Monthly Archives

February 2007

RESTAURANTS

Beacon Hill Bistro: Classic Breakfast With Reasonable Prices

Fresh off the Boston Common and onto the uneven brick sidewalks of Charles St., the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is one of the first stops in this charming neighborhood.  Ranked as one of the top brunch spots in Boston, the Beacon Hill Bistro offers a fresh breakfast in a bright, cozy atmosphere.

Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro by Whiffen V. from Yelp

Decor inside the Beacon Hill Bistro is simple, with tables lining the long and narrow space.  Light fills into the restaurant from large windows, accentuated by white walls, and simple tables.  While tables are almost on top of one another, diners enjoy a relatively private meal, but still have a chance to scope out dishes from surrounding tables.

The bunch menu is french-inspired and features yogurt and house-made muesli, a variety of egg dishes, lunch staples, with something for the entire family.  Recommended dishes include the fresh salads, the massive roasted mushroom omelet with comte cheese, and grilled chicken sandwich with pesto.  For those with a serious sweet tooth, dig into the decadent vanilla pancakes with caramelized bananas, which recieved gasps from the large party next to us because it was the item many wanted to order, but deemed too rich.

Also available are great cappuccinos, and luscious cocktails- try the classic bellini, or blood red cosmo- at $10 they cost as much as most dishes on the brunch menu!

Beacon Hill Bistro, 25 Charles St

http://www.beaconhillhotel.com/bistro.html

NIGHTLIFE

Valentine’s Day and The Single Bostonian

Adult Valentine's Day Heart by Jessica Gioglio

Single and Fabulous Bostonians can take solace in the fact that Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year- thus not interfering with the coveted “Thirsty Thursday,” or weekend party/dining scene.

In hopes of helping single Bostonians celebrate in style, I have compiled a few fun things the city offers.  I supposed attached Bostonians could also use these tips too…but let it be known that I am really looking out for my fellow singletons!

Celebrate Your Sweet Tooth: Ditch the conventional heart shaped box of chocolates from CVS and splurge on innovative truffles from Beacon Hill Chocolates.  Offering a spicy Cinnamon Heart and relaxing Chai Latte heart shaped truffles, these chocolates look sinfully good.  www.beaconhillchocolates.com

If cupackes are more your thing, head out to Party Favors in Brookline.  Indulge in deliciously adorable cupcakes spoiled Bostonians have been scarfing down for ages.  www.partyfavorsbrookline.com

Spread the Love: For those in search of the perfect Valentine’s Day card, go to Papersource, which has an incredible selection of cards, giftwrap, craft supplies, and other Valentine’s Day inspired gifts.  www.paper-source.com

In search of a cheesy Valentine?  Swing by Target, and grab the Grey’s Anatomy Valentine’s Day cards.  Organized in a box of 8 Valentines with 4 designs (2 of each), my personal favorite is “This Valentine’s Day, Keep the McDream Alive.”  At $5, they are a steal.

Drown Your Sorrows: Obviously there is nothing like immersing yourself in Trader Joe’s 2 Buck Chuck, but for those with classier self-medication tastes, here are a few fun Valentine’s Day drink recipes:

Chocotini:1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka, 1 oz White Creme de Cacao, coat rim of the martini glass with chocolate syrup, shake with ice and strain.

Strawberry Kiss: 1 oz Tequila Rose, 1/2 oz Light Rum, 1 oz Chocolate Liqueur, 1 oz Half & Half

Look for Love in All the Right Places: For those who want to dance the night away, here are a few clubs hosting Valentine’s Day parties:

Mansion Flirt Fest: http://www.bostoneventguide.com/flirtfest.htm

Felt “I Hate My Ex” Party: http://feltclubboston.com

Rumor “Truth of Dare” Party: http://boston.heyletsgo.com/invite-879

BOSTON, RECIPES, RESTAURANTS

Boston Restaurant Week 2007

Place Setting by Alana Elliott from Flickr

Ladies and gentlemen, round up your friends, and get ready to taste some of the best food our city has to offer during the Boston Winter Restaurant Week!  From March 4-9, 2007, choose from 89 local restaurants- either lunch or dinner- for relatively inexpensive prices: Lunch prices are $20.07, and dinner $33.07 for a three-course pre fixe meal.

SavvyBostonian Tip: Call early to make sure you get in to your first choice!

Here are a few websites to browse/signup at!

http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=7&pid=90

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/

FASHION

Fashion Update: Wrentham Outlets

About forty minutes outside of Boston, Wrentham is a great day trip to take every few months.  Recently, I stopped in to search for a few last-minute winter purchases before the outlets go full-throttle into spring apparel.

Looking for black pointy-toed boots, I scored a great mid-calf pair at Nine West for $35!  They also had knee-high ones for $50 (about a 2 inch heel).  Off Sak’s had tons of Joe’s jeans, Theory had great basics on sale, and J.Crew made me want to jump headfirst into spring with it’s cheerful, preppy selections.

Quite possibly the most impressive of the day was the Coach outlet.  There were so many high-quality leather bags in great colors from tan, black, white, periwinkle blue, and sage green.  Similarly colored wristlets were super cheap, and passport holders, CD cases, mini travel pill cases, were all on sale (and make great gifts).

Outlets to skip included the GAP, Banana Replublic, Bebe and Arden B- they definitely need a refresher!

SavvyBostonian Tips:

  • Sign up for Wrentham’s VIP club online before you go!  It’s free, and you can print up a voucher for a discount book to redeem at the office when you arrive (next to food court, near off Sak’s/Barney’s end).
  • Grab your java fix at Dunkin Donuts on the way in- the coffee inside the outlets is not good!
  • As far as I know, bathrooms are on opposite ends- so is the best parking.
  • Get there early to avoid large crowds.

Wrentham Village Premium Outlets: 1 Premium Outlet Blvd, Wrentham, MA

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=10

NIGHTLIFE, RESTAURANTS

Sanctuary: More Than A Great Nightlife Spot

Sanctuary Bar by vsmoothe from Flickr

Flaunting the question- Heaven, Hell or Purgatory, Sanctuary is one of my favorite nightlife destinations in Boston due to its sophisticated atmosphere and killer martinis.

Situated on State Street just around the corner from Faneuil Hall, I recently discovered that Sanctuary also offers a stylish venue for a sex & the city inspired birthday dinner.   With entrees ranging from $9-$21, my group of girlfriends was thrilled to splurge on specialty martinis and a deliciously inexpensive dinner.

Ironically, the majority of our table chowed down on cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and the turkey breast “buddah roll.”  However, for those with a more gourmet palate, Sanctuary offers entrees like an apple cranberry salad with goat cheese, ahi tuna tacos, pan seared salmon, and sirloin au poivre.

When it came to martinis, I think my group of girlfriends ordered the entire menu!  Ones to try include the creamy Lusty Latte, sweet Wild Orchid, and my personal favorite tequila infused Satan’s Vice.  Ranging from $10-12, they are not cheap, but are a good size even though none of us got the special garnishes!

Savvy Bostonian Tip:

  • Go By 8PM: When I arrived at 7PM, the restaurant was half full, but if you want one of the cosy round leather booths in Purgatory, make a reservation.  For larger groups, they will seat you upstairs in Heaven, which was awesome for my group because we had the level all to ourselves until the bar started to fill up at 9PM.

Overall, Sanctuary was a great start to a wild night of dancing with the girls!  I was personally surprised that it was not more packed for dinner, but know that once more people discover what a great value it is, we will all be fighting to get in.  Maybe I shouldn’t share such great secrets with the masses!

Sanctuary, 189 State Street, Boston

http://www.sanctuaryboston.com/menus.asp?id=y#appetizers