Ristorante Toscano

RISTORANTE TOSCANO
Channeling Italy in Beacon Hill

I passed this quaint restaurant Friday on my way to work a shift at the 97 Charles Starbucks and was immediately drawn to its warmth. The street on which it is located, historical, picturesque Charles Street, is part of the exclusive Boston neighborhood known as Beacon Hill. I immediately went about making plans for a date at this restaurant and soon felt my instincts were validated by the high recommendations of those around me as well as multiple online reviews I found. Upon dining there tonight, I realized why the restaurant has stuck around for the past 20 years: it successfully channels Italy while maintaining unique qualities and the comfortable, romantic atmosphere I felt merely walking past the front door.

Ristorante Toscano does take reservations, both by phone and through an online web site, though I found we did not need them when we arrived for an early dinner. As the night progressed, the restaurant slowly filled. I would expect it to be quite packed on a Friday or Saturday night. Another quick detail: valet parking is available.

The service was prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable. Our waiter's heavy Italian accent gave more weight to the restaurant's Italian credibility, but he was sometimes difficult to understand. Still, he was helpful and obviously knew the menu (and wine list, with appropriate pairings) quite well. My water glass was refilled frequently enough that it was never less than half full. Our meals arrived quickly (though at that point, there were not very many other tables). The waiter was polite and respectful throughout the entire meal.

I ordered a salmon dish that came with grilled asparagus and a mustard sauce on the side. Frankly, I love asparagus; I don't know very many other people (who are not in my immediate family) who like it nearly as much as I do. Almost equally as rare is a restaurant that does grilled asparagus right. If it is over-grilled, it loses its natural vegetable crunch and is instead a little dry, with a crunch that is obviously inspired by excessive cooking, and may even be greasy. Many seem to forget that chicken, not asparagus, is for blackening. This asparagus was delicately grilled so that it had a somewhat smoky flavor which did not overpower the natural flavors, but still had the soft crunch of normal asparagus. The chef also avoided the mistake of over-seasoning.

The salmon was an obviously fresh piece that had been carefully spiced and cooked and was quite tender and delicious. Its smooth flavor blended with the tangy taste of the mustard sauce well. In the past, when my family did salmon and asparagus together, the flavors complemented each other well, so when I saw this item on the menu, I knew they were a good pair. However, my family did it completely differently: the asparagus was boiled and served with a French cream sauce, and the salmon was coated with herbes de Provence and broiled. Those were a good pair as well. I'm not sure what the secret is to pairing these two delicious food items and balancing them well, but it is well worth the effort. The salmon was arguably fresher than the salmon I had last night at Legal Sea Foods and had no overpowering flavor that often accompanies lower-quality catches.

Seafood and white wines go together well, but I knew only a few things about a couple of wines on their wine list, which was unique and drew my curiosity (if only I could have tried more...). There were a few chiantis on the list that specifically gained my attention, and I would have ordered one, but I was not having any red meat or pasta. I asked the waiter for a recommendation, and he offered the Verdicchio found under the Vino Bianco category. It was quite dry, which appealed to my taste in wine in the past, but went with the salmon and asparagus quite well.

Dessert consisted of a small slice of cheesecake that had an overwhelming lemon flavor to it. It was quite different from most cheesecakes I have ever had, but it was still delicious. I might recommend trying the tiramisu instead.

All in all, for such a meal at this restaurant, expect to pay more than you would at a chain, but the restaurant and its quality food, wine, and service is well worth it. If you're looking for a little piece of Italy, Beacon-Hill style, definitely give Ristorante Toscano a try.

Life is what you make it.

I had a revelation while driving down Memorial Drive, coming back from Katrina's absolutely fantastic Thanksgiving dinner.

I turned and looked at the city and genuinely enjoyed what I was seeing for the first time in a long time. I started to sort out in my mind that this was directly attached to having hung out with a friend (and just all-around awesome person) I haven't seen in a long time. I reflected on the fact that I have felt pretty distant from my friends since I got back because we don't share the same drinking habits or, and I take the blame for this, our schedules clash. I'm generally pretty good at making time for people, but when schedules don't match up, they just don't. My incredibly hectic 50-hour-work-week-plus-school schedule makes it even tougher.

Anyway... I've been having a tough time of it since I got back. However, as I drove back from Katrina's, things just felt easier... better. I remember not being able to figure out why certain people just couldn't get into the groove of their new city, but now I know why. This isn't a new city for me, but I am much different than who I was when I first came here, and adapting and growing can be very difficult when you can't connect with friends. Moving to a new city (or returning to one in which you've lived before) is much better when there's some sort of lifeline between you and the people around you.

I guess, to put it quite succinctly, you need to find your niche.

You're so vain, you probably think this blog is about you.

Credit goes to Noreen "NoNo" for the title of this post.

Some people are really just totally and completely insane, out of their minds, just absolutely psycho. This woman came into Starbucks tonight. Word has it that she used to work for Starbucks but was fired - because she stabbed her manager with a thermometer. Scary. Anyway, she started talking to me about keeping a coffee shop clean. Suddenly, with absolutely no transition, she's talking about how there are people stalking her and how she has children to worry about and she just doesn't know where to go. Within a few minutes of me nodding quietly, she has once again changed topics (this time to illegal immigration) with absolutely no transition. She's saying how she'll leave, go to some other country, if they want her to do that. But she's not an immigrant. None of what she said made any sense, and few of the many things she said were strung together in coherent sentences. Finally, she said, "Okay, thanks for the talk!" and walked out. It was a very strange experience.

Others are desperate for attention or love. Delusional. In denial. But every once in a while, you come across a "balls-to-the-wall nuts" (thanks for the phrase, Chupie) person. I hope that woman doesn't actually have any children. And if she does... God help them. There's also courtroom insanity, like "I was temporarily insane when I shot my brother in the back, so please send me to a state mental hospital, not a rape-me-in-the-ass prison", but from what I've seen of those, most of the people who claim that insanity don't really seem insane. This woman, good Lord, she was crazy. She even had that wild-eyed look about her.

I guess we're all a little crazy in some way. Some of us have anger problems. Some of us have addictions. Some of us idolize celebrities. Some of us are in denial. Some of us lie like it's a job. There are plenty of types of crazy. Then, there are some people who are a mixture of a few types. Then, there are some who are just completely insane. But I guess that's what makes life interesting. I just wish they wouldn't try to be crazy while I'm trying to earn money.

Understanding desperation and ranting about the government.

For the first time, really, I'm understanding what it means to be part of the working class and to have that constant sense of desperation. It stems from the feeling that you're working too hard to lose any ground. I realized I understood it and felt it myself when I asked myself earlier how I'd react if someone tried to physically set me back somehow - ie, if I was attacked. My instant reaction, my first thought, was that I would tear the person to shreds. I could even visualize myself defending myself with the knife I carry with me and anything within reach... or even just my bare hands. I honestly think I could put up a pretty good fight knowing what was at stake.

I'm also started to feel increasingly alienated and am reacting by being more and more isolationist. Most of my friends don't have jobs. Some don't seem to have any consideration for the effort and time that go into having a job while in school. I'm starting to see a lot of the problems on which they focus as trivial or highly avoidable and not worth the time anyway. Most of my peers, especially at my school, which is packed with fashionably-dressed kids whose parents continue to pick up the tab for everything, don't have the faintest idea what this desperation feels like. I am so desperate to survive, so desperate to succeed. I don't want to put so much effort into something and have nothing to show for it. As a mostly self-funded student, I'm forced to spread myself thinly - full-time school and 50 hours/week of work will do that - and as a result, I'm just not doing as well as I could at any of the things I'm doing, which means I have less to show for any of it than I should. But still, I feel this desperation, and it is a relatively constant source of anxiety.

I guess this is also a reason why suicide doesn't really interest me the way it once did. It just seems stupid with how hard I work every day just to pay bills. Even getting sick is a huge frustration because I lose anywhere from 5-20 hours' worth of income each week that I'm sick, but I still feel as fatigued as I would if I had done classes and both jobs every day.

I also am understanding more fully how much government fails, especially here, in Boston. The government has so much territory to cover that it fails miserably. Take transportation in this city. If you're dependent on public transportation, buses and trains are rarely on time and nearly always overcrowded. Keep in mind that the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) is substantially subsidized by the government. I should also note that the price of subway fare has doubled (from $1 to $2) since I first came to Boston in the summer of 2004. If you drive, you face a) horrible traffic, only made worse by the buses and pedestrians (who seem to have no idea that if a car hits them when they walk into the street without looking, it could very easily kill or maim them); b) paying $200/month for a parking pass or anywhere from $8-$40/day for parking; c) drivers who have little or no respect for traffic laws or driving practices commonly accepted everywhere else, only encouraged by a police force that seems to be completely unconcerned by people speeding, running red lights, or doing various other illegal things; d) crazy cabbies, enough said; e) a rampant lack of signs, including those labeling streets and anything regarding laws, as well as faded or completely eroded lane markers and other important markers (like "left turn only") painted on the roads; f) random potholes and construction here, there, everywhere; and g) a completely mad maze of city streets to which there is no method. The best, safest, most sane way of getting around in this city is walking, and even then, you have a fantastic chance of getting hit by a driver running a red light while speeding. Or just a driver who hates pedestrians and is out to take one down - even if you're careful and you look both ways.

How else does the government fail? I know there are housing laws about living conditions and state inspections, among other things. I want to throw these things in my landlord's face. But I can't. Why? I can't find them. Not a guide, a memorandum, a copy of the laws, a listing of them... nothing.

I called the police a few weeks ago. My upstairs neighbors were setting fireworks off INSIDE their apartment, which is, quite obviously, a fire hazard. I care about this because I live below them. The police obviously don't care who sets what buildings on fire, because they never showed up.

Why do I care about this so much? Because I pay an arm and a leg in taxes out of my paycheck every week. Seriously. Between social security, Medicare/Medicaid, and general, ambiguously-labeled federal taxes, I sacrifice roughly 25-30% of my paycheck every week. That's a LOT when you're not getting paid much. It's also ever more frustrating when I think about where those taxes are going. Social security money goes to a retired person who paid for the social security of the elderly people when he was younger... except that when I'm that age, there will be no more social security money. Awesome. Medicare/Medicaid goes to paying for the health problems of people I don't know who could have brought these things on themselves by eating excessively and allowing themselves to become obese, by smoking or drinking (or both) excessively, or generally by not maintaining proper health habits. So, no matter what I do to maintain my own good health, I'm still paying for expensive health care. As a matter of fact, I pay roughly the same amount each week for my own health insurance as I do for Medicare/Medicaid. So, basically, I'm paying for another person to have health insurance. Sorry, but when did I decide to have a dependent?

At least I know where those are going. The ambiguously labeled "Federal withholding" taxes are what really piss me off. Thousands of dollars of my hard-earned cash are going to... I really can't tell you what, especially with government budgets becoming ever more vague as the government wastes our money away. I thought the point of democracy was for people to have a say in their government? I know I don't support most of what's going on right now, but I'm still paying for it. That would be fine if the government provided basic infrastructure, but with the examples mentioned above, I'm not so sure it's doing a good job of that, either. Government seems to support the big corporations and anyone who isn't making enough money to support himself. So the people stuck in the middle get screwed over, and we're paying the government to do it. Awesome. What was that I was saying about suicide earlier?...

A day in the life of a campus activist.

7:30 am: Meet up with other activists (mostly old, judgmental Catholics) in front of the local Planned Parenthood. Spend the next two hours screaming "whore" at any young woman that walks by and is not covering 95% of her skin. Otherwise, pray the rosary and hold oversized pictures of bloody fetuses.

8:00 am: Note the sudden arrival of two unmarked Crown Vics. Wonder why individual men in suits are coming to Planned Parenthood.

9:30 am: Walk down to the classroom buildings and hook up with the LaRouche people. Force innocent passers-by to take fliers and magazines with articles written by people who are literally insane. Argue that 9/11 was a government-run stunt and that Hurricane Katrina was God smiting us for being naughty.

10:30 am: Loudly proclaim that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dick Cheney are gay lovers. Dick's on top.

10:31 am: Put down signs calling for Bush's impeachment and assassination and try to bum cigarettes off the same people you were just harassing.

11:30 am: Lead the LaRouchies to a large classroom. Throw professor out of room. Take the microphone and loudly proclaim to 500 freshmen that you quit school to join the LaRouche movement, and they should, too. Why? Because he is truly enlightened.

1:00 pm: Migrate to new building funded by the government for mysterious purposes. Talk about biology when you don't know the difference between a mammal and a crustacean. Bring up 9/11 conspiracy again. Jump into traffic to attempt becoming an activist martyr... promptly get arrested.

3:00 pm: Get bailed out.

3:15 pm: On your way back to campus, decide to stop at City Hall and protest the Gay Marriage Amendment.

3:30 pm: Remember you're not gay. Protest anyway. Get in small-town congresswoman's face. Get carried back to campus by a horde of well-dressed men and women who look like men.

5:00 pm: Get arrested again, this time for harassing a woman in a fur coat in the campus square.

6:00 pm: Get bailed out by local PETA chapter.

6:15 pm: Agree to participate in bombing of Planned Parenthood/brand that does testing on animals/some government establishment.

6:30 pm: Realize that could put you in jail with Arnie the Ass-tickler for a long time. Remember you're not gay. Offer to have everyone come over to your place and smoke weed instead.

7:15 pm: Get munchies. Realize that your drunk roommate mistakenly ate all of your vegan food instead of his leftover steak. Start discussion about starving children in Africa.

8:00 pm: Respond "Yeah, man!" when some girl starts spouting off ideas. Note her cuteness, dreadlocks, and pungent body odor.

Yadda yadda yadda...

7:00 am: Wake up next to girl with dreadlocks. Nearly puke at smell and resolve to start showering again. Suggest a team shower. Get shunned by other activists.

7:05 am: Lock the door after all the other activists have stormed out. Go back to bed confused about future, outlook, sexuality, eating habits, God, and government.

Note: I do not condone any of the activities or beliefs listed here. This is meant to be a humorous look at the lives of the insane people we students interact with on a daily basis.

Hitting bottom and looking up.

When you hit bottom, it's kind of like a trampoline. You'll keep hitting bottom, over and over again, until you pull yourself up or use your momentum to jump higher.

I guess that's a weird analogy... but it's pretty much the way I feel.

To put it in more dignified words: If you're hitting bottom, you'll be staying there until you get yourself out of the mayhem and despair. No one else can bail you out. You have to pick yourself up and give it your best shot.

One of the best things about people is that we can change directions in our lives at a moment's notice if we wish. We can redirect our forward or backward momentum and go a completely new direction. You just have to set your mind to it.

I guess that gives anyone with a healthy sense of determination an advantage. I have never been seriously faulted for being strong-willed. I think things through pretty carefully before I make a decision. However, once I make a decision, I'm all in. My personal theory is that my strong resolve and general confidence about life are rooted in the support I have from my family. They have been and always will be my biggest asset - because I know I can count on them, and in return, they can count on me. They know I consider my options and are always willing to provide advice, but once I make a decision, they back me up. That can be a difficult job with me being a big dreamer. The greatest gifts I have ever received are the love and support of my family. As cheesy/corny/sappy as that sounds... it's the honest-to-God truth.

Something I've learned lately: Anger is almost never the answer. Silence frequently is the answer, though often on a short-term basis. Drama, antics, temper... these things distract you from the real reason why your heart beats inside your chest. Do you live to upset me? Is your sole purpose in life ruining someone else's day? Misery is contagious. Why waste time on being upset or upsetting others? Life is short, and we have so much to experience. Even if you do not have an appreciation for the more enjoyable experiences in life, respect that others might. You respect yourself by respecting others. Where anger persists, happiness does not.

I'm Ms. Brightside.

Call me crazy, but life is full of ups and downs, and "success" is getting to a conclusion with some feeling of satisfaction about the life you lived.

So why do people indulge in laziness and unremarkable activities and then brag about them? Why do Americans in particular constantly stomp all over their own lives, whining about their situations, when there are people so much worse off than them? Why can't we all enjoy the silver lining? Why do we worry and stress about things that have already transpired and are closed matters?

What happens, happens. Some say it's the hand of God, some say it's fate, others say it's a completely random process. I say it doesn't really matter how it happens, as long as you've taken responsibility for who you are, what you do, and where you are. You should approach each obstacle intent on scaling it and coming up with solutions, not standing at the base of the mountain commiserating with the other roughly-average people about how hard it's going to be.

Go on, chill at base camp... but the harder you push yourself, the harder you learn to work, the more you benefit, the more you experience... the more you taste life. What's the worst that could happen? How would you deal with that? In the words of Reel Big Fish musician Aaron, "You know, kids, things can only get so bad before you fucking die, and then it's over."

...In other, less vulgar words: Yes, it's bad, but if you waste all your time focused on the severity of the situation, and not seeing the bright side of it or designing possible routes in your mind, you will have missed the point. You will have forgotten that it's not nearly as bad as it could be (if you're thinking, you've got a beating heart and a breath in your lungs), and if you waste enough time, you'll have lost your chance completely.

Life is what you make it. I personally try to see the positive side of things. If you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose. Nowhere to go but up. Homo sapiens is a species remarkably resilient in both brain and body. But don't believe me when I say that... go out and prove it to yourself.