Spooky and Secret

Ok, this might be my inner geek running wild here, but what in the name of Dumbledore is a Supreme Council--Royal Arcanum? Second question, what is it doing in the Financial District of Boston? Finally, if I join do I get to meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione and go on grand adventures? Do I get an owl? These are important questions, people. My discovery of this building only a few blocks away from an office I used to work in was quite amusing. Maybe I've read too many Dan Brown conspiracy theory novels, but this place looks spooky. Ok, so their cover story is that they are a Freemason like organization that does work to protect families. I'm not buying it. You throw a word like Arcanum in your title, and you're dealing with secrets, and information that only a few know. I wonder if they have a sorting hat... Anyway, it's not hard to find, right on Batterymarch Street, and while I did not get into the inner building, the sigils and glyphs outside are pretty interesting to see up close. If you do manage to get in, grab a flying broom. I'll pay top dollar for one.

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Landmarks • Financial District / Chinatown

Patrick's Perfect Lair

Picture it, Boston, 2009. I keep trying to find a spot with decent grub, coffee, and big tables where I can park myself to get some writing done. Sophia's Cafe, in the Macallen Building delivers on all. The building is the first "Green" building in Boston, and the cafe is as well, offering most of it's items as all natural or organic. I'm sure there's some recycling option they have, and maybe the bathrooms are low flow or compost, but I'm here to talk about the food. First, coffee is coffee to me in most cases, and they put out a good brew. The environment is nice enough to linger and read at the big table they've set up near their main window, so check-mark on those requirements.Warning--the chairs are torture devices for slouchers. As for the sandwiches, they are like most city sandwiches in which you don’t get enough food for the cost, but they're delicious with interesting ingredient combos. The goat cheese chicken one pictured is FANtastic but if you're hungry, I'd get two. Grub, check. Coffee, check. Tables, check. If they have Wi-Fi, I'm going to be here a lot.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

The Perfect Lunch

When I worked in downtown Boston shopping and eating we're totally different than today. You could get Peet's Coffee and really good pastries at Au Bon Pain, Jordan Marsh and Filene's Basement were going strong, and the Combat Zone still had an air of danger to it. But those days have long passed. (Llittle known fact: I was an AmeriCorps member during the Clinton heyday.) Luckily amidst the mundane Subways and Cosis, my favorite lunch spot is still going strong--The Milk Street Cafe. This place serves up amazing fish entrees like Cod Provencal and incredible soups like Spanish Egg. My favorite combo is the Greek Salad with a cup of soup and homemade bread. After 2 pm it's only $5 because they discount everything 20%. Plus, you'll miss the lunch rush so you can relax and enjoy the food. The menu is always rotating so call their Menu Line 617-542-2433 to hear the daily specials. Oh yeah, Milk Street is 100% kosher and they donate all their leftovers to local food banks.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Multi-Buns

Who has the best buns in Chinatown? The truth is that there are so many good buns that it is hard to choose just one. To be honest, it all depends on the filling. It seems like each bakery (yeah, that is what I’m talking about) excels at a different type of bun, but my favorite is the pork bun. I used to think of the pork bun in the traditional way, where the quality is based on the dough, taste of the sauce, and the quality of the pork. However, Hing Shing has changed all this. When you get a pork bun, you get a giant bun filled with huge chunks of pork, sausage, and some hard-boiled egg. This thing is seriously delicious.  They often run out early in the afternoon so make sure that you get there early.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Pain for Pleasure: Yoga

Intense. Bikram Yoga is mind-blowingly intense. Now, Yoga in itself can be a pretty hardcore undertaking, with all the various poses and by using muscles that have never even been twitched, but you throw that into a room that just so happens to be 40% humidity and 110 degrees, and suddenly you turn intense into flat out heart stopping. I can't wait to go back. There's not much deep introspective navel gazing in these classes. They're geared towards those who are ready to embrace this as a full-on, push-yourself-to-the-limit workout. The instructors do help with words of encouragement, and tell you when you need to correct a position, but they also do tend to be a little passive aggressive when you need to take a break, and my beginner's ass needs to take several. I know that when one person sits it lets others think they can sit, honey, but I'm either sitting or passing out, so chill, ok? I can't complain about the workout though, as it really does kick your ass upside down. Currently they have a 10 consecutive day pass for only twenty bucks, so if you've been good, ask Santa.

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Yoga • Financial District / Chinatown

That's One-A Spicy Shabu!

Why go to Kaze when there are so many other shabu shabu places in town? Well, Kaze serves up some of the best broths. When the menu says that a broth is spicy, it really does mean that it is spicy! Besides the broth, the quality of their cuts of meat and fish are great. And, the portions are pretty good too. For those of you looking to impress a first date, this is not the place to go unless you are willing to show your date just how much of a mess that you can make at the table while cooking and eating your meal. However, if you want a spot that is not only delicious, but fun, this is the place to go. For starters, definitely get the Fired Spicy Jumbo Tentacles.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Fung Wah Bus

I was wary going into my first Chinatown bus trip from Boston to New York. I'd heard horror stories from friends in Philly, depicting sheer chaos and exasperation. But my ticket with Fung Wah was only $15 each way, so I figured the price was worth the risk. Luckily, it proved to be a pleasant and easy experience. Compared to what I've heard about other cities' Chinatown buses, Fung Wah definitely has their act together. Buses leave from South Station in Boston at Gate 25 every day at every hour on the hour, as well as the return trip buses leaving from Canal Street in New York (which sometimes even leave as often as every 30 minutes on Sundays!). It's $15 each way, and tickets can be easily purchased and printed from their no-frills website. And if you check-in early enough, you can usually find a seat on an earlier bus should you choose to take it. The seats aren't the coziest, but I challenge you to find a superior airplane seat in coach class. Besides, wouldn't you rather have money to spend once you're IN New York, as opposed to spending it all on getting there?

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Landmarks • Financial District / Chinatown

Soup's Up: The Comeback Food

The weather is starting to change and that means that soup will be making its big comeback. When your bones are chilled, nothing warms you up like a nice hot soup, unless perhaps you opt for a little alcohol jacket instead. That is why I love Pho Hoa. They do a great Vietnamese noodle soup. It is nice and big and tasty and after you are done eating it, you don't feel like you downed a bunch of fried greasy crap, much like you feel after dining at a Chinese restaurant. Pho Hoa also has some great little interactive rice paper wraps. You choose your fillings, then take the circle of rice paper and dip it around a bowl of hot water then make your own little spring roll or sort. Very tasty and fun!

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Many Things To Many Patrons

If, like me, you have some friends at the Intercontinental Hotel, the best spot to kill some time as they get off shift would be Sushi-Teq, the new in-hotel restaurant that blends a Japanese sushi joint, tequila bar, and Salsa club into a delicious smoothie of awesomesauce. Now, I'm far from a tequila expert, but the bit that stands out would be the "special Mexican salt," they put around the rim of the glasses. I know, how special can salt be? Trust me. This adds a full new flavor to a typically standard beverage. As for the sushi, it's pretty fantastic to taste, but it might be one of the places where it's better to just look. One table over from me ordered a number of rolls, and the chefs arranged them into an arch, with the soy sauce and wasabi in the middle. When your sushi chef has to debate the size of a keystone, you're getting well thought-out food. Then there's the salsa music, salsa competitions on the big screens, and the waiters who will supposedly show you how to salsa on demand. I didn't ask. That's worse than the singing at Cold Stone. Just drink a good rita, destroy an arch of tuna, and bounce.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Not A Secret Den of Drink

Legend has it that if you walk into certain establishments in Chinatown after the bars close, you can order a nice cup of "cold tea," and subsequently be presented with a wide selection of domestic and imported beers. Moon Villa, unfortunately, does not provide this secret option, as you'll get cold tea if you order it. That does not take away from the stunning mediocrity of the food. I mean, it's not a spot you'd probably go sober, but if you're just finishing off that last brewski, and you need a big chunk of greasy msg laden carbs to fill the pit, this is your spot. Now, I will mention that they have very fresh fish on the menu. When I say fresh, I mean they have a giant wall of small tanks, filled with the most depressed looking seafood on the earth. If carp had thumbs, they'd find a way to slit their gills while stewing in this emo aquarium. I just sit facing away from it, and problem solved. I have a group of drinking buddies who swear by this place, and if it's good enough for these cats, then it's perfect for your late night binge-eating needs.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Desolation and Food

Hunkered down in that dollar-sign desolation known as the Financial District, The International is a bar with a serious problem: A distinct lack of customers. Don't get me wrong, for two hours most evenings after work there's a great deal of people in there, laughing, drinking, and eating bar swill. After that small window, the magnetic draw of Faneuil Hall for the fresh-out-of-college crowd, and the pull towards home and primetime TV for the older-and-wisers makes the place empty out. I imagine that this is what a bar in 1970's Saigon might have felt like, patrons simultaneously whistling past the graveyard during Happy Hour and the graveyard itself when they empty out for their real destinations. It's a bar as a waypoint--a toll booth with cocktails and chicken wings and Boston sports teams on widescreens. There's really nothing else even slightly noteworthy about the place. Food is standard, beer is cold, and you catch yourself wondering if the bartender moonlights here when he's done with a job he can pull steady cash in at. For that frantic chuck of time between quitting time and the commuter rail, you could do worse.

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Nightlife • Financial District / Chinatown

Problem Solved

So, here's the deal, you want Chinese food and your friend wants breakfast. The best compromise would be to head for Dim Sum, but, unfortunately, your friend demands French Toast. One way to settle this debacle would be to eat separately. Another way might be that both of you get take out. However, the best way to deal with this situation would be to head over to Vinh Sun. Here, they have a small breakfast menu that includes deep fried French Toast (ask them to put peanut butter on it to make it even better) and a Breakfast Sandwich. The rest of the menu is comprised of delicious Chinese food. If you want to keep it cheap, the soups and BBQ rice dishes are your best bets.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Do You Dim Sum?

I am by no means a dim sum professional. But I do love Chinese food, especially for breakfast, especially when it's greasy, and especially when I'm hungover. If you're like me, and you also enjoy a buffet that comes to YOU, then you'll love what dim sum has in store. There are many selections from which to choose in Boston, particularly in Chinatown. But after quite a bit of research and subsequent food comas, I seem to have narrowed it down to what I was told was the best all along: Hei La Moon. Dumplings, shumai, sticky rice, steamed pork buns, chicken feet, yes. But they also offer a much wider array of dim sum fare that's far less likely to show up at any of its competitors, like red bean pancakes, chrysanthemum tea, and a sweet spongy cake that soaks up all that grease nicely. It usually works in your favor to go with someone who speaks at least a little Chinese; otherwise you may need to summon some energy to flag down the erratic cart ladies. But that's not such a bad deal, considering you can stuff yourself for pennies without leaving your seat.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Cake and Construction Work

What was once a small shop that blended in with all the other food options around Chinatown finally stands out as you walk by the corner that used to house the Eatery. Why, you ask? Well, since they started renovations, a large sign on the scaffolding propels it forth as a beacon of half-created architecture and now you really have no choice but to go in. This shop is split into two parts. One is home to tons of containers packed full of candy, dried fruits, and other treats. The other part is the bakery. With so many things to choose from and with most of the prices ranging from .80 - $1.50, you should just bring a few bills, get a few meat filled goods and at least two things for dessert. Make sure that you try their chicken pie.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

How Winsome is this Dim Sum!

No matter which city's Chinatown you’re in, you always know the good dim sum spots by which one’s lines are flowing out the door on any given weekend morning. That's how I found China Pearl when I first moved to Boston. Over the years, my allegiance to China Pearl wavered as I learned about some of the other dim sum spots, but I find that I keep on coming back. The place is gigantic so you rarely have to wait more than a half hour for a table, the food is consistently delicious, and even when I catch the tail end of the dim sum hours, I find that China Pearl's carts still offer a wide variety of options. What do I suggest that you pick off the carts? Everything that looks good to you. Just remember that during a meal, you will see each cart plenty of times so there is no reason to load your table full of steamers right when you sit down. My advice is to take the meal slowly, pick only a few plates off a cart at a time, and drink a Tsingtao or two.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Your Best Purchases!

Smart, funny people--full of knowledge and sarcasm about how a good book can absorb them--are the best creatures in the universe. The Barbara's Bestsellers kiosk, right in the middle of South Station, is full of them, and it is they who make me return for new books by providing me with Employee Picks. I love Bookstore Employee Picks. Now, I slung libros back in the day, and I recall many a time where there was a need to get rid of overstock, and thus these haphazard books became "picks." The handwritten notes adorning the novels that BB offers seem to avoid this fate, and they're all pretty honest opinions as to the contents. I'd say, if you're ever in a rut where every looks boring, redline it out to South Station and ask the BB's to suggest something for your ride home.

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Bookstores • Financial District / Chinatown

King Fung Garden

You encounter this gem on Kneeland Street, and you inevitably think, “there must be some mistake.” This reincarnation of a former 1930s service station leaves the most avid noodle-slurper scratching his head. There is no mistake. This is what Travel and Leisure deemed one of the fifty best restaurants in the country. You’ll find Chinese-speaking patrons, the best sign of authentic chow (or chow mein). And speaking of chow mein, that’s just one of the treasures this place has to offer. You’ll always find discerning regulars in front of heaping plates of the Shanghai Chow Mein, which is nothing like the celery-and-onions-mixed-with the-occasional-noodle dish that you’re used to. These are udon (homemade) noodles. Think linguini on growth hormones. This must be comfort food in Shanghai, I’m thinking it’s their version of mac n’ cheese. I was also curious about the rice cake, and no I don’t mean the bakery kind. They're oval noodles—1/8 inch thick and delicious. But perhaps the real reason Travel and Leisure took this place to the big time is their opus, Peking duck (or should I say Beijing duck now). Its tender fatty meat, cooked crispy on the outside and served with scallions, hot sauce, Hoison sauce, and crêpe-like pancakes. Order one day ahead.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Xinh Xinh

Why are there so many delicious restaurants in Chinatown that never seem packed while a lot of the mediocre restaurants have lines out the door? Is it because the less packed ones do not have a liquor license? Ummm, yeah, that might be it. Even though I love beer, I would rather eat the tastier food and enjoy the meal without alcohol. Right around the corner from another, more popular, Vietnamese restaurant, you will find Xinh Xinh. Their food is top notch and you get much more for your hard earned cash than some other restaurant that is around the corner that I will not mention by name

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown

Custom House Tours

Boston's landmark Custom House building was purchased by the Marriot hotel chain in 1987. As part of the deal with the city of Boston they agreed to share this private luxury hotel and timeshare with the public. Now don't get too excited; they are not giving out free hotel rooms or anything, but they do offer free tours of the building. And yes, the tour does include the inside of the famous clock tower and the view from the outdoor observation deck! Not only is the view amazing, but these tours are a true hidden treasure that no one seems to know about. So, there's no schlepping around with a big crowd of gawking tourists. When I took the tour, it was me, an elderly couple, and the colorful guide doing the tour—a former Somerville cop, dropping his "R's" and one liners. He was almost as entertaining as the view.

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Landmarks • Financial District / Chinatown

The Hong Kong Eatery

Whenever I have a craving for pork over rice (which frighteningly is quite often), I head to the Hong Kong Eatery. For $5, you get a good-sized serving of either roasted or BBQ pork and more rice than you could possibly eat in three days. For $6.75, you can get just as much rice and a larger portion of roast pork, duck, and chicken. They have some type of delicious sauce that they pour over these rice plates. I have no idea what it is, and even though it can’t be good for me, I always ask them to add a few more spoonfuls. Many people have recommended their soups. I have tried a few of these, although their noodles and dumplings are delicious, I am not a big fan of their broth. The Hong Kong Eatery is great for eat in or take out, but if you eat there, be ready to share a table with strangers.

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Restaurants • Financial District / Chinatown