Faneuil Hall has served as
a marketplace and meeting
area since 1742.
For starting the day, McIntyre reminisces
about the fancy brunches at historic
establishments that he enjoyed with his
mother (who passed away in 2014), but
he has a great tip for something more
casual, too. “The best breakfast, as far
as I’m concerned, is Charlie’s Sandwich
Shoppe [scheduled to reopen in 2015]—
it’s on Columbus in the South End,” he
says, noting that the family business has
been there for almost 100 years. “There’s
a line out the door every single day,
especially on the weekends. Inside, it has
a long diner bar and just everything—the
pancakes, the omelets—is the best.”
When you’re ready for your next meal,
forget Boston baked beans; the food
McIntyre relishes has a more international
vibe. “I haven’t gotten a free meal there in
25 years of giving them shout-outs, but the
best Chinese food is in [nearby] Brookline
and that’s at the Golden Temple. I always
have to hit them up. They have these …
Golden Temple mai tais. So good.”
He’s also a fan of Boston’s Italian
food. “It’s always nice to go to Little
Italy in the North End. I think they’ve
really kept the traditions. The restaurants, the food and the feasts and everything—it’s still authentic.”
Family Time
McIntyre always makes a beeline for
Boston’s lush, leafy spaces when he
returns. “There’s a spot in my hometown Jamaica Plain [neighborhood]
called Jamaica Pond,” he says. “It’s part
of the Emerald Necklace [park system],
which Frederick Law Olmsted, who did
Central Park in New York, designed.
Growing up, Jamaica Pond was literally right down the street from me and
I always felt lucky to grow up in the city
New England Aquarium is home
to three species of penguins.
Face in the Crowd
Make Way for Ducklings sculpture
48
but [also] to have all those green areas.”
Now, as the father of three children
under the age of 10, McIntyre often
finds himself in the city’s other famous
parks as well. For a kid-friendly day of
sightseeing, he recommends starting at
Boston’s Public Garden. “You can see
the swan boats, see the ducks and the
pond. ‘Make Way for Ducklings,’ the
famous kids’ book, took place there, and
it’s exactly how it looks in the book—
beautiful,” he says. “Then you can walk
through Boston Common, which is a
little bit more rugged; it’s got tons of
history and is right by the State House.”
The McIntyre family-day itinerary
continues less than a mile away at Faneuil
Hall. “There’s so much food, you’ve got
the