Boston Ballet Season 2011-2012

Last week I wrote about how many fantastic local theater companies there are in Boston in my post, 2011-12 season for local Boston theater companies. This week I wanted to encourage people to consider visiting and supporting the Boston Ballet. Many may not realize this but the Boston Ballet is considered one of the major ballet companies in North America and among the top companies in the world.

Ballet can sometimes be a tough sell for people unfamiliar with it, but it is an amazing dance form that beautifully blends athleticism and art. The Boston Ballet's 2011-2012 season starts in just a few weeks with Romeo & Juliet (Nov. 3-13), followed by The Nutcracker (Nov. 25 - Dec 31).

To see their full season or to purchase tickets visit their website www.bostonballet.org.

Boston bike program "Hubway" is a success

More than 2,300 subscribers have joined Boston's bike sharing program called The Hubway combining for 36,600+ station-to-station trips in its first month according to an article in the Sunday Boston Globe.

Analysts say that within 3 months, the system could see 100,000+ station-to-station trips making it one of the most successful bike sharing programs in the country. By contrast similar programs of similar size in Denver and Minneapolis took 7.5 and 6 months respectively to reach the 100,000 trips milestone.

I will admit that its hard for me to go anywhere without seeing a number of people on these bicycles in the downtown neighborhoods. I hope that its popularity continues to grow, because I think its a fantastic concept. If they open a few more bike stations near my apartment I may opt to get rid of my aging bike and join the Hubway as well.

If you find yourself coming to Boston for a visit or a day trip, you may want to consider leveraging the Hubway as a less stressful and certainly more economical choice for getting around. With daily rates for $5 and 3-day memberships for $12 you are hard pressed to find a cheaper / better alternative.

2011-2012 season for local Boston theater companies

In September many of Boston's local theater companies begin their 2011-2012 season. Many of these companies provide a more intimate setting than their counterparts in Boston's theater district; and prices for shows are certainly more affordable. Here are a few local theater companies I hope you'll consider supporting.

American Reportory Theater (A.R.T.) is technically in Cambridge and affiliated with Harvard University, but I'd be remiss not to include it. The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is currently playing and received strong reviews. I've yet to see The Donkey Show in their Oberon theater, which is based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream and has performances every Saturday. To see the full 2011-2012 performance calendar or to purchase tickets, visit their website at, www.americanrepertorytheater.org.

Company One is a resident theater company that shares space at the Boston Center for the Arts and is known for embracing innovative and socially provocative performances. Their 13th season will begin in October with In the Red and Brown Water. You can see the rest of their 2011-2012 line up or purchase tickets on their website, www.companyone.org.

Huntington Theatre in residence at Boston University with theater space on Huntington Avenue as well as in the South End at the Calderwood Pavilion has been providing Boston with excellent options to shows in the Theater District. A few years back I was able to see Nathan Lane perform in a production of Butley. Their 2011-2012 season starts in two weeks with Candide. More information about tickets is available on their website, www.huntingtontheatre.org.

Lyric Stage Company of Boston consistently has high quality performances. Last spring their production of Blithe Spirit was one of my favorites. Like many of the smaller theater company's there is not a bad seat in the house so to speak. Their season starts this weekend with Big River. Other notable shows included in their 2011-2012 season include Ain't Misbehavin' and Avenue Q. You can read more and purchase tickets from their website, lyricstage.com.

SpeakEasy Stage is a well-respected local theater company now entering it's 20th season. I have probably seen more productions from the SpeakEasy Stage than any other local theater company. Their 2011 season starts in just a couple weeks with Next Fall a Tony nominee for best play, but I'm intrigued to see their production of Xanadu later in the season. To see the complete line up for their 2011-2012 season and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows at www.speakeasystage.com.

Support Boston's local theater scene and reserve a couple of tickets to a show this September. I promise, you will enjoy yourself.

Dinner w/ Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci

Last week I was invited to join my friend at 40-something life blog for a dinner with Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci and France Posener, the winery's East Coast Sales representative at one of Boston's premiere restaurants, L'Espalier. I loved the Summer Degustation which we ordered. It included 4 savory courses, followed by their grand fromage, signature sorbet and dessert. All told the 6 plates each accompanied by a different wine took us approximately 5 hours to eat - if you'd like to read in more detail what we ate, please link to my friend Tracey's blog, here.However, I would like to write a bit about the dining experience, starting with the exceptional service and attention we received due to Michael Silacci's presence. The chef and proprietor of L'Espalier, Frank McClelland came over to meet us personally and chatted briefly with France and Michael. After seeing so many raging chefs on these quasi-reality cooking shows, chef McClelland's calm, polite demeanor was a welcome dose of reality. We were also well tended by the sommelier, Erich Schliebe, who poured a new wine with each course and freely joined in our ongoing dinner repartee. Lastly, the restaurant's Captain, Daniel Floyd, provided us with the most attentive service I can recall in recent memory. I know this was all for the benefit of the well respected winemaker to my right, but I enjoyed being privy to the opportunity.

One of the reasons Michael Silacci and France Posener were in Boston was to premier the Opus One 2008 vintage. It was pretty cool to be among the first to try this new vintage. They brought a bottle of the award winning 2007 and the new 2008 and poured both for us to try side-by-side. The picture to the left is of last year's vintage.

Between courses and wine, conversation flowed easily from start to finish. Michael is quite interesting and is equally comfortable talking about subject matter completely unrelated to his areas of interest or expertise. He is an attentive listener and has a dry wit. One of the things I really enjoyed learning about my dinner companion is that he's allergic to chocolate - it causes him to sneeze. He joked the better the chocolate the more he sneezes. I was able to witness the reaction first hand when dessert was served and it caused all of us to laugh (again).

Dinner was filled with both personal stories from each of us as well as some interesting insights into the Opus One winery. I started my dinner not knowing the two guests who were treating my friend and me to this decadent dinner but left with a deeper appreciation for the work and attention they bring to their wines as well as some interesting insights into what makes them tick.

Should you be interested in visiting the beautiful Opus One estate and winery, make a reservation today here.

Mass Brewers Fest 2011: Friday, Sept 2nd

Are you a beer lover? Will you be in Boston this weekend? You may want to consider checking out the Mass Brewers Fest over in the Seaport district on Friday, September 2nd from 6-9:30pm.

With more than 80 beers from nearly 2-dozen Massachusetts breweries this provides beer lovers an unique opportunity to try tough to find and new brews from companies like Clown Shoes, Mayflower Brewing, Wormtown Brewery and Gardner Ale House as well as from well known and respected breweries like Harpoon and The Boston Beer Company.

For more information about this event and to buy tickets link here.

Moving day in Boston

I was once told that 1 out of every 4 apartment leases in Boston starts on September 1st. This may or may not be true, but what is true is most of Boston and it's surrounding suburbs will be in gridlock starting today and much of the day on September 1st as tens of thousands move into their new apartments.

The large number of September 1st rentals is a result of the college population moving back to Boston and getting ready to start the new academic year. I cannot think of another large metropolitan area that is so significantly influenced by the local college population. Within the metropolitan area there are more than 100 colleges and universities, and according to Wikipedia there are more than 250,000 college students in Boston and Cambridge alone. If that figure is correct then that means college students comprise more than 35% of the population.
Despite the fact that parking will soon become near impossible with tens of thousands of college students (many for the first time) moving into Boston, I look forward to their return. The soul of Boston is tied to the students who come here and make it their home (at least for awhile). Its partly why Boston remains one of the youngest cities in the US despite the Northeast having one of the oldest populations. The students and those who stay after graduating shape and influence this city as much today as the immigrants who are a part of this city's history or the large employers who have helped draw people here with good jobs.

Boston Trivia: name the college / university shown in the 2nd photo

Après Irene

Work on Monday kept me busier than anticipated and I did not have a chance to get to the gym so last night I went for a walk through the neighborhood as an excuse to get outside. Boston was largely spared from significant damage resulting from hurricane / tropical storm Irene.

Of course there was some flooding, random branches and trees that were toppled from Irene. A large tree near the corner of Union Park and Shawmut Ave came crashing down on a car during the storm and yesterday crews removed the felled tree. All that remains is this stump and the mangled walk way

We were lucky that damage was so minimal here. My thoughts are with those who weren't as fortunate.

New cafe to open in Boston: Bourbon Coffee

Coffee lovers rejoice! A small, new coffee chain named bourbon coffee is rumored to be opening their third location in Boston very soon. Bourbon coffee currently has two locations in the US: Washington D.C. cafe @ 2101 L Street NW and New York City cafe @43 W 14th Street.

On my recent trip to NYC, I stepped in the coffee shop in the Village for breakfast. I liked it so much I snagged a card and chatted briefly with the helpful manager who indicated Boston was the next market they would be opening a coffee shop and the company's website confirms this.

About bourbon coffee:
Bourbon coffee is an international brand of specialty coffee and the first retail brand to originate from Africa. Our retail brand is built around the philosophy of producing great coffee from "crop to cup." By building the brand in this manner we are able to directly impact the value equation for coffee farmers in Africa.

Boston Sports Bars

Some of Boston's best sports bars are located just outside Fenway Park and over by the Boston Garden. For many people who cannot get tickets to a game, heading to one of the bars there is the next best thing. However, Boston is a great sports town with a long and proud history of supporting their local professional and college sporting teams. As a result there is no need to head down to Fenway Park or the Boston Garden. Nearly every neighborhood has a handful of excellent sports bars to check out. Here are some of my favorite places.

BackBay: Champions is located just outside of Copley Square in the Marriott Copley and it includes a 12' x 24' plasma screen that is pretty awesome. If you haven't visited this place since their renovation - come back. It's in a great location and affords great views from anywhere you sit as well as a huge bar. You can follow them on twitter at ChampionsBoston.

Fenway / Kenmore: Cask'n Flagon may be the most famous of all Boston's sports bars. It's location just outside Fenway Park is second to none and since its renovations a few years ago, it is far easier and more comfortable to watch a game. You can follow them on twitter at thecasknflagon.

North End / West End: The Fours is nestled between the North End and West End across from the Boston Garden. Despite having multiple locations outside the city, the best remains the original if only because its a stone throw from the Garden.

Seaport / Fort Point Channel: Jerry Remy's at Liberty Wharf this place is relatively new and is already a favorite. Situated between the Fish Pier and Harbor Lights, this bar also sports an excellent view of Boston harbor. I far prefer this location to the original just outside Fenway Park. You can also follow them on Twitter here, JerryRemysGrill.

South End: Fritz is first and foremost a neighborhood bar that also happens to be a sports bar. With trophies showing their support for neighborhood sporting leagues and TVs everywhere you can always watch whatever game is of interest to you. Located in the South End, patrons are nearly all gay.

Southie: Stadium Sports Bar is just a few blocks from Andrew T stop along the Dorchester border. It has a second location down in Foxwoods which may be why many people think it sounds familiar. The Boston location has multiple oversized screens and plasma TVs everywhere you look. You can follow this location on twitter at StadiumSBoston.

Just in case someone thinks I forgot about Beacon Hill or Charlestown, I couldn't think of a single place to watch a game. It has been awhile since I've spent much time there. Any suggestions?

What are some of your favorite places in Boston or where you live to watch games? Have any others to suggest or are you thinking, "Hey BosGuy... I never watch these games. I'm far more preoccupied with my drink order."

Zipcar: Low-Car Diet Update

Red Bull Cliff Diving comes to Boston

Perhaps Red Bull really does give you wings...

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series came to Boston on Saturday, August 20th. The tour had made stops in Chile, Mexico, Greece, France and Italy before coming to Boston. The final stop on the Red Bull tour is in Yalta, Ukraine next month, but today Boston was all about diving.

One thing I absolutely love about Boston is that this town embraces sports of all kinds and this extreme sport which had some of the world's best cliff divers jumping from over 90 feet (nearly 30 meters) attracted a HUGE crowd today in the Seaport District. To add to the drama, divers used the cantilever roof of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) building on Fan Pier.

Zipcar Low-Car Diet Update

My favorite bars in Boston's South End

Here are a few of my favorite South End bars. Although this is not an exhaustive list (nor is it in any particular order), should you find yourself in my neighborhood on any given evening, there is a strong likelihood you'd find me at one of these fine establishments.

Sister Sorel This tiny shoebox of a bar is equal parts shabby and gabby. People congregating around the tiny bar and tapered candles and easily strike up conversation. The drinks here are great and the bar staff is very friendly. You can follow Sister Sorel on twitter thru the head chef and own at twitter.com/AndyHusbands.

Fritz This is the only gay bar on my list, although all these places draw a very mixed crowd. This sports bar is perfect for watching a game or just enjoying some afternoon drinks since it is one of the few places I've included that has large windows open to the street. I love their bloody mary's on the weekends; otherwise I stick to beer at Fritz. You can "like" them on FB here.

28 Degrees Named after the ideal temperature to serve a martini this is one of the neighborhood's premiere lounges. I have to say, I'm not a fan of their olives (I've never actually met an olive I didn't like til 28 degrees), but I love everything else about the place. If its nice out, grab some cocktails and nibble on apps on their comfy patio. Follow on twitter at, 28degreesBoston.

Noche I prefer to go on Thursday nights when many guys from the n'hood are likely to stop by. Andy is the very friendly bar tender and he makes a mean dirty martini. I know that my friend Sean disapproves of the stemware, but I overlook it for the company and Plymouth Gin they pour so freely. They too are on twitter at, NocheBoston.

Stella Just down Washington Street, this restaurant always attracts a crowd. I'm partial to the bar at the back of the restaurant which is open on weekends. Stella is great if you have a melange of drinkers; beer lovers, wine connoisseurs and cocktail aficionados can all drink in harmony here. You can "like" them on FB here.

Franklin Cafe Dimly lit and often times loud, I grabbed dinner at this neighborhood mainstay for the first time in over a year and got to chatting with the extremely handsome bartender, Scott, who only works on Wednesdays. Considering I'm now planning to make this a somewhat regular pit stop (yeah - I'm that shallow), I wanted to be sure to include them on my list of places. Active on twitter, you can follow them at, FranklinCafe.

South End neighborhood bars I still miss (may they R.I.P.)
Pho Republique - I still wimper at the loss of this funky enclave and wish it would return.
Rocca - In the end your menu drove me away, but your lounge was simply the best the South End had to offer and I miss my after work cocktails and your hip-n-handsome staff.
The Waltham Tavern - I'm joking... just curious if any locals bothered to read the entire post!

Free stuff to do in Boston this Friday

Although I'm off to Gotham this weekend, that doesn't mean I'm unaware of all the fun things happening in Boston. If you don't have plans this Friday or if you are tired of doing the same thing, consider one of these options.

Shakespeare on the Common Once again this year, The Commonwealth Shakespeare Co. is providing free performances. This year they are performing All's Well that Ends Well through August 14th down by the bandstand on the Boston Common. Invite that special someone to join you Friday evening under the stars and enjoy some great local theater.

ICA Boston Thanks to the Highland Street Foundation, this Friday (August 5th) Boston's premiere contemporary art museum is free to the public as part of their FREE FUN FRIDAYS series. Be sure to check out their "The Record: Contemporary Art & Vinyl" exhibit. For a small cover charge after taking in the exhibit you can partake in their waterfont dance party "DJs on the harbor: Classic DJ Throwdown".

Of course there are more options such as First Fridays Open Studios, Boston Guerilla Queer Bar which will be overtaking a straight bar in the theater district this month, or joining guys for a drink at Fritz Bar in the South End to watch the Red Sox kick off a hometown series against the Yankees.

Men's Warehouse: 2011 National Suit Drive in Boston

Last week I wrote about Men's Warehouse charity suit drive which comes to Boston, Tuesday, August 2nd. The event is certain to get your attention if you are near any of the locations listed below since gorgeous male models will be strutting around in their boxers to raise awareness of the Suit Drive.

There is more information about this great charity which is designed to help men prepare for a more successful future by giving them a suit so they can make a favorable impression for interviews and when starting a professional job. Link here for more information.

6:00am – 10:00am: Corner of Broad Street & State Street
6:00am – 10:00am: Corner of Dartmouth Street & St. James Avenue
6:30am – 10:00am: Corner of Market Street & Merrimac Street
10:30am – 2:30pm: Men’s Wearhouse store; 406 Boylston Street

To paraphrase the Men's Warehouse commercials... I can guarantee you'll like the way these guys look.

Zipcar Low-Car Diet: Week 1

Monday, August 1st signals the start of the second week of the Zipcar low-car diet program. The intention of the program is to encourage people to use alternative forms of transportation both to live a healthier life and reduce our dependency on our cars. I wrote a bit about the program last week in my post, Zipcar low-car diet 2011. You can also find out more by visiting, www.zipcar.com/lowcardiet.

This past week Sergio and I have forgone our car, which ironically is in the shop. For the most part we've relied on our bicycles and walking to get from point-A to point-B. I have not used a single taxi cab or driven even a .1 of a mile this first week, which I'm fairly certain is a first for me.

How have we modified our lifestyle to accommodate the low-car diet? We've increased the amount we walk and use our bicycles much more. For example Sergio has used his bike to get to and from the college he teaches. I'm rather proud of him for being such a good sport and doing this since I never consulted him about participating in the Zipcar program. I may have caused irreversible harm to our local economy by forsaking taxi cabs. I'm not sure if there has been a solid week since moving to Boston in the late 90s that I have not used a car. All I can say to Boston taxi drivers is I'm sorry. However, I have to admit - I don't mind the walking (even when its late after a fun night out at the bars).

Restaurant Review: Pigalle Boston

Pigalle is conveniently located just blocks from the Boston Common and near where the Theater District and Bay Village meet. This weekend's menu offers patrons the choice of a 3-course prix fixe menu for $40.00 or ordering a la carte. Dining prix fixe is the more economical choice with starters ranging from $14-$23 and main dishes ranging from $29-$44.

The staff is a bit formal but very helpful and the space is comfortable with ample sized tables and seats mixed with cozy banquettes all dimly lit with bossa nova playing in the background creating for a rather romantic setting.

Food was creatively prepared and delicious; exactly what I would expect from a French restaurant with entrees in this range. I started with gazpacho that was served in a teapot and poured into my bowl it came plated with grilled calamari, cherry tomatoes, avocado and basil infused oil. Sergio opted for the prix fixe and started with an arugula salad that exploded with flavor between the fingerling potato crisps, and fried (OMG!!) goat cheese croutons.

I ordered the baked sole with potato gnocchi stuffed with horseradish potato on a bed of sautéed spinach and red onion with caper and buerre blanc. Sergio had a mushroom risotto with root vegetables and topped with pea tendrils. Although both meals were very flavorful, I think my meal was better. It was also one of the more creative I’ve had in a long time.

We finished our dinner sharing Sergio’s dessert, vanilla bean crème brulee which was as consistently delicious as the rest of the food.

Dinner is going to put a dent in your wallet, but I’ll come back again.

Pigalle is located at 75 Charles Street South (617) 423-4944

Reservations strongly recommended.

Boston bike-sharing program "The Hubway" starts today

Will Bostonians take to the new bike sharing program that launched today? I hope so.

The Boston bike-sharing program called The New Balance Hubway (or The Hubway for short) includes more than 600 bikes in 61 locations through out the city, and for as little as $60.00 (a special introductory rate), one can join "The Hubway" program for one year.

If you are visiting the city and don't want / need an annual membership they have set up 24-hour passes for as little as $5 a day and $12 for a 3-day membership. For those unfamiliar with Boston, fear not, there is only one hill in the entire city (A.K.A. Beacon Hill) making the city relatively bike friendly.

Similar bike-sharing programs exist in many European cities and Boston joins Denver and Minneapolis as the first cities in the US to launch a comprehensive sharing program, but hopefully more cities will follow.

Would you like to learn more about how this program works? Visit The Hubway website "How it Works" page. I've posted an image of where the bike stations are located and for those in downtown, it appears like there are plenty of locations to make this program easy for tourists and residents alike.

Men's Warehouse nearly naked charity drive in Boston

Photo from The Boston Globe and courtesy of Men's Warehouse

Tuesday, August 2nd, Men's Warehouse is sending out a fleet of "attractive men, dressed only in boxers, dress shoes, socks and ties" for the first time into the streets of Boston with signage that asks men to donate their gently-used suits and accessories to local charities, as part of the fourth annual nationwide charity effort by the retailer.

I may just have to head to Downtown Crossing on Tuesday morning to ogle the models if they look like the hunk in white boxers photographed above in NYC from last year's charity drive.

Zipcar: Low-Car Diet 2011 SWAG

Usually "Free Stuff" is code for "crap nobody wants". Clearly I'm not accustomed to the classy outfit that is Zipcar because today I received a basket of goodies including:

-MBTA Charlie Card

-Whole Foods gift card from Symphony store

-Urban AdvenTours perks

-Boloco gift card

-LogMeIn SWAG

-Jabra pair of sport headphones

-Bags and bags of PopChips

-New England Aquarium movie passes

All this was sent to me because I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the Zipcar Low-Car Diet campaign, which you can read more about here.

Earlier this week I wrote about the start of the program which you can read here. I plan to post periodic updates about the 30-day challenge on my blog. If you are a Zipster (apparently that is what Zipcar users call themselves) let me know. For those not familiar, Zipcar is a car-sharing service that operates on numerous college campuses and in many cities in North America and the United Kingdom.

This particular challenge from Zipcar focuses on ways we can use alternative forms of transportation (e.g. Metro, biking, walking etc...) I plan on riding my bike to the Whole Foods Market at Symphony Hall later this week and use the home delivery service. I know I'll be using most of the items that the generous corporate sponsors provided and I want to say "Thank You" to Zipcar for selecting me and to the cool sponsors for lending their support and name to promoting the Low-Car Diet.