My series has been up on Nature‘s website for a few months now, and we’ve featured all sorts of scientists. Here’s one of my favorites so far, with Harvard’s David Corey:
My Mac20Q Interview
A couple of weeks ago, David Allen and I had a nice conversation on Skype that turned into this Mac 20 Questions podcast. Have a listen (if you want to hear me talk for an hour):
Boston’s Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants
My food allergies mean that I love finding good vegan treats. I wrote up this list for use elsewhere, but I thought it would be worth sharing here:
Boston is the college town to end all college towns, with a liberal, green reputation to boot. So why is it so hard to get a salad without meat in it at most restaurants? Here are eight restaurants where vegetarians (and even vegans, in most cases) won’t have to ask “Is there anything I want on this menu?”
TJ Scallywaggles Vegan House of Pizza and Subs
TJ’s is the only all-vegan, collectively owned pizza shop in the world — at least according to their own website. They serve standard pizza-place “comfort food,” but without real meat or cheese (the substitutes are surprisingly good, even to a meat-eater). It is a small place, so plan on take-out or waiting for a booth. The pizzas are on the small side, but are priced low.
As you might expect from an anti-capitalist, collectively owned and run eatery, the service and delivery speed are entirely dependent upon who is at the counter when you order. The food, however, is always good. If you want to sample a bit of everything, they have all-you-can-eat nights twice a month.
487 Cambridge St.
Allston, MA
617-787-9884
Grasshopper
Located right next to TJ Scallywaggles, Grasshopper makes this corner of Allston a veggie destination. Serving Vegan Asian fare with a big menu and good food, Grasshopper is a great place to go if TJ’s is full (and vice versa). Meat-substitutes are big here, and some are good enough to fool an omnivore — if not a meat connoisseur.
The Boston Vegetarian Society holds their monthly meetings at Grasshopper, with an all-you-can-eat buffet. It’s a great way to sample the cuisine, and you usually get an interesting talk from a prominent vegetarian to go with your meal.
1 North Beacon St.
Allston, MA
617-254-8883
My Thai Cafe
This all-vegan Thai restaurant took over the location of now-closed Budhha’s Delight vegan Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. With an extensive menu of all of the standard Thai dishes prepared with high-quality meat substitutes, there’s a chance you might not notice you are at a vegetarian establishment.
My Thai has ample space and is rarely full. Prices are low, and the portions are large. Be sure to try the bubble tea or thecoconut milk and fruit smoothies and sample the excellent cakes for dessert — they are delivered fresh from the Cafe Indigo vegan bakery in New Hampshire.
3 Beach Street, 2nd floor (at corner of Washington St.)
Chinatown
617-451-2395
Veggie Planet
This basement eatery is vegetarian, but not vegan. Most dishes have cheese, and their excellent Sunday brunch serves eggs (or tofu scramble, of course). For lunch and dinner, vegan pizza options are available, but you should generally expect more “real” than “fake” if you order a pie. As a result, this pizza-and-brunch joint is a great place for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters to dine together — as long as the carnivores can do without pepperoni for the evening.
In addition to serving vegetarian food, Veggie Planet boasts that they support local farmers, try to use organic ingredients, and get their dough from a nonprofit bakery that doubles as a homeless service provider. It’s good food, and part of your bill will go to organizations working for social and environmental change.
Located at Club Passim
47 Palmer Street
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA
617-661-1513
Grezzo
Grezzo is a gourmet vegan, raw food oasis in the meat-and-cheese-centric Italian North End. Prices are high and portions can be small, but it is a great place to take a vegan out to celebrate something special. Grezzo (which means “raw” in Italian) has an always-changing menu that is all-organic. This place is a surprise option to pull out next time somone asks “Do you want to go to dinner in the North End?”
69 Prince Street
North End
857-362-7288
Wheeler’s Ice Cream Bar
Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream is available in dozens of flavors. This cafe also serves excellent sandwiches and salads, and actually uses their chalkboard menu for its real purpose: changing their offerings almost daily.
Located right next to the Symphony T stop, Wheelers is a perfect place to get a snack before or after a performance or a night on the town. Beware, though: their sign frequently says “Call For Hours.”
334B Massachusetts Ave
Back Bay
617-247-0047
Boston Buddhist Tea House
Part of the Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center, this tea house and cafe is open most afternoons for chai, dim sum, and a pre-set lunch plate of soup, rice, vegetables, and tofu. Almost everything is vegan, though some of the drinks use milk.
While you are there, explore the books and other resources on Buddhism. Even with busy Massachusetts Avenue outside the window, it is a relaxing place for a break, some amazing fruit tea, and a snack.
950 Massachusetts Ave.
Central Square
Cambridge, MA
(617) 547-6670
The Pre-Millennial “Explainer” Generation
“Just find some high school kid.”
Do you hear that as often as I do? Somebody wants a blog, they need a Facebook page, or they’re looking for help picking out a new gadget. Almost invariably (if the conversation’s participants were born before 1970 or so), somebody will say “Just find some high school kid to do it for you.”
This isn’t bad advice, if you just need a quick solution or you want something set up that you won’t have to use or change. However, there is one important thing that you don’t get if you “Just find some high school kid.”
Perspective.
Well, you do get a perspective on setting up a blog, but it’s the perspective of someone who has never known a world without the Internet. You can get a quick-fix answer on choosing a digital camera, but your adviser may not even know that cameras once took film. What you get is the innate knowledge of a young person who is immersed in technology, but what you miss is the ability to understand why you would want to use that technology — other than purely because it exists.
Now, before you get too far into thoughts of labeling me a curmudgeon or picture me as a grumpy old man, I’m 28 years old. That may count as an old man if you are in high school, but to most people, I’m considered one of those “young tech guys.” What I’ve noticed lately, though, is that being at the high end of the “young tech guys” age spectrum has been an unexpected advantage when dealing with people who aren’t as comfortable with technology because of their age.
I’m not claiming that my few extra years has given me some knowledge or wisdom that a 24-year-old wouldn’t have. Instead, I want to argue that I have important experience that a younger person is lacking — but it’s experience that I acquired before the age of 10.
In the year 2000, Neil Howe and William Strauss published a book
Because I was born in 1980, I’m more like the immigrant who came to their new land as a child, retaining some of the old customs and ways, but also assimilating into a new way of life. In other words, I remember what the world was like before cell phones (or call waiting), and I remember when getting five hours per month of dial-up access to AOL was exciting.
Mine is the last generation who will be able to answer the question “What was it like before the Internet?” Besides making me feel old, this puts me in an ideal position to bridge the gap between true digital natives and the generations who can feel truly uncomfortable with some of these technologies.
Lately, I’ve been working with more digital immigrants on projects of all sizes, and I’ve been surprised by something. The perspective I get from remembering the time when long-distance calls were expensive and people had to think about whether they would have use for a computer is an advantage when relating to these people. In fact, it is reassuring to them that I can understand why someone would want to know how a technology will be useful to them before they jump into it with both feet.
I know that this isn’t solely because of my age, but I do think the transition during which I grew up helps quite a bit. I can approach a technology from both sides: the skeptic and the evangelist.
Are you in my generation? Do you work with someone who is? If so, do you think that being a “Pre-Millennial” is an advantage, or am I just biased by being one of the people I’m writing about? Please share your thoughts and reactions in the comments.
My “Geek Video” Debut
I just checked my Google Reader before going to sleep, and I was quite shocked to find the GV Mobile demo video I made at the top of , , , and who knows where else!
So, if you found your way here due to the credit at the end of the video, welcome! If you are an iPhone developer (or are friends with one), and you’d like a similar video made, I’d love it if you’d contact me. I made the GV Mobile video as a favor. If you hire me, yours will look even better!
Thanks,
Adam Weiss <- click here and solve the captcha for my email. For more info, Click “About/Contact” at the top of the site.