How I Spent My Summer Vacation--Boston Cuisine

July 15 -- Boston

So, back to Hojo, showered, and ready for lunch.  With sore feet I was hoping it was a short walk, and that I would not make a mistake.

A great little restaurant, minutes away from Hojo:

Veal Parmigiana -- Mama mia!

It was worth noting that across the street from Canestaro's, the gryphons were not doing their job....

I expect more of gryphon protection

And then back to Hojo, where I noted that the hotel was really, really close to Fenway.

In fact, any closer and the bed would have been on home plate.

Shortly thereafter, I met up with my son and we went in search of food.  The North End truly makes me heartsick for Italian cooking.  Where I live, we have southern Italian, but not southern as in southern Italy; southern, like, y'all want some eye-talian food?

My lunch had been the appetizer, and yet I couldn't resist a stop at Bova's Bakery for a fresh loaf of Italian bread, to tide us over till dinner, and a couple sfogliatelle, for later.  Munching on the bread, we walked the five minutes to La Dolce Vita, where I had two summers ago had a lunch of stuffed calamari that took me back to my childhood.

Posing with the Chef, 2010

Franco, the proprietor, said the words I'd been hoping to hear:  "Let me know if there's anything you want, you don't see on the menu...."

And gave me the recipe after dinner.  He said it was easy, and maybe I'll try it some day, but so much nicer to visit La Dolce Vita.

Now, I know I had a bag with a couple sfogliatelle for dessert, but I also knew that they would keep for an emergency, like tomorrow's breakfast, so we stopped by Mike's Pastry for, what else?  Cannoli.

You can't miss Mike's Pastry, because you can't walk past it.  There is always a line out the door and spilling over the sidewalk.  Even at 9 at night.

And the other thing I can't do, is just choose one pastry.  So my son, also a proud gourmand, enthusiastically helped me choose six cannoli with six different fillings.  We are not gluttons, so we did not eat them there.  We chowed down at the hotel.

And that was how I spent Day One of My Vacation.