Recently in Boston Category

What better way to sample restaurant after restaurant without blowing your vacation budget? The two-week Restaurant Week Boston event lets you dine like a king at very non-royal prices, dishing up special 3-course prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner for just $20 and $33.10, respectively.

Running August 15-20 and August 22-27, 2010, the event rounds up more than 200 restaurants throughout Boston, Cambridge, and the suburbs, making the W Boston the perfect home base from which to embark on your culinary adventure. In fact, you don't even need to leave the hotel - Market by Jean-Georges, located at the W, is one of the participating restaurants. The options are seemingly endless: For fresh seafood, Jasper White's Summer Shack is the place to be year-round; lucky you, a mere $33.10 will get you your fill of oysters on the half shell, steamed lobster, and fresh pie. For something a little swankier, head to KO Prime, a creative and chic interpretation of the traditional steakhouse, which offers dishes like watermelon gazpacho with local goat cheese, a dry-rubbed flat iron steak with summer succotash and homemade chorizo, and blueberry cake with lemon crème fraiche. Yep, that's just $33.10, too. If you want to spend a litle bit more, fork over $49.10 at The Blue Room, an amount that gets you three course with wine pairings. On the menu: an appetizer of seared squid, cannellinis, and arugula, served with a glass of Vinho Verde. The event is sure to be good for your belly, and kind to the planet as well: Restaurants are encouraged to use locally grown ingredients.

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bordergrillmargarita.jpgThere's something about a margarita that just screams summer relaxation to me. Whether it's blended or on the rocks, the mix of tequila, triple sec, lime juice and, quite often, some other fruit flavor just helps your shoulders relax and helps you forget whatever you left back at work. Here are a couple spots to get great margaritas around the country.

In Santa Monica, not far from the Sheraton Delfina, Border Grill is the place to be, particularly at happy hour, when the freshly made margaritas are just $5. Stick around for dinner and you'll be rewarded with creative takes on traditional Mexican and Latin American dishes.

Chicago has a large Latino population, so your margarita options are legion. But two favorites near the Westin River North are Frontera Grill and Zocalo. Frontera Grill is celebrity chef Rick Bayless' joint, so getting a table might be tough, but there's often room at the bar, and the margaritas are outstanding. Zocalo boasts 120 tequilas behind the bar, and fresh blood orange, prickly pear, guava and other nectars to further flavor your drink. For variety, try the margarita flight.

In Boston, Masa offers the Tres Chile Margarita, made with tequila muddled with three hot peppers for a little refreshing heat. Closer to the Sheraton Commander in Cambridge, Border Cafe gets high marks for its margaritas as well as for its affordable Tex-Mex and cajun food.

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More than Beans in Boston's Barrels

Friday April 16, 2010

As much as we love wine, Americans are much more in love with beer. And so it's no surprise that nearly every weekend features a beer festival somewhere in the country. Interestingly enough, Boston is a hotbed of beer-oriented events, with several major ones coming up in the coming weeks and months. They're all within easy reach of the Westin Copley Place.

On April 16-17, Boston Beer Summit takes over the historic Park Plaza Castle. It's a three-day celebration featuring hundreds of beers from more than 50 breweries. Later in the month, Slowfest pairs craft brews from around the world with dishes by members of Boston's slow food movement and top gastropubs, including Deep Ellum and Stone Hearth Pizza. The same weekend, April 24, there's also a Bacon and Beer Fest, but it appears to be sold out.

In June, Boston Beer Week culminates in Beer Advocate's American Craft Beer Fest takes over the Seaport World Trade Center for the East Coast's largest celebration of the brewer's art. More than 80 breweries are expected to attend, offering samples of well over 350 different beers. It's enough to make your head spin before you get tipsy.

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Tour the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston

Friday March 26, 2010

When the Boston Beer Company released its flagship brew, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in 1984, it revolutionized the American beer industry. Within a decade, thousands of micro-brewers across the country emerged, producing small batches of craft brews with locally-sourced ingredients and unique flavor profiles. The next time you're in Boston, treat yourself to an inside look at the brewery that kicked off the craft beer revolution with a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery. The brewery is located in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, and each 45-minute tour is led by a knowledgeable (and beer-obsessed) guide who explains each step of the beer-making process, from selecting the barley, malt, and hops to bottling it in the company's distinctive brown bottles. While the painstaking attention to quality and taste is fascinating, you can be forgiven for looking forward to the end of the tour. After all, that's when you get your own free sample of some of the freshest, most delicious beer on the planet. What more could you ask for? Starwood has hotels throughout the Boston area, including the stylish new W Boston.

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Top of the Town Tipples

Wednesday December 16, 2009

Cocktail culture continues unabated, and now most major cities have at least one bar devoted to the finest hand-crafted concoctions. Here are a couple of my favorites for you to visit on your holiday travels.

In my hometown of Chicago, The Violet Hour is the go-to spot — but if you like bourbon and tequila, you might head across the street to Big Star instead. Recently opened by the same team, Big Star is a big draw for great cocktails paired with incredible Mexican small plates. I recommend the al pastor taco, the phenomenal queso fundido and a Bakersfield Buck to drink. Take a cab from the W Chicago - Lakeshore.

In Boston, Drink is all the rage — so much so that it's beginning to get dinged on Yelp for being unable to handle the crowds. The undulating bar runs the length of the garden-level room. Bartenders stand ready to create a cocktail from memory if you know one's name, or make one up for you based on your personal taste and even hand you the recipe if you like it. Tip: get there early or save it for a weeknight. It's about half a mile from the Westin Boston Waterfront.

New Orleans is a town with plenty of great cocktail destinations, and the latest is Cure, on the up-and-coming Freret Street near the Garden District. The drinks change seasonally and so does the menu of snacks and desserts, so it's already different since I was there in October, but if I were going tomorrow, I'd order the Brown Bunny, a wintry sip. The bar is an easy cab ride from the W New Orleans.

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The Boston Pops is one of the most storied orchestras in American musical history, credited with demystifying classical music for millions of listeners and bringing it to a wider audience. That tradition lives on this December with its Holiday Pops concerts, a month-long series of performances featuring some of the most beloved music of the holiday season. Conductor Keith Lockhart leads the orchestra as it plays such classics as White Christmas, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, The Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker. The series features 35 concerts in all from now to Sunday, December 27, 2009, including six special kids' matinee concerts that include a kids' sing-along and a visit from the big man himself, Santa Claus. Take a seat in the majestic Symphony Hall and feel the music wash over you, or make an evening out of it and enjoy dining during the concert at an orchestra-level table, where a varied menu of appetizers, sandwiches, desserts, and beverages including wine and beer are served. It's a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, so check the schedule and reserve your tickets today. Starwood has hotels throughout Boston, including the new W Boston.

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New W Boston.jpgBoston's theater district welcomes a new star with the opening of the brand new W Boston, and a special grand opening offer can make your first visit unforgettable. Located just steps from the city's best shopping, dining, and nightlife, this iconic property is is long on style and comfort, with 235 luxurious guest rooms and suites, a fully-equipped SWEAT fitness center, a soon-to-open Bliss Spa, an exquisite restaurant and lounge, and the W's signature Whatever/Whenever service. With the Boston Uncommon offer, you can savor a true sensory revolution. Rates start at $259 and include in-room welcome cocktails, a Wonderful room with upgrade when available, a Chef-selected dessert at Market by Jean-George, a Limited Edition W Boston Exclusive Cynthia Rowley scarf, and a VIP Insider discount card to Cynthia Rowley, perfect for picking up a high-fashion memento of your visit. Book now for stays through March 31, 2010 and experience Boston's most exciting new destination in style.

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Introducing the W Boston Residences

Thursday November 19, 2009

W Residences Boston.jpgHoused in an iconic glass tower in the heart of the chic Back Bay neighborhood, the 123 homes in the new W Boston Residences merge nature, design, and culture to create the ultimate expression of sophisticated living. Every one of its studios and one-, two, and three-bedroom units are infused with signature W style, with sumptuous finishes, comfort living, and unparalleled Whatever/Whenever service that can turn your wildest wishes into reality. Your Window to Wow is located in Boston's most prestigious neighborhood, founded in 1857 when a portion of the Charles River was filled and Back Bay was created. Principally situated between the areas of Boston and Cambridge, Back Bay's array of architecture includes the charming 19th century brownstones of tree-lined Newbury Street, renowned for being the Rodeo Drive of the East, and its gleaming, modern skyscrapers lining its south side. With the Boston Common, the Financial District, and the Boston Harbor just minutes away, the fine restaurants of the South End so close, and the shops of Prudential Center and Copley Place nearby, you can almost hear the sizzle. Plus some luxuries are a mere elevator ride away. Discover the W Hotel's Bliss Spa, offering various pampering massage treatments that will relieve you of your stress in no time. The Market by Jean-Georges restaurant, meanwhile, serves world-class cuisine in an atmosphere of casual elegance. Click here to view the residential floor plans, take a virtual tour, or experience a 360-degree view of Boston. The good life is alive and well at the W Boston Residences.

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If you're traveling to Boston, consider ice skating, a pastime celebrated by locals as well as visitors. It's a year-round activity here, but when the temperatures drop, a host of outdoor ice rinks spring to life. For glorious outdoor skating in the brisk open air, The Frog Pond at Boston Common (Beacon and Tremont Streets) is a natural choice. Like most of the city's outdoor rinks, it's open from November to mid-March, but has the bonus of being located in the middle of all of the city's downtown action. It's not always cold enough outside to freeze the ice and be operational, but the lagoon at The Public Garden (9 Arlington St.) is another outdoor skating alternative close to major attractions and activities.

If you want to explore areas outside the city's center, Kelly Skating Rink (1 Marbury Terrace) in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood is another good spot to skate outdoors in the winter. As an added incentive, Kelly Skating Rink offers free admission -- just pay for skate rental and you're set. Just east of downtown, in nearby Cambridge, you'll find Kendall Square Community Ice Skating (300 Athenaeum St). These ice skating adventures are all an easy glide from your room at the new W Boston. Jump to the comments section and let us know your recommendations for great places to skate.

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Boston_Harbor_Skyline-7331.jpgAmong the Victorian brick-row houses that line the streets of Boston's South End, stylish fashion boutiques, quirky antiques shops, gourmet groceries, and a plethora of home decor stores offer a full day's worth of exploration. Adjacent to the Back Bay, and steps from the stunning new W Boston, the South End is dominated by Tremont Street, a thoroughfare that runs parallel to two other bustling streets, Shawmut Avenue and Washington Street, all of which are lined with an array of shops and restaurants.

On Tremont Street you'll find lots of fashion boutiques including Turtle (619a Tremont), an emporium of clothing and accessories by emerging designers from as far off as Iceland and Argentina. A few blocks down, Sooki (505 Tremont) mixes hand crafted jewelry with one of a kind cocktail dresses in a cozy space. Look for the bright blue awnings a few doors down, and step into Uniform (511 Tremont), which stocks a collection of graphic Ts, sporty track jackets, captain's hats, and designer denim all for men. Head across the street for the delightful candy den, overflowing with European chocolates and whimsical antiques known as Olde Dutch Cottage Candy. Pick up an old fashioned lollipop and enjoy its rainbow sweetness as you wander through the charming streets of this landmark Boston district. Lovers of both fine design and historical architecture will feel like kids in a candy shop. Tell us, what wonderful shops have you discovered in Boston's South End?

[Image via Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau]

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