Five years ago.....part IX
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Ken and I decided to go on Boston's Freedom Trail tour this morning. There were tons of people with the exact same idea! It was so interesting.....you just follow a red line all over the city, as far as you want to travel, and you find either written history or a tour guide at several stops to tell you historical bits. It was on this tour that we were able to see the U.S.S. Constitution. I took many, many pictures of this magnificent ship for my Dad to see.
We walked to the Boston railway system (MBTA) and jumped on to visit some other stops. We went and saw the Bull & Finch Pub, the bar which inspired the television series "Cheers." We went into the Faneuil Hall Marketplace (one of many city markets, I'm certain) and looked at the local wares and delicatessens. It was like Charleston's market times 1,000! Everyone had thick Boston accents, yet every person we came across went far out of their way to be courteous and helpful. Who said Southerners were the only people who could be hospitable? We were enlightened.
For dinner that night, we decided we needed to head out to a top of the line gourmet restaurant, to make sure we experienced just a little taste of Boston's "high life." We asked around and did some research, and came to decide on a small place in the ritzy district of Beacon Hill. The restaurant was called Torch, and the meal was, well, quite an experience. For one, Ken and I were the only ones not partaking in the wallet-splitting wines. Secondly, my Black Pearl Salmon that I ordered ended up coming to me as salmon "tartare" (i.e., it was still so raw it could have sprouted more fins and swam off of my plate).
My food needed salt, in my opinion, but we were informed that the dishes at Torch were meant to be experienced as the chef intended them to taste...therefore, salt and pepper were not available for their patrons. Wow. Were we in the wrong place! We both appreciate the value of well-prepared and inventive cuisine, but this was a bit too stuffy for our taste. Nevertheless, it was memorable and romantic. And plus, it provided something for us to chuckle about years later.
Ken and I decided to go on Boston's Freedom Trail tour this morning. There were tons of people with the exact same idea! It was so interesting.....you just follow a red line all over the city, as far as you want to travel, and you find either written history or a tour guide at several stops to tell you historical bits. It was on this tour that we were able to see the U.S.S. Constitution. I took many, many pictures of this magnificent ship for my Dad to see.
We walked to the Boston railway system (MBTA) and jumped on to visit some other stops. We went and saw the Bull & Finch Pub, the bar which inspired the television series "Cheers." We went into the Faneuil Hall Marketplace (one of many city markets, I'm certain) and looked at the local wares and delicatessens. It was like Charleston's market times 1,000! Everyone had thick Boston accents, yet every person we came across went far out of their way to be courteous and helpful. Who said Southerners were the only people who could be hospitable? We were enlightened.
For dinner that night, we decided we needed to head out to a top of the line gourmet restaurant, to make sure we experienced just a little taste of Boston's "high life." We asked around and did some research, and came to decide on a small place in the ritzy district of Beacon Hill. The restaurant was called Torch, and the meal was, well, quite an experience. For one, Ken and I were the only ones not partaking in the wallet-splitting wines. Secondly, my Black Pearl Salmon that I ordered ended up coming to me as salmon "tartare" (i.e., it was still so raw it could have sprouted more fins and swam off of my plate).
My food needed salt, in my opinion, but we were informed that the dishes at Torch were meant to be experienced as the chef intended them to taste...therefore, salt and pepper were not available for their patrons. Wow. Were we in the wrong place! We both appreciate the value of well-prepared and inventive cuisine, but this was a bit too stuffy for our taste. Nevertheless, it was memorable and romantic. And plus, it provided something for us to chuckle about years later.
Comments