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Monday, May 12, 2014

Rant: Break Out Of Your Box

As I mentioned last Thursday, AKA Bistro, one of my favorite suburban restaurants, has reopened. It is only about a 30 minute drive from Boston, a relatively short trip. In comparison, it can sometimes take you about 30 minutes just to drive across Boston in heavy traffic. However, there are plenty of Boston residents who will never experience the excellent French and Japanese cuisine of Chef Chris Chung. They are depriving themselves of a special culinary experience and there really isn't much reason why they couldn't dine there if they desired to do so.

I know numerous people who live in Boston but rarely venture out to restaurants located in the suburbs. They might venture out to Cambridge, or even Somerville, but rarely any further. They will provide a litany of excuses for their lack of travel, but if they truly wanted to visit suburban restaurants, such as AKA Bistro, they could find a way to do so. On the other hand, I also know people who live in the suburbs who rarely venture to Boston restaurants. Each of these groups seems to live in a small box, of which they need to break out.

Last week, I traveled to Long Island for a couple days, visiting a few wineries, on a media trip. I was told that Long Island was trying to attract more Massachusetts tourists, as only a small number actually visit the region. Why is that so? You can drive from Boston to New London, Connecticut in roughly two hours, and then take a ferry, a 40-80 minute trek, across the water. So, in only 3 hours, you can be on Long Island, which is certainly a reasonable time. During busy periods, it can take you that long to drive down to Cape Cod. It is also the same amount of time it can take to travel to parts of Vermont or Maine. Despite its closeness, far too many people in Massachusetts don't take the opportunity to visit Long Island. Once again, some people seem to live in a box, failing to venture out to nearby regions.

Break out of your small boxes and experience the wider world which is actually much closer to you than you think. 

If you live in Boston, make the effort to check out some of the excellent restaurants in the suburbs, from AKA Bistro to Fish Restaurant. It really won't take that long to drive to those restaurants, and you will be pleased by the work of their skilled chefs. If you live in the suburbs, make the effort to travel to Boston, where you know there are plenty of excellent restaurants. If you want to take a weekend trip, consider traveling to someplace different, but which is still close, like Long Island. It is a fine destination for wine lovers, yet has much to offer other tourists as well.

Stop placing yourself in a box, restricting your travel unnecessarily. Stop making excuses and work on ways to make it happen. Broaden your horizons and see the world. You won't regret it.      

5 comments:

  1. Can you recommend any wineries on LI?

    I've done that Boston->LI trip many times, as I have family on the eastern end of LI, and while I've found some above-average wineries, none have truly stood out.

    Thanks!

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  2. Those of us who live in the city generally forgo owning an automobile. We don't have the option of visiting the land of ticky tack.

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  3. Anonymous:
    Do a search on my blog for "Long Island" and you will find plenty of info on the wineries I have visited there, and which ones I recommend. Also check out http://newyorkcorkreport.com for lots of good info on LI wineries.

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  4. Hi Frederick:
    Thanks for your comments as always. You could rent a car for the day, such as a Zipcar, to make the trek to a suburban restaurant. Or you could carpool with someone else who does own a car. And other suburban restaurants are accessible through public transport. For example, AKA Bistro is located right next to the commuter rail, making it easy to reach.

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  5. (anonymous asking about LI wineries)

    Thanks! Never knew about this cork report website, looks like it has a lot of great information.

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