Deacon Does Boston - Part II - The Food, The Fun and of course, The Spa

All that shopping sure did make us hungry, and our fabulous friends pointed us in the right directions to find meal after fabulous meal.

The Food!
We didn't try all of the restaurants in the area by half, but the ones we did sample were delish. Here were a few of our faves:

• Fig (Beacon Hill) - awesome pizza by Todd English. This meal made us sad that his plans for CHA in the Donovan House fell through. Be sure to order his signature balsamic and fig pizza with prosciutto and blue cheese.
  
• Seiyo (South End)- wish DC had more great neighborhood sushi spots like this one, which combines reasonably priced and super-fresh rolls with a small wine shop.
  
• Flour Bakery (South End) - we've been told that everyone who visits Boston should try this famed sandwich and bakery shop, known for their amazing sticky buns. It's true. They're THAT good.
  
• The Beehive (South End) - Saturday night featured cocktails and cuisine at this jazz bar/speakeasy in the South End. Don't miss the house-made frites or the suprisingly large grilled cheese with shortribs. To drink, we sampled the "Cougar," a mixture of vodka, lychee liqueur, orange bitters and champagne. Now if we could only find a bar in DC who could recreate this ... calling Derek Brown at The Gibson!!
  

Next time we return (soon, hopefully), we've got the following marked in our datebooks:

• Sibling Rivalry - Two chefs, one spot. Each night features two menus and dueling chefs battling it out once per week. Despite the kitschy theme, the restaurant looks first-class.
  
• BanQ - Located in, you guessed it, an old bank, this spot looked cool as can be from the peeks we got of the interior ... rumor has it that it has a reputation to match. Oh yeah, and the interior architecture looks JUST LIKE the Maya Lin wood exhibits at the Corcoran. Can you say amazing?
  
• Minibar - This new bar is supposed to be an "it" spot for cocktails and the see n' be seen crowd.
  
• Sushi Teq - In the Intercontinetnal. This tiny spot combines our two favorite things- sushi and tequila. No telling if it's any good, but the concept is first-rate!!
  

The Fun
Of course, we watched the 113th Boston Marathon, which took place on Monday, aka "Patriots Day." We had the good fortune off watching the race with several former competitors, which was quite fun. Sadly, we didn't get to see our good friend (and host's boyfriend) Shane, compete in the first leg of the race, where he contributed by running with a blind competitor.

Meg, our host, lives in a lovely brownstone in the charming South End and just so happens to have a fab yoga studio on her first level. We took our first yoga class Monday night Sadhana Yoga, which has been voted a Boston "best" several times. Glenn, the instructor, was knowledgable and quite nice. Despite being our first experience with heat and our longest class ever (two hours!) it was a great experience. Print a coupon off of the site and your first class is even free!

The Spa!

Lucky for us, our visit coincided with Spa Week, so we booked appointments at the new Intercontinental, where we indulged with 50-minute signature massages. Brenda, my therapist and 20 year massage veteran, performed a sensationally relaxing rubdown and managed to target muscles through a masterful blend of classic Swedish and movement techniques on a heated and mobile bed. The post-massage sauna and rain showers added a nice touch. If only we'd been there early enough to use the small, yet well-equipped gym...

There were a few kinks, most of which we attributed to Spa Week's business and the fact that we came on a weekend (semi-unfriendly service, a crowded changing area, and less than spotless shower stalls).

Sleep!
For those looking to book rooms, the Intercontinental looked lovely and is located right on the water. It's a bit far from shopping and sightseeing, but a cab can rectify that pretty easily. For something more centrally located, we'd recommend the new-ish Mandarin Oriental, or the TAJ Boston, which is right on Newbury Street. Nine Zero looks quite nice too, and there's always one of our favorite brands, Kimpton, which boasts an Onyx Hotel in the area too.