The garden is so lovely at Oleana, fairy lights, beautifully landscaped, so quiet except for the other guests talking about the food, it’s always amazing to me that it’s in the middle of Cambridge.
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Maybe already have your line up planned. Adding to the conch question - I’ve don’t recall ever seeing true conch on restaurants here in the Boston area. However, if you’re feeling it for an adjacent dish, cooking whelks is very popular in Cantonese cuisine. Several of the Cantonese restaurants in Chinatown do fabulous whelk stir fry dishes. A typical version is thinly sliced and stir fried with yellow garlic chives. They are great when you also pair it with a fermented shrimp paste dipping sauce. While not true conch, to get a live whelk can still be expensive - usually one of those market rate deals for live, fresh seafood dishes.
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So yesterday I finally decided a bit too late to go to castle island. The fort was, unbeknownst to me, closed and me and child got clams, ice cream and a lime rickey. More cherry than lime. Then we took the yellow line bus back to Copley and trained it home. My wife ordered from king fu kitchen but it was mediocre for noodles.
Today we went to the aquarium and I was hoping I had time to get food but that didn’t happen until like 2pm. At which point the family outbound and me from going to state Street provisions or I believe it was called something like it wasn’t a charter house. It was like another black over also seafood instead to go to Quincy. I just wound up having pizza everything else was too pricey I think convinced the family to go to Boston public market because it was indoors and we got ice cream
Then we did our duck tour and after, they went back, but got stuck on the green line because there were some sort of issue with the trains as well as a concert at Fenway. Meanwhile I walked to Rowes Wharf thinking there would be some live music… whoops that’s Tues-Thurs… and then discovered James Hook was closed. At this point having heard that the green c line was closed from government center to Arlington, I decided to hoof it to Copley via Essex (Chinatown outskirts). I took a short detour to see if anything looked good (and open) to go in China town but I had no ideas. I had a place called double chin marked for some reason but it looked over price and on the way back to Essex I saw a place on Harrison whose name I don’t remember and in hindsight should have gotten some duck or pork over rice and gone. If anyone had Chinatown recs in case I get stuck going through there again and need something good to go or in general let me know but I said screw it. Got tempted by other Tatte bakeries but passed them up. Contemplated Yamato 2 but it’s reviews were very unsure but for ayce sushi I shouldn’t be surprised. I think I was just trying is to not eat at midnight. Also considered Salty Girl but seemed pricey. I finally got to Dartmouth street(?) to catch the train and was told they were running by mbta workers. After waiting for about 30 mins with no train. The sign stated there was a train on the way… it wound up being an E train. Not something I could use. The D and B would have been okay. The warning also stated to take the orange line as an alternate but not where to take it to as I saw no potential connection nor if they meant the train or the bus.
I digress receiving the disappointing news. I said screw this and decide to take a cab with the Curb app. $19 bucks and probably 15 min ride. I was back at Coolidge corner area. Place I was going to get take out from near JP Licks for Korean didn’t do online ordering or to go. Made my way over to a place called Bab and got dinner to go and finally got to eat something at 9:30. Here is hoping to digestion and a bit more planned out eating schedule tomorrow. I’m going to steer clear of Asian unless it’s like snow or bingsoo or maybe a milk tea. Science center and TD Garden are on tap for tomorrow.
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Sounds like just another day in Boston—can be frustrating as hell sometimes, especially the T (although I’m no longer an everyday rider, I heard it’s gotten better from my husband and other reports). Might want to get a real-time app, like Transit, which I use.
Stay cool out there today! Hope it’s a better eating day for you.
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I have the real time apps 
Is there a few recommended places to get/try steak tips as a potential solo diner? Looks like TD Center isn’t far from the North End. May spend some time there after 3pm
Spend some time where? Do you want steak tips near the Garden or the North End?
Orange line is a subway line. The only bus line that has a “color” name is the Silver Line that goes between the airport and South Station (Amtrak, Intercity bus terminal, MBTA station, Red line and commuter rail). SL1, SL2, etc.
Bus routes are numbered.
I thought I might spend some time in the north end post Garden tour. I decided it would best to come back. Wound up lunching at hub hall cussers wasn’t there any longer. Got a lobster tail from Mike’s my son got m, bless him, a doughnut. Came back to rest a very hot minute. Depending on our plans I may see if I can’t somehow manage to get out to Mt. auburn cemetery for a stroll.
In any case, my request on tips was in general not necessarily near the garden or in the north end. Even better if it offers it to go kinda like how Sullivan packages there stuff up but that’s more of a convenience of eating and keep moving.
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Ah well I mean mapwise they are color coded as well. I’m sure colloquially no one refers to the buses by color.
Yeah I know
@burgeoningfoodie There’s a part of me that wants to meet up with you and your family to show you around because I’m a self-appointed chamber of commerce for Boston. The other part of me who has to work pulls me back (I love high heat and high humidity so I have no weather-related issues).
I hope you found your steak tips. I don’t eat meat, but they seem to be on every pub menu that we frequent (and we do a lot of pubs; my kid and husband are both omnivores).
Maybe a hotel pool that offers day passes to non-guests would be fun?
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I lived in Coolidge Corner long ago and I just remembered the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse, a sports pub with a large menu on Harvard St close to Beacon St where the C line stops. They have steak tips on the menu and the website says the kitchen is open until midnight every night. I haven’t eaten there for a couple of decades and I never tried the steak tips, but could be an option for late dining on steak tips or something else.
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Ma Maison on on Charles Street has something for everyone and does it all pretty well. It is a good lunch spot but would recommend reservations for dinner.
Would also look at [Atlantic Fish](https://www.atlanticfish.com/menus. Might be an option.
Have a good visit!
Bab has some of the worst food in the neighborhood. Hope your stomach didn’t revolt.
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Is that right? Nah no stomach issues.
Will keep that in mind.
Our hotel has a “pool”. If I could convince my wife to meet someone non of us formally know that would be grand. Also don’t want to get you in trouble with work. Today we start out bright and early for whale watching. Hope this doesn’t bore them to tears but I figure it’s a unique opportunity and would be better than a harbor cruise… Hope I’m not wrong.
No idea what we will do for lunch but I know we are doing Putt Shack over in seaport. And an early bowling adventure before dinner. I believe we are scheduled for Brighton bowl over on Guest Street. I’m pizza and Asian food out…
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Too late for you, but some anecdotal data…I haven’t done a whale watch in Boston since I was a college student here but we’ve done them recently in Iceland and my kid has absolutely loved them and so have we. But then again we saw lots of whales. when the boat is searching/drifting around, it can be quite boring. But we all like being on the water.
What does your kid like to eat? That might be a better barometer for where to eat since you say he’s picky. Lots of places around Putt Shack and the Seaport are fairly expensive and you mentioned repeatedly the high cost of dining out in Boston (which I guess is pretty comparable with other big cities in the US). Putt Shack has food but we’ve never tried. It just looks like expensive pub food
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If it’s steak tips you want, Boston Magazine just released its Best of Boston edition and the best place for steak tips (casual - their designation, not mine) is Newbridge Cafe in Chelsea. I’ve never really known steak tips not be on casual menus vs fine dining/fancy menus, so that clarification is a bit odd.
Chelsea is very neighborhoody and more residential, and not a place I venture to much. It’s connected by bus again - either from Wellington Station on the Orange line to bus, or by Chelsea station on the commuter rail and Silver Line S3 (Silver line connects at South Station). If you’re in that area and need relief, you can also check out the Encore casino in neighboring Everett for some AC.
Edit: I guess I didn’t read the list far down enough. There is a recommendation as well for Moona in Cambridge, because it’s for “classy” steak tips. 
Moona is Mediterranean.
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