no where to be found.
The game was great and exciting, the Bruins won 5-1, so we kept on with our happy relaxing day.
Evening:
A child also changes the ways you pick places to hang out. I really like to enjoy a nice dinner and glass of wine on Saturdays, but this time around we just ended up at Felcaro’s for slices of pizza.
I actually really love their pizza, but don’t think I have ever been there in the evening, as this is a prime spot for neighborhood “kids” to grab a late night bite after the bars. Felcaro’s is conveniently located diagonally across from the Liberty Hotel and around the corner from a favorite dive, the Beacon Hill Pub.
But this was not that type of a Saturday…
Mihaela: I’m a free spirited female originally from Romania but officially an American as of last year. I love Boston, despite my lack of appreciation for cold weather. I find my health through great good and drinks in the company of great friends. Boston is the kind of city that suits any mood, whether you are a foodie or a dive bar aficionado. Boston has it all and I enjoy it all.
Boston, Party of 6 