Meet Boston hosted an evening exploring the city’s incredible culinary scene on Thursday 7th November. ITTN’s Shane Cullen was at the event to see “Boston through a new lens”.
The event featured a delicious signature cocktail reception, a stunning tasting menu developed in collaboration with some of Boston’s top chefs and awesome entertainment. The chefs were flown from Massachusetts to Medley on Fleet Steet, Dublin 2.
Representatives from Boston shared their stories and experiences of the vibrant city of Boston. Boston offers cutting-edge culinary experiences, world-class arts and entertainment, revolutionary history and sports dynasties. There are miles of parks, coastline and trails. As they say, “Boston never gets old”.
Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston
Martha Sheridan addressed the crowd, “So I have the privilege of representing the great cities of Boston and Cambridge and actually 45 other cities and towns that surround Boston. Tonight, we’re here to talk a little bit about what’s changed in Boston. What’s new?”
“We’re a historic city. We’re about to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, particularly East Coast cities. We’re going to be a big part of that but you know we we’ve moved forward from there and we are still sort of revolutionary and making a lot of change.”
Boston never gets old.
The Calibre of Chefs Sets the Tone for the Culinary Experience
Will Gilson – Cambridge Street Hospitality Group Chef/Owner
Will Gilson grew up on a farm in New England and started his career at 15 and by 2007 had made a name for himself.
Gilson’s time at the Herb Lyceum, his family’s farm, shaped his restaurant, Puritan & Company. Here he realized his dream of owning a refined yet rustic neighborhood restaurant starring the farmer’s market fare he grew up with as a local farmer’s son.
Gilson’s vision saw early success, as within three months of opening his doors he received two 2013 James Beard Award nominations: Best New Restaurant and Rising Star Chef of the Year. Puritan & Co. was also named one of Bon Appetit’s “50 Best New Restaurants” of 2013. Since then, it has won numerous awards over the past ten years, including Eater 38 and Boston Magazine’s annual “Best Restaurants” list.
In 2021, Gilson opened three different dining concepts inside of a development called Cambridge Crossing which include: The Lexington which is a neighbourhood rooftop restaurant; Café Beatrice which is an all-day café; and Geppetto which is an upscale Italian restaurant.
Chef/Owner at Puritan & Company, Modern American, New England seasonal cuisine in Inman Square, Cambridge, MA. Ingredients are sourced from local farms they know and they aim to share their excitement about their food and wine.
Next door to Puritan & Company, Puritan Oyster Bar which opened in 2023.
Tracy Chang – Chef-owner of Pagu in Cambridge
Tracy Chang is the chef-owner of Pagu in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a Spanish-meets-Japanese restaurant in Cambridge. Certified in pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and training with Martin Berasategui in San Sebastian, Spain (3-star Michelin chef), she is also a teaching fellow at the Harvard Science & Cooking Program. She is a James Beard Foundation 2024 Semifinalist: Best Chef Northeast as well as a James Beard Foundation 2023 Semifinalist: Outstanding Restaurant. And, this highlights a fraction of her accolades.
The Meet Boston Menu to Make Your Mouth Water
This was truly a world-class culinary experience and so, the full menu is here.
Oyster Bar
Freshly shucked oysters served with a splash of zesty Bloody Mary shots for an indulgent and flavourful start.
Curry Crab Croqueta
Golden, crispy croquets filled with a blend of tender crab, infused with garlic, ginger, Thai chilli and aromatic curry powder.
Created by Tracy Chang
Vine Tomato Bruschetta
Crisp bruschetta topped with juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and a vibrant salsa verde for a burst of Mediterranean flavours.
Starter Course
Seared Scallop
Perfectly seared scallops atop a silky parsnip puree, accented with delicate pickled pear and finished with a luxurious brown butter vinaigrette.
A signature dish by Will Gilson
Main Course
Grilled Lamb Chops
Tender lamb chops grilled to perfection, served over a smoky charred eggplant puree and complemented by refreshing mint jelly, tangy grapefruit, and roasted peppers. Finished with a rich port wine jus and accompanied by buttery baby new potatoes infused with mint.
Crafted by Will Gilson
Dessert Course
Vegan Chocolate Cake
A moist, decadent chocolate cake that satisfies every sweet tooth, served with a trio of raspberry coulis, dried raspberries, and fresh raspberries for a blend of textures and tartness.
A creation by Tracy Chang
Cherry on Top of the Cake – Irish Cancer Society Donation
Meet Boston, rather than spending money on goodie bags and brochures (which are readily available via Tony Lane and Meet Boston), donated a staggering $2,500 to the Irish Cancer Society. A moved audience commended the gesture.
John Borders (Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports & Entertainment)
“Boston is a Beacon of Hope… Boston has 23 towns and neighbourhoods that actually make up the entire city. So you can go five minutes, east, five minutes, south and be in a totally different part of the city. And that part of the city comes alive with its own rich history. It’s tapestry. It’s food. It’s beverage. It’s culture… You can move around the city and see the diversity in the food, in the music, in the sounds, in the scent. Boston feels different. It is a vibrant City.”
Those 23 neighbourhoods are a tapestry of 57 minorities from across the world, highlighting the diversity of this place.
The FIFA World Cup is coming to Boston in 2026 with the city hosting 7 matches, including group stage games and a quarter final. The games will be played in the iconic Gillette Stadium, home of the MLS’s New England Revolution and NFL’s New England Patriots. Boston has a long-standing relationship with winning sports teams and is home to the Celtics, the NBA Championship-winning team (18 times over). Basketball fans can catch a game at the iconic TD Garden. The arena is a modern marvel, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technology and features an amazing Sports Museum.
TD Garden is also home to the Boston Bruins, one of the oldest and most successful teams in the National Hockey League.
There is also the iconic Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is America’s most beloved baseball stadium and dates back to 1912. Catch a game or a tour of the park.
If American Football is your thing, the New England Patriots are one of the most successful teams of all time, having won six Super Bowls and countless division titles. Their home arena is Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, just a short drive outside of Boston. The district also features Patriot Place, where you’ll find a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, and the awesome Patriots Hall of Fame.
For more on Boston and Boston Sports, check out https://www.meetboston.com/things-to-do/boston-sports/
Jackie Church (Founder & Tour Operator for Chinatown Tours, Boston)
Jackie Church, had a plan to move from Boston to New York but met and fell in love with a local, Caleb who “turned out to be a Chinese guy”. Flash forward twenty years, she is still in Boston and with Caleb. She explains “If you know anything about Chinese people, you know that they love to feed you and they love to eat with you. So it’s a celebration. Every meal is a celebration and so I sort of fell into it, doing it part-time. I realised that it was a way for me to do all the things that I love to do, connect people, through food, through history, through culture and um, it just felt very natural.”. She is now founder and tour operator for Chinatown Tours in Boston, one of the oldest Chinatowns in the USA. She acquired it from her former boss and she does her own spin on it.
She highlighted the myth of the Red Thread of Destiny. If it is meant for you, it won’t pass you by.
Jackie continued, “And I tell this story because it’s very much a story about Boston. Boston has changed in the time that I’ve been there and I never would have imagined I would be living here still and doing this. But it’s world-class restaurants, world-class art, beautiful parks – everyone in Boston is 10 minutes from a park.”
Leading nicely to Chris Cook.
Chris Cook (Executive Director, Rose Kennedy Greenway)
Starting with “Go raibh maith agat”, Chris charmed the audience. He highlighted Ireland, “is is the land of a thousand welcomes and we feel so enormously welcome here but if you come to Boston, you will also feel welcome. And if you haven’t been in 5, 10, 15, 20 years, it has changed dramatically. “
Boston moved their 6-lane highway underground and the result was an amazing green space. This is the Rose Kennedy Greenway which runs one and a half miles through the city from Chinatown all the way up to the North End and to the West End.
Chris explains, “It’s absolutely gorgeous. And it connects all those neighbourhoods and it connects people”.
“In the park, it’s only a mile and a half long – we have 400 events every single year and it is a world-class presenter of contemporary public art. We have a five-story mural in the centre of the city right now that rotates! If you come to our city, every 18 to 24 months, you will see a whole other slate of artists presented in the greenway… and as good as it is, it is just part of an enormous park system that unites these 23 neighbourhoods.”
“When you come to Boston, you’ll also be able to connect with everybody else who’s visiting, and you’ll be able to do that through the amazing park spaces which also connect you to those other institutions… the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children’s Museum, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, TD Garden, Chinatown… There are so many opportunities just in our space, so we can’t wait to return the favour and make you feel welcome to Boston.”
Jenny Rafter – Aer Lingus and an Epic Prize
Jenny Rafter explained, concerning Aer Lingus “We’ve been flying across the Atlantic for over 65 years. There is a massive diaspora in Boston. The relationships between Ireland and Boston are long. Culturally, educationally, commercially… we’re so proud of this connection. So to be invited here tonight, myself and Ivan like we’re so proud.”. Aer Lingus offers double daily flights from Dublin Airport and daily flights from Shannon Airport.
Jenny Rafter plucked a name out of the hat for a fantastic prize of a trip to Boston with a stay in the 5-Star Boston Harbour Hotel right on the waterfront, tours & attraction visits and with return Aer Lingus flights, of course. Congratulations to the delighted winner, Sharon Harney (General Manager of Cassidy Travel).
