My thoughts on American Constitutionalism

Beej's Sunday Video Blog - Sunday, March 13, 2016 (North Andover, MA)

I discuss Donald J. Trump, my father Dr. Mukti L. Das, the Republican National Committee, Senator Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton, Senator Ted Cruz, Georgia, Jeb Bush the United States Constitution, my college friend Dan Haley and his former boss Mitt Romney, growing up in Massachusetts and other such topics. The first Sunday edition of my Video Blog is here for your consideration. I found inspiration from John Legend's very public discussion with his classmate at UPenn, Donald Trump Jr., in which he called Trump's father and many of his supporters racist. While I have not formally done the same, I feel Trump's danger emanates from an equally pernicious place. Let me know what your thoughts are.

In Memoriam: Swapna Das

Many of you have asked me to post the eulogy I delivered for my aunt Swapna, who passed away on January 15th. As I prepare to head back to India after a month with family, I am posting the transcript of my remarks in her loving memory. 




Swapna Das

I hope you will excuse me for reading this tribute to my aunt Swapna, who I called Rumu Kakima. It is not for lack of preparedness. Rather, I can honestly say that the thoughts I am about to express are among the most important I have ever uttered. In preparing my words, I thought long and hard about the tone I wanted to set. Would this be a tearful goodbye to an amazing woman we all loved or was this to be a lighthearted remembrance of a beautiful lady with an irresistible smile? George Bernard Shaw wrote that “life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.” 



As much as I have cried over the past year about the possibility that we would be gathered here today for this purpose, I still cannot help but smile and be happy at the mere mention of my Rumu Kakima’s name. In a world where uncertainty is the only thing that is certain, I could always count upon Rumu Kakima’s warmth, kindness and boundless love. She was everyone’s favorite simply because she said what she meant and meant what she said. She made it her job to understand those she loved – to understand our fears, our passions, our challenges, and the lives we lead. 



Those of you that know my history may know that my aunt helped mom raise me when I was a young child. You may not know, however, that my Rumu Kakima was also my first love interest. Yes, indeed. At the ripe old age of two, I decided that my aunt Tumu – I was not yet able to properly pronounce my “R’s” -- was to be the woman I wanted to marry when I grew up. So enamored was I by her care, that I was apparently prepared to become the world’s youngest home wrecker.

In the nearly 38 years that she has been in my life, Rumu Kakima taught many important lessons:

First, she introduced me to the power and magic of Bengali sweets. A great chef by any standards, she really excelled in producing some of my favorite sweets of all time. I’ll put my Rumu Kakima’s chom chom – which she knew I loved to eat with a hearty dose of Rice Krispies – up against the world’s finest desserts. 



Second, she taught me the power of presentation and finesse. Whether it is modulating your volume and tone for an occasion or room – something us Bengalis really don’t handle well as we shout through life, or ensuring your tie is the right one and tied with an attention to detail, no matter what you do in life – Rumu Kakima first taught me to take the small additional effort to do it well – your audience will appreciate you for it. 



Third, she taught me the importance of family. For as much as we squabble, observing her raise my cousin Raja, who is an exceptional human being or watching our family come together over the past twelve months and especially the devotion and love of my uncle Subhas – my Bachu Kaku – I can truly say that I love each of you more today because Rumu Kakima once lived.

Last but definitely not least, Rumu Kakima taught me the value of life and that the journey is often more important than the destination. The Thanksgiving before she was diagnosed with her illness, during a call that now seems prophetic, she urged me to return to the US to be with my parents and family. Your parents are not getting any younger, she advised me, it is time to spend quality time sharing your life with them. All the money in the world, she told me, could not replace the time spent away from loved ones pursuing that wealth. I can say that my Rumu Kakima’s advice and subsequent illness is the single most important reason I quit my job with Hilton in October and has become a guiding principle in my life. Knowing that she would not be with us for very much longer helped make one of the biggest decisions of my professional an easy one. All my fears and worries about making the decision I needed to make were trivial compared to the battle she waged for her life. When I surprised her this October with news that I had finally quit my India based job, her beautiful eyes welled up with tears as she wept joyfully. 



Rumu Kakima’s illness, and advice to me can be summarized as follows:

Live life with purpose.
Live life with dignity.
Live life with love. 

Live life surrounded by those you love and who love you. 

Live life remembering that for all of us, it shall end someday.



In short, live a life worth living.

I cannot thank you enough, Rumu Kakima, for being such a powerful force in my life. I can’t believe I’m standing here today and it shall take some time to understand and come to terms with the fact that God has moved you on. But, I take solace in the fact that someone as amazing and loving as you is now looking upon and guiding us from above. 



I’d like to end my remarks with an old Vedanta prayer:



Oh Lord, 

lead us from the unreal to the real;
from darkness to light;
from death to immortality. 



Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

See also: Facebook Memoriam

Miel - Brasserie Provençale - Boston, MA

InterContinental Boston
510 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02110
617-747-1000
www.intercontinentalboston.com

B
Having worked in the hospitality business for a few years, first as a lawyer and now as an advisor and broker, I must admit that I can be fussy to a fault. I see so many hotels in my travels, and too often they miss the mark for reasons that can easily be remedied. The InterContinental Boston, Boston's newest four star hotel boasts of having Boston's only 24 hour brasserie serving cuisine from Provence. That, by itself, deserves praise. Why Bostonians, who are leaders in so many areas, have failed to shed the provincial attitudes regarding when one must eat or drink still baffles me. And I'm a Bostonian.

Because Goulston's offices are at 400 Atlantic, I work only a few minutes walking distance from Miel. While I was not at the firm at the time, when Goulston & Storrs moved to this stretch of Atlantic Avenue, nobody else was around. Neither Don Chiofaro's International Place or Rowe's Wharf and the Boston Harbor Hotel stood at the time. Options for doing almost anything else but the law were limited on the waterfront in those days. The directors at Goulston decided that internalizing dining would be important to being able to keep attorneys and staff happy during the workday. Today, dining options abound in the area (though great options are still rare). Miel is the newest entry -- and I felt compelled to try it. Try it, I did. Several times, in fact.

In the restaurant business, the first several months of operations can be a disaster. Diners often wait for significant period of time while other diners chomp on their meals. Food is often not presented as ordered, or lacks key ingredients. Restaurants, like toddlers, need time to adjust to the world. They require the tender loving care of their owners and managers to nurture them as they go from launch to maturity. I am always amazed that even the most mature organizations require this gestation period. During a hotel conference held in Las Vegas last year, my cousin Arun and I visited Steve Wynn's new creation during its first few weeks of operation. At the time, the service and food were so poor at at least two of the dining spots that I wondered out loud whether $3 billion was insufficient to establish a decent food and beverage operation. Alas, even Wynn suffered from the infancy syndrome. While I have not yet returned to Wynn, I have heard that conditions have improved significantly. I suspect that Miel will see similar improvements.

Not surprisingly, Miel is a better restaurant by day than it is at night. During the day, important looking people (presumably many of whom are indeed important) dine at most of the thirty or so tables at the restaurant. The daytime lunch crowd is active and the constant buzz of conversation reassures diners that others have placed faith in the talents of the chef. Alas, the eerie silence at night offers no such reassurance.

In fact, the food and service quality vary greatly based upon when you dine. During my various trips to Miel, my fellow diners and I have ordered the following dishes: the Burger Trilogy, which consists of three slider-sized "burgers" including a kobe beef patty topped with foie gras, lobster and tuna niçoise along with a variety of friend potato products (crisps, in Miel-speak); the Chicken Club Sandwich, which consists of three layers of bacon, chicken, tomato and egg on a selection of breads; the Angus Beef Burger, a ten ounce ground angus burger on baked brioche; the Caesar Salad; the Artisinal Cheese Selection; the Cêpe and Eggplant Cannelloni; the Poached Peaches; the Roasted Lobster in olive oil; and the Gruyère Onion Soup.

Since I no longer can consume lobster due to a food allergy, I had a friend try the lobster burger. The Burger Trilogy sounds good in concept but fails to execute upon expectations. At $18, I am expecting something better than ordinary. Having ordered the trilogy after midnight once, I vowed never to repeat the activity. During the day, the kobe beef patty was relatively tasty, especially topped with foie gras. At night however, the burger seemed to have suffered from consumption anticipation and had wilted. Dry and cold, it lost its pedigree and had become a lukewarm burger from Arby's. The potato products that accompanied the burgers were cold when served at night. I asked my waiter to remedy that, which he did promptly. The tuna (and lobster from what I have been told) was dry and lacked taste. The Caesar is rather enjoyable during the day, while at night it suffers from the Kobe patty's fate -- too much time waiting for a patron. The Angus Burger was acceptable but unexciting at all times.

Miel is open 24 hours a day. While I am thankful that a 3:00am urge to have a bit no longer requires a trip down Kneeland street, Miel needs some tweeking before it can live up to the five star InterContinental billing. While the food during the day is fresher and more interesting, the service at night -- especially after midnight -- is significantly more attentive. My favorite night waiter, from Lebanon, though new to food service in Boston, is friendly and delightful. By contrast, lunch or daytime dining at Miel occasionally involves a dip in the Bay of Inattentive Service. I look forward to reviewing Miel once it has its sea legs. Stay turned.

Bin 26 Enoteca - Boston, MA

26 Charles St
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 723-5939
www.bin26.com

B
Beacon Hill has never been my favorite neighborhood for food. Depending upon where in the neighborhood you go, and on what part of the week you happen to go there, parking, the lines , and service can be annoying -- or at least a challenge to be overcome. So, when I hear that my good friend and colleague, Pat Mitchell, had chosen Bin 26 for a small gathering and dinner, I brought my predisposition against Beacon Hill with me.

I must admit being pleasantly surprised. Bin 26 Enoteca is a new arrival on the Boston restaurant scene, having replaced Torch, at the same location. Torch was never all that impressive -- the layout and cuisine never quite worked for me. Bin 26 Enoteca is much different. "Enoteca" has been translated a few different ways -- the most common definition seems to be a special wine "library" or a place for people to meet to taste wine. From the outside, this "library" of sorts seems small. As you enter, you realize that the brother and sister team that created this place (more on that below) were actually pretty creative about using space. The layout is creative, with plenty of neat seating areas. The ambiance of the place is busy yet not noisy. Exciting yet soothing at the same time. The wine library concept is never far from view -- check out corkscrew coat hooks, for example.

We were seated in a seating section in the back -- which was a bit sheltered from the main area, which was only a few steps away. The shelter made the table feel more intimate while still allowing the hint of activity around the corner to be present.

Bin 26 is the latest creation of Babak and Azita Bina (-Seibel) -- who are the folks behind Lala Rokh, the long standing Beacon Hill haunt. I personally think the Enoteca is more creative. The food was simple, yet intriguing. The service was attentive -- if just a tad bit off. Our waiter was friendly, however, which made up for the few points of minor awkwardness. The wine list was interesting -- though only one port, a ten year Tawny, seemed to be available the evening we were there.

Either the (a) email links that are shown on the restaurant's web site don't work, or (b) the folks who read the emails really don't care to respond. Having not brought a menu with me after my meal, a few weeks ago, I had asked by email for a copy of the menu at Bin 26 so that I would be better able to present it on my blog. No response to this day.

Until I can grab a menu to further document our meals, you'll just have to navigate the menu on your own. Bon appetite!

The Fireplace Restaurant - Brookline, MA

1634 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02446.
(617) 975-1900
http://fireplacerest.com/

B+
I dined at the Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline and found it to be a good spot for a nice meal. The restaurant is located at the corner of Beacon and Washington street and has an interesting and inviting exterior facade. Fireplace is certified as a "Green Restaurant" which means that it has committed to be environmentally friendly and make at least four environmental changes a year. I'm no expert on the green movement in general, but it all sounds good. Green certification aside, Fireplace gives the impression that it focuses on locally sourced produce and meats.

Calling itself a "New England Grill," the Fireplace has a menu that you would expect to see at a mid-to-upscale American restaurant, but with some interesting twists. The menu has the usual calamari and Caesar, but also offers a "Vegetarian Steak Frites" which is a portabella "steak " prepared with garlic puree and blue cheese. I wasn't in the mood to be teased by a fake steak, so I didn't try it. What I did sample was quite good. Our cheerful waitress offered us a list of specials. One such special, a salad with apples, caramelized pecans and blue cheese, which we ordered, was both refreshing and fulfilling. I also tried the "Rhode Island Style" fried calamari that was served with lemon aioli and a marinara sauce. I found the calamari to be quite boring, though I had a sufficient enough quantity of the fried products to suggest otherwise. My major contention with the calamari was that it wasn't what had been advertised. Rhode Island style calamari, generally speaking, is spicy and sauteed with peppers of some sort (often Calabrese or spicy cherry peppers). The calamari served by the Fireplace had no peppers and didn't contain any hint of spice. Disappointing.

The miss on the calamari was quickly forgotten as the the entrees were quite good. I sampled from two entrees, which had both been recommended by our waitress. The first was the pan seared duck breast which came coated with a blackberry glaze and was served alongside duck confit and green beans. I asked that the carrot mashed potatoes that were advertised be replaced with crispy french fries. The waitress and chef cheerfully complied. The second entree, the "Samuel Adams Marinated Pork Porterhouse" came served over a corn polenta with garlic spinach. The pork was fantastic -- well flavored, and with excellent accompaniments. I found it to be the signature dish.

The cocktails we ordered were pricey -- $10 for martinis and $9 for assorted other cocktails. The blueberry martini, which had been recommended, wasn't a very palatable drinks -- it came served with tiny bits of ice, much like a slushie -- not my favorite. The blueberry mojita was better, but not spectacular. After trying two of the signature cocktails, I finally settled on a Grey Goose and soda and found satisfaction in simplicity.

If you're in the neighborhood, and in the mood for pleasant service and good food, the Fireplace is a good option. Check times, because the kitchen closes at varying hours during the week -- from an early 10pm to 11pm on some nights.

Underbar - Boston, MA

275 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 292-7122
http://www.underbarboston.com/

Underbar is perhaps one of Boston better dance clubs. The sound system, when installed in 2005, was reputed to be one of the better sound systems in town. I'd have to say that the sound is clean and powerful -- and contributes to a hot sound scene when the DJ is on queue. I've been to Underbar a dozen or so times -- and like it, but only to a point. Here are a few of my likes and dislikes:

Likes
Boston can be a pretty uptight town. Having fun seems antithetical to some of the Puritanical rules and mores that continue to pervade the city. Underbar and establishments like it are part of the push by many of the newer folks in town to change Boston's crusty demeanor. The music and scene are very different from the Boston of old: loud, active, and energetic. The crowd is pretty usually somewhat diverse too (though see a comment below) which adds to the atmosphere. During the World Cup, Underbar decorated the joint with flags from all of the World Cup countries while the go-go dancers, waitresses and bartenders wore shirts with the flags of the same. I've lived in Boston -- on and off -- since I was born here in the early 70s and I must admit that it's pretty cool to see that here in town. Maria, the manager, and Billy, a bartender along the main L-shaped bar at Underbar, round off my list of likes. Maria is always friendly and resolves any problems that arise with reservations, etc. Given the crowds that throng to the Underbar, that's not an easy job.

Dislikes
Staff at the Door / List Coordination
While the door staff and the coordination of VIP guest access are getting better, there's still a long way to go to perfect. Last weekend, I was invited to attend a vendor event at Underbar. The vendor had reserved two tables and invited me along with a few of my friends to their tables. As with all table reservations, the Underbar provides bottle service. At the end of the night, the vendor had spent more than $3,000 on drinks at the two tables for perhaps a total of 12 people. With that kind of pricetag, getting in to Underbar to access those tables shouldn't have been a big deal. My good friend and frequent partner in crime, Raj Banerjee (www.hindoogle.com), was on the list of invited guests for the reserved tables. Despite being on the list and speaking with the bouncers at the doors several times, he waited for over 45 minutes to be let in the door. Raj had sent several text messages to me to ask me to provide assistance, but because I have Cingular (more on that in a subsequent post) cell reception at Underbar was nonexistent at our tables. Because he's a good friend, he stuck around to get in, but given the service level you expect when you host an event, our host and I were quite disappointed in the treatment Raj got. So, if you reserve a table or are hosting an event, make sure you designate a contact person at Underbar who can shepherd people who are on your list in to the tables should they arrive later than the pack.

Space, design and Layout
While part of the charm of the Underbar is its odd shape, that is also a weakness. The space doesn't flow very well -- and at peak crowds, it can be nearly impossible to access places only a few feet away. The design of the space itself -- in terms of interesting things to see is somewhat unimaginative. Layout and design aren't the only gripes I have, however. When you descend down to Underbar from Caprice, on most nights you can't help feeling that you've entered a locker room in which a sauna has gone awry. There is a steamy air about the place that one would think modern ventilation can deal with. Apparently not.

People
While the diversity of the crowd can be a major plus, there are nights where you get an infusion of, for lack of a better term, meatheads. I remember one night when I was with a group at a table that a particularly idiotic meathead wanted to pick a fight. While I can't say race played a role in his desire to pick a fight with me, I can't really find any other reason. He slammed himself into me as I tried to pass his group. Luckily, a much larger friend of mine approached this thug, and alerted him that much like the meathead, my group, too, had some muscle. So sad that these things happen -- but they do. That said, I'm not sure this comment is germane to just Underbar.

For a dance club in town, Underbar is one of your top bets. That's saying a lot about both Underbar and Boston.

Golden Temple - Brookline, MA

1651 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 277-9722

C-
Dining at the Golden Temple reminds me why I decided to start a blog. Last night, when I had a desire to try to spicy Szechuan food, I automatically thought of Chilli Garden in Medford. Then, I thought to myself, why not try something new. So, I dutifully jumped on google to search for good Chinese food in Boston. Having given up on the Zagat's guide as a consistent source of reviews for almost any kind of cuisine, I decided citysearch and google's own user reviews would point me in the right direction. After a few minutes of searching, I found my winner: Golden Temple in Brookline. According to the citysearch editorial review of the Golden Temple, "legions of gourmands claim there's no better Chinese cuisine in the area." The editors of citysearch added that Golden Temple was a "Brookline institution, serving award-winning Chinese fare." No better in the area? Award winning? Wow. Surely this place is a winner, I thought. (A side question I leave unanswered for now is who grants awards for Chinese food? Is there a ratings agency? If citysearch itself awarded Golden Temple an award would it suffice?)

The users of citysearch, or at least 43 of them as of last night, had given Golden Temple a rating of 9.6 overall, out of a possible 10. While some users commented that the food, was at best, "average" many wrote comments like "Golden Temple is simply the best place for Chinese." Google's own ratings provided similar encouragement, with 4 out of 5 stars given to the Golden Palace. With all of this positive encouragement, it was off to Golden Temple for my group.

We arrived at the restaurant around 10:00pm. Unlike most Boston dining establishments, Golden Temple is open late seven days a week and boasts a full menu and bar during its operating hours. A perfect spot, or so we thought. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a very friendly manager who offered to seat us in either the quiet dining section or the bar/club area. Since the dining area, which was clean, large, and well appointment, was empty, we opted for the bar area which had signs of life. The lights were turned fairly low, so it's hard to assess the decorations with certainty, but somewhere between odd and unusual seems to fit the bill. The assistance of the table candle would be required all evening for ordering and finding food items on the table.

Our waiter appeared fairly quickly after we were seated -- a good start, I thought. We ordered a Golden Temple Bowl and tap water was provided as a default. The drink arrived rather quickly -- the bar, which was visible from our seating area, seemed fairly empty. The waiter returned after a bit to take our food order.

The menu contains a long and assorted offering of Chinese food. While I was hoping to find the spicy Szechuan dishes, because I had lingering memories of the citysearch reviews, I did not exercise the caution I would have otherwise exhibited at seeing such oddities as sweet lemon chicken. The menu itself is many pages (think Cheesecake Factory) and offered a sampling of cuisines from around China. We ordered the Scallion Pancakes, the Crab Rangoon, the Moo shu Pork, and the Kung Pao Pork.

After our waiter left, we pondered about many things -- including the other diners, the lack of lighting and the bizarre music. You see, we were seated in the bar/club area where a DJ spins tunes. On this night, we were treated to an eclectic mix of Barry Manilow, Glen Frey (Heat is On from Beverly Hills Cop), and a full serving of elevator music while we waited. I can't say I expected greatness from the music, but found the selection so amazingly odd since there was a large male stationed at the DJ booth with a laptop and itunes "spinning" the music we were listening to. The music was disappointing at best, mind altering at worst.

Our food arrived in a speedy 35 minutes. Given that there were three other tables occupied by diners, I'm not sure the source of the delay. The restaurant advertises fresh ingredients and no MSG. Perhaps the fresh ingredients promise is delivered upon using a just in time inventory system? Our appetizers were poor at best -- the Scallion Pancakes were heavy and lacked the taste that is usually associated with that specialty. The Crab Rangoon, by contrast, was sweet. I sought to ask our waiter to delivery hot sauce or hot oil, but he had disappeared. I finally flagged down the manager, who had the hot sauce delivered for us rather quickly. The Crab Rangoon was merely edible after the infusion of hot sauce.

Our main courses arrived shortly after our plates were cleared. To my great sadness, the Moo shu pork was delivered with flour tortilla instead of the flour moo shoo wrappers (or pancakes) that normally accompany this dish. While tortillas are more durable than moo shoo pancakes (because they are thicker) the taste, texture and smell of the authentic pancake is critical to a good moo shu experience. Disappointed at first, I labored on to prepare my moo shoo dish. Plenty of moo shu filling was provided as was hoisin sauce. The Moo shu filling itself was acceptable and would have garnered a "B" grade had I judged it on its own. Alas, it was not alone. Having finished the moo shu, I moved on to the Kung Pao Chicken.

The Kung Pao arrived steaming hot with carrots, peanuts, scallions and a generous helping of celery. I usually use the Kung Pao as a barometer of a chef's abilities to produce authentic (or as close to authentic that I can judge) Szechuan (or Sichuan) cuisine. Celery in any Kung Pao dish is a chef's white flag to the diner that he or she can't really do the dish justice. Unfortunately, this dish was as bad as I had feared by this point and on par with the other substandard items we had tasted. According to Wikipedia, "a good westernized version of Kung Pao chicken should not be too oily. The sauce, a contrasting blend of fire and sweetness, should cling to the pieces of chicken and season the vegetables, but not coat the peanuts; there should be no pool of sauce on the bottom of the plate." I agree. This Kung Pao had failed by any meaure.

We left much of the food uneaten on the table. No doggie bag was necessary. I wish I could find something redeeming to say about the Golden Palace -- but except for the friendly manager and the incredibly clean automated bathrooms, I really can't. So, lesson learned: beware of food reviews on citysearch, and don't look for gold at the Golden Temple.