! Hashcapades

50 Cities 50 Hashes – Lisa Johnson at Beacon Hill Bistro in Boston

Recently I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and have decided to just go with it. Often it’s quite fun. So with this sense of adventure, I decided to catch up with a friend in the New Year for our Boston Hashcapade. Please note that whenever I think of the word Hashcapade, I hear Janet Jackson’s Escapade in my head. “Hash. Ca. Pade. Let’s Go!” And in this case, to Beacon Hill Bistro…

Last summer, my then morning routine brought me by a Back Bay hotel restaurant with outdoor seating. I would see these people all leisurely having their breakfasts and wonder. Who were these people? Tourists? Locals on vacation? Business people having a breakfast meeting? How did they manage this?

Well, I guess I’ll never know about them. But Beacon Hill Bistro is located in the Beacon Hill Hotel and in the midst of my Hashcapade, I realized that I was one of those people! Out having a leisurely breakfast and quite a good time.

Beacon Hill Bistro is located on Charles Street, which is one of the prettiest streets in Boston and has many cute little shops. If you go, I recommend that you take the T, short for MBTA, which is the subway here. There is a lot of traffic and parking spaces are hard to come by. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you could end up being towed. Not fun.

The restaurant is cheery and light filled with great service. The food is delicious and the portions are surprisingly quite large. There is a fireplace too, but it’s only lit for dinner. Even without the fire going, this place has warmth and charm. Now I understand all the glowing reviews. The Executive Chef Joshua Lewin knows what he’s doing and I’d love to go back for dinner. By the way, Lewin is really into Twitter.

Endless cups of rich hot coffee kept us going throughout our meal and we lingered as we enjoyed each bite. Our server recommended French Toast with Strawberries and Spiced Crème FraÎche, which my friend ordered. She loved it! I had a bite and agreed.

I had the Roasted Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Omelet and of course a side of Chicken Hash. This was way too much food and I ended up bringing some home, but it was all top notch. The hash combined well-seasoned chicken with potatoes containing the perfect amount of crispness on the outside and steamy hot tenderness inside.

Based on my new status as a professional Hashcapader, I would say that this Boston Hashcapade was a success!

Lisa Johnson lives in Quincy, Massachusetts, which is just a few miles south of Boston. Her blog, Anali’s First Amendment, is where she has been dishing up tasty servings of life, food and current events for more than seven years. Lisa has a sweet tooth, so you’ll find lots of dessert there! Also a freelance writer and attorney, she contributes blog posts and newsletter articles to LegalZoom. Catch up with Lisa on Pinterest and Twitter too!