Vasil, you’re an electrical engineer by day and the person behind @bostonfoodiejournal by night—how did this double life start, and what made you want to document Boston’s food scene so closely?
As a college student that lived about an hour away from Boston, every time I visited I would find it fascinating! My big sister who lives close to the city, would every now and then take me out to different experiences, cafes or restaurants. These experiences made me realize very early where I wanted to live in the near future and what I wanted my life to look like! As I got my first job with 50% traveling, I found myself being out and about a lot, and having so many fun experiences, that I decided to create a digital journal to document them (hence the word “journal” in my username). I didn’t really think much of it at first, but then my account started to grow, I finally managed to move closer to the city, and suddenly I found myself trying the coolest spots that Boston has to offer!
When you say a place is “worth crossing the city for,” what concrete criteria are you using—flavor, value, consistency, vibe, neighborhood story—and can you share one or two recent spots that really hit all those marks?
A certain combination of all those qualities. To me, going out is a way to debrief from the week and to really take some time to enjoy the little things in life. The food is always going to be important when going out, but it’s also about the way you feel when you’re there, things like seeing a stunning decor, or a fire trick with your drink for the first time in person, those moments are a snapshot in time that will one day become happy memories!
Walk us through your process for choosing a new café or restaurant: how do you discover it, how many times do you usually visit before posting, and what has to happen during a visit for it to graduate from “Instagrammable” to a true personal favorite?
A lot of times, it’s usually through reels by other creators! I watch a lot of reels (maybe more than I should 😅) and when something catches my eye, I dig a little deeper and do some research about the menu and items that stand out. That usually ends up with me sending my sister the reel and saying “we gotta go here next”! We usually visit most spots once since you can never really run out of new cafés/restaurants in Boston! However, some spots stand out, and it can either be for the most obvious reasons like a specific drink or a dish that we happened to really love, or even just the most personal reasons like “the way it felt that one night” and wanting to recreate a memory!
As a Malden-based local who actually lives and eats here year-round, which Boston or greater-Boston neighborhoods do you think are currently underrated for food, and what specific dishes or price ranges make them worth the trip for visitors?
My usual trio of favorite of neighborhoods outside of Boston is Malden, Cambridge and Brookline! Some of my first memories that made “going out for dinner” an experience for me were in Malden! My favorite dining spots in the area are Mystic Station for seasonally themed decor and cocktails, District Kitchen for the fun and instagrammable experiences, and Exchange Street Bistro for the quality and value. Cambridge is home to some of my favorite cafes like Phinista (crepes with ice cream on top and fun lattes), PRB Boulangerie for the creme brulee latte and Zinneken’s for my favorite Belgian waffles so far! Brookline is the best neighborhood to try Asian authentic food. My favorite spot there has to be Kyo Matcha, the basque cheesecakes, towel cakes and crepe cakes will always be on my mind!
Your content is very visual: have you noticed a gap between places that photograph beautifully and places that actually deliver on taste and hospitality, and can you share a couple of examples (without necessarily naming names) of what makes a “looks good on the feed” spot versus a “come back again and again” spot?
Not that I’ve noticed so far. To me, as far as the food or the ambiance goes, the visuals speak for themselves. For that reason, I believe in doing minimal editing to the pictures and videos I take, and to try my best to match what I see on the screen to what your eyes see when you’re there in person. The real challenge is trying to capture an experience, since that comes in all sorts of ways such as hospitality, the vibe etc. That experience is personal to everyone, and to me, that’s what differentiates a spot that looks good on the feed, versus a spot that you just can’t stop coming back to!
From your vantage point, what food trends are really shaping Boston right now—whether it’s certain cuisines, café cultures, or price-level shifts—and how do you think this will influence the next wave of must-visit addresses over the coming years?
My favorite recent trend in Boston has been the “fun factor”, which can come in all sorts of ways, from a fun latte flavor, to even a speakeasy hiding behind a book store! This trend creates a memory that you’ll appreciate as time goes on, which you’ll talk about to your friends and family. I can only see this trend growing in the future, as it leaves a lot of room for creativity and new unique experiences!
For someone visiting Boston with limited time who genuinely wants to eat like a local, what practical advice would you give—specific times to go, how to avoid tourist traps, and maybe three non-obvious spots where they’ll leave thinking, “That was absolutely worth crossing the city for”?
If you’re a tourist, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed, as Boston is full of great spots, but also very walkable! Instead of trying to create a specific travel itinerary, I would pick a specific neighborhood and just walk the streets there, it’s almost guaranteed that a certain spot is gonna catch your eye!
Learn more: https://stay-in-boston.com