Al's South Street Cafe

In a bustling city where everything is expensive, it's nice to find a place that truly brings what you need to the table. At Al's South Street, you step into a world where lunch time chaos is dealt with in an organized, efficient and friendly manner that we can all appreciate. Initially I was attracted by the fact that everyone that I had known in either South Boston or the Financial District had been to Al's at some point. Upon further inspection, the $6.50 offer for a bag lunch including 10 inch sub with chips and a drink didn't hurt either. Walking into Al's is a truly interesting experience as the large crowd is effectively funneled into two respective lines and waited on by one of over twelve workers happily bustling along singing to either a classic rock song or a an upbeat Mexican tune. There is a certain vibe this place gives off that makes you want to smile as your order is taken, your inadvertent blunders quickly solved by attentive staff and you are given your food fast. In this time strapped district, the respect for time and lack of apathy among workers that clearly enjoy what they do is greatly appreciated. Upon accidentally getting into the cold sub line with a hot sub request I was pointed with a smile in the right direction and while stepping out of the way after ordering, I was guided back respectfully to the cashier to pay. This is not your typical "No soup for you" lunch counter where you do exactly as expected or your treated like garbage. This is a place that will give you what you need quickly, and affordably with both a song and a grin.

Japanese Boston Cuisine

When you have the perfect meal you just have to tell people about it. Usually when this happens for me in Boston, the experience is not at a chain restaurant or an expensive pinky up establishment but a small unsuspecting place with food that is consistently amazing. I hadn’t had much contact with Japanese food until very recently but it has quickly risen to the top of my favorite list. Sometimes the best places are the most unassuming and my absolute favorite to go for Japanese Boston cuisine is the Café Mami in Cambridge. It only has a counter and two tables but the food is somehow both simple and amazing. There is something refreshing about watching the chef cook your food in a small frying pan with some chopsticks.

The hamburg and egg set with ginger and ponzu sauce is a tasteful and wonderous dish with a bit of extra care that makes it special. A tiny, quartered and wrapped baked potato adds a bit of density and the simple crispness of the salad makes this a well rounded meal fit a king. It was an incredibly delicious experience. To find the best places to eat in Boston, research has to be done. They hide in the shadows and if you walk to fast you’ll miss them. Some have no sign, some are just plain tiny but the best ones are the jewels of the city. I’ll make this easy if your looking for a great place to eat clean, crisp Asian food. Some of the best Japanese Boston cuisine that I’ve had is at Café Mami. Give it a try!

"This Way to Cafe Mami!!"

Boston Barbeque

Walking home from work the other day, I detected a scent in the air that I've been waiting a long time to come back to me. One that the endless winter puts out with its icy fingers and it seems like it you will never smell it again. Barbeque. That smoky rich aroma rising above the trees and whispering, “summer is here” In Boston barbeque is appreciated not only because we know that there is only a designated amount of time that we will be able to do it but also it is the perfect complement to sports. What better way to entertain guests over for a baseball or football game then with some seriously awesome marinated steak tips or pork sausages grilled to perfection. I hear in other states, it is possible to smell a barbeque and drop in on your neighbors. Here the unspoken rule is that if you are not known or invited don't bother. Hey, I never said we were a friendly bunch. This is not an iron clad rule, just a little piece of the unspoken culture I've picked up so individuals could surprise you.

So called grill masters have their own special sauces and tricks to make a boston barbeque a perfect experience. Many create a lot of hype for themselves but in the end their “super secret pulled pork” or “special sauces” end up being a lot of hot air. Some genuinely have found a calling as grill master and to take them away from those glowing coals as they make sure everyone gets a little piece of the magic they create is sacrilege. There are a few restaurants here that do good barbeque. For a place that enjoys it so much, you'd think there would be more of them. There will always be places the locals swear by and by going there enough decide that it is the best. When the meat is served burned on a consistent basis, its not the best. Generally, time is your best friend and marinating overnight, a quality meat market, and an experienced hand are what will get you through. Here are some great tips so your next barbeque will be a winner. yourbarbecue.com/

Messenger Bikes

Boston has a unique biking culture and there is no limit to what you may see out there. Anything is fair game on the streets so that we can make it from one point to another. From the beautiful to the broken we pedal our hearts out praying that we make it through traffic without getting squashed before dinner. The most interesting breed of bicycles I've encountered are custom messenger bikes. The bike messengers in Boston are a unique society and do everything their own way. The bikes can have chopped bars, no shifters, and stuffed animals bolted to the handlebars. They can have baskets, flaming pink tires and expensive leather seats.

Anything is fair game here as expensive frames and crappy parts or cheap frames and expensive parts are combined with an artist’s attention to detail. There is literally no limit to how one of these can be put together. These brave men and women carry the important documents of the surrounding businesses through the death defying streets where cars and buses collide with reckless abandon. Most are young as the older ones possibly succumbed to the perils of the job. The riders of these messenger bikes can usually be singled out in a crowd from their razor thin appearance and tight jeans or pedal pushers. These ensure that loose leggings don't get caught in the chain gears. The dressing style is trendy with tatoos, funny hats, and plaid shirts being he norm. What do you ride?

Boston Commons

Have you ever been to central park in New York? It’s huge. There are practically miles of beautiful green foliage and one could lose themselves in it’s lush green expanses. Boston Commons is not like that. Ever see a fancy grass covered island in the middle of a very busy road or highway? That is what Boston Commons is like when compared to a major park. Ok, perhaps it has a bit more appeal than this but we are talking about stacking it up against Central Park here. Although not very big, the Boston Commons is a nice place for many college students and professionals alike to take a quick break from their busy schedules to relax a bit on some actual grass. Here the poor dogs of this old urban city get to chase squirrels and a bit freer than normal. I actually saw one of these excitable canines run right up the front of a rich lady and jump off of her head!! Needless to say, that inspirational pooch gave me ideas and I’ll be trying that tomorrow. Today was the perfect day in the Boston Commons. Blue skies, perfect breeze, hot dog vendors and most importantly a minimum of asphalt. Very rarely do I see anyone angry in the Boston Commons. Probably because it means that they got away from work or responsibility for a few. On a day like today, college kids are lying on the grass, kids are playing, and the pond is finally filled with water. Boston doesn’t get much sweeter than this.

Umbrella!!

Yesterday, I had a very atypical ride on the subway. You can't see my face but I'm laughing a bit as I type this. Sitting here writing as I am now, there was suddenly an explosive emotional outburst as someone flew by me yelling. At first, I thought it was an emergency as usual but it turned out to be an overzealous four year old with an umbrella. The tyke was screaming at the top of his lungs, running through the train and opening and closing it rapidly over his head. “Umbrella!! Umbrella UMBRELLA!!” he gleefully shouted. My shock turned to laughter as the smile on his face slowly changed as his horrifed and viciously angry mother lunged for him while dragging two smaller children behind her. Letting loose the most vehement sounding exhalation of what seemed to be obscenities in Mandarin she lunged for the precocious child. He stood his ground attempting to open and close the umbrella and continue his tirade. The angry flow of words never ceased in their intensity and although I was laughing I thought to myself, “This kid is so dead.” So there you have it, riding the T and living in Boston isn't always a bad experience, occasionally some little kid decides its time to break you out of your thick walled stupor and remind you what it means to have unbridled joy, no regard for social mores and to just have fun.

I wasn’t ready!!!

Ever play sports with the other little kids in the neighborhood? Perhaps the recess yard was your battleground of choice for kickball, kick and catch (yeah we made that) or basketball. There usually aren’t solid umpires keeping score, tallying points and doling out the punishment when the game doesn’t go how it’s supposed to. As a result, some whiny runt starts yelling, much like an NBA allstar, “I wasn’t ready!!!”

Well, because I like to make fun of myself as I like to tool on anyone else today that is me. I was hoping to have this Boston blog farther along, ready to dazzle you, prepared and perfect before I launched it. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out that way and I decided to bite the bullet the throw it out into the seas of Google.

Here you will find wisdom and so called insight gleaned from my lifelong relationship with the city as well as insider information on what to expect if your deciding to move here. Also, because I love tangents and am naturally talkative, there will be plenty of witty and sarcastic crap that just seems to flow forth from me like a broken pipe containing questionable material.