Hacin + Heard | January 2024
January’s Hacin + Heard round-up includes some of #teamhacin’s favorite new restaurants, an app to help remember the new year’s memories, and the South End’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop! Stay tuned for our monthly collection of cultural favorites and let us know if you’re also a fan of any of these recommendations!
As Architects, we love rules; the book Rules: A Short History of What We Live By dives into how rules have evolved in western culture and how they underpin our lives – through art, politics, trade, philosophy and sociology. An enlightening taxonomy breaks the spectrum of rules into 3 types: algorithms for measurement and calculation, laws, and models or paradigms. For much of Western history, models or paradigms (such as classic works of art and architecture) were the primary guides; in the last century or so, models have practically vanished with the proliferation of algorithms and laws which has affected us in unexpected ways. This is a rare nonfiction book that is both provocatively deep and a joy to read. [Rob Clocker]
Chronicling the story of newspaperman Tom Ryan and his friend, miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch, Following Atticus details their attempt to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four-thousand-foot peaks twice in one winter while raising money for charity. It was an adventure of a lifetime, leading them across hundreds of miles and deep into an enchanting but dangerous winter wonderland. At the heart of the amazing journey was the extraordinary relationship they shared, one that blurred the line between man and dog. [Walter Grafft-Hacin]
Boston’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, Dray Drinks, recently opened their doors in our very own neighborhood! The store is beautifully set up with non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits that provide all the experience of an alcoholic beverage – just without the booze! They’ve even begun hosting fun events like ‘Yoga and Sips’ – a yoga class followed by an NA mixer. I’m excited to have this option in our community and love the message that whether you’re sober, on a health journey, or just taking a break from alcohol, you don’t have to sacrifice any of the fun of a high quality beverage. [Srishti Goyal]
Olympia Flowers is my favorite flower shop in the South End. Located on Columbus Avenue, I love stopping in while strolling through the neighborhood to see what seasonal floral bouquets are available, or even making your own arrangement with fresh cuts that you choose in the shop.
[Sophie Mailhot]
Exploring impossible discoveries that have been made, Technological Marvels of the Ancient World on Amazon Prime features some of the world’s greatest historical inventions that are merely reinventions of contraptions made thousands of years before. Watch the incredible ingenuity of history’s great minds as the secrets of these ancient discoveries are unraveled. This series will be particularly interesting to architects or appreciators of architecture. [Jeff Brown]
The Holdovers with Paul Giamatti chronicles the holiday break at a New England prep school with the students who have to remain on campus and their grumpy teacher chaperone. An unlikely friendship unfolds as one young man eventually becomes the last student standing, and adventures ensue- with Boston cameos and a Golden Globe-winning performance from Da’Vine Joy Randolph. [Katie Dayton]
Located at The Bowery in Fenway, Equal Measure is a cocktail bar from the beloved Eastern Standard group. The lounge feels sophisticatedly young and inviting, with a wide variety of crafted cocktails and bites. The room’s maroon walls create a moody and playful atmosphere with plush seating groups that are ideal for a small group to linger. [Eduardo Serrate]
Equal Measure is a great spot, and outside of their excellent atmosphere and food, they have a flexible dining/cocktail lounge space that is rentable for small to large events or dinner parties. I enjoyed celebrating both Christmas and New Years Eve there recently and it was the perfect spot to ring in 2024! [Kim Boutwell]
Winter is the perfect time to escape into a cozy and creative restaurant for a long, leisurely meal. I recently visited RUKA Resto Bar, a Peruvian-Chinese-Japanese restaurant exploring South American twists on traditional Chinese and Japanese cuisine. From the same restaurant group behind Mariel and Yvonne’s, you can expect a thoughtful, edgy design concept combining traditional Asian materials with colorful fabric and patterns that challenge expectations and brighten the moody atmosphere. The crispy rock shrimp sushi and the pork yakisoba were incredible, and they offer the famous Seaport Taiyake waffle ice cream cone for dessert. [Aimee Epstein Norton]
Located on Beacon Street in Fenway, Matsu Nori Handroll Bar is a newly-opened restaurant that has quickly become one of my favorite spots, especially for their yellowtail! The small seating, walk-in only spot serves omakase-style sushi at the bar with uni from Hokkaido. They aim to serve high-quality sushi at affordable prices, introducing new flavors to the traditional style. [Sophie Mailhot]
For those who are hoping to intentionally chronicle more memories this year, the app 1 Second Everyday prompts users to upload a photo or video each day- at the end of the year, it generates a 365 second long movie of your clips. I’ve found since using it in the past that it’s neat to be reminded of little moments that happened and take inventory of all that has happened in the past year.
[Christine Rankin]