February 2015

@DOTWNEWS FEB Option 2 l5.indd 11/26/09 9:11:31 AM

Uncovering the creative side of the capital

An insider's guide

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Oliver Robinson finds the cradle of the American Revolution to be a cultural and gastronomic revelation

I’m swept away by the angry mob as they march out onto the dock with shaking fists and shouts of “Fie!” Before I know it, I’m aboard the Eleanor, an East India Company merchant vessel loaded with crates of tea, which has just arrived from Liverpool. As

the din comes to a head, the Sons of Liberty (as we’ve become known in the past five minutes) begin to heave the crates into the sea. And so begins the Boston Tea Party.

Of course, this isn’t 1773. And the crates don’t contain any tea whatsoever. Furthermore, the Sons of Liberty aren’t a mob of angry men disguised as Mohawks — they’re a gaggle of slightly confused tourists dressed in brightly coloured ski coats, cheerfully following the instructions of our costumed guide (Samuel Adams, I think). The re-enactment of the ‘Destruction of the tea in

Boston’ is one part of our interactive tour at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, which consists of two replica ships, a handful of auditoriums and, of course, a tea shop.

Though the Englishman in me somewhat disapproves of the blatant act of civil disobedience I have just borne witness to, he does appreciate the museum’s setting — a little reminder of Boston’s rich, fascinating history in an area that the holds the key to the city’s future. The new museum bobs in the waters of the Fort Point Channel, a renovated waterfront and up-and-coming neighbourhood resplendent with shining high-rises, studio apartments and hotels. The old Federal Reserve Bank building is now The Langham, a 318-key hotel boasting historic charm outside and elegant modernity inside. Close by, directly on the waterfront, sits the InterContinental Boston, our

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Park life (above) Boston’s Public Garden is a popular sanctuary within the city

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next stop on account of its restaurant Sushi-Teq — a slick yet unassuming spot on the waterfront that is making a name for itself by serving sushi paired with the national beverage of Mexico. The combination proves a winner, largely thanks to the artfully prepared sushi and sashimi, courtesy of Japanese chef Taki-ishi, and the barman’s incredible knowledge of agave-based beverages.

The invention and innovation of establishments such as Sushi-Teq is symptomatic of Boston’s energised restaurant scene, which already has one of the best reputations in the United States. Indeed, this reputation will be further enforced in 2015 with a slew of restaurant openings, such as Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca (mid-April), BISq (last month), Steinbones, Peter Ungár’s Tasting Counter, and Matt Jennings and Brian Young’s Townsman.

But of all the food served in Boston’s generous array of restaurants, oysters have really put the city on the culinary map. Neptune Oyster on Salem

Street is often the first restaurant to roll off local tongues when asked for a good place to eat. The restaurant was featured in Zagat’s 20 best restaurants in the USA, 2013, and owner Michael Serpa is set to expand his empire with the opening of Oyster Bar this year. There’s also local favourite Union Oyster House, which I find tucked away behind the meat and fish market just off Blackstone Street (it would have been easier to find off Union Street, but I took a detour). The restaurant has been stood on the same narrow cobbled street, serving fresh oysters and clams since 1826, making it the oldest running eatery in the United States. So old, in fact, that George Washington stands outside (despite having died in 1799), inviting me to take my photo with him for just $2. I politely decline, which prompts him to launch into his back catalogue of films: “I used to be an actor, you know — in Hollywood. True Lies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tia Carrere; Miami Vice with Don Johnson...”

“Boston is incredibly pedestrian-friendly and a joy to navigate by foot — especially on a sunny afternoon”

History everywhere you look The tranquil urban sanctuary of Boston Common (opposite, top); cycling along the Charles River (above); Old City Hall (opposite, below)

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I leave him reciting his filmography and TV appearances, and step inside Union Oyster House, a hive of activity where waitstaff swarm, customers hover, and oysters are shucked. I bide my time and grab a seat at the oyster bar, a bank of ice embellished with all manner of molluscs. Behind the bar, three chefs prise apart the oysters with short, sharp dagger-like knives at dangerous speeds. They don’t seem to pay too much attention to what’s going on in their hand, instead preferring to make small talk with the customers. One, a Steve Buscemi lookalike, takes particular interest in my being from England, and reels off the names of the country’s top oyster shucking competitions. “I’ll get to Whitstable one day,” he says wistfully.

After two plates of the tastiest oysters I can remember eating, I pay the cheque, wish Steve Buscemi the best of luck, and step out blinkingly into the bright sunlight. Unlike many American

cities, Boston is incredibly pedestrian-friendly and joy to navigate by foot — especially on a sunny afternoon. Dog-eared map in hand, I begin to follow the Freedom Trail, up past the scene of the Boston Massacre on King Street (the spot where five Americans were killed by British soldiers in 1770), and past the Old City Hall. I eventually reach Boston Common, a green expanse in the centre of the city, punctuated by bandstands and monuments and set to the backdrop of the city’s more modern buildings — gleaming glass skyscrapers housing generic global financial institutions. I cross Charles Street into the Public Garden and across to its handsome boating lake. It’s too cold for pedalos today, which means a gaggle of geese have free reign of the waters.

I continue onto Newbury, a smart street that’s lined with the boutiques of names including Chanel, Burberry, Longchamp, Cartier and Kate Spade, along with a smattering of independent boutiques.

“Of all the foods served in Boston’s array of restaurants, oysters have really put the city on the culinary map”

Take to the streetsA stroll around Boston will take you to the likes of Old City Hall (left) and Newbury Street (opposite), after which you can curb hunger pangs at the likes of Union Oyster House (below)

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Unlike other shopping streets I’ve been dragged down, Newbury is fairly civilised, and strolling from shop to café to shop, many set in old Bostonian houses, is a real pleasure. I take coffee towards the end of the street, sitting outside as Boston’s cosmopolitan, smartly attired denizens stroll back and forth.

As the sun dips, it’s time for me to head back to the hotel, freshen up and head to the Boston Opera House. Originally the B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre, this building is considered to be one of the finest examples of the ‘vaudeville palace circuit’. At least it was — after a turbulent century of openings, closures, re-openings and renaming, it was fully restored to its former glory and reopened in 2004 — everything from the proscenium wall of the stage to the façade on Washington Street has been renovated as per the exacting standards of the National Park Service and the Boston Landmarks Commission. The result is quite mind-blowing, and sitting in gilt-edged environs is an

experience in itself. I’m here to see The Nutcracker, artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s wonderful version of the Marius Petipa classic. Since it’s reopening, the Opera House has diversified its calendar, staging shows as varied as ballet, contemporary dance, and mainstream musicals, and is now a cultural focal point of Downtown Boston.

My evening ends in rapturous applause and I find myself once again being swept away in a mob, pouring out of the Opera House and onto Washington Street. There’s none of the rambunctiousness of my Tea Party, but there’s still the all the energy that I’ve come to expect in Boston. The chatter dissipates as we hit Chinatown, where many theatregoers go for a post-show meal. I continue through the neon-illuminated streets and make my way towards my hotel in Fort Point Channel, drinking in the sights, sounds and smells of late-night Boston. The city swims with excitement and I’m ready to dive into another day. n

InterContinental BostonTel: +1 617 747 1000www.intercontinentalboston.com

The Langham, BostonTel: +1 617 451 1900boston.langhamhotels.com

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Old meets new (left to right) The InterContinental Boston, and inside elegance of The Langham

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