Baseball is a priority in the Unger household, and since John’s bucket list includes a visit to all the baseball parks across the US, Fenway Park made the top of the list since it is the oldest standing baseball stadium. John grew up watching the Mets and they happen to be his favorite team so the morning of July 2nd we waited patiently for the remaining Red Sox season tickets to go on sale. We lucked out with great seats in Section 120.
I’m glad we went in September, the weather was perfect. It was in the low 70’s the entire time. We arrived early afternoon, jumped on T and headed to the North End for a late lunch.
Lobster Rolls at Pauli’s & the Best Cannoli’s at Modern Pastry Shop
Pauli’s came up in my research when searching for the best lobster roll, they didn’t disappoint. You have the option to order a cold or hot sandwich, we ordered both and hands down the hot sandwich was our favorite. We shared a bowl of New England clam chowder and it was delicious.
Mikes Pastry is the place most tourists go however I found several recommendations to visit Modern Pastry Shop instead for a traditional cannoli. The options were endless and the best part there was no line. The traditional cannoli’s and a Napoleon bar left us speechless. They tasted fresh, had the perfect flavor and the wait wasn’t long at all. HIGHLY recommend.
MOXY Marriott Hotel
We headed to the MOXY Hotel and it was a block from the T (Boylston Station) and the Boston Commons. We had a corner room on the 6th floor with views of the city. The decor and finishing touches were nice. It was centrally located and easy to get around. It was quiet and the staff was friendly.
Dinner at Cantina Italiana Restaurant
Italian is my favorite food and Cantina Italiana came highly recommended from a friend who knows her Italian. Our table was outside along Hanover Street and we enjoyed the ambiance of the quaint street.
Starter
The Polpette (meatballs – family recipe of house-made angus beef meatballs in ragu, shaved parmigiano) as a starter tasted perfect.
Entree
John enjoyed Bombolotti Vodka – signature house-made bombolotti pasta, smoked pancetta, and shallots in a vodka tomato cream sauce. I ordered Pollo E Broccoli Americano – boneless, pan-seared chicken, garlic, broccoli florets, handmade fusili pasta, Parmigiano, Pecorino Romano, and mozzarella in a white wine sauce. Both were OUTSTANDING!
Breakfast at The Gallery in the W Hotel
Our hotel didn’t offer a hot breakfast so we went across the street and enjoyed breakfast at the W Hotel. We split the Lemon Blueberry Ricotta pancakes and the eggs benedict with potatoes. It was simply delicious.
Freedom Trail & Neptune Oyster for Lunch
We walked from the Moxy Hotel to the North End, roughly 1.5 miles. Along the way we followed the Freedom Trail and made our way to the Boston Waterfront. Neptune Oyster was on my list as my mission was to enjoy as much seafood as possible. They don’t take reservations and the line gets long. We arrived in time to snag an outdoor table and I was excited to try this recommended gem.
We don’t typically order oysters however we decided to give it try since this is their specialty. We both agreed we are still not oyster people 😉 I ordered the Maine Peekytoe Crab Salad – Verrill Farm’s butter lettuce, avocado, breakfast radish, with almond vinaigrette. John ordered Georges Bank Sea Scallops – Pea tendrils, fava bean, succotash, pancetta, Chatham kelp butter. INCREDIBLE food!
A Walk Through Back Bay to Fenway Park
We definitely got our 10,000 steps in for the day, we decided to walk to Fenway Park, roughly 2.5 miles from the hotel and made our way through Back Bay on Newbury Street. As we walked through the Public Garden John swore we walked past Francisco Lindor with his family (Mets Shortstop) 😉
We walked past the Boston Marathon finish line, enjoyed smoothies at Live Alive Cafe and stumbled upon Johnny Cupcakes which has nothing to do with cupcakes and everything to do with T-shirts. Clever marketing!
Fenway Park – Boston Red Sox vs NY Mets
As we walked around the corner and saw the Fenway Park Boston Red Sox sign I couldn’t believe we were here. We walked past a bar where Mets fans were congregating and they were chanting “Lets go Mets!” John smiled.
We arrived early and walked the perimeter of the stadium. Finally at 5:45pm they let us in. My mission was finding an Italian Sausage and had to wait patiently. After my third attempt to join the line they were ready. It was worth the wait.
We had a Met fan sitting in front of us, he drove in from New Jersey and was friendly and helpful. Midway through the game the crowd started the wave (I love the wave) and I quickly noticed the Mets section not one person stood up. I laughed so hard. We later learned Mets fans never do the wave, not even in their own stadium. HA!
Breakfast a Tatte Bakery
Tatte Bakery was a block from our hotel and I was curious to try this place as the menu looked amazing. We both enjoyed coffee and a Breakfast sandwich and it was perfect!
We walked back to our hotel, finished packing and headed to the top floor for one last view of the city. Boston you were wonderful and I look forward to our next visit.
Next up is Wrigley Field in 2022!
