Thank you all for your recommendations. We will be without a car, but will take the T, walk, or even a cab.

That's me, an old hipster. Except for the clothes, attitude, occupation, and hair style. I am thinking of getting a top knot and use it as a spigot.

The Verb is at 1271 Boylston near Yawkey. Is that Back Bay on the Fenway side?

It's considered the Fenway neighborhood. The West Fenway. Most consider Mass. Ave. the western boundary of Back Bay. You can walk about 15 minutes and be at Mass. Ave. and be at the Hynes Convention Center T stop. Or you can walk by Fenway Park to Kenmore Square. It is a convenient location. Lots of casual eating near Fenway Park. The Yardhouse and Boston Beer Works are two.

There is a bus that runs by the Verb and, I think, goes downtown. Www.mbta.com has a route planner. Easy to walk to the Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts from the Verb. You might consider buying a week T pass for $19 each. It usually pays for itself and makes life easier.

It's now a fairly busy area at night, lots of students out from nearby Berklee College and the Boston Conservatory. There are a couple of new large apartment buildings on that part of Boylston Street too. I worked on the East side of the Fenway for years (the Fenway area is divided by the Muddy River and the fens park area. It's part of Olmsted's Emerald Necklace green space.

A friend just mentioned that the Sushi bar at the Verb was very disappointing

Some of their disappointment may be that it isn't actually a sushi place? I've heard generally good things, but have not been. However, if someone went thinking it was sushi, I could understand being disappointed.

I love Island Creek, but it is way over the $20 limit. Eastern Standard hasn't been good in years, and is also north of the budget. Agree that Citizen Public House is worth a look.

If you wander over to Charlestown stop for lunch at The Warren Tavern. Always one of our lunch stops.

http://www.warrentavern.com/ We take the ferry over and the t back but it is a long walk to the t so rt ferry would be better for you.

There was mention of a seafood splurge night

Thank you all again for the recommendations and information.

One reason we chose the Verb is that is about a 15 minute walk to the Gardner and it seems like plenty of restaurant choices within a 10, 15 minute walk.

We are walkers unless it is inclement.

My wife wants to go the Harvard Archaeology Museum, so I assume the easiest way is the T to Cambridge and Harvard Yard?

Has anyone actually seen someone wear a Harvard sweatshirt that goes or went to Harvard? My guess is, no, reverse snobbery.

wants to go the Harvard Archaeology Museum, so I assume the easiest way is the T to Cambridge and Harvard Yard?

The T requires going in to go out to get to Harvard. It sounds like there are four of you? If so, I'd just use Uber. It will likely be faster and not much more expensive.

An alternative to taking the subway to Harvard is to take the #1 bus that runs up Mass. Ave. to Harvard Square. If it's not rush hour, it shouldn't be too bad a ride.

Well my bad tg I guess they describe verbs restaurant as Japanese tavern. But it would seem to me one would expect a wow you n rolls from the team who innovated O Ya

We are three.

Thanks for the transit tips.

Well my bad tg I guess they describe verbs restaurant as Japanese tavern.

They describe it as an izakaya. That is descriptive enough for those that care to know what they are getting into.

But it would seem to me one would expect a wow you n rolls from the team who innovated O Ya

I would expect their okonomiyaki to be great. I wouldn't go there expecting anything from their sushi. If I wanted sushi, I would go to O Ya. If I wanted an Izakaya, I would go to Hojoko.

Honestly, this seems a bit like someone going to a steakhouse and wondering why they don't have a vegan entree.

My BIL has MBA from Harvard Business School and I have seen him wear a Harvard T-shirt.

Amusing anecdote: Bernard Berenson accumulated much of Isabella Gardner's art collection. He was married to my Quaker relative Mary Smith. My paternal grandfather, who taught Art History briefly at Penn State, used to visit the Berensons at their villa in Italy.

Thin

Gosh you can be snarky. "They" describe their restaurant as a Japanese Tavern on their website. So no need to condescend me with superior corrections.

http://www.theverbhotel.com/food-drink-dup/hojoko.htm

They didn't go there looking for sushi. They ordered an array of rolls and found them disappointing which they should not be.

I hate these I'm right and you're wrong pissing contests. Sorry I mentioned it Imdonehere.

Not a problem. It is Fodor's after all.

Last time we were in the Boston area I went into the Coop and asked for some Yale gear. They did not think it was funny.

The Coop has no sense of humor!

Hojoko reviews talk about what a scene it is. That probably means I won't go there in the near future. There's always Basho across the street if someone wants sushi.

cw - did they name the restaurant after the former Howard Johnsons - HOJO? maybe our NYC traveler can find out about the name.

Yes--the name deliberately evokes HOJO's. I'm sure that must be lost on many of the patrons.

Howard Johnson, AKA Hojo was on the 1986 Mets team.


According to some unreliable source on the Net:

Hojoko, which is a made up Japanese word that plays on the former tenants here, a Howard Johnson hotel, loosely means the child of Hojo, Daren Swisher, who runs the bar with Joe Cammarata explained. The feeling is meant to evoke the style of Japanese pub known as an izakaya.

Thank you for all your suggestions. We better use at least one of them or in the alternative lie.

Now it looks like there might be TWO splurge meals, Atlantic Seafood and Scampo on Friday for roast suckling pig. We shall see.

I just a repeat of The Departed and last week we saw on the best movies I have seen in years Spotlight. That said, I am now afraid of Boston.

Don't watch The Town or Mystic River and you'll be fine. Enjoy your trip. Scampo is in the old Charles Street Jail, a good place for a splurge.