dinner Archives - Anali's Next Amendment

Birthday Dinner at Back Bay Social on Boylston Street

July 30, 2020November 11, 2017 by Lisa Johnson 4 Comments

This post has been a long time coming. Especially since my birthday was in September. But I wanted to make sure that I blogged this dinner and restaurant.

Two friends and one of my cousins met me after work for dinner at Back Bay Social in Boston. We had a really nice time and loved the food. A million times I passed this place and assumed it was a private club, so I ignored it.

For some reason, in my head, I added the word “club” to the end of the name. Or maybe it was there before? I have no idea. I’ve spoken to others who thought the same though, so it’s not just me.

When I was planning our dinner and I looking for places near the Prudential Center, I started looking more closely. After researching, I found that Back Bay Social is a regular restaurant and not a club. Plus, they are famous for their chicken and waffles! Who knew?

In all my years on this earth, I had never had chicken and waffles and was starting to feel it was a deficit that needed to be remedied.

Ta da! I tried it!

Chicken and waffles do go together. The first time I heard about it, decades ago, it seemed a bit odd, but I was intrigued. This combination has lasted and only seems to become more popular with time.

I was also treated to slice of birthday cake — their orange blossom cake. Yum!

The restaurant has outdoor seating during the warm weather months and we were seated outside. It was one of those warm end of the summer nights. Celebrating with some of my favorite people. It was a really good birthday.

Dîner en Blanc Boston 2017

July 30, 2020September 21, 2017 by Lisa Johnson

Today is the last day of summer, so it seems like perfect timing to write about a big event that capped off the summer season — Dîner en Blanc , which is French for dinner in white.

I wrote about this event back in 2015, but had never attended it. If you’re not familiar with the event, it’s basically a dinner where everyone dresses in white. Plus, the location is secret until a couple of hours prior.

When the location is emailed to the attendees, they gather up everything that they need for their dinner — tables, chairs, place settings, food, etc., and quickly go to the now revealed location. Then they set up their tables and have their meals.

Dîner en Blanc started in Paris nearly 30 years ago and events are held in cities all over the world with thousands of people attending each one.

This year I finally attended! A friend of mine happened to mention that she was on the waiting list and wanted to go. Since I was invited to go as media, I brought her along as my guest.

We had a great time! That’s me in my new white outfit! One of the perks of going as an invited guest was that we didn’t have to bring anything with us. We got to hang out in the comfy media lounge and enjoy sandwiches and champagne courtesy of Bon Me and Taittinger.

One of the best things about this event was the diversity of the crowd.

There were many people of color and people of all ages too. The range was probably from 20s to 60s. I feel like this doesn’t happen too often. It was nice to see, especially considering all that is happening in this country right now.

When the dinner started, it was light out. If you can’t tell where we are, it was at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The location was perfect. The weather was perfect. It was maybe mid 70s, so it was warm enough out even as the sun set.

We were near the Rings Fountain, which lit up and spewed steam and water. With everyone dressed in white and walking around, the effect was just magical. Dreamy. Enchanting. It’s hard to describe.

There was live music playing during dinner, with singer John Everett Martin featuring Bob Christopherson and Gregory Holt. Click here for some video that I took so you can see, listen and get a feel for the ambience. It was so very nice. Smooth and jazzy. Singing one of my favorite Sinatra tunes — Witchcraft.

After dinner the band left, then DJ Ryan Brown got everyone up and dancing. He played music that appealed to the whole crowd and everyone really seemed to have a good time. Including me! What a night!

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Disclosure: I attended the event as invited media. My guest and I were admitted free of charge.

WBUR + Legal Sea Foods = Dinner!

July 30, 2020November 22, 2015 by Lisa Johnson

Maybe a month or so ago, I was driving and listening to WBUR, a local NPR station. They were fundraising and giving out Legal Sea Foods gift cards for donations. A great idea for dinner!

I’m already a sustaining member, so I didn’t think I’d be eligible for anything. Then they said that even a tiny increase in the monthly amount would be enough to get a gift card. Since that fits my budget, I thought it was a nice excuse to do some good and go to Legal Sea Foods.

Last night, my mom and I went to dinner at their new Braintree location. It had been a while since we went out to dinner together, so it was real treat for us. The service was excellent and so was the food.

We both enjoyed our seafood dinners, but I was focused on dessert from the beginning after reading that they were featuring a cognac pumpkin cheesecake. It was delicious! The size was rather small, which was both good and bad. I wanted more, because it was so good. But I also didn’t feel as guilty eating it since the portion was quite reasonable.

My mom ordered the Boston Cream Pie and I had a taste. Okay, a few bites. I loved it too! Trying Boston Cream Pie at different locations, like Bostonia Public House and Parker’s Restaurant, is becoming a thing with me. I wonder what place prepares it the best? That will take some diligent research and remembering to order when it comes time for dessert when I’m out at dinner.

I like seeing the different variations of our official state dessert here in Massachusetts. Earlier today there was a nice segment on CBS Sunday Morning about Boston Cream Pie, which is actually a cake. I’ve never made it myself. Maybe that will be a thing at some point too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Dîner en Blanc: Boston

July 30, 2020September 12, 2015 by Lisa Johnson

Despite the rain and the big football game, this past Thursday evening, more than 1,500 people showed up for Boston’s annual Dîner en Blanc. I remember hearing about it a few years ago and being absolutely enchanted by the idea and the stunning photos.

However, I’ve never actually been to the event. I like the idea more in theory than in practice. You must dress up completely in white. I don’t have a suitable outfit for the occasion and would need to buy one to attend. It hasn’t been a priority purchase to happen.

Also, you need to be very spontaneous. The location of the dinner is a secret. You find out at the last minute and then quickly make your way there carrying all that you’ll need for your meal.

I like a bit more of a heads up. But that’s just me. Lots of people in Boston and all over the world have a great time at this event. Luckily I was given some great pictures to share with you. It does look like a good time.

Dîner en Blanc was started more than 27 years ago in Paris by François Pasquier with just a small group of friends. The Boston event took place at City Hall Plaza.

“Originally, we had planned for the dinner to be set up on the wide steps of the Plaza, with the band and DJ completely outside,” said Bryer Davis, co-host of Dîner en Blanc – Boston. “But as the weather worsened throughout the day, we knew we had to make a late call. Thanks to the incredibly helpful team at City Hall and our tireless volunteers, we moved last minute under the cover of the City Hall courtyard. It turned out to be the perfect spot for Dîner en Blanc and was better than we ever imagined!” The White Heat Swing Orchestra got the party started and welcomed guests as they arrived.

Then everyone started decorating their tables and setting up their elegant picnics, while enjoying wine and champagne. It looks like guests were quite creative with their table settings and enjoyed some very good food.
Dinner started with the traditional waving of the white napkin. Each guest received an LED sparkler, and the party twinkled with tiny lights as guests headed to the dance floor, where they danced to the musical stylings of DJ Nixx.

If you didn’t get to attend this year, there’s always next year. Just get your white outfit ready!