Jaunted - Boston

Fall TV 2008: What Happened To Flight 627?

egw — 2008-08-28T10:30:18-05:00

Jaunted is planning our fall travel with some help from the networks. Check out our Fall TV 2008 Map to go where your new favorite characters go.

Given that "LOST" creator JJ Abrams' new series "Fringe" (Sept. 9, 8 pm, Fox) begins with a plane crash just like its established cousin, we're pretty sure the producer and director has a serious phobia to deal with. But Flight 627 lands at Boston's Logan with every single passenger dead, and dead in a particularly gruesome way, so there will be no desert island shenanigans here.

A federal agent (Anna Torv), a mad scientist (Peter Noble) and his genius brat son (Joshua Jackson) believe the answer to the fate of Flight 627 lies in the realm of "fringe science"--explaining the unexplained with possible supernatural intervention. So, in other words, the Cloverfield monster did it with an assist from the smoke monster.

We haven't seen the two-hour, $10 million pilot yet, but Wired.com says it contains "a doomed airplane, hairless weasels, rooftop chases in the 'Bourne Identity' vein, acid-tripping federal agents and more translucent skin than you can shake a fat-encrusted artery at."

Related Stories:
· Fringe Pilot Script Review [Collider.com]
· JJ Abrams Tries to Play It Straight(er) With "Fringe" [NYM]
· First Look: JJ Abrams' Fringe [Wired.com]

[Photo: Collider.com]

Starbucks Alternatives: Flamepoeira

BS — 2008-06-12T11:30:01-05:00

This quirky North Boston cafe is about as far from a corporate coffee shop as you can get.

Owner L'angelo--who goes by one name--named his place after his two favorite dances, and that should give you a hint to Flamepoeira's artsy sensibilities. The sandwiches are all named for famous artists: You can go for the classic Da Vinci or the eclectic Dali, but you'll get more props from the staff if you venture for the avant-garde Warhol or the screaming hot Munch.

The espresso is strong and the WiFi is free, but this isn't the place to put on the earphones and dive into work. The lounge-y open room inspires conversation, and the cafe draws a crowd of artists and activists who are quick to slide in next to you and talk your ear off about the eclectic artwork on the walls, Barack Obama's election chances or the virtues of fair-trade coffee.

Related Stories:
· Flamepoeira [Official Site]
· Starbucks Alternatives coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: GV Chang]

Starbucks Alternatives: Cafe Vanille

ced138 — 2008-04-29T11:00:01-05:00

If you find yourself in Boston's impossibly preppy-but-undeniably picturesque Beacon Hill neighborhood, please, whatever you do, we beg of you, order and immediately devour an almond croissant from Cafe Vanille. All the pastries are as quaint as the shop's surroundings but the buttery, flaky dessert is what you have to get.

Down the street there's a Starbucks, naturally, hidden behind an unassuming, colorless sign. (The neighborhood requires vendors--even 7-11!--to have small, uniform wooden placards). Even without it's distinct green sign, its coffee is still bitter and the atmosphere still ubiquitous. Trust us, you're better off at Vanille instead.

Related Stories:
· Cafe Vanille [Official Site]
· Starbucks Alternatives [Jaunted]
· WASP Hotels [HC]

[Photo: Robreed]

TSA Travel: Still No Guns Allowed

pbb — 2008-01-10T11:45:01-05:00

Just a reminder to everyone out there: We know the TSA is constantly changing the rules, but you still can't carry a loaded gun onto your flight. Sorry to remind those of you who already know this, but apparently Louis Tasiopoulos didn't remember.

He was about to hop onto his JetBlue flight from Boston to Florida, police say, before they caught him with a 9 mm Glock pistol. Seriously? Tasiopoulos told police:

I forgot it was in my bag...I meant to leave the gun in my room at the hotel and could not leave it in my truck.

He's been charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a secure area, and has already been convicted in the court of TSA opinion. Said an agency spokeswoman, "It is beyond stupid to think that you can pass through a security checkpoint with a loaded gun."

Related Stories:
· Is That a Gun in Your Carry-on Bag? [Boston Herald]
· Airport Security coverage [Jaunted]

We Know Where Cameron Diaz Pahked Her Cah

egw — 2007-11-29T08:45:01-05:00

Well, okay, Cameron Diaz probably didn't drive herself to the set of her new movie "The Box" outside Boston, Massachusetts. But is there ever a bad time to use the fake Boston accent, especially when the actress got some chowdah and oystahs at the Union Oyster House? She also indulged in fish and chips there, skipping the tourist trap "Cheers" restaurant.

Diaz is shooting "The Box," directed by "Donnie Darko" and "Southland Tales" auteur Richard Kelly. The film, which also stars James Marsden, is about a couple who finds itself no longer able to speak the King's English. Oh, we kid! Diaz and Marsden find a mysterious, possibly wish-granting box in their doorstep--hopefully not the kind Naomi Watts found in "Mulholland Drive."

Related Stories:
· Union Oyster House [Official Site]
· Tourist Trap: The "Cheers" Restaurant [Jaunted]
· Fall Culture Travel: See Giant Rabbits Live in Boston [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]

Boston Logan Airport Taxi Hell Now Intolerable

markj — 2007-11-15T11:23:19-05:00

Thanks to Massport, the Boston Logan Airport taxi situation has gone from mildly annoying to hellishly intolerable, but don't blame the taxi drivers.

Massport, in their infinite wisdom, at some point, decided it would be best for the hordes of taxi drivers anxiously awaiting an airport fare to sit in a holding area away from the terminals and wait to be "called" to the terminal when a taxi was needed. So the system, as we understand it is akin to waiting for meat at a local supermarket deli. Taxi drivers enter the holding area, get a number, and wait for the Massport traffic controller with a walkie talkie to call their number and direct then to their terminal.

However, what ends up happening is there are never enough taxis outside the terminal and the clueless Massport controller never knows how many taxis to call in from the holding area. To further complicate the mess, taxi drivers in the holding area regularly bail if their number hasn't been called after a long period of time, thinking there are no passengers needing a taxi at the airport.

You expect this sort of Disneyworld-like line when you land in Vegas, where taxi supply struggles to keep up with demand, but at BOS, at 1:15 AM? When one flight lands and every passenger who needs a taxi ends up waiting twenty five minutes, you know there is a big issue.

The solution to this clusterfuck seems simple enough -- allow a limited number of taxis to wait at the terminal, once Massport guy sees the post flight taxi rush he can make himself useful by calling in the next group of taxis. Kind of like how Southwest use to board their flights. This make way more sense than calling in taxis one by one -- oh and isn't it how almost every other airport in the country works? We certainly never have an issue at JFK or LAX or other busier airports.

Related Stories:
· Please Explain Taxi Lines at BOS [Jaunted]
· Boston Travel Stories [Jaunted]

Baseball Travel: Carrie Belts, Red Sox Score

egw — 2007-10-29T08:45:01-05:00

All rise! Here's Carrie Underwood singing the National Anthem at Denver's Coors Field for the third game in the 2007 World Series, featuring the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies.

With last night's game, the Red Sox won their second World Series in 4 years, and if you want to sit next to a celebrity, you ought to root for them: Everyone from writer Stephen King to actor-director Ben Affleck has declared membership in Red Sox Nation. Pity the Rockies, who can at least drown their sorrows in Coors now that the series is over.

Related Stories:
· "American Idol" Hopefuls Swarm The W In Dallas [HotelChatter]
· Adventures of Link: It Ain't Easy Being Blue [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Just Jared]