Review of Bell in Hand

Address: 45 Union St. Boston, MA 02108

Website: http://www.bellinhand.com

Best Nights: Friday & Saturday

Who Goes There: During the week, older men, fewer women. Ages 30-40. On the weekend, younger people. Much more women. Ages 24-30.

Cost: $$

Special: None

BYFAD Location: No

The Bell in Hand Tavern is a pretty fun place. You know, there really isn’t much to it. There’s a small bar on one side with a few TVs for games. On the other side, there’s another bar with an open space for a live band that plays a few times a week. Then you can go upstairs to another bar with an even bigger space, which is usually open on the weekends for DJs and some dancing (there is a $10 cover on the weekend, which can be a downer).

I’ve been there a few times and I haven’t really been able to find anything unique about it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another option in the variety of places on Union Street. Maybe others can tell me what can make this place amazing. On the bright side, you can meet people here. The environment can bring some anxiety if you’re nervous about approaching women (or guys for that matter) but you can still do it. People are more social here than meets the eye.

A good time overall, though. Nothing crazy about this place but a fun time gets this place a C+ (79).


Pros
Plenty of space
Good music
Live bands
You can actually meet women


Cons
Nothing special
$10 cover on the weekends


If you have any questions about the place, feel free to check out their site:

http://www.bellinhand.com

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

My Cousin's Wedding - A Growing Up Series Part 2 of 2

This is continuation of the growing up series I started last week. There was a lot of information there that I wanted people to take in and since then, I have been able to relax, re-focus on what I need to do and come back stronger than ever. Here are some more of my thoughts, let me know what you think.

In perspective, we will truly never know whom we’ll end up with. He or she can be someone from the present, the past or the future. But we won’t really understand that until we have a chance to look back. Clearly, this kind of thinking may not be beneficial for some. But for the way I think, it’s important that I remind myself of that so that I don’t get stuck in the past and can make the best of my present for the best future possible. Sometimes, we get caught up thinking something HAS to be when it doesn’t have to be at all. Like I’ve said before, life doesn’t care about your plan.

Family will always be a big part of my life.
No matter where I am and what I am doing in my life, I will do my best to keep my family around. They had the responsibility of bringing me up – a task that I must say was a hard one – and they all have always been my biggest fans. Seeing my aunt so happy to see her son get married is something I can’t wait to share with my own parents. They have done so much and continue to do so to see that I become the man I want to be and for that, I am eternally grateful.

There is a time and place for everything. For the people who feel hopeless when it comes to dating or may have had their heart broken at some point in their life, once again, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Time will NOT let you go. Like I say, sometimes, things cannot work out because of timing. Sometimes, you may not be ready and don’t even realize it. Other times, there are other circumstances that will just not make a relationship progress. Whatever it is, you have to continue to do your best and not to be hard on yourself. I told one of my clients the other day that as much as your past experiences have brought you to where you are today, it’s important that you give the next person that comes around a fair chance. If you don’t, you may be setting yourself up for self-sabotage, which I personally think is one of the major reasons why most people are single today.

One of the most powerful things in this world is forgiveness. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. We only get one shot at life. There isn’t a practice round and there’s no run-through. We are ALL going to make mistakes. And like social media, business and anything else in life, it’s all about how you respond. What have you learned? How are you going to bounce back? What’s your first step forward on your road to recovery? Have some pride in who you are and be determined to live the life that you truly believe you deserve.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

My Cousin's Wedding - A Growing Up Series

On Sunday, my cousin got married. It’s been a VERY long time since I’ve been to a wedding. In fact, it may have been over 5 years since I have been to one. 5 years ago, my thinking of everything was VERY different. As I have been going through some changing times dealing with family, personal and business issues – basically life – every experience that I have had recently has just put everything in perspective. Forgive me for being a little mellow with this series of posts. I hope that re-opening my heart and myself a little will provide some gems to take with you after reading this.

This series is called Growing Up because it doesn’t matter how old you are, you will always have some growing up to do. The only time you’re not growing is when you’re not breathing.

I almost didn’t go to the wedding, especially when my all-time wingman, my father, told me that he wasn’t going to go. But considering everything, I figured at best I could go there, see some family, see my cousin, his newlywed and spend the rest of the night drinking with my cousin, Kam. Why not?

The wedding took place outside. It was short and it was really sweet. I wish I had a pen and paper to write down the words that were said during the ceremony. They were profound in every way. Seeing my cousin fidget and his hands shaking as he’s holding the woman he’s going to marry was fun to watch. And then, I saw the look on his face. He was smiling the whole time. Granted, he smiles even if he’s scared shitless, you can tell that there was no other place he wanted to be. Right there, in front of her, giving her the ultimate vow of friendship, honesty and love. And it made me think of many things. It’s a lot so don’t be surprised if you see multiple posts come out of this.

Some of you ask me what my experience in relationships is. As some of you know, I have never been married – but most of you don’t know that I have been pretty damn close to proposing to a girl. With the chance to look back, I’m glad it didn’t happen since I had NO clue what I was doing but with all of my clients, I hope to be able to help them with most aspects of the relationship timeline leading up to the proposal. I am not a marriage expert. I am a dating coach, because quite frankly, that’s all I know, and I’m okay with that. A year or two from now, I would love to be able to tell people that I am responsible for many of my client’s future spouses.

One thing that I wanted to point out is that the fulfilling feeling of starting a new chapter of the rest of your life together with someone you unconditionally love will be worth the wait. Seeing the looks on both of their faces told me everything that I wanted to know. Sometimes, when you talk to someone about how they feel about their significant other, there is a chance you can sense doubt, uncertainty or anything else that’s less than total happiness. At the last wedding I remember going to years ago, I saw fear, I saw doubt, I saw things that didn’t represent that total happiness. Consequently, that marriage didn’t last long (not that I am claiming I saw it coming). I didn’t see that with my cousin and his wife. I saw two best friends that fed off of each other, made each other happy and KNEW that they were meant for each other. That’s something I’m willing to wait for. And you should to, depending on where you are in your life. Even if time is ticking, I personally don’t think people should be in a rush. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. But whatever happens, don’t ever think that you are meant to be alone. No need to rush or force the issue. It’s something that we all deserve and will get if we truly believe it.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Review of Eastern Standard

Address: 528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Website: http://www.easternstandardboston.com/

Best Nights: Summer nights, Red Sox nights (for some people), Friday, Saturday

Who Goes There: Variety of people, young and older. More women than men. Red Sox fans (post game). Ages 24-50.

Cost: $$$

Special: None but available late night menu until 1 AM

BYFAD Location: No

As many times as I had been in and around Kenmore Square, I had NO clue that the Eastern Standard existed. Even when I DID know it was there, I didn’t think much of it.

Silly me.

Not thinking that there was anything else in the area besides Hotel Commonwealth’s Foundation Lounge, the Eastern Standard has become one of my favorite spots in Boston. Conveniently located near Fenway Park, the Standard can draw tons of people after home games. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you feel about Red Sox fans. I know some people who hate the experience and others who don’t mind as much.

In the summer, they open up the patio and allow outside drinking and eating under an overhang, which can be clutch if it decides to rain – an inevitable occurrence this summer in Boston. Walking inside, the restaurant is pretty much split into two different areas. The more important side, the left side will take you to the bar area. It’s a pretty large bar so there are plenty of seats. The only downside of such a long bar is that with only 2 bartenders working, you may have to wait a while for a drink if it’s a busy night. They try their hardest so I won’t hate on them. Add the fact that the bartenders are really cool and personable and then you don’t mind at all because if you go enough, it’s like waiting to see your buddy.

The other thing I love about the Standard has to be the music. Reggae music for most of the night and it just makes the atmosphere so relaxed and fun. Nothing can make you feel better than sipping on a drink listening to the tunes of the legend, Bob Marley.

I could go on and on about how cool this place is. I haven’t even mentioned the Bone Marrow that they serve late at night! But it’s one of those places that you have to go and check out for yourself. Definitely grab a couple of your friends and have a drink or two at the Standard. Chances are, you’ll see me there, so don’t be shy. I give this place an A- (90).

Pros
Awesome music
Sexy women
Can be fun after Sox games
Awesome bartending staff
A great spot when it’s quiet and when it’s packed

Cons
Can be NOT fun after Sox games
May have to wait a while to get a drink


If you have any questions about the place, feel free to check out their site:

http://www.easternstandardboston.com/

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

How Food is 90% of How You Exercise

Before I head out to yoga, I wanted to discuss nutrition a little bit. It has always been the thing that prevented me from really looking and feeling my best. I admittedly just have a severe lack of discipline when it comes to eating well. I am hoping that with the help of Revolution Fitness, I can finally find that discipline and eat better so that I can see the results I want.

By doctor’s opinion, I am the epitome of perfect health. Numbers are exactly where they should be. That’s great to hear since I feel as though I don’t eat as well as I wish I could. So far working with Jason Reese from RevFit, he’s helped open my eyes to proper dieting as they pertain to the goals I would like to get accomplished.

Starting today, he wants me to keep track of what I eat and when. That way, he’ll be able to take a look at it and see what I may or may not be doing wrong. He says that sometimes it’s not what you eat, but how much and when you eat it. He proposed a reframe in how I should ration my meals and I’ll talk about that in a video tomorrow. In the meantime, I took the liberty of keeping my own food log in the first week and as you’ll be able to see, I have my good days and my not-so-good days.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, 3 slices chicken breast, 2 slices wheat bread, glass of milk
Snack: chocolate smoothie (post workout)
Lunch: spaghetti & meatballs
Snack: tomato & mozzarella
Dinner: beef skewers w/peanut butter sauce
Glasses of water: 5
Other drinks: cranberry juice

Wednesday

Breakfast: 4 slices chicken breast, 2 slices of cheese, 2 slices wheat bread
Snack: cheez-its
Lunch: spaghetti & meatballs
Snack: none
Dinner: 2 mini pulled pork sandwiches, quesadilla, fried calamari
Snack: none
Glasses of water: 4
Other drinks: 3 vodka tonics

Thursday

Breakfast: 1 fried egg, 2 slices bologna, fried plantains
Snack: none
Lunch: steak & white rice
Snack: none
Dinner: baked macaroni & cheese, green salad
Snack: none
Glasses of water: 4
Other: 2 vodka tonics

Friday

Breakfast: salmon & white rice
Snack: none
Lunch: steak & white rice
Snack: none
Dinner: burger w/lettuce, tomato & bacon, fries
Snack: none
Glasses of water: 3
Other: vitamin water, vodka tonic, light beer

Saturday

Breakfast: none
Snack: cheez-its
Lunch: 2 cheeseburgers, grilled zuccini
Snack: none
Dinner: lobster
Snack: 2 slices of pizza
Glasses of water: 4
Other drinks: 4 cans of beer, 2 glasses of wine, long island iced tea

We are going to see how things change once Jason can better help me adjust my eating habits and help me reach the goals I want to reach, which I will introduce to you in a video tomorrow.

As you can see, I am NO expert when it comes to fitness and nutrition. If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll relay them to the RevFit team for them to answer here. Or you can ask them yourself on Twitter. There, you can find Jason Reese, Nina Botelho and Derek Christensen who will answer anything and everything.

Tomorrow's video will talk about a computer program that we used to estimate my body fat and can tell you EXACTLY what you need to do to reach your goals and when you'll reach them.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

New Tuesday spot: Charlie’s Beer Garden

Address: 10 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA 02238

Who Goes There: Young college grads. Good mix of men and women, usually in groups. Ages 23-27.

Cost: $

Special: Charlie’s Kitchen on the inside. Some of the best burgers in the Boston-area

BYFAD Location: No

I just wanted to put out a quick blurb. One of the perks of being a dating consultant is that you get to take clients to a variety of places to meet a variety of people. Sometimes, you know just the perfect spot for them and other times, you like going to new places and seeing what it’s like. Every so often, I get to come across some really cool places.

The benefit: YOU get to hear about them.

Charlie’s Beer Garden is a very small but fun outside place for people in Harvard Square who are looking to hang with friends. By no means would I call this a dating spot but you can certainly get to meet new people. I was there on a last night (Tuesday) and it was packed. Lots of people with a good mix of men and women and I can see that nights can get out of hand pretty quickly.

This place can be easy to walk by just because it’s below ground level but the entrance on the side will lead you into this small area with a full bar, seats and tables and standing room. They also serve food, which is pretty cool. Like I said, it’s small so it can get crowded pretty easily but the atmosphere is awesome. I was only there for about 15 minutes so I can’t really give a complete review but I can say that it’s worth checking out if you’re in Harvard Square. Look out for a review of this place the next time I am in the area.

And of course, don’t forget about Charlie’s Kitchen. Some great food is cooked there.

See what people on Twitter are saying about Charlie's Beer Garden:
Jennalyns: "Love it there in the fall! And summer. And spring."

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Weekend Wisdom

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I wanted to share some things with you that I hope can help you now in the future. I’ve had a very interesting and eye-opening week and I have learned a great deal. These are some important points I’d like to share with you.

Live in the now. I know this is very contradicting having previously said, “in the future,” but it’s important that we all step back and appreciate the now in life. It’s really all you have and like I’ve said before, life doesn’t care about any plans you have (for the future). Things could change in a heartbeat. Let’s not take this literally and not save for a future and only live in the present. I am just saying that you can have that balance that allows you to enjoy the time you have now while being prepared for the future. Which leads to my next point.

Create balance in your life. I had an amazing talk with my girlfriend last week about having a good balance of things that are important in our lives. By talking with her, she helped me gather my words better to better portray the true balance in my life. I work my face off everyday and I don’t regret that one bit. I love what I do. But I also love my family, my friends, my girlfriend, my life and most importantly, myself. All of those things are important to me and it’s crucial to make sure that I have a healthy balance of all of those things to be truthfully happy. If you ever feel like you’re neglecting on aspect of your life that’s important to you – and most of the time, it’s usually yourself – take the time, step back and figure out how to restore that balance and DO IT. The more conscious you are about creating the balance, the easier it’ll be to restore and the less likely you’ll lose it.

Trust your gut and don’t apologize.
This is simple. If you’ve made a decision based on emotion or instinct, trust it. Over my time, I’ve realized that most of the decisions that I have made using my gut has never failed me to the point where I can’t recover. It makes it easier for me to take risks – and smarter ones over time. Once you bring closure to the fact that your instincts is ultimately what brought you to where you are now, it’ll put you more at ease the next time you have a choice to make.

You will always be more than what you do.
There’s no explanation – just thought it was important for you to remember this.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.