My Own Boston: Paulina Preciat (SHA’23)
Discovering the pleasures of a city where you can walk from one neighborhood to another
My Own Boston: Paulina Preciat (SHA’23)
My Own Boston: Paulina Preciat (SHA’23)
Growing up in Merida, Mexico, the largest city in the state of Yuctan, Paulina Preciat (SHA’23) was used to driving everywhere, so when she arrived at BU in January 2020 as a study abroad student she was delighted to discover that she could explore Boston’s many neighborhoods on foot. She quickly fell in love with the city and the University. But her semester was cut short when the COVID pandemic forced students to return home in March. She returned to Boston as a transfer student in Spring 2021, enrolling in the School of Hospitality.
Paulina says she likes to start her days, when she can, at her favorite café. Whenever friends are visiting, she’ll take them to her favorite tapas restaurant. She loves the small plate menu because the items are meant to be shared. “It’s the best way to have a meal,” she says. And when she’s by herself and craving some time outdoors, she heads to the Esplanade, wandering the paths along the Charles River and enjoying the spectacular sunsets.
After graduation, Paulina plans to remain in Boston. She recently accepted a position with Restaurant Associates at Harvard Business School.
Caffé Nero
114 Edgerly Rd, Boston
There are 16 Caffé Nero locations in Boston (more than 1,000 across the globe) and each one offers a slightly different vibe. Paulina says her favorite is the location near Symphony Hall. She loves the café’s warm, inviting ambience and the funky selection of chairs and tables. She makes a point of choosing a different place to sit whenever she stops by, saying it makes each visit feel new. They have specialty coffee and delicious pastries.
Preciat recommends the café americano because it’s the “best café americano in the city.”
Barcelona Wine Bar
1700 Beacon St, Brookline
Barcelona is one of Paulina’s favorite restaurants in and around Boston. Serving Spanish cuisine, the restaurant is famous for its extensive charcuterie and cheese plates and tapas, small plates of food meant to be shared. Bacon-wrapped dates, salsa verde, spinach and chickpea cazuela, and patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a garlic aioli and salsa brava) are just some of the delicacies on the menu. Paulina says she loves bringing friends who are visiting from out of town to Barcelona. In addition to the many cheese and cured meats and small bites to choose from, the restaurant offers a great list of entrees, including several kinds of paella, featuring beef, seafood, or vegetables.
Paulina recommends the olive oil cake, her favorite dessert on the menu, because it’s not overly sweet. The salt, she says, really makes the cake’s flavor pop.
Charles River Esplanade
Boston
One of Boston’s most iconic landmarks, the Charles River Esplanade, spans three miles along the banks of the river, from the Museum of Science to the BU Bridge. The park is a popular destination for runners, cyclists, rollerbladers, and sunbathers. It’s a great place to people-watch and offers spectacular views of the river, and the Cambridge and Boston skylines. It’s open from dawn to dusk. Paulina recommends visiting the Esplanade late in the afternoon. The sunsets, she says, are amazing.
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