Food, drink and Hell’s Kitchen at Business of Software 2012

Food. Armies march on their stomachs and while we are not expecting any fighting at Business of Software this year, we are trying to make sure that the standard of food is as high as you would expect. We want to make sure there is good choice for everyone, especially the vegetarians.

Last week, Wendi, Anna and I spent some time picking through menus to make sure that everything is as you would expect. This is hard work and to prove it, here are a few of the things that were keeping us busy on your behalf – just some of the places we went in the quest for good research. We would recommend all of these establishments for different reasons except for the last one if you are a vegetarian.

InterContinental Hotel

InterContinental Asparagus Crown

It is the conference hotel so we are hoping the food might be good!

Testing a dessert trio. Not as easy as it looks, honest.

All very nice but the keen apiarists among our BoS throng will be delighted to know that the InterContinental Hotel is one of the very few large hotels to keep bees. They are thoughtfully kept in hives outside the bedrooms.

Bee Keeping at the InterContinental. Note respectful distance…

Julep Bar

Site of our Monday night event – food, music, dancing (if you insist), conversation and friendship. We want to make sure that everything is just right…

The things we do for you.

One important thing to note this year is that while we want to bring our own house band, we have got the use of two large, separate, rooms so whether you want to howl at the bass player, or chat quietly and cosily in a corner, there will be a place with your name on it.

It was only at the end of our visit that we noticed that ‘Chef Santos’ seemed to be pretty well known. Turns out he was one of the finalists on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’.

We think he is going to do us proud, but if he steps out of line, a dressing down from Wendi will make one of Gordon Ramsay’s outbursts seem like a nice chat with the Queen.

Chef Jason Santos, Hell’s Kitchen and BoS2012 Chef

Any man that makes his own tomato ketchup takes his food seriously. We are looking forward to seeing you in October Chef Santos.

Barking Crab

The Barking Crab is likely the place to go for a late evening drink if you don;t want to sit in the InterContinental.

Fenway Park – Baseball Park

Public Transport in the US is fairly limited.

Fenway Park: Meh. $9 for a Hot Dog! Won’t be in season for BoS2012.

Fenway Park. A HOT night in Boston.

The Mead Hall

Mead Hall Beer. Tasting, tasting, one-two-three.

This is in Cambridge, MA, and a 15 minute cab ride from the hotel but this place has more craft beers than I have ever tasted. Very thoughtfully, they offer you little tasting glasses to help you decide what you should drink. A great place for entrepreneurs to hang out.

And finally, no trip to America is complete without, a large steak.

Smith & Wollensky’s

Just round the corner from the InterContinental, this is probably one of the best chain steak houses in the US.

A small steak & two half portions of vegetables. Smith & Wollensky.

We ignored the apparent tastlessness of the sweet picture of Mary McCartney nestling inside her father Paul’s coat pocket taken by founder of Stella McCartney Foods that was displayed overlooking the main eating area. Now that, Alanis, is ironic.

Our work here is done.

We are looking forward to seeing you in October. Expect some good food along the way too – even the vegetarians!