I listen to a lot of radio, and it used to annoy me to no end that freaking Hartford has better radio stations than what we can pick up in the metro Boston area. Matt Siegel and John Lander are practically competing to be the oldest, most irritating radio show hosts on a Top 40 station. Star 93.7 was stripped of decent music when they morphed into Mike and ZLX hasn't had broadcasted anything even mildly entertaining since Steve Sweeney.
WBOS has always been a pre-set in my radio, despite the fact that their music selection was basically an endless loop of Barry Manilow, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen (aka: Sad FM for the over 40). Dropping the BOS call signal in a bold remarketing effort, the new Radio 929 is in my opinion one of the best radio stations on the east coast. If DC Rock 101 married WPLJ in New York, their beauiful offspring would be a Red Sox fan named Radio 92.9.
Getting a heavy dose of the Toadies, Offspring, Everclear, Jane's Addiction, and Weezer make rocking out in the car so much more pleasant. Next time you see a psychotic girl driving a Crossfire up and down the Expressway singing and drumming away on the steering wheel you'll know why - she's listening to some of the greatest music ever recorded on 92.9.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Paying Our Dues
I went to a seminar this morning on the impending showdown between Boomers and Y-ers in the workplace. Although I've read a lot of online articles about the different sets of values that Y-ers bring to corporate America, I was surprised at the level of curiousity the Boomers had about how to interact with our generation. As the only Y-er in the room I definitely felt a big smug at the amount of attention I received from my elder peers. Now I know how the gorillas at the Franklin Park Zoo must feel.
Following the seminar we broke into groups to discuss various work-related topics. One hiring manager bemoaned the fact that his younger employees didn't quite grasp his company's "corporate culture" and as a result he was having a huge issue with turn-over. The X-ers and Boomers agreed that corporate culture was important to any organization and couldn't understand why a young person would simply quit after gaining enough skills necessary to make more money at another employer. "Paying your dues" by being ill-treated or under-paid by your current employer is apparently a very admirable trait to Boomers and Gen-Xers.
Paying ones dues at a new job is obviously part of the learning process and I seriously believe that most of my Gen-Y peers aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. But drinking the corporate kool-aid and buying into corporate culture? At the end of the day, the only thing that Generation Y is buying into is themselves. Until corporate America gets that through their thick skulls they're going to have a very difficult time retaining good employees in this new millenium.
I, like hundreds of thousands of of other people born between 1979 and 1994 love our jobs, our careers, and who we work for (at least for now). However, if we were able to get into our Deloriums and zoom back 40 years then perhaps as a generation we all might be a just a bit more loyal. Health benefits and a pension for 30 years of service? Sign me up. In our modern day reality, we enrolled in college like lemmings because we were told that gaining a college degree was our way to warp zone to success. For our hard work and out-of-the-stratosphere college loans most of us end up in cubicle land being "coached" by some Gen Xer who refuses to teach us anything for fear that we may take his or her job. Spending your days bored out of your mind, unable to even access Facebook or Craigslist because IT blocked it, is hardly engaging enough to make us want to stay at our jobs past 3 years.
Most Boomers and X-ers, especially those who entered the job market in late 70's and early 80's, are quick to point out that we should be lucky to have a job at all. However, if you want to cut our wages and double our work, we'll walk. If you want to threaten lay-offs and refuse to promote us, we'll walk. If you want to raise our insurance premiums through the roof and cut back on benefits, we'll walk. If you honestly expect us to suck it up by working unpaid overtime and Saturdays for the "good of the company" we'll definitely walk. Unlike those generations who came before us, Generation Y-ers are full of self-confidence, and are absolutely convinced that everyone is in love with us. There's no doubt in our minds that somewhere out there is another company who is falling over themselves to hire us.
We want to work hard but we're not going to become workaholics just so some corporate board of directors can become gagillionaires off of our sweat. As the largest generation to enter the workforce since the Vietnam War, we're not going to accept the old-fashioned, out-dated professional practices of yore and dismiss it as "corporate culture". Growing up in a highly adaptive, multi-task culture there had better be something in it for us, whether it's flex-time, a relaxed dress code, the ability to work remotely, or richer financial incentives. In the next twenty years we'll be paying our dues to America by revolutionizing its 21st century workers into a competitive global force.
Following the seminar we broke into groups to discuss various work-related topics. One hiring manager bemoaned the fact that his younger employees didn't quite grasp his company's "corporate culture" and as a result he was having a huge issue with turn-over. The X-ers and Boomers agreed that corporate culture was important to any organization and couldn't understand why a young person would simply quit after gaining enough skills necessary to make more money at another employer. "Paying your dues" by being ill-treated or under-paid by your current employer is apparently a very admirable trait to Boomers and Gen-Xers.
Paying ones dues at a new job is obviously part of the learning process and I seriously believe that most of my Gen-Y peers aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. But drinking the corporate kool-aid and buying into corporate culture? At the end of the day, the only thing that Generation Y is buying into is themselves. Until corporate America gets that through their thick skulls they're going to have a very difficult time retaining good employees in this new millenium.
I, like hundreds of thousands of of other people born between 1979 and 1994 love our jobs, our careers, and who we work for (at least for now). However, if we were able to get into our Deloriums and zoom back 40 years then perhaps as a generation we all might be a just a bit more loyal. Health benefits and a pension for 30 years of service? Sign me up. In our modern day reality, we enrolled in college like lemmings because we were told that gaining a college degree was our way to warp zone to success. For our hard work and out-of-the-stratosphere college loans most of us end up in cubicle land being "coached" by some Gen Xer who refuses to teach us anything for fear that we may take his or her job. Spending your days bored out of your mind, unable to even access Facebook or Craigslist because IT blocked it, is hardly engaging enough to make us want to stay at our jobs past 3 years.
Most Boomers and X-ers, especially those who entered the job market in late 70's and early 80's, are quick to point out that we should be lucky to have a job at all. However, if you want to cut our wages and double our work, we'll walk. If you want to threaten lay-offs and refuse to promote us, we'll walk. If you want to raise our insurance premiums through the roof and cut back on benefits, we'll walk. If you honestly expect us to suck it up by working unpaid overtime and Saturdays for the "good of the company" we'll definitely walk. Unlike those generations who came before us, Generation Y-ers are full of self-confidence, and are absolutely convinced that everyone is in love with us. There's no doubt in our minds that somewhere out there is another company who is falling over themselves to hire us.
We want to work hard but we're not going to become workaholics just so some corporate board of directors can become gagillionaires off of our sweat. As the largest generation to enter the workforce since the Vietnam War, we're not going to accept the old-fashioned, out-dated professional practices of yore and dismiss it as "corporate culture". Growing up in a highly adaptive, multi-task culture there had better be something in it for us, whether it's flex-time, a relaxed dress code, the ability to work remotely, or richer financial incentives. In the next twenty years we'll be paying our dues to America by revolutionizing its 21st century workers into a competitive global force.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Restaurant Review: Stix
Restauraunt: Stix Restaurant & Lounge
Address: 35 Stanhope Street, Boston MA
Website: www.stixboston.com
Rating: C-
Disclaimer: to be honest, I didn't have high expectations for this place to begin with. I've been eating out more than I should lately and am generally not one to enjoy "trendy food". Besides, after you've indulged at Fat Cat in Quincy, a deep fried turkey sandwich is a tough act to beat.
Stix is located on Stanhope Street, which is a one-way alley within a stone's throw of Back Bay Station. The entrance is not clearly marked and I (like most of my friends) incorrectly assumed that the only way to get through was by entering their sister restaurant 33. Much like a tapas bar, the main draw to Stix are the bite sized appetizers (served on sticks...get it?) that each go for an outrageous $9 a pop. Had it not been for restaurant week, I could've dropped a C-note on apps and drinks easily.
The fixe prix menu was completely misadvertised on their website. The hanger steak was listed as part of their $33.08 restaurant week menu, but in reality they upcharged an extra $5. This wasn't a huge deal since I didn't plan on getting the steak but it's still misleading. For my starter I chose the grilled steak tips served with a size of honey bourbon bbq sauce. My appetizer was delicious, and definitely the highlight of the meal.
For my main course I chose the salmon served over vegetable risotto. Keeing in line with most trendy restaurants (because God forbid I walk out of your estbalishment not as starved as I was when I walked in the door), four tiny pieces of ridiculously dry salmon were served over a half cup of undercooked risotto with a slice of zuccini thrown in for color. The trick to making the meal edible was to mix the bone dry salmon with the greasy risotto so as to not choke and wash the whole thing down with hangover-inducing chardonnay. Yum!
For dessert I got the truffle tree which featured four different chocolate truffles served on sticks (the theme never gets old, does it????). The truffles were pretty outstanding, and definitely a welcome change over the main course.
Our attentive waiter was able to make wine recommendations and even let us sample the different bottles before choosing which one to go with. Our party of 7 seven was seated in "Storage B" (Office Space reference) which I thought was more intimate, and definitely allowed us to be as loud and obnoxious as we wanted without disturbing the entire restaurant. While it was fun to try a new restaurant (thank you Restaurant Week!), I am not exactly queueing up to go back to Stix.
Stix is located in the Back Bay and easily accessible by Green Line (Arlington St) and Commuter Rail/Orange Line (Back Bay). Street parking is tough to come by though valet is available for $16.
Address: 35 Stanhope Street, Boston MA
Website: www.stixboston.com
Rating: C-
Disclaimer: to be honest, I didn't have high expectations for this place to begin with. I've been eating out more than I should lately and am generally not one to enjoy "trendy food". Besides, after you've indulged at Fat Cat in Quincy, a deep fried turkey sandwich is a tough act to beat.
Stix is located on Stanhope Street, which is a one-way alley within a stone's throw of Back Bay Station. The entrance is not clearly marked and I (like most of my friends) incorrectly assumed that the only way to get through was by entering their sister restaurant 33. Much like a tapas bar, the main draw to Stix are the bite sized appetizers (served on sticks...get it?) that each go for an outrageous $9 a pop. Had it not been for restaurant week, I could've dropped a C-note on apps and drinks easily.
The fixe prix menu was completely misadvertised on their website. The hanger steak was listed as part of their $33.08 restaurant week menu, but in reality they upcharged an extra $5. This wasn't a huge deal since I didn't plan on getting the steak but it's still misleading. For my starter I chose the grilled steak tips served with a size of honey bourbon bbq sauce. My appetizer was delicious, and definitely the highlight of the meal.
For my main course I chose the salmon served over vegetable risotto. Keeing in line with most trendy restaurants (because God forbid I walk out of your estbalishment not as starved as I was when I walked in the door), four tiny pieces of ridiculously dry salmon were served over a half cup of undercooked risotto with a slice of zuccini thrown in for color. The trick to making the meal edible was to mix the bone dry salmon with the greasy risotto so as to not choke and wash the whole thing down with hangover-inducing chardonnay. Yum!
For dessert I got the truffle tree which featured four different chocolate truffles served on sticks (the theme never gets old, does it????). The truffles were pretty outstanding, and definitely a welcome change over the main course.
Our attentive waiter was able to make wine recommendations and even let us sample the different bottles before choosing which one to go with. Our party of 7 seven was seated in "Storage B" (Office Space reference) which I thought was more intimate, and definitely allowed us to be as loud and obnoxious as we wanted without disturbing the entire restaurant. While it was fun to try a new restaurant (thank you Restaurant Week!), I am not exactly queueing up to go back to Stix.
Stix is located in the Back Bay and easily accessible by Green Line (Arlington St) and Commuter Rail/Orange Line (Back Bay). Street parking is tough to come by though valet is available for $16.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Restaurant Review: The Fat Cat
Restaurant: The Fat Cat
Address: 24 Chestnut Street, Quincy MA
Website: www.fatcatrestaurant.com
Rating: B+
It's not often that a restaurant south of Boston opens to any fanfare, so the fact that the Fat Cat in Quincy Center has gotten positive reviews from the Globe and Phantom Gourmet is kind of a big deal. Dubbed as a "gastropub", the Fat Cat features typical American bar options, many of which are under $10. Their most popular menu item by far is the lobster mac and cheese, which unfortunately I will have to wait until next trip to try.
My friend got there about 20 minutes ahead of me, which worked out rather well since there was already a 40 minute wait for a table by the time 6:30 rolled around. Tucked away in a narrow space on Chestnut Street, the small bar area was packed with patrons waiting for one of the 20 or so tables in the restaurant section. In the midst of the loud chaos a friendly host introduced himself as he led us to our two top.
To be clear here, there is hardly a healthy option on the menu. Afer all, the restaurant was named after the heavy set owner's 32 pound cat. I started off with a cup of corn chowder (FYI: if there is one thing on earth that's more exciting than clam chowder, it's corn chowder) before attempting to tackle a sandwich that used the words "deep fried turkey" in its' title. The Deep Fried Turkey Sandwich is a massive concoction, consisting of cold sliced turkey (fried in a pressure cooker, which is a huge Southern tradition) bacon, cranberry sauce, corn-bread stuffing, and chipolte mayo. Add a generous side of handcut fries and you've got an entire plate of guilty pleasure.
The portions here are huge, and as a result I ended up taking half of my sandwich home in a doggy bag. Leaving the restaurant slightly fatter and definitely happier, I certainly plan on returning soon. The Fat Cat is located behind Hancock Street in Quincy Center and is accessible via MBTA (Red Line: Quincy Center). Street parking is easy to come by with additional parking available in the nearby municipal lot.
Address: 24 Chestnut Street, Quincy MA
Website: www.fatcatrestaurant.com
Rating: B+
It's not often that a restaurant south of Boston opens to any fanfare, so the fact that the Fat Cat in Quincy Center has gotten positive reviews from the Globe and Phantom Gourmet is kind of a big deal. Dubbed as a "gastropub", the Fat Cat features typical American bar options, many of which are under $10. Their most popular menu item by far is the lobster mac and cheese, which unfortunately I will have to wait until next trip to try.
My friend got there about 20 minutes ahead of me, which worked out rather well since there was already a 40 minute wait for a table by the time 6:30 rolled around. Tucked away in a narrow space on Chestnut Street, the small bar area was packed with patrons waiting for one of the 20 or so tables in the restaurant section. In the midst of the loud chaos a friendly host introduced himself as he led us to our two top.
To be clear here, there is hardly a healthy option on the menu. Afer all, the restaurant was named after the heavy set owner's 32 pound cat. I started off with a cup of corn chowder (FYI: if there is one thing on earth that's more exciting than clam chowder, it's corn chowder) before attempting to tackle a sandwich that used the words "deep fried turkey" in its' title. The Deep Fried Turkey Sandwich is a massive concoction, consisting of cold sliced turkey (fried in a pressure cooker, which is a huge Southern tradition) bacon, cranberry sauce, corn-bread stuffing, and chipolte mayo. Add a generous side of handcut fries and you've got an entire plate of guilty pleasure.
The portions here are huge, and as a result I ended up taking half of my sandwich home in a doggy bag. Leaving the restaurant slightly fatter and definitely happier, I certainly plan on returning soon. The Fat Cat is located behind Hancock Street in Quincy Center and is accessible via MBTA (Red Line: Quincy Center). Street parking is easy to come by with additional parking available in the nearby municipal lot.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
"And How Did That Make You Feel?"
I mentioned a little while ago that there was some good stuff going on at work right now. While I'm still holding out for some potential really good news, positive things are still in motion. I've been down to Connecticut twice in the last two days, and was just informed that I would have to go down again next week to hire my first inside sales rep.
Hiring an additional rep is good is so many way. For starters, it means that my company is doing well and wants to invest in a new employee. Secondly, it's going to free up my time for more travel which will bring in more sales overall.
While I was part of the interview process at my last big corporate job, I've never actually sifted through resumes and sat down face to face with a potential employee. Aside from avoiding the obvious (such as yes/no questions and subjects that are just flat out illegal to inquire about), I'm not really sure what to ask the candidates.
Readers: What is the best interview question you were ever asked? What was the worst? Please respond via post - if nothing else it should make for fun blog material.
Hiring an additional rep is good is so many way. For starters, it means that my company is doing well and wants to invest in a new employee. Secondly, it's going to free up my time for more travel which will bring in more sales overall.
While I was part of the interview process at my last big corporate job, I've never actually sifted through resumes and sat down face to face with a potential employee. Aside from avoiding the obvious (such as yes/no questions and subjects that are just flat out illegal to inquire about), I'm not really sure what to ask the candidates.
Readers: What is the best interview question you were ever asked? What was the worst? Please respond via post - if nothing else it should make for fun blog material.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Everything Old is New Again
What's a crafty real estate agent to do in the midst of a housing slump? Trick house hunting yuppies by renaming Boston neighborhoods of course. A neighborhood guide for the newly inducted members of the Masshole fraternity:
SoBe: I read about this "new" neighborhood on Universalhub.com. SoBe is short for South of Beacon Street (Brookline). But wait - doesn't this neighborhood already have a name? Yes it does! It's called Brookline Village!
Chestnut Hill: this is a tricky one. Geographically it's the junction of Newton, Brookline, Brighton, and West Roxbury. BC is in Chestnut Hill (Newton), as is the Boston Archdiocese (Brighton) and the Chestnut Hill Mall (Route 9, technically still Newton). The term "Chestnut Hill" is thrown around rather loosely though. Folks who live in Cleveland Circle and can count more than 5 trees in a single glance will often claim to live in Chestnut Hill, which they don't.
SoWa: Another one of those tricky acronyms. Real estate agents will tell you that this "hip new area" is a neighborhood South of Washington Street. However, SoWa is really short for "So What if I paid $600,000 to Live in Roxbury?".
Garment District/Leather District: A no-man's land between Chinatown and South Station. The real draw to this neighborhood (aside from $2 million condos)? The fact that Ginza is open until the wee hours of morning.
The Ladder District: because using this term is definitely more marketable than referring to it as the Combat Zone.
The Seaport District: Whhhhaat thaaa fuuuck - you're still in Southie. However, pouring concrete into the ocean to create a new part of the city? Brilliant!
SoBe: I read about this "new" neighborhood on Universalhub.com. SoBe is short for South of Beacon Street (Brookline). But wait - doesn't this neighborhood already have a name? Yes it does! It's called Brookline Village!
Chestnut Hill: this is a tricky one. Geographically it's the junction of Newton, Brookline, Brighton, and West Roxbury. BC is in Chestnut Hill (Newton), as is the Boston Archdiocese (Brighton) and the Chestnut Hill Mall (Route 9, technically still Newton). The term "Chestnut Hill" is thrown around rather loosely though. Folks who live in Cleveland Circle and can count more than 5 trees in a single glance will often claim to live in Chestnut Hill, which they don't.
SoWa: Another one of those tricky acronyms. Real estate agents will tell you that this "hip new area" is a neighborhood South of Washington Street. However, SoWa is really short for "So What if I paid $600,000 to Live in Roxbury?".
Garment District/Leather District: A no-man's land between Chinatown and South Station. The real draw to this neighborhood (aside from $2 million condos)? The fact that Ginza is open until the wee hours of morning.
The Ladder District: because using this term is definitely more marketable than referring to it as the Combat Zone.
The Seaport District: Whhhhaat thaaa fuuuck - you're still in Southie. However, pouring concrete into the ocean to create a new part of the city? Brilliant!
Monday, March 10, 2008
What Happens in Brockton, Stays in Brockton
In an effort to quell the violence in a city that's been rattled with four murders since January, today's Herald announced that the Guardian Angels will be moving in on Brockton. As a NY-based vigilante group, the Guardian Angels consider themselves community activists who roam from city to city to offer their presence. Despite the fact that they've had minimum success in Dorchester, the Guardian Angels feel it's their duty to become uninvited guests in downtown Brockton.
Personally, I'm kind of sick of the bad rap that Brockton constantly receives in the press and among people that have never step foot there. Like any big city, there are obviously problems with gangs, drugs, and crime. However, I'd challenge any other city with the same demos and population of Brockton to give their citizens the same quality of life.
Once you've learned how to survive in a city like Brockton (having a bad ass exterior helps), it's a remarkably fantastic place to live and work. With the addition of two new train stations and the recent housing boom, Brockton has become an attractive, affordable option for south of the city dwellers. Outside of violent incidents in certain neighborhoods, 95% of the city is in pretty good shape.
The Guardian Angels may portray themselves to be the "good guys" but the truth is that the vast majority of Brockton residents are already the "good guys". They don't need to walk around in red jackets and intimidate neighborhoods to prove that. Neighborhood watch groups already co-exist with the Brockton Police Department and for the most part it's worked out pretty well. Stay out, Guardian Angels, and let Brockton deal with their own.
Personally, I'm kind of sick of the bad rap that Brockton constantly receives in the press and among people that have never step foot there. Like any big city, there are obviously problems with gangs, drugs, and crime. However, I'd challenge any other city with the same demos and population of Brockton to give their citizens the same quality of life.
Once you've learned how to survive in a city like Brockton (having a bad ass exterior helps), it's a remarkably fantastic place to live and work. With the addition of two new train stations and the recent housing boom, Brockton has become an attractive, affordable option for south of the city dwellers. Outside of violent incidents in certain neighborhoods, 95% of the city is in pretty good shape.
The Guardian Angels may portray themselves to be the "good guys" but the truth is that the vast majority of Brockton residents are already the "good guys". They don't need to walk around in red jackets and intimidate neighborhoods to prove that. Neighborhood watch groups already co-exist with the Brockton Police Department and for the most part it's worked out pretty well. Stay out, Guardian Angels, and let Brockton deal with their own.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
English as a First Language
My girl Queen Dee wrote a an extremely thought-provoking post about words and phrases peppered into Boston English that greatly annoy her. To a point I completely agree. I mean, Dee is basically doing a public service (and a completely selfless one at that!) by informing everyone that "roof" is not pronounced like "ruff". Keep spreading the gospel, girl!
(But the khaki/car key comment? That one hurts :). )
If you haven't had a chance to check out the links to the right of my page, go for it. Reading blogs is just one way to keep sane throughout the work day.
(But the khaki/car key comment? That one hurts :). )
If you haven't had a chance to check out the links to the right of my page, go for it. Reading blogs is just one way to keep sane throughout the work day.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Updates
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Restaurant Review: Fleming's
Restaurant: Fleming's Steakhouse
Location: 217 Stuart Street, Boston (locations nationwide)
Website: www.flemingssteakhouse.com
Rating: A
Even in a down economy, upscale steak houses like Fleming's are still the perfect way to celebrate a birthday, special occassion, or merely serve as an excuse to have a great meal. Though I wouldn't categorize myself as a hard-core carnivore, I do enjoy noshing on the sporadic $40 steak. Over the years I've done Abe & Louie's, Capitol Grille (horrendous), Ruths Chris, etc. My favorite thus far is Fleming's for one simple reason: Beef Flemington.
(Ok, I'm not going to lie - the fact that my buddy Hockey P knows the staff and therefore half my meal was comped is another big reason to like Fleming's.) Yet I'll digress and start with the dirty deets.
Since I didn't want anything to do with Hockey P's fried calamari appetizer (which he talked non-stop about during the car ride to the restaurant), I went for the seared ahi tuna, one of my all-time favorites. Seared tuna is supposed to be a light, flavorful appetizer and I was thrilled to no end when I discovered that Fleming's hadn't overloaded the tuna with seasame seeds or mayo garnish. It's the type of appetizer I could see myself ordering as an after work pick-me-up.
Truthfully I generally like fish more than I like beef. However, since it's wrong on so many levels to order a piece of salmon in a place like Fleming's, I decided to go with the Beef Flemington, Fleming's take on the classic Beef Wellington. Fleming's version wraps a 6 oz filet and mushroom madeira sauce into a pastry puff and cooks it to your preferred temperature (I had mine medium). The Beef Flemington didn't restore my unwavering faith in humanity, but it came pretty damn close.
Figuring that vegetables only ruin a good meal, Hockey P and I wisely skipped the side dishes.
It turned out to be a good thing that we didn't fill up on brocolli and asparagus, or else we may not have had room for the chocolate lava cake. We split a large piece of chocolate cake with chocolate lava center, accompanied by a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. I can personally vouch for the fact that it's as mouth-watering (and fattening) as it sounds.
I stuck to merlot all night, while Hockey P sipped on sour apple martinis. (Not even my jokes about pantyhose and shaved legs could alter his drink choice.) Apparently Fleming's is famous for their wine selection, though you'll also find a good selection of beer, as well as several varieties of water.
Fleming's is located in the Back Bay, so fearless surbanites will have to search high and low to find suitable street parking. Conveniently, garage and valet parking is also available.
Location: 217 Stuart Street, Boston (locations nationwide)
Website: www.flemingssteakhouse.com
Rating: A
Even in a down economy, upscale steak houses like Fleming's are still the perfect way to celebrate a birthday, special occassion, or merely serve as an excuse to have a great meal. Though I wouldn't categorize myself as a hard-core carnivore, I do enjoy noshing on the sporadic $40 steak. Over the years I've done Abe & Louie's, Capitol Grille (horrendous), Ruths Chris, etc. My favorite thus far is Fleming's for one simple reason: Beef Flemington.
(Ok, I'm not going to lie - the fact that my buddy Hockey P knows the staff and therefore half my meal was comped is another big reason to like Fleming's.) Yet I'll digress and start with the dirty deets.
Since I didn't want anything to do with Hockey P's fried calamari appetizer (which he talked non-stop about during the car ride to the restaurant), I went for the seared ahi tuna, one of my all-time favorites. Seared tuna is supposed to be a light, flavorful appetizer and I was thrilled to no end when I discovered that Fleming's hadn't overloaded the tuna with seasame seeds or mayo garnish. It's the type of appetizer I could see myself ordering as an after work pick-me-up.
Truthfully I generally like fish more than I like beef. However, since it's wrong on so many levels to order a piece of salmon in a place like Fleming's, I decided to go with the Beef Flemington, Fleming's take on the classic Beef Wellington. Fleming's version wraps a 6 oz filet and mushroom madeira sauce into a pastry puff and cooks it to your preferred temperature (I had mine medium). The Beef Flemington didn't restore my unwavering faith in humanity, but it came pretty damn close.
Figuring that vegetables only ruin a good meal, Hockey P and I wisely skipped the side dishes.
It turned out to be a good thing that we didn't fill up on brocolli and asparagus, or else we may not have had room for the chocolate lava cake. We split a large piece of chocolate cake with chocolate lava center, accompanied by a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. I can personally vouch for the fact that it's as mouth-watering (and fattening) as it sounds.
I stuck to merlot all night, while Hockey P sipped on sour apple martinis. (Not even my jokes about pantyhose and shaved legs could alter his drink choice.) Apparently Fleming's is famous for their wine selection, though you'll also find a good selection of beer, as well as several varieties of water.
Fleming's is located in the Back Bay, so fearless surbanites will have to search high and low to find suitable street parking. Conveniently, garage and valet parking is also available.
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