Mooo…ve Over, XV Beacon Has Boston’s Best Steakhouse!

Over the past week I’ve discovering the best hidden restaurants in Florence, Italy! As you can imagine, the food was amazing, almost everywhere we went. But who would’ve guessed that one of my favorite meals, would have been the one I had the night I returned from beautiful Tuscany on my stop-over in Boston! Not me, for sure. Here’s the story.

After 12 hours of air travel, only to land in a freezing cold New England blizzard, we just wanted a hot shower, a warm meal and a comfy bed . The closest that we were getting to being home, was my home in Beantown, XV Beacon. Rob and I had plans to hit one of Boston’s great restaurants, but we were exhausted. We knew that Chef Jamie Mammamo co-owns some of our favorite Boston restaurants like Mistral, Sorelina and Teatro and he also co-owns the hotel’s restaurant, Mooo. To make things easy, we decided to just walk downstairs and grab an early dinner at Mooo.

The first thing that struck us was the decor. As in all of their restaurants, they keep it modern without losing that intimate and elegant feel that you desire when you are out on the town with special someone. Our table, tucked in a cozy corner in the back of the restaurant had two oversize chairs that made us feel like royalty being shielded from the paparazzi at the next table.

First we glanced at the drink menu. We saw an exceptional list of great wines, definitely known as one of the best in the city; however just coming straight from the grape fields of Tuscany, we opted for one of the seasonal specialty cocktails. For me, the pumpkin pie martini was calling my name. When it arrived with a dollop of whipped cream, I knew it would not disappoint!

Once we had our drinks, an absolutely sinful pan of freshly baked rolls arrived! This is when I knew we were not just ‘grabbing a bite’. This was going to be amazing.

Now for the main menu. The only problem that we had was making a choice! How can you with items like Kobe beef dumplings and main lobster bisque to start off, followed by choosing the perfect cut of steak. Would we choose be the perfectly seasoned filet, the crowd favorite Delmonico or possibly the 100% Kobe Kagoshima Prefecture from Japan. By the way, Kobe is now “in fashion” in many steakhouses across the country, however, not all Kobe steaks are created equal. Many steakhouses promote “Kobe-style” beef, taken from domestically-raised. This is not the same as real, Kobe that is flown in from Japan and served in restaurants like Mooo. Once we’ve decided on our steaks, for me the lean eight-ounce filet and for Rob the Delmonico, it was time to choose sides. I prefer vegetables with my steak, like the nice exotic mushroom mix, but honestly, the Moo mac and cheese with lobster was calling our name! So, we decided on both.

Then, the dessert menu came. I should have never looked. With items like the S’More, Bananas Foster and Bailey’s Hot Fudge Sundae for Two, this dessert menu is sure to bring you right back to your youth (with an adult twist of course).

After we ate as much of the insanely decadent bananas foster as we could, we paid our check and went upstairs to our room and crawled into that comfy bed that we were so desperately needing. Yes, we ordered way more food than we could have ever eaten. We did not finish most of it, but we definitely do not regret our choices!

The Perfect Holiday in Florence

Florence, or Firenze as it’s said in Italian, preferably with a flawless rolling “r”, is my favorite city in the world. This extraordinarily beautiful Tuscan capital city is the place that Rob and I plan to live for 3-6 months of the year once our daughter is in college. For me living in Italy is not a dream, it’s a necessity. I’m drawn to the Italian culture, history but especially the Italian people that inhabit this historic city which was developed by Julius Caesar himself. There is just something that is perfectly imperfect about the Italians. Maybe it’s the passionate way that a verbal quarrel can ensue like clockwork over a shared weekly dinner between friends, where the topic is which local farm produces the best olive oil. Maybe it’s the ridiculous red-tape that you encounter when you need to do something as simple as cash a travelers check; it can make you feel like you’re on an medieval Italian hamster wheel where the end result is surely to end in domani or tomorrow. Maybe it’s the arts and how, regardless of age, income or education, Italians have seemingly read and can passionately discuss the most important pieces of historical literature; just as we discuss who should have won the American Idol. Maybe it is the way the crema sits perfectly on the espresso. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the effortless designs in my cappuccino that makes me feel like the local barista is a descendant of Botticelli or da Vince. The reality is that I love Florence for all of these reasons. Simply put, I have fallen head-over-heels in deep amore with Florence and it has become impossible for me to ever become satiated.  Therefore, there is only one remedy for this love-sickness. Book another wonderful week, which is never enough, in Florence!

The planning of my upcoming trip has my head spinning with excitement. So, I thought I’d share with you my perfect Florence experience!

When to Go:

Personally, I love Florence in the fall or winter because it’s not overrun with fanny pack wearing tourists crowding the Michelangelo’s David and the temperatures are relatively mild year round.

Weather in Florence

Best Place(s) to Stay:

Florence is a perfect walking city, nothing is too far away and you want to avoid having to take taxis. For me, staying in the city center of Florence is important. I like to skip the hotel breakfast and head to a local cafe for a pastry and cappuccino with the locals. The experience of breakfast in a cafe is memorable and addicting, as are the chocolate pastries! Here are my Florence hotel favorites:

Lungarno Hotel: The Lungarno is on the River Arno. From some of the rooms you will feel like you can actually  reach out and touch the Ponte Vecchio. The Lungarno has multiple properties with different prices ranges and locations. There is one to fit every taste and budget.

The Savoy: Located on my favorite square in Florence. The Savoy sits directly on the Piazza Repubblica about a block or two from the famous Duomo. This is a five star, ultra luxurious property where you can always expect the best.

JK Place: The hippest boutique hotel in Florence is the JK. Don’t expect a traditional Italian decor. This place is as funky as it gets.

Best Place to Eat:

Food in Italy can never be bad, especially in Tuscany! The olive oil that you’ll taste here is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. The one thing I love about Italy is that the restaurants only use the freshest ingredients. The result is once again perfection.

La Giostra: All I really have to say is that during my last trip to Florence, I ate at this restaurant 4 times. It’s my personal favorite for ambiance, food, unique EVERYTHING! If you go to Florence and skip this restaurant, you will be making a HUGE mistake. This little dark restaurant is owned and operated by a father-son team who just happen to be Hapsburg Lorena princes. Everything on the menu is delicious and cooked to perfection!

Best Place to Splurge:

Shopping in Florence is obviously amazing. The tiniest of children look like they had a stylist put together their daily attire. One of my favorite things to do is go with my husband for a custom made Italian shirt, or two, or three!

Simone Abbarchi: Simone is the best of the best. He is a true tailor, and knows the ins and outs of designing the perfect men’s shirt or suit. You pick the material, color, buttons, collar, cuffs…everything. It’s a fun experience. He’s so amazing that he customizes the shirt down to allowing room on the cuff that you wear your watch so it fits just perfectly.

Ph: +39 055 210552

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Want the The Secret List: Florence? It’ll be available here soon.

A Jet Set Weekend: Boston

Boston is one of the most historical towns in the country and home to the first North American college, Harvard, the original Dunkin’ Donuts, Cheers, The Boston Tea Party, the Red Sox and of course Paul Revere. But what you may not know is that Boston is one of the hippest cities in the US. Let me take you on a tour of my old stomping grounds.

The Place to Stay

Boston has some beautiful, culturally historic yet über chic hotels. I’d urge you to stay at one of these to get the real feeling of Colonial and Jeffersonian styling the is Boston.

My Pick: XV Beacon

This is (and most likely always will be) my favorite jet set spot in Boston. The hotel’s historic yet obviously modern decor and supreme customer service are the best in the city. XV Beacon’s Back Bay location, only a block from the Boston Commons and a short walk to the famed shopping of Newbury Street definitely keeps me coming back. There may be new hotel blood in the city, but nothing compares to XV!

Another Great Choice: The Liberty Hotel

The talk of the town is the Liberty Hotel. Once an old jail that was built in 1851, The Liberty Hotel has been transformed into one of the new hotel hot-spots. The hotel definitely plays upon its history with the CLINK restaurant and Alibi Lounge. FYI: The first bar of its kind in the country, La Grande Dame bar offers a selection of premier Champagnes by-the-glass from Veuve Clicquot.

The Best Shops

Newbury Street

Newbury Street began in the 1970’s as a hip street of unique shops, kind of like SoHo. Now, the 8 blocks offer some of the most prestigious shops like Chanel and Ralph Lauren along side trendy inexpensive shops like H & M. However, Newbury Street still has tons of one of a kind boutiques.

My favorites:

Best High End: Louis Boston

Cool Consignment: The Closet

Simple Fashions: Calypso

The Tourist Trap that Can’t Be Missed

Top of the Hub: Enjoy the sunset at the best tourist trap in Boston because on a clear day you can see up to 100 miles away. This bird’s eye view of Boston from the Prudential Center includes Hancock Tower, Boston Commons, Fenway Park and beyond. Skip the Skywalk and dinner and just order a drink and an appetizer in the restaurant and enjoy the view.

Where to Eat

Most Inventive Small Plates: Cuchi Cuchi

The Best of Boston: Oleana

2nd Best Clam Chowda (My Mother’s is #1) :The Union Oyster House

Best Sweets: Mike’s Pastry

Hottest Table: Mistral

Best New England Seafood: B & G Oysters

Things to Do

See the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

Boston Ghosts & Gravestones Tour

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Buffet Brunch Cruise

Private Cooking Party

Boston Harbor Sailing

Where to Sip a Cocktail

Rumor: Plan to dance on the tables on Thursday nights.

33 Lounge: The South End’s home for inventive cocktails like Raspberry Intrigue.

Venu: Guest DJ’s from around the world, great place to dance the night away.

Alibi Lounge: Liberty Hotel’s hot new night spot for a cocktail.