Starting off right!

We had a nice and early flight into Boston.  We arrived around 10:30 to a brisk day – about 45 degrees – burr!  We dropped our bags at the hotel, hopped back on the T and headed to the Italian North end.  The Boston foodies gave us the tip to be at Neptune Oyster as soon as they opened.  And boy were they right!  We were there when they rolled up the gates, grabbed two seats at the bar and settled in for some tasty treats!  Before we even had placed our order the place was full!

We decided it only made sense to start with some oysters.  We got 3 different kinds: 1 from the west coast and 2 from the east coast.  I thought I kept the list so I could tell you the exact ones but can’t seem to find it!  Bummer!  But needless to say they extremely fresh and the perfect way to start of our New England trip!

We also decided to try the Hamachi Crudo.  They really let that Hamachi shine!  Sliced thin with a jalapeno-lime vinaigrette, shaved red onion and cilantro.  This was so light and fresh.  A delicate dish without being at all pretentious. 

And then for the real reason we were there…  THE LOBSTER ROLL!  Oh.Me.Goodness.  This was amazing.  The roll was warm and toasty.  The lobster fresh and overflowing.  The butter covered it all in an expertise proportion.  The fries were crispy on the outside – soft on the inside.  Truly the perfect sandwich.  We mentioned multiple times throughout the weekend that we could always go back and get another Lobster Roll.  It was that good!

After filling our bellies with some amazing treats it was time to work it off!  And what better way to do that than a bicycle tour of the city.  I had been following Groupon for Boston and happen to come upon a Groupon for Urban Adventures.  (following along one of the coupon sites for the city you’re going to be visiting is a great way to find some deals!)  Urban Adventures does different tours of the city via bicycles.  I loved the idea of seeing the city up close and personal.  So we donned our helmets, got fitted for bikes and we were off!

  

The “City View” tour shows you a really nice portion of Boston in about a 2-1/2 hour tour.  Check out our route:

And some shots from the tour:

            

Beacon Hill

Charles River

Fenway Park

Downtown & Harbor

Overall a great way to see the city, learn some history and get some exercise!  I would highly recommend it – but make sure you pack some gloves and a warm hat in case of cold weather.  We weren’t prepared and had to go shopping real quick!

Can you believe all this was in our first day!  And we still haven’t made it to dinner – we love to pack in the activities!!  For dinner that evening, we headed to a little neighborhood on the south west side of Boston, Jamaica Plains.  This was a really cool neighborhood – it reminded me a little of Charlotte’s NoDa but bigger.  We ate at Ten Tables, a small intimate restaurant where the food takes center stage.  The restaurant was very romantic – i.e. dark!  So I wasn’t able to get any photos of the food but believe me it was tasty!

We started with cheese of the day – a very strong bleu that came with almonds, honey and fruit paste and the house made Charcuterie with traditional accoutrements.  For entrées I had the housemade Cavatelli with fava beans, peas and ricotta salad. I really enjoyed the freshness of this dish.  There was a lightness even though it was a pasta and fava beans and peas added a nice brightness.  Joe went with the Moulard Duck Breast with red rice, shitake mushrooms and spring onion jam.  The duck was cooked perfectly and the combination of the earthy mushrooms with the sweetness of the jam made a scrumptious bite!  Unfortunately with all the bread from our cheese and charcuterie we neglected to leave room for dessert!  Bad bad – I know!

Whew!  And then we went back to the hotel and fell into bed – that was one FULL day!  Saturday was much more laid back, you’ll see!