So I got myself together and drive down to Revere MA, just north of Logan Airport on the coast. I parked at the Wonderland garage, where I had gone many times as a college student. Strangely though I did not remember the route to Wonderland or the garage or the look of the station. It all felt brand new. So I hopped on the blue line and took it to the end of route, which is the Bowdoin station in downtown Boston.
My first stop was Flour, a bakery I had seen many times on the Food Network. There was only one thing I wanted, their sticky bun. It was served warm and gooey, with loads of chopped pecans on top. I don't eat many pastries nowadays, but this place knows how to make them. I also had a cup of chai to warm me up, a little on the milky side as opposed to the spiced side, but still very satisfying. Since I wasn't feeling well, I bit the bullet and took a bottle of their veggie juice, which wound up being my appetizer while I waited for the sticky bun and chai. Very flavorful blend, and it was funny that after I drank it, I didn't feel sick the rest of the day. I'm not suggesting magical healing powers, but I did feel much better afterwards. I took a seat upstairs against the window, which looked down on the busyness of the city. A very nice place to sort of get away from the rush for a minute. Oh, and to use the restroom, you have to ask them for a code. Might want to do that ahead of time.
So I began my walk of the Freedom trail, probably the most touristy thing to do in Boston, besides riding one of those duck boats. I walked by the State House, the Park Street Church, the Old Town Meeting House, and a few other historical sites. Of course, I got there a little early before any of them were opened. About the only place I could go in was the Granary Burial Ground where, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams are all buried. There's even a tower in the middle for Benjamin Franklin, and his parents are buried there. Of course, Franklin himself is laid to rest in Philadelphia. But it's a nice tease for the uninitiated.
By now it was starting to rain outside and I escaped into the Boston Public Market. Now I was familiar with Quincy Market, the well known food hall. But it wasn't open yet either, and the Public Market was a nice alternative. Bagels, smoothies, pastrami, vegan bakeries, apple cider donuts. The place wasn't too big, but still plenty of variety. Definitely more room that Reading Terminal Market in Philly. Sadly no roast pork sandwiches to be found in Boston.
But I didn't eat because I was saving it up for the Politically Incorrect Food Tour of the North End. It was set to start at 11 am sharp. And we were asked to meet outside in front of the North End branch of the Boston Public Library. There were 16 of us total, and I was the only one there by myself. No big deal, I'm used to it. 11 am, no tour guide. 11:05, no tour guide. By 11:10, we're starting to look at each other and wonder what was going on. So this one guy with the cute wife calls the number. He said he was coming. Around 11:15, Anthony shows up in a black tracksuit with a cigarette in one hand, cup of McDonald's coffee in the other. He reminded me of a mafia version of Rodney Dangerfield. Even had the slicked hair and it didn't move an inch the whole tour. Whatever he uses, I could use it.
Anyway, we got a history of the neighborhood and how the value of the real estate has exploded over the last 2 or 3 decade. But it was also interesting to learn how the Italians have all but moved out of the neighborhood. And about the only businesses that can operate are restaurants because the rent has gone up so high and restaurants are about the only businesses that can make enough money to make up the difference. The local hardware store, drug store, they're gone and not coming back.
Our first food stop was Galleria Umberto, a pizza joint. And it's funny, because I didn't know the places we were going, but this was a stop I was going to make regardless. So I'm glad I didn't go there ahead of time! They serve square Sicilian slices of cheese pizza, along with arancini and calzones. It's a pretty simple menu, which is fine. What they do, they do very well. We each got a slice, half a rice ball, and a bottle of water. The pizza was fine, not the best I've had, but I actually liked the rice ball more. I'm used to rice balls having too much filling and the outside coating getting soggy. This had just enough cheese and filling to balance out the rice and crispy coating. Excellent flavor and well made.
From there, we stopped into a little general store for an Italian lemon slush, a nice palate cleanser. The store was pretty crazy with all kinds of coffee and tea and the back shelf in jars and then the employees weigh them on a little bronze scale that's probably 100 plus years old. They also have a lot of random kinds of candy and your usual preserved Italian favorites like olive oils, roasted peppers, artichokes, etc. From there, it was onto Monica's for one of the best Italian subs around. Before we entered the shop, Anthony talked about the details of the sub, how it was created, how to make it and how to not make it. Remember, thin cold cuts are key! The sandwich was remarkable. Three of our meats, including salami, mortadella, prosciutto, and capicola. Also provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and hot peppers. But there was also some fresh basil and aged balsamic vinegar to balance everything out. So the sandwich had heat, sweet, and salt. And the bread was quite unique. It reminded me a little of focaccia, I could taste the virgin olive oil. And it was very soft and squishy, sometimes I like a more crusty bread, but this was still really really good.
After hearing a few mafia stories, we went to an actual sitdown eatery, called L'Osteria, for some cheese ravioli and a glass of wine. Well, we actually had to purchase the wine, unfortunately, and it was about $12 a glass. Then came what may have been the highlight. First, we walked down an alley, which I think is how every exciting Italian neighborhood story begins. We then walked down a flight of stairs past a pasta shop and into a little building called Bricco. They make prosciutto bread, which is one of my favorite things in the world. But for the first time I tried a pastry called Sfogliotellle, which is layer after layer of flaky pastry. Inside is some custard, and a little orange zest and cinnamon. Oh my goodness, move over cannoli! This was perfect, not too sweet, intense flavor, not creamy or heavy. Perfection! I'm resentful to my Italian father that it took this long for me to discover this deliciousness!
Finally, it was a cafe across the street for a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of espresso. Not a coffee guy, but with the gelato, it was a great finish to the tour, which lasted till about 3 pm.
On a random note, the North End, which is known for being Italian has a street called Bartlett Place. Odd since that's my mom's maiden name and that is the British side of the family. No streets with my last name to be found though!
By the end of the tour, the rain was really picking up. I had met a mom and daughter from central New Jersey, not far from where I grew up. We decided to head into Modern Pastry and get some treats for the road. They were driving back to Jersey that night, I was just trying to get to the train quickly. I went with another Sfogliotelle along with a cannoli dipped in pistachios. I'm telling you for the last time pistachios > chocolate chips. The two pastries were not cheap, ten dollars, and they only take cash. And the line even went halfway down the block, but they have multiple cashiers who keep the line moving pretty well.
After I got back to my car, I figured I had a long drive ahead of me and I did, still plenty of traffic to get out of Revere and back to the highway. I went back to the hotel to shower and refresh. Now I had my 5k the next morning, so I didn't want to eat anything too heavy. I decided to order takeout from Bertucci's, which I always liked visiting as a kid. There still is one outside DC about 3 hours away from me, but it's not exactly what I would call convenient for me to visit. So I ordered the Italian chopped salad and margherita pizza with chicken. Little did I know I would also get six of their amazing rolls with the spiced olive oil as well. I knew the salad and bread would pretty much finish me off. So the pizza, well, I saved that for the next night.
To top off the night, it was a glass of chianti, I recorded 3 videos for my YouTube channel and dozed off to bed.
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