beantown visitor

tomorrow my first visitor of 2010 will arrive. my cousin, katie, who is on the east coast for work, will be spending the weekend here in boston. katie is in a rare group of visitors: those who have visited me in boston more than once. in fact, i think there are only two visitors in this exclusive group, and the other, the legend, will be making his 5th visit (i believe) next month. katie is a close second and if work keeps sending her to the east coast she could overtake the legend in 2010. 

for a first time visitor to boston i can get away with little to no planning. this is in thanks to living in the city for more than four years now, and having had the privilege of showing many family members and friends around the tourist areas of boston. but for those visitors who have already walked the freedom trail (and those that have proposed taking a shot every time "freedom trail" is exclaimed during the walk), seen quincy market, and walked by or through harvard university, more planning and coordination is necessary to make the trip a success. plus, i'm not a fan of asking the question "what do you want to do now?" and hearing in response "i don't care." 


so in light of katie's visit this friday, i've put together a list (or agenda if you will) of this weekend's plans. this allows those partaking in the activities a chance to veto something they're not interested in, while those in boston looking for plans an opportunity to participate. 

friday, february 5th

• 7:30 pm dinner reservations (for 4) @ figs (gourmet pizza) in beacon hill
• depending on katie's arrival, a pre-dinner drink @ brookline's regal beagal
• after dinner drinks at the sevens in beacon hill

saturday, february 6th

• breakfast is the most important meal, right? but breakfast is too early. and unfortunately, if you're not early @ brookline's zaftigs then enjoy the hour wait. that's why i'm going to suggest 11 am brunch @ johnny d's in somerville's davis square
• since we'll be in a car and i've only done it once, a tour of the sam adam's brewery in jamaica plain in the afternoon is a must
• time to get rid of the car, get ready for the rest of our night, and start using public transportation.
• head down to the copley area and check out the boston public library and  trinity church around 4:30
• have a drink or two around 5:30 pm at the top of the hub in the prudential building
• 8:00 pm dinner reservations (for 3) at the south end's tremont 647
• after dinner drinks at brownstone on dartmouth st

sunday, february 7th

• this is a big sports day. yeah, i'm talking about the capitals @ pens hockey game at noon! i think there's a football game on later that day too?
• with little time before katie has to depart back to the mid-west in the early afternoon, so seems like we'll need some coffee
• a stop by the coolidge corner peet's coffee & tea
• a walk past jfk's birthplace home in brookline
• and a chocolate croissant from clear flour bakery 
• then it's off to logan airport and picking up some beer when i get back

if ya ever visit me in boston, including your upcoming visit mr. legend, you can count on hitting up a place or two from this list. like i previously mentioned, if you're in boston this weekend, whether visiting or living here, and some of these activities interest ya, get in touch with me and i'll let ya know where we are. reservations can be easily adjusted and we'd be glad to have ya. but be prepared to take a picture of katie and i to mark her visit.