Preview of Vinalia (A BYFAD Bar)

Address: 34 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110

Website: http://www.vinaliaboston.com/

Best Nights: TBD – Thursday evening looked pretty good

Who Goes There: Young and older professionals. Good mix of men and women. Mostly groups.

Cost: $$

Special: None

BYFAD Bar: Yes – Get your BYFAD Card now!

I rarely get a chance to venture out to the depths of downtown Boston to see the more interesting places. When I have, it’s been pretty fun, thanks to recommendations from other friends and some old school snooping around. Vinalia happened to be one of those places that was recommended by a couple friends but no one was able to tell me their true impression of the place. So, I went there myself. I must say, this place seems to be pretty cool.

Now because of the location of being downtown and little further from my place than I would like, I may not get too many chances to go there. But when I walked in, I loved the layout of the bar. Although it’s a small bar in size, it doesn’t pretend to be bigger than it really is, compared to other bars. The beer menu is surprisingly inexpensive and they have a decent wine list. When I went there, it seems like a lot of people were there after work, which is similar to Tia’s, exceptt I don’t think that many people know about this place.

It is a restaurant so most of the space is dedicated to that, but this place could be a fun place to hang out after work or before starting a night downtown.

I’ll look into this place more and give a full review when I go there again.

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

http://www.vinaliaboston.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.

 

 

One Year

 

Today marks one year of me starting this blog and essentially, starting my career. When it was Project Infinity, it was what it was named – a project with limitless potential. If you were to ask me if this was what I expected, I would have said you were out of your mind. This entire experience has been amazing, learning more about myself, relationships, how to run a business and most importantly, life.

Funny how I had started this blog because my girlfriend dumped me and I couldn't find a job in the video game industry...

But anyway, I want to take the time to thank all of you for all of your support. My devoted readers, friends, family, and new readers, you are all awesome. Year 2 will be amazing. You will certainly not want to miss anything and I look forward to sharing as much as I can with you.

As much as things may change here, I will always be the same. I promise that.

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

The Return of the Hat

Ever since I was able to change my hairstyle, I have been obsessed with hats. I have always loved wearing them as it’s one of those overlooked accessories that can make an entire outfit complete. Some guys I know dress around the hat. I personally think that’s a recipe for disaster, as it will limit your options. A hat is just an addition to your style it’s not a foundation piece. Remember that.

But as I continue to try to bring hats back in style in Boston (sorry, Justin [Timberlake]), my barber told me about this hat place in Jamaica Plain that he thought I’d love. It was called Salmagundi. He said that it was ALL hats. I was sold. I went there on a Tuesday and much to my chagrin, it was closed (Salmagundi is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). So I made sure that I made time to go the next day with my cousin. When I walked in, I felt like I was in hat heaven. It’s a small store but has a lot of energy and personality. It’s easy to feel right at home at this place.

 

I was looking for a hat to wear in couple hours for an event and Jessen, one of the owners of Salmagundi, was there to help me out and see what hats I looked good in. Come to find out, I looked pretty good in many hats.

 

 

Salmagundi’s hats range in price ($40 and up) so anyone can come here. Jessen and Andria can tell you what hats to wear during each season and what materials last longer than others. A quality hat can last you for years if you are able to take care of them. Just like fitted caps and just like a nice pairs of shoes, these kinds of hats require care and a level of maintenance. Just like certain shoes, you shouldn’t wear straw summer hats in the rain. Then again, wearing a sweatshirt during a heat wave, it may not be best to wear a wool hat in the summer. These are all things you can learn from the peeps at Salmagundi.

I love this place and I plan to get all of my hats from here. Personally, I see hats making a strong comeback (once again, sorry, JT) and if you are looking for some quality hats and a little bit of flare, Salmagundi is going to be your place to get them.

There are located at:

765 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 522-5047

You can check out their blog at Salmagundi Boston.

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 Whiskey Park (A BYFAD Bar)

 

Address: 64 Arlington Street (at the Park Plaza Hotel), Boston, MA 02116

Website: http://www.gerberbars.com/#/boston/whiskey-park/

Best Nights: Some Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

Who Goes There: Healthy mix of everyone. Can be guy-heavy sometimes. Ages 25-45.

Cost: $$$

Special: None

BYFAD Bar: Yes – Get your BYFAD Card now!

I remember my first exposure to Whiskey Park. It was years ago, I was working at the Ritz Carlton and it was during MLB Interleague Play. The Cincinnati Reds were in town (Ken Griffey Jr. was playing for them – so I’m thinking it was 2005) and I was working the weekend shift. Late Saturday night, Ryan Freel came out with a couple of his buddies and wanted his car. I went to get it and then he came to the door and asked me if I knew where Whiskey Park was. I told him it was two blocks down. He had no idea and he apologized for asking for his car. It was cool. I even offered to drive him and his crew over there. They jumped on the opportunity.

When we pulled up, the line was so long that I couldn’t see the end. The place looked ridiculous. They didn’t seem too worried about getting in so I just let it go and dropped them off. On my drive back, I was wondering if it’s always like that on the weekends at Whiskey Park. Unfortunately, I never followed up on that. I heard many people talk about it, both good and bad. Finally, 4 years later, I got the chance to check this place out, albeit on a Thursday.

I feel pretty good about knowing what a place is going to be like since I go out a lot (ok, the proper term would be “too much”) and when I walked into Whiskey Park and looked around, I knew exactly what this place would be like at its peak.

The place itself looks really good. There are lots of seating, open space, nice lighting and overall, great atmosphere. It has the look of a high-end lounge. But let me tell you, the only reason why it would look that way is because it’s located pretty much in the Park Plaza Hotel. I really don’t think this lounge could stand alone and still have that same vibe. But I’m not knocking this bar at all. I think it’s solid, but for different reasons.

The bartenders are really fun and nice. They definitely look after their patrons and their well-being, which is a huge plus for me. Service can be better though as even when it wasn’t one of their busier nights, I had to wait quite some time for my drink. The music is also hit or miss as sometimes the music is good and other times, it just feels like fill music to fill the space with some ambient noise. Meeting new people can be hit or miss as there isn’t really a lot of bar space (maybe 7 or 8 seats) and the other seating around the venue is far enough from the open space that it could be considered isolation. So women, if you are looking to meet men, sitting in the corner isn’t going to help. This can definitely be a good place to bring a group of friends and just chill. But that’s about it.

I heard on the weekends, they may charge a cover, which I think is ridiculous. That’s just like if Vox charged five bucks for admission because a lot of people are coming in. Just not worth it for me. It doesn’t provide that kind of experience that would even make me consider pulling out my wallet for anything else than my ID.

In the end, it really is just your average high-end looking bar with furniture. Once again, this is not to say that this place isn’t any good. I had a good time there when I went. But I now understand why I subconsciously didn’t rush to go there after all of these years. I give this place a B- (80).

Pros
Great atmosphere
Really nice bartenders
Cool setup/furniture

Cons
Small bar
Music is weird
Cover on weekends?

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

http://www.gerberbars.com/#/boston/whiskey-park/

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

 

Fitness Update

It's been a while since I've blogged about fitness. Being on vacation took me for a trip. I actually did eat really well, considering the circumstances and I was able to exercise and swim but still not the same. Since I've been back, I've only exercised once. My weight is still the same (around 170) but I don't feel so hot physically. I will be back on the saddle starting Tuesday, when I'm working out with Jason Resse and we're hoping to get some more content on here. Stay tuned for updates.

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

Wingman Unapproved

Approach at MiniBar

Over lunch one day with Stuart and Carla, we were sharing stories of terrible attempts at talking to women and I heard a really bad one. My instinctive outburst was, “Wow, that’s ‘wingman unapproved.’” Stuart and Carla laughed, seemed to like what I said and said I should try to incorporate something in my blog that talks about “unapproved” actions that result in failed attempts to talk to women (or men for that matter).

I see them all the time and so why not talk about them? I can talk about what could have gone wrong and what he/she could have done to make things better. As a benefit, you get to read it and try to avoid these situations yourself. I will also do some “approved” posts too, if they are worth highlighting.

So let’s begin with the other night!

I was at MiniBar with my honorary wingman, Cort Johnson, and we saw three women across from us. Two of them looked like they were our age and the other one was visibly older. I had already come to the conclusion that they were two sisters with their mother but that’s not important. What’s important is what happened next. Cort and I were going to talk to them because they were by themselves and no one was trying to talk to them as if they had some type of disease. They were all attractive, even the mother and it wasn’t like the mother was giving signals like, “you better not come over here or I’ll bite your head off.” Anyway, right before Cort and I were going to break the ice with the group, a noticeably older man swoops in and starts talking to the group.

His back was turned and he was in front of the group so we couldn’t see what was going on or what he said. Within 15 seconds, he walked away. I glance over at the women and see them talking and giggling. I had a distinct feeling that his attempt went terribly.

Now out of sheer curiosity, I go over and ask them what he said to them. They told me that he left his friend, walked over to them and asked, “Can I ask you a question? Is it ok for me to smoke outside?” For a moment, I wasn’t even shocked. I was more confused. Why would he even ask that? And then, why would he leave his friend to ask them that? It just didn’t make any sense.

Listen, guys, let’s be clear here. Women are aware of everything – well, almost everything. When they are out, they know who’s close to them, who’s across the room, what you’re drinking, how much you’ve drank, what you’re wearing and how you’re acting. They know if you’re having a good time or not. They know if you’ve looked at them or not (yeah, I know). If they are making that kind of effort in hopes they may find someone to connect with and also avoid what I’ll call socially incompetent men, I think it would be fair to make the same effort to come up with a better approach.

Lesson: Don’t ask a question that doesn’t make sense. If you’re going to ask a question of relevance or better yet, something that you genuinely want to know. You’ll get a much better response than what this guy got.

While Cort and I were already over there talking with them, the guy came back, interrupted one of them and asked if they could watch his drink while he goes to the bathroom. For those who aren’t familiar with the layout of MiniBar, from where we were standing, he walked by about 4 tables and multiple surfaces before coming to where we were. Once again, women are aware of this.

Guys, if you are going to approach women, have some intent, be purposeful and don’t feel like you need an excuse. You don’t.

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

 

Thursday Teaching

Something I came across while cleaning my desk yesterday:

Ask, Believe, Receive - just three simple steps to create what you want. However, very often the second step, believe, can be the most difficult one. And yet it is the greatest step you will ever take. Believing contains no doubt. Believing does not waver. Believing is absolute faith. Believing remains steadfast despite what is happening in the outside world.

When you master believing, you have mastered your life.

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

What's Going On Today?

So it's one of those Thursdays and there are quite a few things going on. The Style of Attaction bootcamp has been cancelled at the last minute unfortunately. I apologize but for the sake of having a quality production and audience, we thought it would be best to have it on another day. Expect it to be in October.

So now that you have some free time, what is there to do? Well, how about everything.

Chris Brogan is having a book launch party for his book Trust Agents. It's from 6-9 at FELT. Details.

Twestival is happening at OM Lounge tonight starting at 6:30. That should be a good time. Details.

Pokin' Holes is doing the usual with a pretty cool company, Green Vans, at Vinalia at 6:45. Details.
Let's not forget the after party at Whiskey Park, where there will be some free Veev Vodka and soda, thanks to BYFAD. That party starts at 10. Details.

It's going to be a long day for me, but I'm hoping to see many people today and have some fun. Look out for me out and about in Boston.

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 Match (A BYFAD Bar)

Address: 94 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Website: http://www.matchbackbay.com

Best Nights: Tuesdays (for food), Thursday and Saturday

Who Goes There: A good crowd of peeps on the younger side. Ladies night on Thursdays clearly draws a lot of women. Ages 24-35.

Cost: $$

Special: Tuesday $1 Burgers 5-10PM, Thursday Ladies Night $5 entrees 5-10PM.

BYFAD Location: Yes - Get your BYFAD card now!

Match is pretty interesting place. They are well known for their delicious mini burgers, which I think rivals MiniBar’s pretty well. It’s a great restaurant but also has a pretty good bar. The lounge-style atmosphere is what makes this place a fun place to hang out. Sometimes, I really wish there was an outdoor patio, though.

The bar is set up in a circle so you can pretty much order from anywhere and in the bar area, it is outlined my 4 lounge-style booths, good to fit 4-5 people each. In between the booths and the bar, there is a small island if you are standing and want to place your drink on a surface. Because of the small space, it can get packed pretty quickly, especially on Thursdays and Saturdays. Still, not as cramped as some other places.

If you are looking to meet people and hang out, you can do it here. People are fairly social and the bartenders are nice. Drinks are priced normally. At night, it would generally be a good idea to put on nicer clothes when going to this place. Because of the specials, it can easily be a good starting location for your night.

Every time I have been here, I’ve had a good time. If you’re a guy, Thursday nights are obviously the best nights to go but you can have a good time on almost any weekend night.

Rating: B (85).

Pros
Cool space
Ladies night
Amazing burgers
Fun vibe

Cons
Space is a little small
No outside patio

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

http://www.matchbackbay.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.