Lunch Al Fresco at Faneuil Hall Quincy Market

Yesterday, a friend from work invited me out to lunch. J, our EVP, is a blast to work with. He reminded me a lot of my gay friends back home, talented, humble and witty. He calls me "girlfriend" and he provides me the same repartee I had with my friends from back home that I missed so much. Both of us craving for seafood, we went to Kingfish Hall in Faneuil Hall-Quincy Market in the heart of Boston's historical Financial District. It was a warm and sunny day so we decided to dine al fresco. After looking at the menu, we both chose the Oven-Roasted Cod which the server said was "fantastic". As we waited for the food, Faneuil Hall bustled with activity. Like any other summer day, hundreds of people, tourists on vacation or office people on their lunch breaks, mill about the shops or sit down on the benches with some take-out from the food outlets of the Marketplace. They watch the different performing artists strut their stuff or play their instruments in the cobblestoned square under old gas streetlamps. All these provided for great setting as we talked about everything else but business. Mind you, this was supposed to be a business lunch. We talked about his recent break-up with a boyfriend and his long and painful road to recovery. The difficulty of finding love and partnership when you're over 30, as many of the "eligible" men are either already committed or married off. It was a pretty interesting exchange of views regarding loving, losing and trying to find love again. Our Oven-Roasted Cod arrived amidst our discourse only to stop as soon as we took our first morsel of the cod. The first thought in our minds as it melted in our mouths was that the word "fantastic" was an understatement. The special topping on the cod had a hint of mustard that I cannot describe. Something I intend to pin down as I am set to go there again to have it. That special sauce perfectly complemented the tenderness of the cod. The meal came with a small and crunchy potato cake topped with spinach and salad dressing akin to balsamic vinegar. The whole dining experience was pleasurable in every sense, from the food to the conversation to the setting. All too soon, it came to an end. Reality set in and we had to go back to the office. We never got to talk about business during lunch and we did not mention the fact either. Business was taken care of, back in the office where it belonged.

Faneuil Hall and the Boston Harbor by night