Old Standards and Owls

It was another fantastic Wednesday evening in "the hub" with Kate. We tried an old "hidden gem" which has been serving hungry and thirsty Bostonians for over 100 years. It is called "The Red Hat" and used to be a focal point in Scollay square before the once hoping area was derailed by the construction of "Government Center" in the 1960s. Government Center, for those outside of New England, is an architectural abomination. It consists of the large city hall and government office buildings surrounded by an extensive plaza and large outdoor amphitheater. The city hall building looks more like the outside of a suburban civic center than it does a majestic center of government. I suppose the fortress of cold concrete, consisting exclusively of 90 degree angles is daunting if nothing else. It forms a stark contrast to the warmth of Faneuil Hall and Quincey Market's red bricks that persist across the street.

Anyhow, I digress. The Red Hat was a great place, I definitely plan on becoming a repeat customer. It had a great traditional city bar atmosphere, classy while remaining very casual. The walls are painted with murals of the old "Scollay Square" (See link for historical info and old pictures) and mahogany woodwork and stained glass lanterns and bar accents add special touches to the decor. The patronage was a mix of both young and old. The music was played at a level where you could actually hold conversations and easily hear one another, a rarity. We ate upstairs, I suspect the downstairs bar is a bit more "loud". J.J. Foley's in the financial district was always one of my favorite places for beer and conversation, however I think the Red Hat may have dethroned it. The menu was concise, yet still offered a great array of choices. Kate and I split some nachos which we devoured. Kate had a large garden salad, and I had a buffalo chicken wrap sandwich which was a special. My wrap was a bit unusual because it had cucumbers inside it giving the sandwich a unique flavor.

My day at work was a bit hectic, however I received a nice gift from the company which brightened my day. I was given a $25 gift certificate at Barnes and Noble. I promptly spent it this evening on "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, and "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I haven't read either of these "classics" so I look forward to it. I began "The Great Gatsby" on the way home, it is an easy read and what immediately struck me was the way Fitzgerald captured the rhythm of dialogue and was able to express it to the reader.

I thought I would include this additional picture from my winter NYC trip. I took this picture of a mosaic by Grant's Tomb near Columbia University. Something about the owl amused me, and I must say, strangely enough it is one of my favorite scenery snaps taken on the visit.