1. Brunch, of course
Brunch is probably my favorite meal, so lucky for me, Boston has plenty of great brunch places. Unfortunately, there aren’t any bottomless mimosas places within the city (that we could find), but everywhere boasts pretty great boozy brunch deals. We went to Friendly Toast in Cambridge, which was featured in Man v. Food, and serves breakfast all day. Their breakfast tacos are delicious and their Bloody Marys are the perfect way to start off your day.
2. Run next to the Charles River
In my opinion, one of the best ways to explore a city is to run through it. The Charles River in Boston is lined with parks, great views of the city, and really great opportunities for people watching. The river forms the border of downtown Boston and Cambridge, which is where we stayed, and located along the river are a few universities that you may have heard of – Harvard, Boston University, and MIT.
3. Lobster Roll
When in Boston, you absolutely must have a lobster roll. There are two ways lobster rolls are made: with hot butter or with mayo. We decided to go to Neptune Oyster, and I can honestly say this was one of my Top 5 meals of 2016. We got a dozen oysters and a hot buttered lobster roll. I promise there is nothing overrated about these lobster rolls – they really do deserve all the hype they get! However, we were really really lucky that we got to Neptune Oyster when we did; we arrived to the restaurant 25 minutes before they opened and found ourselves waiting in a line. Once it finally opened, people were slowly seated and then we were the last ones in the line that could fit in the restaurant. The people behind us were told that they would be called/texted when their seats were available, which would probably be 45 minutes to an hour. So just remember to get to Neptune Oyster before they open!
4. Stroll around Boston Common
Boston Common is the oldest city park in the United States and is located in Downtown Boston. There was so much going on in the park on the day we walked around it – we went the weekend of September 11th so there was a firefighter and bagpipe procession; a movie was being filmed on the lawn; and many people and families were just hanging out, having a picnic and enjoying the weather.
5. Italian dinner in North End
When in Boston, you must go to North End (aka Boston’s Little Italy) for some delicious Italian food. We went to Panza, which is a friendly and intimate restaurant. We ended up getting their appetizer special, a buffalo mozzarella dish, and the Linguine Alla Pescatore and Lobster ravioli. We split a bottle of wine, but if you decide to order by the glass, they have a very generous wine pour (literally all the way to the top of the glass). Reasons why I loved this restaurant – you can make reservations, which is nice if you are on a tight schedule, and they are very decently priced. Entrees were around $16-20 and bottles of wine were around $20-26. After dinner, be sure to stop by one of the Italian bakeries for dessert.
Travels and Trouvailles 