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Boston Globe
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Student senate scholars get lessons in democracy at Kennedy institute
'The government makes decisions for us, and we have to evaluate those decisions to decide the government we want,' Judge Seth Aframe of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston told the student senators. 'How can you do that if you don't even know how it functions?' Kennedy-Breyer Civics Scholars students watched as committee vote results came in as a part of the program's Senate legislative process simulation. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Advertisement Tuesday was the second session of the program named for the late Senator Ted Kennedy and retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, his friend and former staff member. On Wednesday, the students visited the federal courthouse in South Boston to watch actual court proceedings. On Thursday, they will return for their own mock compassionate release hearing. On Friday, they will also visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for lessons on the presidency. Civics education has always been important to Breyer, a Massachusetts resident who served on the Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. 'Civics gives context,' said Aframe, who helped develop the scholars program through the Breyer Community Learning Center on Courts and the Constitution Center at the federal courthouse in Boston. 'Civics gives background. Civics gives ways to evaluate good or bad, what's happening. Otherwise, you're just dropped into the middle of something, and how do you make sense of it?' Advertisement The 27 scholars are learning how. On Tuesday, before getting down to business, they had a Zoom call with Senator Edward J. Markey and asked him questions. Their queries ranged from his early political days, to his stance on free public transportation, to navigating a partisan Congress. Students in the program listened as Massachusetts US Senator Ed Markey delivered remarks over video call inside the Senate chamber at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe 'Right now, we're in a period where a lot of [our] institutions are under attack,' he said. 'We're going to get knocked down. We're not going to get knocked out. We're going to get up, we're going to fight, and ultimately, we're going to win.' After hearing from the senator, it was time for the students to become senators. They raised their right hands and were sworn into office. Laughter and nervous chatter filled the replica of the Senate chamber as they were assigned states and political parties. They learned the biographies of the senate roles they would play. 'I like that they don't treat us like we're kids,' said Ben Austin, 15, from Boston College High School. 'They call us senators and expect us to meet a certain standard. It feels real.' The student senators took up the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform law passed in 2018. The legislation, signed by President Trump, aimed to reduce recidivism and ease some of the harshest federal sentencing practices. It also provided funding for rehabilitation programs, expanded use of compassionate release, and reduced some minimum sentences. Advertisement They debated the bill in committees, drafted and amended proposals, and held a full Senate vote. From there, they shifted into a mock House session before selecting a vice president, speaker of the House, and president to sign the bill into law. Students applauded as University of New Hampshire law professor John Greabe, taking on the role of president during the Kennedy-Breyer Civic Scholars legislative process simulation, signed the mock bill students voted on into law. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Some said their first day on the job challenged their long-held assumptions. 'It's definitely different from living in Massachusetts and knowing how people here think,' said Aly DePasquale, 15, of Cathedral High School, who was assigned to play the role of a Republican senator from Texas. 'But it's also a good change to see how other people from other states can think as well.' 'I feel like one of the biggest misconceptions is that teenagers and students don't know what's going on or don't have an opinion or a say,' said Evangeline Hermida, 15, of the International School of Boston. 'But we actually do. We catch up on things from school . . . from our parents. We notice how people interact and how certain conversations bring out different reactions.' Eileen Chi, 14, of Milton Academy, said it is important for students to learn how to speak up. 'Right now, a lot of people are like, 'I can't be the one standing out,'' she said, referring to the current political environment. 'They want that sense of security with the group. The more we talk about things, the less they're stigmatized. That doesn't just apply to politics — it's everything." Advertisement Mellon Academy, Sadaf Tokhi can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
What it's like at Island Creek Raw Bar and Park City
Fish tacos are on the menu at Park City in South Boston. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Park City isn't the only new addition to outsize outdoor dining in the city this summer. A little more than a mile away, Advertisement A plate of oysters at Island Creek Raw Bar in the Seaport. Some are topped with caviar aged and packed by Island Creek Oysters. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe In the Seaport, where seafood-seeking tourists throng, the presence of Island Creek is a natural. I'm glad out-of-towners will get to taste some of the best oysters from the region, along with caviar, tinned fish, and riffs on fish shack classics. But as far as I'm concerned, Island Creek Raw Bar is mostly a service for locals. The after-work crowd seeks solace here, where a hot dog with caviar, a few beers, and a gripe session with co-workers help erase the annoyingdayohmygoditwassoannoying. 'I mean, I always knew they made more than us,' I overhear a woman say, leaning over the table and making intense eye contact with her friend. They each slurp an oyster in commiseration. Advertisement Island Creek always has a nice way with dishes that modernize New England seafood while maintaining respect for provenance, tradition, and flavor. Whether at the company's raw bars or its special Winsor House restaurant in Duxbury, menus always begin with oysters, of course. The Seaport location features Island Creek and Aunt Dotty's oysters from Duxbury, Moon Shoals from Dennis and Pleasant Coves from Maine, as well as clams and shrimp cocktail. Oysters come with cocktail sauce and mignonette; if you're celebrating, splash out on the oysters deluxe, six Island Creeks topped with caviar that Island Creek ages and packs. The company has also expanded into tinned fish. Its razor clams, octopus, tuna belly, and more are here, served with toast and accompaniments. A bluefin tuna roll with avocado and cucumber at Island Creek Raw Bar. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Augment those tidbits with snacks — soft pretzels, clam dip — and call it a meal. Or move onward in two modes: on a roll or in a roll. The former means mainly hot dogs topped with fun stuff (beer cheese and crispy onions, crab with spicy mayo, the aforementioned caviar). But there is also a very elegant crab roll (and no lobster roll, a bold choice and a sound one because sweet, delicate crab is underrated in the roll game). It is served with very little in the way of dressing, so you taste the crab in its pure form. There's a citrusy lilt in the mix, along with poppy seeds that work surprisingly well; fennel slaw might be divisive, but for the pro-fennel camp it's a win. The bun, to be frank, is not ideal. It's a hefty brioche bruiser. One can just not eat it. It's a plate (made of bread) and you're having crab salad. Problem solved. Advertisement The other rolls are sushi. Island Creek partners with fish company Red's Best for maki, nigiri, and sashimi made with local catch. A Row 34 food truck on premises serves lobster bao buns and more. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Food is ordered and prepared out of a series of repurposed shipping crates. There is also a food truck from Row 34, which has a restaurant nearby on Congress Street. The truck serves an entirely separate, equally fun menu that includes clam chowder, fried clams, fish tacos — and a lobster roll, of a sort. It's served on a bao-style bun with chile crisp, pineapple relish, and sambal aioli. Sip a glass of fizzy txakolina or crisp rose, a refreshing lager or IPA, or some sake with your food. There are also canned cocktails and nonalcoholic options such as Mexican Coke and Topo Chico. The vibe at Island Creek Raw Bar is "urban picnic." Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe At Park City, there's beer and hard seltzer aplenty, plus magnums of rose and bubbles. But it's the cocktail program that stands out, with a list of refreshing spritzes and tropical potions from a prickly pear margarita to a Southie Sling. (Although Park City offers cocktails in pouches and cans, on my visit drinks are served in open cups.) The bartenders steadily shake their way through endless thirsty lines with the focus of pro-athletes; it's a feat to behold. The front-facing staff here is unflaggingly friendly and upbeat. The Adult Lunchables box at Park City features charcuterie, cheese, and accompaniments. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE The menu takes crowd-pleasers and chefs them up just enough: 'Adult Lunchables' (a.k.a. charcuterie and cheese assortments), Caesar salads funked up with miso, Vietnamese-inspired poached shrimp and puffed rice noodles over cabbage, cress, and watermelon radishes. Fish tacos on purple corn tortillas come with avocado crema and cabbage slaw, wedges of lime and sliced radishes on the side. Why is the fish coated a deep orange? Its batter is made with Takis chips, fun and creative; the fish itself is on the mushy side. The smash burger is a satisfying one, two thin griddled patties layered with cheese, lettuce, and excellent pickles on a squishy potato bun blitzed with sesame seeds; you'll get it with fries, of course, cooked in tallow, very de rigueur. Advertisement Park City's smash burger is satisfying, made with two dry-aged beef patties and excellent pickles on a sesame potato bun. The fries are cooked in tallow. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE As I wait for my food, I watch the orders come up: chicken tenders, chicken tenders, chicken tenders, fried chicken sandwich, chicken tenders with fries. 'Does everyone order the chicken tenders?,' I ask the staffer dispensing the goods to customers who have received their 'Your order is ready!' texts. 'Pretty much,' she says. Cabanas, swings, and picnic tables offer resting spots at Park City. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE I get some to go and walk off into the night, biting into a craggy, crunchy tender dipped in black garlic ranch as the dance beats fade behind me. I pass a fleet of cranes silhouetted against the sky, circumvent a parking lot of broken glass. I'm walking in the wrong direction. Headed toward me is a steady stream of people, just arriving at Park City. The swing is all yours. Island Creek Raw Bar, 99 Autumn Lane, Seaport, Boston, Instagram @rawbar_seaport. Appetizers, rolls, and sushi $5-$35. Sun-Wed 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Park City, 411 Dorchester Ave., South Boston, 857-225-2572, . Snacks, salads, and sandwiches $11-$42. Sun noon-11 p.m., Mon-Thu 4-11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat 1 p.m.-midnight. Devra First can be reached at
Boston Globe
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Amid squeeze on musical ecosystem, an old Cambridge venue gets new life
It reopened earlier this year, after a year-and-a-half closure, according to the venue's owners. In doing so, it became something of an anomaly in Greater Boston. Band member Clifford Carraha tested a microphone on the small stage. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe As beloved, housing and cost of living crises. Gregg Perry, the trio's 42-year-old guitarist from Arlington, plays in a couple bands, but the gigs don't come as often as they once did. A Berklee College of Music dropout, Perry works as a delivery driver part time nowadays, he said. Advertisement 'I don't know, man, the Boston music scene is really tough,' he said. 'Just trying to get a gig, dude is like, [expletive]. . .' His voice trailed off. Advertisement JP Faundez Power Trio bandmates Gregg Perry, J.P. Faundez, and Clifford Carraha (left to right) played together in Toad. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Tommy McCarthy, and his wife, Louise Costello, are behind Toad's rebirth. It is the fifth bar they've opened. The first, and perhaps most well known, is Both musicians by trade, McCarthy and Costello didn't know much about running a bar at the time. 'We just thought if you could create the music, the rest will follow,' said McCarthy recently. That mantra has guided the reopening of Toad. It's connected by a doorway to a larger pub, formerly known as Christopher's, now called McCarthy's. While Toad puts on live music — blues, acoustic singer-songwriters, rock — later at night, McCarthy's has a traditional Irish session every day of the week that starts at 7 p.m. The Burren has a similar setup of different performance spaces. Jonathan Bricker, a professor who teaches courses on live music, touring, and concerts at Berklee, said the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out many small, independently run venues that are a creative lifeblood for the local musical community. 'Rooms like that are essential for developing, for trying out, and growing as an artist, as a band, wherever you find yourself on the musical spectrum,' said Bricker, who manages several local acts. Data on small, independent music venues, and their closures since the start of the pandemic, are hard to come by. The Advertisement Toad's reopening is welcome news among local musicians. Trama acknowledged that at a time when it is becoming 'tougher and tougher' for artists to exist in Greater Boston, any survival of another place to gig should be applauded. 'All of these smaller places, they are a lifeline to the culture of art in the whole Boston area,' he said recently. 'More of them, the better.' People mingled before the music started at Toad. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe 'It's a victory, definitely,' she said of Toad's reopening this past April. 'Having it back is a major win. Places like Toad, you have every skill level of musician playing that room.' Jim Haggerty, a full-time musician who has played bass for about 50 years, lamented the dwindling number of small venues. He described Toad, a place he has played more than a hundred times, as somewhere 'where professional musicians can play, and, if you have a good enough following, you can make a living.' Haggerty moved to Boston from upstate New York in the 1980s, when it was possible to work odd jobs, pay cheap rent with 'a bunch of buddies,' and pursue one's artistic dreams. It's no longer that town, he said. Haggerty lives in Roslindale and was able to buy a house 'before things got crazy.' Implied is that musicians nowadays have a much steeper fiscal climb to put down roots locally. Advertisement 'I got extremely lucky,' he said. Back in Toad before his gig, Carraha, the bassist and singer, said for him, the barometers of a good set are straightforward: Are the players in sync, feeling the groove? Is the crowd responding positively? Carraha, a 42-year-old Watertown resident, has been playing gigs around town for about 25 years. In his day job, he co-owns a catering company. 'Every venue is essential because as artists we need that,' he said. His bandmate, Perry, will be happy with his take from the night's performance. Perry will make $120, he said. In years past, he played gigs at Toad where the entire band got $150, plus whatever was in the tip bucket, and some comped food and drinks. 'It's medicine for the soul,' he said of music. 'I need this.' Minutes later, his band started to play. Danny McDonald can be reached at
Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Small plates and an intimate space in the Seaport
The backstory: Chef Charlie Foster and restaurateur Kristin Canty focus on sustainable agriculture, eschew GMOs and trans fats (no seed oils here), and embrace organic food at their Seaport restaurants and Adelita and Woods Hill Table in Concord; some of their ingredients come from the Farm at Woods Hill in New Hampshire. That approach continues to play out here, but The Block is focused more on socializing and sharing plates. Advertisement Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe What to eat: Start with plates of charcuterie made with pork from the farm. There's Parisian jambon, anise-studded finocchiona, and more, served with olives and other accompaniments. Then move on to Foster's small plates, adventurous with a light touch: pig's ear tots; tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips; lobster and 'nduja pierogies. The aging program (both meat and fish) is a centerpiece of the menu, and it's on full display: Look at that gorgeous salmon hanging in the glass case, bright orange flesh against silver scales! Foster uses the technique to play with texture and flavor in dishes such as dry-aged beef carpaccio and salmon belly crudo. Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Surf clam ceviche with coconut leche de tigre is The Block's version of chowder, a short rib panino its steak and cheese. There are a few larger steaks, chops, and fish dishes on the menu; dessert includes pastry chef Kasey Geremia's vanilla soft-serve sundae with strawberry-rhubarb compote. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Advertisement What to drink: There's a succinct cocktail list that builds from a tequila-based Cilantro Spritz to the Block Party, a flight of three different martinis. The wine list focuses on organic, biodynamic, and sustainably produced selections. Zero-proof options are plentiful. Pastry chef Kasey Geremia's sundae features vanilla soft-serve and strawberry-rhubarb compote. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe The takeaway: The Block at Woods Hill is a verdant jewel box of a space, from the dark green marbled bar to the striped shirts and aprons worn by the staff. It feels soothing and botanical; a floral mural decorates one wall. It's the kind of place where you meet a friend for a snack, then wind up staying for dinner. 300 Pier 4 Boulevard, Seaport, Boston. 617-861-4268, . Charcuterie plates $22-$33, small plates $9-$30, large plates $56-$88, desserts $9-$14, cocktails $16-$20. The aging program is a centerpiece of the menu at The Block at Woods Hill. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Devra First can be reached at
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
From doo-wop to hip-hop, ‘Weird Al' Yankovic brought ludicrous range to Boston
Cool enough, at least, for the Boch Center Wang Theatre – sold out and packed to the rafters with Hawaiian shirts – to cheer at the very sight of one on Tuesday. Also extraordinary was the ludicrously wide-ranging span of musical styles covered in a single concert, from doo-wop to hip-hop, punk to funk, and boy-band to Afro-pop and Bach. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Yankovic's not-so-secret weapons have always been his own ears − not just for trends, but for sounds − and his longtime band's staggering versatility and skill. Augmented by four additional musicians who gleefully threw themselves into silliness while still showcasing their chops, the group nailed every note. Advertisement And silliness there was. Some of it was dead simple, like the 'Polkamania!' medley of recent-ish hits that provided the video image of Bruno Mars and his crew slickly dancing to a polkafied version of 'Uptown Funk,' and offered creative cat-sound workarounds to the explicit title of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's song 'WAP.' Advertisement 'Weird Al' Yankovic (right) plays the accordion alongside his touring bandmate and guitarist Jim West during'Bigger and Weirder' 2025 Tour at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on Tuesday. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Other parts were a great deal more elaborate, like when the stage was covered in stormtroopers and droids for the 'Star Wars' summations 'Yoda' and 'The Saga Begins.' Neither song, strictly speaking, had many jokes, but Yankovic's instincts were sharp enough to know that straightforward retellings of the movies' events using the tunes of warhorses like 'Lola' and 'American Pie' offered plenty of comedic juice. Unfortunately for songs like 'White & Nerdy,' 'Everything You Know Is Wrong,' and 'Dare to Be Stupid' – which all relied on a breathless barrage of words and imagery – the sound mix was muddled enough that anyone who didn't already know the words by heart (which was unlikely) might have struggled to pick up on them. Though 'Mission Statement' (corporate-speak gobbledygook filtered through Crosby, Stills & Nash) and 'Word Crimes' (Robin Thicke for 'Elements Of Style' pedants) were helpfully accompanied by lyric videos. 'Weird Al' Yankovic performs 'Dare to Be Stupid' as a part of his 'Bigger and Weirder' 2025 Tour at the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe A few performances seemed iffy in a modern context, none more than fooling around with 'It's All About The Pentiums' – a parody the song 'It's All About the Benjamins' – two weeks after the Sean Combs He even gave advice on how to address him in public with Paul Simon's 'You Can Call Me Al,' played dead straight by the singer and his crack band. In that moment, Yankovic was simply a guy in love with pop music. 'Weird Al' Yankovic holds his microphone toward an audience member during a performance in his 'Bigger and Weirder' 2025 Tour at the Boch Center Wang Theatre on Tuesday. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe 'WEIRD AL' YANKOVIC Advertisement With Puddles Pity Party. At the Boch Center Wang Theatre, Tuesday. Marc Hirsh can be reached at or on Bluesky @ Here's the setlist from Tuesday night, according to
