Like our counterpart over at DiningOutBoston.com (check out their review of Haru Boston), we were invited to the special Friends and Family opening night at Boston's newest Sushi place, Haru.

Haru is a Sushi restaurant operated by the Benihana company and they just brought a little piece of the Manhattan-based chain to beantown, opening Haru Boston this month.

Being suckers for exclusivity and access, we had a wonderful time that night. We even think we saw Jonthan Soroff (but would he really spike his hair up like that?) and overheard some other patrons mentioning that they'd seen him to. Of course when Soroff shows up, thats when it goes "from a party to an event", so again, we were happy.

Other overheard conversation led us to believe that there were people from Boston magazine around as well on Friday night, but like the Soroff rumor, we've got nothing to confirm that.

The drinks were great, very unique and creative, most of the ones we tasted featured coconut and were blue and green, we suppose thats because Haru's logo is also blue and green. Nice tie-in. And the food, amazing, we haven't had sushi that good in a long time.

The decor is nice, but not too-nice. It doesn't try too hard as many local sushi places have a tendency to do. The ceiling is a little low, which makes for a cozy, if a tad tight, setting, but we'd imagine that has more to do with the Pru than with Haru.

Our waiter, Brandon, was great, very personable and fun. Service is always one of our most important factors when considering a place and here Haru shines.

Popularity: 17%

Who this blind item in the recent edition of Naked City is referring to:

Then there’s the veddy enterprising media gal who always gets the big scoop. Could it be that she’s willing to do anything - and we mean anything - to get the story???

Good (creative or correct) guesses in the comments will win a free pool party at Felt, with free appetizers, for you and 19 of your closest friends (a 450$ value), so make 'em good.

Popularity: 100%

Alcohol, explosives, gun violence, and bigotry. True American values. Of course, let's not forget what Independence Day is really all about: the Declaration of Independence and our freedom-and-justice loving forefathers:

He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

Popularity: 92%

Thanks to the fine folks over at Felt, we've recently come into a few sweet prizes to give to you, our adoring fans. You can win a free Pool Party at Felt — that is, 2 free hours of pool and appetizers for you and 19 of your closest friends, a $450 value. We have a few to give out, so we'll do a series of contests, starting today.

The first one will involve one of our BWP brethren, Boston is Funny. Charlie Wrigley over there is a lonley man, and we'd like it if you got to know him a little better, so we challenge you to find his boss's name, as he's mentioned it in at least one post since the beginning of December. The first person to find the name and link to the post in a comment on this post will win the first free Pool Party certificate.

Technorati Tags: Boston, blog, contest, felt

Popularity: 77%

We occasionally find ourselves hungry for some unhealthy food at unhealthy hours. We're talking greasy meat past midnight (that's a great band name). And for all of its other charms, the North End in specific and Boston in general has left us wanting.
One of our favorite hangouts for late-evening eating (but certainly not past midnight) is a place on Boylston we affectionately refer to as the 'Snake (akaThe Rattlesnake Bar and Grill). You can find us many a night tucked away from the crowd in a booth 'neath a painting of Subcommandante Marcos, labeled "El Revolucionaire" (Ya Basta!).
But sometimes, even the 'Snake isn't serving food late enough for us, and in times like these were are often too lazy or too inebriated to fire up the grill or stove and cook our own food, so we starve. Untill the next morning, at least. In one fell swoop this morning, the Globe both gave us new hope and drew our attetion to threats to the commericial viability of this new hope. It seems there are 10 restaurants in Chinatown that are liscenced to stay open untill 4am. Only four of them still exercise this ability, but still: 4am?! That's awesome.

The problem is that apparantly Boston is an old fogey's town (at least says the article), so the demand for late-night dining is diminishing like a receding hairline, and many of these places are finding it hard to economically justify staying open late.
Our new mission, and yours too (should you choose to accept it) is to patronize these places and keep them open. We'll see you there.

Technorati Tags: boston, the rattlesnake, late night dining, food, chinatown

Popularity: 62%

Hells Yeah.

See you there, punks.

Technorati Tags: boston, bike race

Popularity: 31%

We went to see the Boston engagement of Movin' Out at the Boston Opera House last night. The show is basically ballet set to a Billy Joel cover band. The main singer/pianist guy is pretty good, but the band "re-interprets" several songs and totally butchers them (most notably and frustratingly We Didn't Start the Fire). The choreography is mediocre, but the dancers' technical ability is outstanding — though then again, you can't really expect much less at the professional level. The staging is miminal and stayed away from the whiz-bang chintz that (unfortunately) often wins Tonys on Broadway. The lighting is pretty good, if a bit elementary and pedantic at times. Overall, not the worst thing I've ever seen; definitely not the best, either, though. Solidly pedestrian.

Technorati Tags: Boston, boston opera house, movin out

Popularity: 31%

There's been a cute little story line floating around recently, with the Herald's coverage of "hard-hearted Cape Cod school officials" (ouch), who tried (unsuccessfully) to stop students from bringing dates who had criminal records to the prom, and this Globe article that discusses not only the background checks, but also metallic analogies and dance moves:

"Proms, you always worried about, but there was an innocence to them. Now, kids these days have more brass, they're more sophisticated," said Paul Dakin, superintendent of schools in the Boston suburb of Revere.
…
At Capital High School in Charleston, W.V., the principal dismissed 70 people from prom this year for breaking the school's dance code with the "booty pop," in which females bend over and males press up to their rear ends.

Oh god, for the love of all that's holy, don't screw with the booty pop! Derriere-based dancing is a prom tradition that streches at least as far back as 2 Live Crew's 1990 classic Face Down, Ass Up. And we here at Puritan City applaud these sophisticated little alloy experts. The brass industry is as American as apple pie.

Technorati Tags: boston, prom, 2 live crew

Popularity: 28%

Interesting thread on Ask MetaFilter comparing the pros and cons of living in Boston versus living in Seattle. Some good stuff, some stupid stuff, but here's a highlight:

If you like rock music, the rock scene here [in Boston] is really great. It's a small rock scene, but it has tons of heart. The crowds are super enthusiastic and they get what it's about. They shout, they headbang, they spit beer, they get rowdy, but it never feels dangerous. Just boisterous.

Remember folks, beer spitting rock show crowds is a positive thing.

In Boston … jaywalking is a civic duty.

Oh hells yes.

Technorati Tags: boston, seattle, rock show, jaywalking

Popularity: 21%

It seems Tommy Lee is becoming a local fixture. The 'Track is reporting that the well-endowed rockstar (does he still make music?) spun at the Avalon this weekend, accompanied by a plethora of "blond bimbos" (the 'Track's words). The Globe has a story about a temper tantrum thrown by the aging, uhm, celebrity because he had to stay at the Hotel Commonwealth instead of the Ritz. A few weeks ago we heard that Tommy went denim shopping at Riccardi. What's the deal? Why has Tommy been around town so much recently? Is there something we should know about?

Technorati Tags: boston, jeans, avalon, tommylee, riccardi

Popularity: 26%