Catherine’s Tour

On this show, Catherine visits the iconic Cheers Pub on Beacon Hill, previously known as the Bull & Finch Pub, she gets to experience Oyster Happy Hour in Boston’s Marliave Restaurant, as well as walking the famous grounds of the prestigious Harvard University where Sarah-Jo worked. 

Catherine gets a private tour of Fenway Park the oldest Major League Baseball stadium in the world. Along the way, Catherine tastes some of Boston’s finest cuisine when she visits Chef Benjamin Lacy at his restaurant ArtScience Culture Lab & Café plus a market that houses some of Boston’s finest Chef’s under the one roof, “Time Out Market” where she tastes food by Chef Peter Ungár & Chef Michael Schlow. 

A trip to Boston isn’t complete without visiting Mike’s Pastry who created the one-of-a-kind cannoli that keeps loyal Bostonians and tourists coming from around the world to enjoy. Catherine meets up with some other Irish who have immigrated to Boston and now work in one of Boston’s oldest boutique hotels “The Lenox Hotel”.

Cheers Pub

You’ve seen the TV Show. You know and love the characters. Now experience the Boston pub that inspired it all – ‘Cheers on Beacon Hill’, previously known as the “Bull & Finch Pub”.  Founded in 1969 as the Bull & Finch Pub, Cheers Beacon Hill became the original inspiration for the setting of the TV show Cheers. In fact, the year that the Cheers show premiered on television (1982) Boston Magazine chose the Bull & Finch Pub as the “Best Neighborhood Bar” in Boston. We’re still an intimate neighborhood bar – our neighborhood has just gotten a little bigger! 

So how did a Boston pub become the inspiration for Cheers? When the producers conceived and produced by Glen Charles, James Burrows, and Les Charles, who’d also been at the helm of Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, TV show went looking for a location to depict the ideal American bar, they headed to Boston, famous for colourful pubs, sports teams, and lively politics. After visiting other Boston bars, they returned to the Bull & Finch and declared, “This is the place” and an American television classic was born, and they would name it Cheers. 

The TV show premiered on September 30, 1982, and remains one of America’s most beloved situation comedies of all time, but it was almost canned in its first season due to abysmally low ratings. Viewers soon came around, thanks to the clever storylines crafted by lead writers Tom Anderson and David Lee and the flawless performance of the stellar cast the rest was history, the show has ended with the bar lives on.

Marliave Restaurant

Henry Marliave, a French immigrant from Paris, arrived in Boston with a collection of recipes and the dream of finding success in the United States. Henry Marliave achieved his American dream by opening his namesake: Restaurant Marliave at 10 Bosworth Street in 1885. The Boston dining landmark was reopened by Grotto chef/owner, Scott Herritt, and has recently added an espresso bar to the lower level which serves coffee, tea, snacks and pastries. Also be sure to visit our sister restaurant Grotto in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood.

The Oysters Catherine & Sarah Jo tasted: 

• Wellfleet, MA
• Beach point, Barnstable MA
• Davenport, Dennis MA

The taste on the oysters all depend on the environment in which the oyster is grown.  The outside shell tells the story, if it is greener in color that means it was grown near the bottom of the ocean floor, most likely having more of a vegetal flavor.  A white shell indicates the oyster was raised up and not around a lot of sea vegetation, giving it a saltier, brinier flavor.  All of the oysters are from Cape Cod with the wellfleet being from the very tip of cape cod and the Beach point and Davenport being from further inland.  

The Gentleman on the Wall is John Boyle O’Reilly a famous Irishman who used to visit Marliave and write poetry and meet with the fellow bohemians of the time.  More info on him at  https://www.johnboyleoreilly.com/.  Very interesting man!

The Govenor’s steps are a Boston landmark.  Where Marliave stood was the govenors mansion while under British rule.  The patriots at the time such as Sam Adams, etc would sit on these steps and yell and throw things at the mansion.  

Time Out Market

Time Out Markets are also set to open in Chicago and Montreal this year; Dubai will follow in 2020, London-Waterloo in 2021 and Prague in 2022 (the sites in Montreal, Dubai and Prague are the Group’s first management agreements) – all featuring the cities’ best and most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, drinks and cultural experiences.

Michael Schlow Italian Kitchen at Time Out Market

James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schlow brings two concepts to Time Out Market Boston: Monti Roman Pizzeria offers Roman-style pizza – cooked in a special wood burning oven – that will be crispy, airy, with a slightly chewy crust topped with simple, flavorful ingredients. With his second Italian Kitchen concept, Chef Michael Schlow focuses on a menu full of simple, honest Italian ingredients that best celebrate the country’s superb cuisine, including dishes such as House-made Cavatelli with spicy Italian sausage ragu.

The dish Catherine tasted on camera:

Mimi’s famous meatballs is a recipe passed down from Chef Michaels mother in law and never disappoints. Fluffy, creamy, whipped ricotta lays beneath a perfect ratio of meatballs and spicy tomato basil sauce, topped with a sprinkle of parmesan and parsley, not only Instagram worthy but also addictive!

Tasting Counter – Peter Ungár

One of Boston’s most celebrated culinary talents, Chef Peter Ungár of highly acclaimed Tasting Counter – which he opened in 2015 with his wife Ginhee Ungár – offers guests interpretations of the restaurant’s modern and beautifully handcrafted dishes, influenced by culinary techniques and traditions from around the world and utilizing New England ingredients.

The dish Catherine tasted on camera: 

“The Gremolata Dumplings we serve at Time Out Market are based on a popular dish we have served on the tasting menu at Tasting Counter which was originally inspired by a traditional Hungarian dish my grandmother frequently made during visits with my family in Budapest. The dumplings here are handmade spaetzle-style and served with house made soured cream, sea urchin foam, roasted hen of the wood’s mushrooms, and garnished with dehydrated preserved lemon. It’s a comforting dish that is both earthy and bright, with a great blending of Hungarian culinary traditions and local New England  ingredients”. A quote from Peter Ungár

Time Out Market is part of  Time Out Group plc, a global media and entertainment business that inspires and enables people to explore and enjoy the best the city. Time Out launched in London in 1968 with a magazine to help people discover the exciting new urban cultures that had started up all over the city. Today, the Group’s digital and physical presence comprises websites, mobile, magazines, Live Events and Time Out Market. Across these platforms Time Out distributes its curated content – written by professional journalists – around the best food, drink, music, theatre, art, travel and entertainment across 315 cities and in 58 countries. Time Out, listed on AIM, is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Time Out Market Boston opened in The Fenway neighbourhood BOSTON (July 2019) – The highly anticipated food and cultural market brings the best of the city under one roof, right at the heart of The Fenway neighbourhood. There are 15 eateries with food from some of Boston’s top chefs and restaurateurs, exciting craft cocktails and cultural experiences from local talent – all handpicked by Time Out Boston’s editorial team.

Located at 401 Park Drive, Time Out Market Boston offers across 25,000 square feet 15 eateries, two full-service bars, a retail shop and communal-style seating. The unique architecture of the market blends the building’s original Art Deco feel with modern design elements, respecting the history of the iconic 401 Park and making the space not only a culinary and cultural but also a visual experience.

Time Out Market Boston’s opening hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 9 a.m. with some eateries offering breakfast items; all other eateries open at 11 a.m. It will close Monday to Saturday at midnight and Sunday at 11 p.m.

To select Boston’s outstanding culinary talent, local Time Out editors tested and tasted the city’s best food and then invited only the very best chefs and eateries to join Time Out Market. The result of this curation is a stellar lineup, offering an incredible range of local cuisine – served on fine china and flatware, and made affordable and accessible. Time Out Market Boston features the following top chefs and much-acclaimed restaurateurs: 

• James Beard Award-winning Chef Tim and Nancy Cushman take over two kitchens with a pair of Asian concepts within Time Out Market: Ms. Clucks Deluxe offers a creative spin on chicken and dumplings riffing on Asian cuisines; and gogo ya reinvents the way guests think about sushi with inventive dishes, some of which are inspired by the award-winning o ya and Hojoko. Rob Wong, chef de cuisine of Hojoko Japanese Tavern is overseeing the two Time Out Market kitchens with Chef Tim Cushman. 
• Chef Tony Maws, named Best Chef Northeast by The James Beard Foundation, brings juicy Craigie Burger variations to Time Out Market, inspired by the iconic and highly sought-after signature burger at Craigie on Main.
• One of Boston’s most celebrated culinary talents, Chef Peter Ungár of highly acclaimed Tasting Counter – which he opened in 2015 with his wife Ginhee Ungár – offers guests interpretations of the restaurant’s modern and beautifully handcrafted dishes, influenced by culinary techniques and traditions from around the world and utilizing New England ingredients.
• James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schlow brings two concepts to Time Out Market Boston: Monti Roman Pizzeria offers Roman-style pizza – cooked in a special wood burning oven – that will be crispy, airy, with a slightly chewy crust topped with simple, flavorful ingredients. With his second Italian Kitchen concept, Chef Michael Schlow focuses on a menu full of simple, honest Italian ingredients that best celebrate the country’s superb cuisine, including dishes such as House-made Cavatelli with spicy Italian sausage ragu.
• Saltie Girl – the award-winning go-to restaurant among local seafood lovers – presents fresh seafood and New England favorites. Kathy Sidell and Chef Kyle McClelland will bring Saltie Girl’s succulent lobster rolls and signature sustainable tinned seafood along with fresh seafood dishes to Time Out Market. On the menu: fried clam roll and the signature lobster roll (hot and cold), bacon-kissed clam chowder, as well as a selection of their tinned fish.
• Revolution Health Kitchen makes Time Out Market visitors feel their best with a delicious and organic plant-based menu. Co-owners Heather and Dominic Costa offer satisfying salads, hearty soups, acai bowls, fresh juices and smoothies. 
• Nina and Raffi Festekjian serve Eastern Mediterranean flavors with anoush’ella, featuring traditional recipes using fresh, authentic ingredients inspired by their Armenian-Lebanese heritage. On the menu are dishes like Mezze of Hummus, Baba-Ganoush and Walnut Harissa, or the warm spices of Chicken Za’atar and Red Lentil Kofta Wraps.
• BISq offers mouth-watering charcuterie, delicious cheese boards and eclectic sandwiches as well as big and bold new interpretations of Bisq-inspired dishes from Chef Alex Saenz. 
• Cambridge’s celebrated modern-era Mamaleh’s Delicatessen serves up its delicious signature sandwiches, satisfying platters and modern interpretations of deli classics at Time Out Market Boston.
• Mobile Cooks presents with MC Kitchen healthy and scrumptious vegan fare featuring locally sourced ingredients during a three-month residency. Founded by Matthew Kaplan, Mobile Cooks’ mission is to empower cooks, support local farmers and feed the world delicious vegan food. At Time Out Market Boston, Mobile Cooks will welcome different chefs for daily or weekly specials.
• Union Square Donuts – co-founder Josh Danoff’s bakery with a cult-like following – brings its signature artisanal donuts, made from scratch daily with high-quality and wholesome ingredients. At Time Out Market, inventive flavor combinations like Sea Salt Bourbon Caramel, Brown Butter Hazelnut Crunch and Maple Bacon are served.
• Coffee pioneer George Howell Coffee brings its mission of seeking out the world’s best coffees to Time Out Market. Guests get to enjoy George Howell Coffee’s signature menu of batch brewed single-farm coffees as well as a selection of micro-lot coffees on a single-cup pour over bar. There are also espresso-based drinks and seasonal coffee-based mocktails and a full line of pastries and desserts from Seven Stars Bakery and Praline.  
• Gelato & Chill introduces its artisanal gelato, based on authentic and traditional Italian recipes. Artisanal gelato master Vincent Turco creates small batch, handmade gelato using organic, additive-free local ingredients and will regularly create new indulgent flavors along with gluten-free and vegan-friendly frozen treats as well as dairy-free sorbets.

A beverage program to complement Time Out Market Boston’s culinary offering Time Out Market Boston features two bars with an unparalleled beverage program designed to highlight the elements that make Boston a world class city. 

Time Out Market Boston is part of the global expansion of this successful culinary phenomenon. In 2014, the editorial team behind Time Out Lisbon turned a historic market building into Time Out Market Lisbon, the world’s first food and cultural market based wholly on editorial curation. Today, it is Portugal’s most popular attraction with 3.9 million visitors in 2018. This hugely successful culinary phenomenon is now expanding globally with new Time Out Markets having opened in Miami and New York in May 2019, followed by Boston in June 2019, and Chicago and Montreal later in 2019; Dubai is set to open in 2020, London-Waterloo in 2021 and Prague in 2022.

Time Out Market is rooted in the heritage of Time Out – a magazine created in London in 1968 to inspire and enable people to explore and enjoy the best of the city. Since then, Time Out editors have been writing about the best food, drink and cultural experiences worldwide. Today, a global team of local expert journalists is curating the best things to do in 315 cities across websites, magazines, social media and live events. Now this curation is brought to life at Time Out Market.

Harvard University

Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was named after the College’s first benefactor, the young minister John Harvard of Charlestown, who upon his death in 1638 left his library and half his estate to the institution. A statue of John Harvard stands today in front of University Hall in Harvard Yard, and is perhaps the University’s best known landmark.

Harvard University has 12 Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The University has grown from nine students with a single master to an enrollment of more than 20,000 degree candidates including undergraduate, graduate, and professional    students. There are more than 360,000 living alumni in the U.S. and over 190 other     countries.

John W. Weeks Footbridge – The John W. Weeks Bridge, usually called the Weeks Footbridge, is a pedestrian bridge over the Charles River, connecting Cambridge, Massachusetts with the Allston neighborhood of Boston. The Weeks Bridge opened in 1927 to carry pedestrian traffic between the Harvard Business School’s newly built Allston campus and the Business School’s former home, Harvard’s traditional campus in Cambridge. 

Harvard Science Centre Plaza 

The Harvard University Science Centre is Harvard’s main classroom and laboratory building for undergraduate science and mathematics, in addition to housing numerous other facilities and services.  Located just north of Harvard Yard, the Science Center was built in 1972 and opened in 1973 after a design by Josep Lluís Sert (then dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design). 

ArtScience Culture Lab & Café

Executive Chef, Benjamin Lacy recognizes the essential and important work of farmers who harvest his ingredients, often working directly with them to plan for upcoming menus, and respects the biology of food, which is essential to ArtScience’s culinary identity.

Coming from a multi-cultural family, his Chinese mother and Irish-American father exposed him to a wide variety of both conflicting and complementary flavors and culture, instilling in him a love of eclectic cooking. At Sel de la Terre, Lacy nurtured his passion for food under the watchful eyes of chefs Frank McClelland, Geoff Gardner, and Daniel Bojorquez. He has also worked at acclaimed local restaurants including Union Bar and Grille, Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro, Ten Tables, Bondir Concord, and En Boca.

With a spirit of innovation, Lacy continues to offer dishes at ArtScience that encourage diners to step outside their comfort zone without appearing selective or exclusionary. He hopes that guests leave with an understanding of not only the heart and soul behind the food, but also the philosophy behind the restaurant’s sustainable approach to dining.

The dishes Catherine tasted on camera:

1. Lamb Tartare with kataifi, Greek yogurt, buttermilk gel, earl grey pudding, pauce paloise, and bee pollen.
2. Rabbit Crepinette with spring vegetable glace, fava bean puree, sauce perigord.

Founder, David Edwards: ArtScience is the creation of David Edwards, Harvard faculty member, future-of-food inventor and pioneer of the international artscience movement. Our team reflects the values of his vision: creative and artistic while informed by the latest science and mindful of the future of food and drink

Fenway Park

Fenway Park was built in 1912 because owner of the Red Sox, John Taylor, wanted a new ballpark for his team. In April 1912, the ballpark was completed and named Fenway Park because of its location in “The Fens” in Boston. The 27,000 seat ballpark was home of the Red Sox until the Boston Redskins moved to the ballpark in 1933. 

In July 1932, George Marshall was awarded the Boston football franchise & in the first season the team was named the Boston Braves because they played at Braves Field. 

After the 1932 season the Braves were moved to Fenway Park and renamed the Redskins. The team played their first game at Fenway Park in September 1933 against the New York Giants. The Redskins played four seasons at Fenway Park before moving to Washington after the 1936 because of low fan support.

Eight years later, the Boston Yanks began playing at Fenway Park. The Yanks played their first game at the ballpark in September 1944 against the Philadelphia Eagles, however the Yanks folded after the 1948 season. 

The last professional football team to play at Fenway Park was the Boston Patriots. For six seasons the Patriots played at Fenway Park. They played their last game at the ballpark in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 moving to Foxboro Stadium the next year.

The Red Sox have continued to played at Fenway Park since 1968. Although the ballpark has grown in capacity it still looks similar as when it opened. Today, Fenway Park has a seating capacity of 38,805. The prominent feature today at Fenway Park remains the Green Monster, a 37 foot high wall in left field. Throughout the late 1990s there were discussions of a new ballpark being built for the Red Sox. However, the current owners of the team are committed to keeping the team at Fenway Park.

Mike’s Pastry

Founded in 1946, Mike’s Pastry is located in Boston’s historic North End on Hanover Street. Michael Mercogliano (the “Mike” behind the famed Mike’s Pastry) created the one-of-a-kind cannoli that keeps loyal Bostonians and tourists coming from around the world to enjoy.  Mercogliano presided over the bakery since 1946 and handed the operation off to his stepson, Angelo Papa, who has been running the bakery for years now.

Mercogliano moved to the North End when he was only 12 years old with his family straight off the boat from Italy. There were no pastry classes or any educational resources in learning cake-decorating back then, so Mike first started in his cousin’s bakery next door where he fell in love with the craft and began assembling the perfect cannoli.

Mike’s has a signature white box with bright blue font tied with a string bow, which you’ll see pedestrians holding as they explore Boston and take their pastries to go. These loyal customers include everyone from presidents to tourists to local Bostonians. Known for their cannoli and lobster tails, Mike’s is one of the best-known Italian bakeries in Boston.

Going to Mike’s has become a Boston tradition when in town whether visiting family, friends, sporting events, college, or any other event. We hope that you continue the tradition and come see us and grab a pastry.

The Lenox Hotel Boston

The Lenox Hotel is a hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is located at the corner of Boylston and Exeter Streets. One block from Newbury Street, Copley Square, and the Prudential Tower, The Lenox sits next to the Boston Public Library.

The Lenox Hotel was built in 1900 by the owner of New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, Lucias Boomer, at a cost of $1,100,000. At eleven stories high, it once stood as the tallest building in Boston. The outside was constructed of white and red terra cotta bricks and the inside of the hotel was luxuriously appointed. The hotel is named after the family of Lady Sarah Lennox, wife of King George III who ruled before and during the American Revolution. The Lenox was host to many celebrities, including Enrico Caruso, who arrived at The Lenox in his own private railroad car. The area next to The Lenox was a railroad station until the 1960s, allowing affluent guests to pull their railroad cars up to the hotel and walk right in. Judy Garland, who made The Lenox her home for three months in 1965, currently has one of the hotel’s suites named in her honor. In 1963, the Saunders family acquired the hotel and Roger Saunders was brought on as the general manager.

The hotel recently underwent a $35 million renovation and some of the corner suites in the hotel still have functioning wood-burning fireplaces. It is one of the few known buildings left in the world with a functioning Cutler mail chute.

The Lenox Hotel is located less than a block from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, held every year in April.

Boston’s famous Fenway Victory Gardens

In Boston, across the street from another historic destination, Fenway Park, lies the     Fenway Victory Gardens. Dating back to 1942, it boasts being the only remaining         continuously operating World War II Victory Gardens in the United States.

During the war, the Fenway Victory Gardens were created on a 49-acre spread ripe for cultivation. The official Fenway Garden Society was established two years later, in 1944, in an effort to provide land for those who wanted to continue growing their own food even after the war ended. Now, flowers outnumber veggies, although you’ll still see plenty of lettuce,     luscious tomatoes, eggplants, strawberries, raspberries, and more as the growing  season progresses.

Local residents still tend the 500 or so plots, which typically measure about 15′ by 25′ – roughly the size of a large living room – although a few are even larger.  Although the Back Bay Fens park is public, the fenced plots are private, with locked gates to protect the     gardening tools, lawn furniture, sculpture, and other items tucked away in them. 

Individuals pay a small annual fee (currently $15-$30) for the privilege of cultivating a plot – some have been here for decades. 

Attend one of the free Open Gardens hosted by the gardeners, who literally unlock their gardens and invite you in for a close-up look. Each month’s event features a different     section of the gardens. Open Gardens take place on one Wednesday evening a month   between June and October. Dates vary a bit from year to year so check Boston Discovery Guide’s June events calendar to find the exact dates for all Open Gardens for the season.

What makes a visit to the Fenway Victory Gardens special is that each space reflects the interests, aesthetic vision, and energy and skills of its caretaker. The Victory Gardens give you a glimpse into another world – or more accurately, 500 visions of paradise