re: Looking for a non-tourist guide to Boston for the weekend.

I'll be slammed Monday-Thursday, but have time Friday-Sunday to take her around the city.

Ok, as promised, I will give a list of non-touristy things to do in Boston now that I am at a computer. I don't know what y'all like to do, or how far outside the city you want to venture, so I'll do my best to give a mix of different stuff. But fair warning, a good bit of it will be eating and drinking related, because a) that's a lot of what there is to do here and b) that's what I like to do when I travel.

Disclaimer: I'm not claiming to be an expert, nor am I saying this is a complete list. But it should be a solid starting point.

Food/Drinks:

Carmen (North End) - One of, if not my favorite, restaurants in the city. Small, hole-in-the-wall Italian place that is next door to Paul Revere's House. Get the baked penne pasta and thank me later.

Harpoon Brewery (Seaport District) - Sam Adams is further out and much, much more touristy. Plus I think Harpoon puts out a better product. Go for a tour if you'd like, but buy tickets in advance (only $5). But if you don't feel like touring, you can have a good time just going to the beer hall and having a few pints along with a pretzel. The pretzels are made in house and they use some of their different beers to make the sauces (IPA aioli is my favorite). If they have the Harpoon Ale on tap, try it - you cannot have it anywhere else in the world outside the brewery.

Toro (South End) - Another one of my favorites. The South End is a really great neighborhood, and the chef at Toro has won more awards than I can remember. It's a tapas place with a really different menu, so take a look beforehand and see if it interests you. If you go, the oysters are killer.

Gaslight (South End) - This is my favorite spot to grab brunch. It’s a French-style place with a cool atmosphere and amazing food. They take reservations, and if you don’t have one you could be in for a very long wait, so I would recommend calling ahead. They have traditional items like Eggs Benedict, but they have a lot of incredible menu items that you can’t find anywhere else. My recommendation is the Croque-Madame or Le Phillippe sandwich.

Top of the Hub (Back Bay) - More on the tourist side of places I'll recommend, but it easily has the best views in the city. It's at the top of the Prudential Center in Back Bay (52nd floor). The food is sub-par for the price, so I always tell people to go just before sunset and grab a couple drinks just to see the views, then after the sun goes down and you can see the city all lit up, go elsewhere to eat.

Drink (Four Points) - Cocktail bar in the basement of an office building. There's no menu, you just tell the bartender the type of drink you want, and they make something for you. Really great drinks, but fair warning it can have a bit of a pretentious air about it.

Row 34 (Seaport District) - Great seafood place, but pretty popular so make sure to get reservations. The oyster menu is awesome.

Pier 6 (Charlestown, MA) - Built on a dock on the Charles River, you get a great skyline view from this place. Go for an appetizer and a beer, and sit on the rooftop patio if the weather permits. Then I would recommend taking a walk around and enjoy the views. Used to be a great place for me to walk my dogs.

Activities:

Museum of Fine Arts (near Fenway) - This would definitely take up most of a day, at the least a long afternoon, so if you have a lot you want to do, this might not be the place to go. But if you're into history and art, it's a really great place.

Fenway Park - I believe you already mentioned catching a baseball game, but no list is complete without it. If you can catch a game, do it. I'm not even the biggest baseball fan, but Fenway is a pretty special place.

Glouchester, MA - Great coastal New England town with great seafood and whale watching. It will take up an entire day, so I doubt you'll have time, but it's worth mentioning if you want to leave the city.

Improv Asylum (North End) - Check out the Raunch Show on Saturday night if you have time assuming you're into live entertainment/comedy shows.

Ok that should be enough for now. I'm sure I'll think of more as the day goes on that I'll be happy to add later, but this should be a good starting point.

Get a drink at Jim Curley.
Get a sandwich at Mike & Patty's.

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The food sucks

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You know not of which you speak.

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Post your email, I have a document already written for just such occasions.

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Paging AbitaFan... I'm going this week and would love to see this document. This is a very old bump.. found this when searching for Boston.