We joined fellow hungry Bostonians last weekend to partake in the first annual Boston Food Truck Festival. Our first stop at M&M’s Ribs fed us an uninspired tray of over-done and over-sauced pork ribs. The sausage from the Sausage Guy was equally mediocre and overly filling. The true standout turned out to be Speed’s Hot Dog. The “fully-loaded” version is a large, plump weiner marinated in apple cider and brown sugar, served on a toasted sub roll with homemade mustard, onions, and cranberry relish. At first glance a sloppy-looking hot mess, it is instantly redeemed upon entering our mouths with its scintillating blend of sweet and savory flavors. We were so stuffed at the end that we could only watch in horror at Fillbelly’s belated entrance. Hoping to redeem ourselves, we stalked their Twitter thread on Friday, but was foiled again as they canceled their road tour for the evening. Disgruntled, we instead used our first Groupon for ribs and fried chicken at Soulfire. This weekend, we took a short road trip to New Jersey to hang out with some friends. Along the way, our bellies were filled with our beloved “melty pork” ramen from Santouka for lunch, sashimi and home-made bulgogi for dinner, and Sunday brunch with waffles, Spam, and eggs. An extravagant feast at Oleana with my co-residents, compliments of the ophthalmology department for our amazing OKAP scores, ended a most satisfying belly-filled week.

This year’s Shakespeare on the Common featured Othello – perhaps one of the most controversial and unsettling tragedies in Shakespare’s repertoire. It’s been nearly 20 years since I last read this play in high school English class. Beyond the racist and even somewhat misogynistic overtones, the brilliant script intricately explores the dark emotions that embody envy and wrath. Despite the heaviness of the well-acted story, the dry cool breeze that evening brought some reprieve from our hot, humid summer swelter. Toss in some tasty fried rice and noodles from HK eatery and a friendly game of 4-player Scrabble with friends, and we’ve got ourselves a satisfying summer night out.