Burton's Grill, Red Heat Tavern, 1928 Beacon Hill & Meet Boston

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You're listening to Food for Thought withBilly and Jenny, brought to you by
the Box Center. For more thanfifteen years, this dining duo has been
eating their way through New England,mixing it up with top chefs, jumping
behind the line of the hottest restaurantsand giving you the inside scoop on where
to wine, dine and spend yourtime. So get ready, it's Food
for Thought giving you something to chewon. Hey, everybody, welcome into

(00:24):
Food for Thoughts, brought to youby the Box Center. I'm Jenny and
we are in the middle of celebratingWomen's History Month. I was able to
introduce a few different chefs over thepast month to all of the listeners,
and they're so so, so,so so many to introduce. And I've
been lucky enough to be able tocall so many of these talented women in

(00:46):
hospitality my friends for now almost twentyyears. And a woman that I've had
the distinct pleasure of knowing in anumber of different capacities is the vice president
of Food and Beverage for Burton's,which is a restaurant group that we will
talk about at length. Burton's Grilland Bar and they do a fantastic job

(01:08):
of a variety of different things.But Denise Herrera is her name, and
I've known her not only as thechef of this big, evolving, large
brand, but also at the capacityof the president of the Mass Juse It's
the Restaurant Association, as a boardmember of the Mass Jesus Resaurant Association.
We've traveled together, We've you know, shared stories about raising our families together.

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She's just an all around well rounded, incredible, talented human being.
Denise, Welcome to the program.Thanks Jenny. It's great to be here.
Always great to connect with you.So, okay, for folks who
aren't familiar with Burton's, let's givea little background on the restaurant group and
where people can find them and sortof what your ethos is all about.

(01:56):
Absolutely, you know. So westarted this concept night teen years ago and
it was really based off of exceptionalfood, making sure what every guest leaves
delighted and wanting to come back,and so we really focused on quality,
consistency and ensuring that we have areally great value on the plate. We
are from scratch Kitchen. That hasgiven us the ability to customize a dining

(02:20):
experience, whether it's based on dietaryrestrictions, allergies, or really just guest
preferences. And that's something that I'vebeen really proud of and how we've adapted
and modified our recipes to accommodate alot of different needs over the years.
And so at Burton's you can findsomething for everybody. You know, we
have one menu all day, greatsalads and sandwiches all the way up to

(02:44):
fantastic steaks and fresh seafood. SoI'm really proud of the menus that we
have put together, and over theyears, we have continued to evolve our
menus, adding different happy hour menusin and space that we can along with
brunch venues. We have nineteen locationsand we operate in eight states, from
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut,Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South

(03:07):
Carolina, and Florida. And thenwe're going to add two locations to our
portfolio this year, one implantation inFlorida and then the other in Atlanta,
Georgia. So we're really excited forthe continued growth. Wow, So let's
go back a little bit to sortof creating a menu that really works for
everyone. I don't know that,you know, fifty years ago or even

(03:28):
thirty years ago, this was somethingor even less than that, that was
something that really people considered. Butyou guys were really on the forefront of
that. And was it just thatyou saw a need? Was it that
that you know, like, whatwas the decision behind that? Because you
guys were really leaders in it,and now you know more people, you
are able to go to places andask for things specifically, not necessarily anywhere

(03:50):
near the depths that you're able towith Burtons. But talk a little bit
about that process for us. Yeah, absolutely, So you know, my
partner in the beginning, Chemi Har, we talked a lot about this and
it was really finding the right nichein the time that we were building the
restaurant. So back in two thousandand four when we started to develop this

(04:11):
brand, there was a lot ofdifferent things that were affecting the cattle,
affecting fisheries, affecting chicken, whetherit was bird flu, swine, all
these different things, and so wedid not want to hang our hat on
one specific cuisine food type because wedon't want to pigeonhol ourselves into an area
of concern. So we said,let's have something for everybody where we can

(04:35):
really develop this one menu all day. People can come in shorts and t
shirts during lunch, or they cancome in business suits and have a really
nice business meeting at dinner. Andso we wanted to not be fine dining
and we didn't want to be casualdining. So that was really where that
niche of polished casual came into playfor us. So that's where we entered

(04:57):
the space, and we operated thespace. We continued to grow into that
space so awesome, and you guyscontinue to be a leader in that so
and I want to talk a littlebit about some of the additions. You
talked a little bit about the menuand all the different things that you guys
have evolved over the years. ButI know that you're rolling out a weekend

(05:17):
brunch for both Saturday and Sunday.You know, I think one of the
things is brunch is something that ifyou live in Boston, you you know,
you're you're sure it's Hucks going tohave many plentyful options for brunch,
But in the suburbs, not somuch. And that's obviously where the majority
of your locations are. So tellus about this decision and what people can

(05:38):
expect from from your brunch. Yeah, absolutely so. Again, from the
beginning of our ethos ethos, wewanted to bring the urban feel to the
suburbs. So brunch is really acontinuation of that. So we want to
set give people in the suburbs andthe experience of an urban brunch. So
we have a wonderful brunch menu thatfrom of my favorites are the chicken and

(06:00):
waffles. I absolutely love the shortrib hash so delicious. We have a
really delectable cast iron French toast.I can't say enough good things about the
brunch burger. It's just one ofthose really delicious, all inclusive burgers with
a hash brown on it and baconand egg and yum. And then one

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of the items that has just beenoff the star successful has been our bag
of donuts and they're glue. They'renaturally gluten free and are naturally delicious,
and so I think people that havea gluten allergy and come and have one
of our bag of donuts, they'reblown away, and people that don't have
an allergy are still blown away byit. So that has really been an

(06:46):
exciting item that has hit the menu, and I also have to mention our
cocktails. I have been loving ourcocktails. I actually took my family to
a brunch of this Saturday because NorthAnderver just introduced it on Saturday, and
I had a pain killer and I'veforgot how delicious those were, and I'm
just really excited. And my husbandhad one of the Bloody Mary. He's
delicious. We have a spiked coldbrew that put your coffee fixed to rest.

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So I'm really excited about the cocktailsfor brunch too, because it's always
fun to compliment famiale with it witha really nice cocktail. I love that
so much. So this is definitelyan a edition for everybody's weekend and so
many of the different locations that areoffered. We're going to take a break.
We'll be back with Denise again.Food for Thought brought to you by
the Box Center. You're listening toFood for Thought brought to you by the

(07:32):
Box Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel andSweet Welcome back to Food for Thought brought
to you by the Box Center.I'm on with Denise Herrera, the talented
vice president of food and Beverage forBurton's Grill. We talked a lot about
some of the additional stuff that theyhave going on, but you're also entre
launching kind of a spring menus.I think one of the great things about

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the facts that not only do youhave so many locations, but you really
you keep everything fresh, like you'renot going there at different times of the
year and experiencing the same things.You guys are constantly evolving and sort of
pushing the envelope to make the experienceunique every time you go back. So
what are some of the things you'reexcited about on the new menu? Yeah.

(08:16):
Absolutely. We are introducing a Ahitunable, which I'm really excited about,
so fresh avocado, carrots, cucumber, sealantic cucumbers, jasmine rice,
togarashi ice tuna, so I'm reallyexcited about that dish. Another one is
a chicken milanaise, again really warmingcomfort food that I love. And then

(08:39):
we're also introducing a lobster and shrimpyoki. So that's going to have asparagus
and great tomatoes and corn in therewith your lobster and your shrimp. It's
going to have a little bit ofa garlic butter sauce, and then we're
going to finish it with a varnishof petto. So really excited about these
summer flavors that are coming. Andthen we're also bringing back some of our
guest favorites of our seasonal, likeour summer roasted Vegetable Bowl, and then

(09:03):
our Chicken Pacado will be coming backas well. So that many is going
to launch on April second, soright around the corner. That's awesome.
That's so awesome. And of courseeveryone is planning their Easter brunches. I
know that you guys are going tohave your brunches open for that. We
just talked about the brunch and alltheir awesome offerings. I feel like I
need a bag of donuts ate shafts. Somehow I got to get to one

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of your locations, and then ofcourse you did mention there's new locations.
Both Burlington and Westford have been refreshed, and then you're opening obviously in Florida
and Atlanta, as we discussed.And the nice part is people are listening
to the station all up and downthe East coast, so they can find
you in all of those different locations. So I want to take a little

(09:46):
bit. One other mention I wantto say is that you also have another
brand of restaurants under the Burton's umbrella, Red Heat. Can you tell us
about that concept? Yeah, RedHeat Tavern really fun fresh flavors again,
and we we have a lot ofbeers on tap in that concept, which
is a little bit different than whatthe Burtons concept is, so more tavern

(10:07):
esque, heavy, wonderful steak tips. Love them. They have a Bang
Bang broccoli that is just phenomenal,off the charts. Again, we do
things the way that we do things, so really big fresh salads, really
awesome sandwiches and entrees. It's yourneighborhood tavern. You know, people meet
after work all week and long,so it's really nice. They do trivia

(10:31):
on Tuesday nights, so triple TuesdaysPacos trivia and tequila. And then on
Wednesdays we do our Wing Wednesday promotionso it's dollar Wings okay, long and
so those two events are really phenomenalfor the for the concept. So it's
a really fun concept. Really,a lot of sports are playing on the
TV there and that's kind of it'sjust all about your your fun and excitement

(10:54):
comes together. That's so great.Okay. So I like to get people
little bit of a background on thiswho when we're talking to these awesome chefs.
So I want to get a littlebit of a sense of where,
like where did your culinary passion comefrom? And you know, you talked
about really early on working with theformer Burton's founder and and sort of like

(11:15):
pushing the envelope for things that weren'tnecessarily I guess, trendy at the time.
So can you give us a littlebit of a background of view and
where this sort of culinary inspiration camefrom? YEA absolutely, you know,
I kind of you know, andluck and a you know, intention are
a little bit how I use mypathway. So luck was that I got

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a job washing dishes when I wasfifteen years old, and then I was
lucky to have a chef that mentoredme and guided me and coached me along
the way, and once I showedinterest, really continued that pathway. So
from a young age, I decidedI was going to go to culinary school,
and I really excelled in it,and I just fell in love with

(12:00):
the adrenaline, something different every day, and I just continued down that pathway.
Out of college, I got ajob with a company called Hillstone restaurant
group, and they have been knownfor really great management, development and quality
and consistency. And so when theprevious owner was looking for a chef,

(12:22):
he knew what my pedigree was andso he reached out to me. And
I happened to be looking for anopportunity because I just came off of a
year backpacking through Central and South America. And he said, what do you
do? And I said not much. So we partnered together with three other
people and we started the Burtons brand. And when we started it, we

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had, you know, really twofocus points. We wanted to be best
at brand and we wanted to beemployer of choice. And those two tenants
really anchored us on how we createdthe brand and what it meant to be
an employee of Burton's Grill. Wewanted everybody to have a voice. We
continue to still create feedback from ouremployees because it's important. You know,

(13:05):
I believe that the lighted employees makesthe lighted guests. So if we don't
have happy employees, we're never goingto have happy guests. And just through
constant conversation and just looking at ourproducts and how do we continue to push
the envelope to be best a brandand just have really great products. You
know, I remember when the financialdownturn happened in two thousand and eight nine,

(13:28):
we weren't looking at how we're shrinkingportion size as we were looking at
how do we get our quality onthe plate to increase the value process.
And it was just a mindset thatwe had and it has just continued to
carry forward and has created a successfulbrand. Well, I know that your
employees are so lucky just from whatI know of you, but how many

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employees are working for the company atthis point, oh, just about twelve
hundred. Wow, it's just extraordinary. And so I want to talk a
little bit about just in the nextfew minutes about you know, you were
the president of the Mattress's Restaurant Association. We've sat on the board for a
long time together, like sort oftalk about how you value sort of advocacy

(14:11):
within the hospitality industry and why it'sso important to you. Yeah, I
mean, I think advocacy is importantin a lot of different areas are in
but obviously my space is hospitality,and as a business leader in the hospitality
industry, we all should be focusedon what's coming at us and how can
we play a part in protecting ourindustry. And so I felt that my

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time as the chairperson for the MRAwas really valuable on setting that course,
but also educating others within the industrywhy it was important to be part of
the MRA, because they are acollective voice for all of us and I
just think, you know, asa female in the industry, I also
liked being part of different women's organizations. I like speaking at different women's leadership

(14:58):
conferences. I think that's really reallyimportant to continue to demonstrate that women continue
to rise to the top in positionsof leadership, and I think that that's
fantastic that we can get it done. It is and I think just seeing
those numbers rise, certainly in theNew England, I guess, like in

(15:22):
that greater Boston area. I mean, I've done not a ton, but
a fair amount of traveling over thepast twenty years, knowing that Boston kind
of has always certainly had plenty ofroom to grow, but been more of
a leader in that area as itrelates to just having so many talented female
chefs in the area. So,you know, in addition to being just

(15:43):
an advocate for the industry in additionto being the leader of the major restaurant
group. How important, like whatdoes it feel like to you to be
a leader in hospitality and a womanleader at that, Like, how important
does that sort of play into therole of into your role. I think

(16:06):
it's important because I think I canalso demonstrate to people within my own organization
or people that are continuing to growup into the MRI Educational Foundation, how
we work with them as the studentsof prostcart that you don't have to fit
into a box of what society thinksthat you need to be. And if

(16:29):
we can continue to demonstrate that leadership, a woman can be a leader and
still accomplish being a great mother,being a great role model for their for
their families, and for the friendscontinuing to volunteer in other organizations. You
know, I think it's how opento that dialogue of how do we accomplish

(16:51):
this and how do we get itdone? Is how I look at that
and how I can share my experienceswith others because you can't get it.
Yeah, I mean, I willsay from my perspective, you've been a
huge role model for me. Withthat you became a mom a bit before
I did. And I think we'vehad a few conversations about how, like,
how does all of this become possible? And you know the truth is

(17:12):
you have to be able to kindof have the humor to say it isn't
always perfect, but like you can, Riley, like you can manage to
do it all, and you canmanage to still fulfill your own individual life
too. So Denise, we loveyou, Billy and I love you so
much. We we are so gratefulto have you as one of the women

(17:34):
female pillars in this industry and asalways love connecting with you. Thanks,
Jenny, I appreciate it. Okay, that's me Serreira, the vice president
of Food and Beverage or Burton's Grillthat Heat. We're going to take a
break and we'll be back with moreFood for Thought in just a minute.
You're listening to Food for Thought broughtto you by the Box Center and Sale
and Waterfront Hotel in Sweets. Welcomeback to Food for Thought brought to you

(17:59):
by the Box Center. As acontinue on the celebration of Women's History Month,
wanted to introduce you to as manywomen within the hospitality industry as I
could, and our next guest isthe owner of a fairly new restaurant in
Boston's Beacon Hill, and her nameis Kristin Jenkins. Kristin, thanks so
much for coming to the program.Thank you for having me. So let's

(18:22):
start by talking about your you know, still fairly new nineteen twenty eight.
Beacon Hill is your restaurant. Let'swalk people inside, let us know where
you are and what your restaurant's allabout. Thank you so much. So
we're nestled here in Beacon Hill.We're literally nestled into the hill, and
we are a restaurant. We serveclassic American fair sort of elevated It's a

(18:48):
type of place you can come toa few times a week and sort of
elevated home cooking. It's a welcomingfeo when you walk in. I wanted
it to feel like home. Alot of our customers live in the neighborhood,
and you know, they're with usa few times a week, so
we you know, we really liketo you know, know everyone's name and
what they drink and welcome them whenthey come in. We also have a

(19:11):
lot of customers that come in fromall over traveling, you know, to
Boston from overseas, and uh,you know, it's just it's so fun
to meet all the new people thatcome in. It's really like, you
know, where everybody knows your nameand it's very welcoming. You walk into
the bar and feel like, youyou know, could walk away with new
friends after being in. I lovethem. I really wanted to, Yeah,

(19:34):
I really wanted to create a menuwhere you could come here a few
times a week and not get youknow, always feel like you can have
some elevated home cooking. Yes,and I like, you know, you
sort of call it upscale casual,and I think that is such a perfect
combination both for that neighborhood and alsojust for what people's desires are from eating

(19:55):
out and to make it be connectedfrom a neighborhood feel so quickly, can
you tell folks where the restaurant's locatedfor those who are familiar with Beacon Hill,
Absolutely, it's a ninety seven MountVernon Street, which is right off
Charles Street. And you can see, you know, if you peek up
Mount Vernon Street, you can seethe awning and the time. So we're

(20:15):
a little bit off the beaten path, but I think that's what kind of
makes it fun too. It's sortof like a little hidden gem. Oh,
it definitely is. And I wantto talk a little bit more about
what makes your particular hidden gems sospecial because it melds a lot of your
passions. So we'll talk about thatwhen we come back. So it's nineteen
twenty eight. Beacon Hill is thename of the restaurants. Fairly new and

(20:40):
has been getting a lot of greatpress and accolades. People are really excited
about this new addition to Beacon Hill. We're going to take a break.
We'll be back with more Food forThought and more Kristin Jenkins. In just
a minute, you're listening to Foodfor Thought, brought to you by It's
the Box Center and stale In WaterfrontHotel and sweets. Kristin Jenkins is the
owner of nine twenty eighth Beacon Hill, an upscale casual restaurant of course right

(21:04):
there in Beacon Hill. So Iwant to get a little bit of your
history, Kristen, because it's notnecessarily the typical trajectory that one thinks of
when they think of opening a restaurant, although I know it was for a
long time a desire of yours.But give us a little bit of your
backgrounds and how you ultimately became theowner of this restaurant. Thank you.

(21:27):
So I also owned Leonards Antiques inSeconk, Massachusetts. It's family business.
It's been in businesses nineteen thirty three, and I'm proud of that. Obviously,
I not battled. I didn't startit, but I still run it,
and I'm an avid antique in artcollector. I also have always loved

(21:48):
entertain so that's really how I,you know, always wanted to get into
the restaurant business. My grandfather wasin the wholesale food industry and sold to
restaurants, and I go around withhim when I was young and we go
visit restaurants, and I just wasintrigued with being, you know, at
the back of the house and inthe kitchen and you know, sit in
color and watch everyone dining and havinga great time. I was just always

(22:11):
really interested in how all that worked. I you know, I also love
to decorate and create an atmosphere,and I think that's you know, obviously
food is really important, uh,but you know, atmosphere is important,
and you you know, you wantto feel good when you go out and
feel like you're you know, youcan have fun and look at interesting things
and you know, be surrounded byyou know, beautiful things and you know,

(22:33):
interesting things to look at. Iguess that's exacally what people will experience
when they come into nineteen twenty andso you have a lot of these antiques
on the wall sort of paint thepicture of what the restaurant looks like.
It's a real I like to mixbetween you know, it's a mix between
antiques, which sounds boring, butif you mix, you know, it's
mixed with modern so it's got asort of modern feel. It's moody,

(22:56):
you know, it is it's youknow, sort of on the darker side,
but it's got to sort of likea moody, tropical, you know,
colonial feel to it. It's youknow, we're nestled into the hill,
so it's sort of cavernous so youwalk through, but you know,
the bar has got a sort ofa you know, colonial, tropical vibe
to it. Then we've got ourmiddle room, which is a little more

(23:17):
private with banketch. It's a littleyou know, a little more quiet off
the bar area. And the backroom is we call it our library,
and that is sort of a quieter, you know, if you want to
sort of get away from the barand get a quieter dinner. That's sort
of what you said. I lovethat, and I think obviously what it
does is it also pays homage toBeacon Hill, which is of course one

(23:38):
of the more historic neighborhoods in ourcountry. And so it sounds like a
perfect blend to that. And Idefinitely you said antiques down boring. I
think the complete opposite. I thinkthere's just so much storytelling that I imagine
it takes just like the energy ofyour space with all those antiques, is
just adds to kind of the depthand interest of the restaurant. Okay,

(24:00):
so tell us a little bit aboutthe menu, and so far in your
months of being open, what aresome of the things that have become either
the neighborhood favorites or just even thevisitor's favorites. You know, we try
to change our menu and make itseasonal, you know, in New England
seasons, which we do, butthen I feel like when we sometimes we
take things off the menu, peopleget upset, like, oh my god,
where's my you know whatever. Sothere are a lot of things on

(24:23):
the menu that we've kept as staplesbecause people love them and they expect to
get them. Bake Freaks is verypopular, Our scollops in risotto. We
always have our burder which is great. Filets fantastic if you want something heavier.
All our seafood everything's brought in freshdaily. Nothing's frozen, h So

(24:44):
you know, our salmon's fantastic.And we have a lot of bites as
well, so if you're you know, we have a lot of people that
just come and want to se atthe bar and socialize, so there are
a lot of good options there.Yeah, tell us about a couple of
the costaos. You've sat a gooda good scene for how how awesome the
bar must be. We do havea great bar program, and our opurtunites
are fantastic. They're just a lotof fun. You know, we have

(25:07):
our classics. You know, wetry it to go to make things too
wild with the with the cocktails,because you know that can get a little
just overwhelming. But you know,we have our nineteen twenty eight Cosmo,
which is fantastic. Our margarita everything'smade from scratch. I would say our
espresso martini is probably a favorite amongstour guests, and we have an extensive

(25:29):
wineless. Our wineless is impressive.We've spent a lot of time on curating
that. That's awesome. And so, as you know, this show is
kind of paying homage to the womenin hospitality. How important does it feel
to you to be a part ofone of those? Luckily not few.
We have a lot of great femalechefs restaurant tours in the area. But

(25:52):
does that take on a certain meaningfor you to you know, certainly now
as we're celebrating women's history months.Yeah, that there are a lot a
great female restaurant tours in the city, and I'm proud to be among them.
It's you know, it's it's it'sgreat, but I don't like to,
you know, feel like it's youknow, because I'm a woman.
It's you know, you know,a big accomplishment. I mean, it's

(26:14):
it's a difficult business, but youknow, it's just you know, just
teach people how to treat you andyou know, stand strong and make your
you know, decisions on how youwant things done and stick to it.
Yeah, I love that, andI and I have we have heard such
wonderful things about nineteen twenty eight sinceyou've opened. We've had the pleasure of
featuring it on Dining Playbook, andI know we will also be featuring it

(26:37):
on Me Boston Chris, And it'sbeen so nice to connect with you.
Where is there a website people cango to? Do you suggest people making
reservations and give us the address onemore time? Yes, address is ninety
seven Mount Vernon Street in Beacon Hill, right off Charles Street. We do
have a website. It's www dotnineteen twenty eight Beaconhill dot com and reservations

(26:57):
can be made on open tape.Awesome, Awesome, Kristin Well, happy
women's history months to you. We'rethrilled to add you to the list of
talented women in the industry and we'lldefinitely speak to you soon. Thank you.
I put my heart and soul intothis, so I really appreciate your
recognizing it. Thank you so much, of course, of course, Okay,

(27:18):
bye bye, and we'll be backwith thank you Pott in just a
minute. You're listening to Food forThought brought to you by the Box Center
and Salem Waterfront Hotel and sweets.Hey, welcome back into Food for Thoughts
brought to you by the Box Center. So We've met some really great women
in hospitality, and I wanted tobe able to take some time on this
show to bring on another woman whois a part of our new program,

(27:41):
Meet Boston with Billy and Jenny.That's a television program that airs alongside dining
playbook that Billy and I do together. And I think what's really nice about
this program is it's given us theopportunity to see Boston through a number of
different people's eyes. We've brought insome really talented content curators mostly they're called
influencers in the social media space,and we've given them a chance to hone

(28:06):
their craft in a different medium ontelevision and it has been a huge success.
And we have been able to exploreso many different creative outlets within the
city of Boston and share them withour viewers. And one of our awesome
hubsters, that's what we call ourcontent curators. You can find her on
Instagram as twenty something plus and it'sBethany Everett Ratluff. Bethany, thanks for

(28:29):
joining the program. Thank you forhaving me so great to have you so
so. First of all, Iwant to know how has the experience been
like to be a Hubster so far. So it's been interesting, Like I
was excited for the opportunity in general, but also wasn't really sure what I
was getting myself into. Creating contentfor myself is like I'm my own boss,

(28:52):
so I can kind of to anextent, do what I want to
do and just hope that it worksbecause I am my content. But for
the show, it's been interesting towork with different not even not even different
creators, but different businesses and tohighlight what the businesses want to be seen
and to bring them together to makethem into a segment. That was really

(29:15):
our goal was to sort of bridgethese mediums and and so we've learned a
lot from you guys, hopefully you'velearned a lot from us and the storytelling
component to things, and we reallyenjoyed the segments that you've done for us
so far. So you recently shota piece that's going to be airing on
the show this week, so youcan actually see it coming up. So

(29:36):
tell us about some of the spotsthat you went to. So I was
in Speaking Hill, which loved thearea. It's very historic, very picturesque.
But I stopped in Crush Boutique,which I love it's a woman owned
business and they carry a lot ofbrands that I already know and love.
So it was great to go inand try things on, and to sit

(29:59):
down with Rebecca and talk about thedifferent spring trends and then to go in
and try on those trends. Sothat was really cool and they do such
a great job. They've been therefor so long. They originally were on
Newbray Street. They since moved toBeacon Hill and they have another shop also
on in Beacon Hill that has someadditional things that are great to check out.

(30:22):
But they do they're very helpful.You walk in there and you feel
like you're leaving, you know,extra cool. Okay, So you so
you went to Crush and then whatwas next on just on the other side
of the Charles mgh Station, Iwent to Liberty Hotel, which is a
stunning hotel and it's cool. Thehistory is like it was a joe and
then converted into a hotel later.So the space is just unique and very

(30:48):
luxurious. But one thing that earthThey do a number of things, and
some of the things are like differentprograms. They have like a Yappy Hour
where you can bring your dog fora happy hour during the summer, they
have free yoga classes and things likethat. But the coolest thing, which
is where I guess I come inand why this was so so great of
a fit for me, was thatThursday nights they do a late night fashion

(31:10):
show and I was able to jointhem for that and see local designers share
their pieces, which is so cool. It is. Yes, So in
addition, people should know, inaddition to being just a content curator of
a lot of things, your realfocus is on fashion and gosh, so
they've been doing they've been doing thatevent at the Liberty for years, and

(31:33):
it's amazing that Fashionably Late has sustainedas long as it has. But I
think the greatest part about it is, yes, they're able to promote and
showcase local designers, which I'm sureyou had a bluff with. And also
the hotel is pretty awesome as well. So what did it feel like to
be a content curator and what waslike your entree into this, into becoming

(31:57):
a content creator? Like, So, one thing that's kind of funny is
that like even when filming content,like, even though I know I'm a
content creator, sometimes I get likea little for lack of a better word
anxious, like filming the content becauseit's just like then people see you and
they're like, what's going on,what's happening? And then to explain yourself,
like it's always awkward to like sayI'm an influencer. A content content

(32:22):
creator is less awkward, but tobe like, I'm an influencer and then
people are like, oh, it'slike the follow me on Instagram and they're
like, oh cool. But what'sbeen what really got me into it?
I guess was I loved fashion andhad moved to rural Vermont and then really
needed like a hobby and wanted somethingthat kept me connected to the fashion space.

(32:44):
So I started my blog about tenyears ago actually ten years ago,
and that that kind of branched outand became what social media today. Like
I'd had Instagram way before my blog, but Instagram wasn't what it is now,
and now that it's something that isa vehicle for my blog, it's
that's grown and really helped me toexpress myself and connect with community, which

(33:09):
is the goal for me. Ilove that, And let's talk a little
bit more about that community because Ithink that was also one of our goals
and what's been a really sort ofsilver lining I think from our perspective is
that all of you Hubsters seem tolike get along really well. We've been
able to have a few events wherewe all get together just to sort of

(33:30):
share, and it has that beenyour experience absolutely a few of the Hupsters
and like I feel like we meetin different spaces. So like Austin's got
a huge, as you know,food scene. So initially when I started
blogging a lot of events that Iwent to a food event, so I

(33:50):
met some of the hubsters through those, but because I am fashion based,
it's kind of been tricky. Nottricky, but other events I've met other
influencers. So it's been very niceto be provided with a space to connect
even further with those influencers or thosethose cubsters and to find common interests.

(34:14):
Like there's a lot of lifestyle influence, there's a lot of foodies, but
we can all get together and kindof share our love with Boston, which
has been great, and that reallyis the message of this program is there's
a million different ways to love Bostonand being able to see it from all
of your different vantage points has beennot only super interesting to me as a

(34:36):
person who's been covering Boston for Idon't know twenty years, but you know,
and Billy for double that. Butit's been really interesting to watch the
relationships that have formed. So we'rehappy that it's been a positive experience for
you guys. So it is Women'sHistory Months, that's what we're celebrating this
month. Crush obviously is one ofthe places that you're on It on Me
Boston and there women owns, Buttalk a little bit about some of the

(34:59):
other female businesses that you love tosupport in Boston or other female brands that
you love to support in Boston.There's a couple that I definitely want to
make sure that I mentioned and don'tforget to mention. Living Art Boston is
a fashion based event that happens well, this will be the second year,
but it's going to be a hugeannual fashion event, which is something that

(35:23):
yes, Boston has a fashion scene, but it's not new, but it's
not what it needs to be.Growing. Yeah, it's growing exactly,
and there's so many opportunities for itto grow. And I feel like Living
Art Boston has really encapulated that andmoving forward, Like I just went to
a fashion show brunch where you satdown and college designers who have been designing

(35:46):
but are also trying to grow butin the entrepreneurial way and see what they've
created and they kind of I'm tryingto think of how to word it,
but they they're being innovative and sustainableand practices that you want to see throughout
the world. But Boston's doing that, and it's just a matter of getting

(36:06):
that out there to the rest ofthe world to let people know that,
hey, Boston has a fashion sceneand we're coming for you. And Tanisha,
who's the founder and creator of LivingArt Boston, has really just been
amazing and getting that message across.That's so awesome. Mar give us that
other one that you wanted to mention. We have about a minute left,

(36:27):
and the other one is Gogo Split. They are a person of color or
I guess black owned business essentially,And that said, the founders are men,
but the CEO is female and sheis a powerhouse. And what they
They're based in Copler, so theyhave a they host other designers and they

(36:51):
have a shop in Copley Place andyou can shop all those designers. They
were actually the brand that is whenI went to the late night fashion show.
Oh that's awesome. It's so greatto support these local brands. We
like to do that whenever possible.Well, Bethany, we are so proud
of the work that you've been doingfor us. It's been so nice to

(37:13):
get to know you and your partner. Of just being able to get to
know you guys all more personally hasbeen awesome. You guys definitely want to
follow Bethany for all her Meet Bostonstuff, but also for all of her
fashion stuff. And she's also sucha great supporter of other small female you
know, content curators and small businessowners, so it's nice to follow along
with her at twenty something plus,Bethany, thank you so much for joining

(37:37):
us. Thanks Benny. We'll beback with more Food for Thought in just
a minute. You're listening to Foodfor Thought brought to you by the Box
Center and Salem Waterfront Hotel and SweetWell. It's been a great show on
Food for Thoughts brought to you by, of course, the amazing Box Center.
Speaking of the Box Center, ifyou were looking for something great to
do with girlfriends, with your kids, with your partner, by yourself,

(38:00):
there are so many great shows thatare coming up right now. I had
the pleasure of going to see Anniewith my whole family not too long ago,
and it was an amazing rendition inthe most beautiful space you can ever
imagine. I mean, you'd bethe history of Boston is just sort of
exuded when you're in the Box Centerright there in the theater district of Boston.

(38:21):
So make sure you check them outto see what they have coming up.
And of course, as you know, we're celebrating women's history months this
month, so many amazing chefs tocelebrate in hospitality here in Boston. I
mean, the list is forever,forever long. You know. When I
started, it was sort of LydiaShire, Barbara Lynch, Jody Adams,

(38:43):
Joanne Chang. Those were kind ofthe women who all had the opportunity to
some extent to work with Julia Child, who was really I think one of
the reasons why there is such astrong women's culinary scene here in Boston,
because obviously she was the queen ofculinary well before we knew hospitality would become
what it has. And then there'sthat next group of people actually on a

(39:07):
sortoon was in that group as well, of course I'm going to miss them,
but I'll do my best to includeat least a couple of handfuls of
them. And then there was kindof a next generation of chefs who often
overlapped with one another. And oneof the things I love talking about is
who their mentors were in the industry, and you often see that, you
know, they worked together and evolvedtogether, and then ultimately went off to
launch their own restaurants. There's Kareno'conowitz, who has not only a great

(39:30):
cookbook, but two great restaurants insealthy Tiffany Faison really has a great group
of places over there in Fenway.Kristin Canty, owner of woods Hill Pier
four, is a restaurant tour whois doing so much that I admire in
the hospitality space because she's really creating, She's really paying attention to the details

(39:52):
of her food. She has theopportunity to have a farm where she grows
a lot of her produce, andshe also has a lot of cattle,
and so really seeing that farm totable come into fruition in a real life
way with Kristen has been so cool. There's of course Cassie Sarma, which

(40:13):
I regularly say is one of themost eccentric, flavorful, awesome, flavor
combinations you can ever enjoy right therein Summerville. And what's been really nice
is Billy and I are celebrating ourtwenty years of working together, and in
addition to launching me Boston, thisnew program that we've been talking to about,

(40:34):
we are also launching something special atthe end of these twenty years where
we've had the opportunity to talk toall of these chefs that we've worked with
for so long, and to seehow many of them our women is something
that I think makes us both feelreally proud and certainly makes me feel proud.
Denzis Skin and her husband Josh havea great restaurant restaurants, but I

(41:00):
love more as one that's been herefor so long. We give you these
lists of chefs and of places becausethis is the hardest working industry. We
think in so many different ways.It is grueling from a time standpoint.
It is you know, you haveto be endlessly passionate and endlessly happy,
even if sometimes you're not. Andwe've basically spent our lives promoting this industry.

(41:22):
So we give you these specifics becauseIt's a nice opportunity for you to
connect with individuals and know that itmakes a difference for yourself and also for
them when you do so. Anyway, it's been great promoting all of these
great women for years and want tomake sure that people know that they can
watch Meet Boston our new show andDining playbook. It starts at nine am

(41:43):
with Dining Playbook and then goes tonine point thirty for Meat Boston. These
are always on Nessen of course,same place you watch your Red Sox and
your Bruins, and we will continueto tell you great stories about hospitality and
then on Meet Boston, all thingsBoston. For now, it's going to
sign off. Thank you so muchfor joining Aiming for Food for Thought,
brought to you by the Box Center.