East coast cities are masters at veiling gems of eloquent and traditional cuisine, as well as comfort food and oriental delights.
Allston, Massachusettes.
College metropolis for musical geniuses and amateurs alike, this town crawls with the beat of funk, metal, pop, country, you name it. Locals are the people to talk to if you want to find the favorite haunts, eccentric bars, gourmet delights and finance-friendly hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The usual mix of alcohol is nostalgic, but the modern infusions of gastropubs really brings out the flavorful profiles of each fine dining and casual establishments.
I landed at Logan International Airport and started my week long vacation with one of my good friends and Berklee educated musician, Stephen Baker. Breakfast was a necessity, as my night-long flight and the lack of sleep left me completely drained and useless for adventuring without sustenance. The Breakfast Club in Allston is a throwback to 1940’s diners that offer fast, reliable and carb-heavy dishes for eager consumers. Milkshakes, no problem. Fresh squeezed orange juice, no problem. The only qualm I have were the sodium levels in the food, particularly the potatoes.
A long week of friend meeting and midnight drinks began, all in moderation of course. Tuesday night, I met with Stephen’s lead singer and keyboardist as well bassist and his girlfriend; a quirky and refreshing group. We convened at Common Ground, the local bar for my newly found acquaintances. Reminiscent of Seattle bars in seating space and overall layout of the counter, but surprisingly cozy and less crowded after midnight. There we sat, ordered nachos, rounds of drinks, and spoke rather politically about life. No dull moment with friends such as these.
Caught without tennis shoes in the middle of Boston probably wasn’t the best idea, but that situation was about to be remedied after the day was done. We explored the sprawling streets of Berklee College and Boston University, trudged the waterfront of the river Charles and didn’t slip in, gllimpsed the building of Cambridge and relied upon the 70 degree weather to urge my sore feet onward.
While the sunny weather did leave me thinking that the east coast was nice all the time, the next day was not so forgiving: chilly 32 and cloudy, the afternoon would produce snow and slush to make it winteresque. Perfect turn of events because I equipped myself with snow boots, three jackets and an arctic neck warmer. Among the towering skyscrapers and chiseled architecture of the North end, Newbury Street has it all: apartments, luxury fashion shops, chocolatiers and ice cream purveyors, designer shoe shops and fine dining restaurants. The historical landmarks deliver insight on the town’s history like the statue of George Washington, the Boston Library, and the Old North Church.
The most casual but formal in cuisine restaurant I have been to so far is called the Gallows. This gastropub has a very modern take on old classics like pork schnitzel, mac n cheese, fried babybels, burgers, scotch egg, just to name a few succulent menu items. The drink menu is quite extensive because of in-house infusions like lavendeer vodka and lychee mojitos, amazing.
theworldoffood 