in the Mix

Hot 97 Boston’s Garfdigga (l), Shonte McDowell and “Coach” Willie Maye took in the Musiq Soulchild concert at Showcase Live Aug. 4. (Photo: Colette Greenstein)

Summer nights in the city …Summer nights in the city …

Boston Celtics Summer Soiree

The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and XFINITY hosted an exclusive event at Scampo at the Liberty Hotel to benefit the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. It was a gorgeous night on the outside patio with hors d’oeuvres, complimentary beverages and live music.

The soiree was packed to the hilt with Celtic legends, the fabulous and the beautiful all mingling together along with the lovely Celtics dancers and the mascot Lucky.  In the house were Boston Celtics legends Tommy Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, Tom “Satch” Sanders, Dave Cowens, JoJo White, Cedric Maxwell and Dana Barros. More than $20,000 was raised and will benefit several charitable organizations supported by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation.

Musiq Soulchild

It was wall-to-wall with folks at Showcase Live in Foxboro to see soul singer Musiq Soulchild. I could barely move as I made my way through the club but it was great to see so many people of color in one spot.  First the Jill Scott show, now Musiq. This could be more than a trend!  Musiq and his band were great. Also catching the show was Garfdigga from Hot 97 Boston, DJ Reggie Beas and “Coach” Willie Maye. What a fun night!

Restaurant Week 2011

Subconsciously, I must have realized that Restaurant Week was coming up because I’ve been eating my way around the city lately. Here are a couple of my top picks to try out. You won’t be disappointed!

Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen

The seafood gumbo was so, so good. It was a combination of chicken and sausage stewed in a spicy tomato broth with okra and shrimp (love okra!), and served over a bed of white rice. It was so satisfying and delicious. 

Legal Harborside and Temazcal Tequila Cantina

My next culinary curiosity took me down to the revitalized Seaport District with its absolutely gorgeous panoramic views of the Harbor. I had dinner at Legal Harborside (the latest offering from the folks at Legal Sea Foods) and couldn’t resist the grilled striped bass with seasonal tomatoes.  It was mouthwatering and savory. All I can say is mmm good.  

Later in the week, I explored the upscale Mexican restaurant Temazcal Tequila Cantina. The guacamole was surprisingly light and tasty with chunks of avocado, and I had this great spicy and fried chicken dish. The name escapes me for now, but trust me, it’s in my mental rolodex to order again on my next visit.

One of the cool things about Temazcal Tequila is that they have the menu on an Apple iPad, so you can see real photos of the food along with info on its regional history, recipes and nutritional facts.  So smart!

After a few hours hanging out at the harbor, it was still early and I made my way back into the city and paid another visit to Darryl’s to hear some live music, see some folks and of course, partake in a little late-night noshing. Couldn’t resist the country fried chicken wings and Bob’s fried catfish strips. I was in food heaven!

Summer Restaurant Week is going on now through Aug. 19 and then from Aug. 21 to Aug. 26. All this talk of food is making me hungry. Gotta go and see what other places I can explore for the week.

Coming up …

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge playing now through Oct. 2.

Check out Saturday Night Live’s Jay Pharaoh when he hits The Wilbur for one show this Saturday, Aug. 20 with his uncanny impressions of Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Eddie Murphy.

It’s Maxi Priest on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Mohegan Sun at 8 p.m.

Tanglewood Jazz Festival presents “Sing the Truth with Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright” at the Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, Mass. Sept. 2-4.

Snoop Dogg hits the MGM Grand Theater Sept. 3 in Foxwoods.

The CitiWang presents Chris Tucker on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

If you would like me to cover or write about your event, e-mail me at inthemixwithcolette@gmail.com.