Celebrating the game changers in Boston who have shaped the city from 2005 until today.
Chris Jamison
The Topsield native and CEO of COJE Management Group opened Lolita on Dartmouth St. in 2010 with the help of his family members and close friends for less than a million dollars. The success of the hard-to-deine, rock ‘n’ roll tequila bar/Mexican restaurant with club vibes paved the way for COJE’s portfolio of equally transportive eateries that changed Boston’s nightlife landscape.
Tell me about Boston’s restaurant and bar scene 20 years ago. It was Irish pubs, steak houses and fine dining. There was Landsdowne St. and Fenway bars, but nothing was bridging the gap for twenty-somethings to have a great dinner. There were phenomenal chefs, Jody Adams being one of them, but we wanted to create transportive atmospheres. People crave experiences, and we were on the front edge of that wave of experiential dining.
Who was a mentor when you first opened Lolita? Patrick Lyons has always been ahead of his time. He was doing things 20 years before anyone else was. He has his finger on the pulse of this industry like nobody I’ve ever met.
What were some of your favorite places to hang out in Boston 20 years ago? The City Bar at the Lenox was always a favorite, as was Saint and Felt. I got my fake ID taken at Boston Billiards in Fenway, which was a rite of passage. I worked at Tia’s for a year as a barback, and that scene was awesome. One of the most unique places in Boston is the Liberty Hotel. The idea of several concepts in one space changed a lot of perspectives about nightlife in the city.
Tell me about how you see Boston evolving. The city has to bring down costs for local operators to open. Never in a million years could I have opened Lolita in the Back Bay today between the construction and licensing costs. We’re losing a lot of talent who can’t afford to stay.
Daniela Corte
The fashion designer born and raised in Argentina came to Boston 27 years ago and noticed a need for ready-to-wear that made women look and feel great. She gave her first line out for free to gain feedback about how the clothes felt and how women felt in them. Today, she designs for women with curves and for go-getters whose clothes need to keep up with their packed schedules while still looking fabulous.
What were your first impressions of Boston? At first, it was a big shock because everyone was more reserved than I was used to. Latins always say hello with a kiss and a hug. Bostonians are hard to crack, but once you crack them, they will be forever your friends. I missed espresso, back then, it was all drip coffee.
Who did you look up to in Boston’s fashion scene 20 years ago? When I opened my first studio, I was on the same block as Matsu. I actually just bumped into her a few months ago—she’s a pioneer, and I love her to pieces. Her approach to life, fashion, how she puts herself together and what she brings to Boston is amazing. I also used to go to Louis Boston because their selection was unbelievable.
How has Boston’s fashion scene evolved over the years? It has evolved so much, there’s a lot of talent here. I love Bodega and what Jay Gordon brings to Boston. I love Jeff Lahens at 9Tailors. I love Riccardi and the labels they have. People in Boston are known for being conservative, but I think that’s changing. People are wearing more colors and prints, and I see that my clients are ready to take more risks and go for it.
What are some of your favorite places in the city? We have so much history here and so many amazing museums. I love the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—the courtyard is one of my favorite spots in the world.
Douglass Williams
The New Jersey-born chef came to Boston in 2006 as a culinary school graduate, ready to roll up his sleeves and tackle all the opportunities he saw in a city still waiting to be developed. He worked for some of the top culinary talent, like Jamie Bissonnette, Michael Schlow, Christopher Myers and Esti Parsons, before opening Mida in 2016. Now, he’s at the helm of several of his own restaurants.
Who were some of your mentors when you were first starting out? When I came here, I came for Michael Schlow. A fellow Jersey boy, he went to my culinary school in 1988 with my father. I saw him, Christopher Myers and Esti Parsons all working under the same roof at Radius, and I was so inspired. They gave me advice and mentorship freely, openly and generously. I now get to apply that to teaching young people, and that feels pretty damn good.
How have you seen Boston evolve over the past two decades? Everyone’s ears are open now, there’s an attraction to the city. Everyone’s got our ticket now, we’ve got the “it factor” and the cool factor. That makes me feel proud, and like something I got to see built.
How do you think Boston’s restaurant scene can evolve? More ethnic and original restaurants need to open, we need more flavors from other countries and more types of cultures and cuisines. The barrier to entry is problematic because, typically, the small mom-and-pop shops don’t have HR, an accountant, great hiring practices, good retaining practices, good training practices, or lawyers. They might open, but they quickly close because they aren’t financially stabilized, and there’s so much operational confusion. That’s where the city can help more, and we can help and lend our services, whether legal or financial. I succeeded because of my partners. I can’t imagine if I came from another country without the language but had the recipes, I would still fail. It’s not all about the food.
Elin Hilderbrand
The Boston native and New York Times bestselling novelist made Nantucket her home and the backdrop for many of her stories. Her first book was published in 2000, and over the next 25 years, she published over 30 more. In 2024, her murder mystery, The Perfect Couple, was adapted by Netflix into a binge-worthy miniseries starring Nicole Kidman. Peacock is adapting her novel The Five Star Weekend into a miniseries starring Jennifer Garner, and her next novel, called The Academy, comes out in Sept.
Although you reside on Nantucket, what is your relationship to Boston? I was born at Boston Women’s Hospital. My father was at Boston College Law School, and my mom taught elementary school in Newton. We moved to Pennslyvania but spent summers on Cape Cod. My first date with my former husband was at Davio’s in the Back Bay. And for the last 13 years of my writing life, I’ve rented an apartment in Beacon Hill for eight weeks from Oct. to Dec., so I have a community that I see every fall and winter. I also belong to The ‘Quin and love going there.
What are some of your favorite memories of Boston? I have a lot of good Boston sports memories. I took my kids to see the Patriots. We were friends with Ernie Adams, and he used to get us seats in the friends and family section. My number one sports memory was in 2004 when I went to game five of the American League Championships at Fenway to see the Red Sox beat the Yankees. That game went into like 13 innings and didn’t finish until about one in the morning.
How do you see Boston evolving? I’m really excited about what’s happening in Boston right now. I’ve been working with Lyndia Downie, the President and Executive Director of the Pine Street Inn, that organization is so amazing. Boston is very focused on social justice and taking care of each other.
Jody Adams
The New England-born chef opened Rialto in 1994 at the Charles Hotel with Michela Larson and became the sole owner in 2007. For over 20 years she ran the kitchen receiving numerous national accolades and winning the James Beard Award in 1997. She is now the co-founder and CCO of A Street Hospitality Group which operates acclaimed restaurants Porto, Trade and La Padrona.
What was Boston like when you started working in restaurant kitchens? I worked at Seasons in the Bostonian Hotel, where Lydia Shire was the chef. She had traveled around the world and brought all kinds of ideas to a French culinary tradition. She’d been to China and Morocco and was working with Indian spices. We were working with all kinds of flavors and ingredients that you don’t even see anymore, like brains, sweetbreads and kidneys. There were a lot of high-end, white tablecloth restaurants, but it wasn’t the way it is today in terms of the number of restaurants. I think it’s harder for young chefs to be able to think about opening a small place and growing it today.
What was the climate like in restaurant kitchens when you first worked as a chef? Boston has always had this cheering squad of women for other women. Julia Child and Lydia Shire together showed other women what was possible and were incredibly encouraging. I was very fortunate to work with people like Lydia and Gordon Hamersley, who expected me to work just as hard as anybody else. I also learned early to advocate for myself.
How do you see the culinary landscape evolving in Boston? Bostonians are looking for a big hug again. I think we’re going back to an old-fashioned sensibility about what dining out means.
Mario Russo
The Italian-born hair savant and owner of eponymous Salon Mario Russo came to Boston to study electrical engineering. But it was the experimental punk music scene that upended his plans and kickstarted his future. He started styling his musician friends’ hair, and in 1985, at the tender age of 25, he opened his irst salon on Newbury St. A second location opened several years later in the now iconic Louis Boston building in the Seaport. For 40 years, his salon has been the go-to for Boston’s fashionable sect.
What are some of your favorite memories of Boston? In the 1970s, there was a really cool music scene in Boston. A lot of my friends were in bands like Mission of Burma and Gang of Four, and I would hang out at music venues and clubs like the Rathskeller, Spit and The 1270. One night, a friend of mine was playing at the Underground, and an Irish band was opening up for them. We were making fun of them because they were not cool at all, and it turned out to be U2. And I’ll never forget the day I got to have lunch with John Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Bessette at Sam’s, the restaurant at Louis Boston. He was amazing and so handsome, and she was really fashionable. And then, I’ve done some celebrities’ hair over the years. One of my all-time favorites was Bonnie Raitt, she was the nicest person.
What do you think of Boston’s music scene now? The clubs have all closed down. There are very few venues now where you can go and perform if you start a band. Now you have these bigger venues, and we get more national and international artists so we still get a lot of music coming through the city.
How do you see Boston evolving? Boston is the biotech capital of the world, and it’s really becoming more of an international city. And people want to stay here. We have great restaurants, great entertainment and great museums. The ICA has become one of the top contemporary art museums in the world. And let’s face it, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Marty Walsh
The Dorchester native served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1997 until 2014, the Mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021 and the 29th Unites States Secretary of Labor from 2021 to 2023, which he resigned from to accept his current position as the executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association.
What are some of your favorite memories of Boston in 2005? I was a state representative then, and we were living through the Central Artery tunnel project. I don’t think we could’ve ever imagined what that would ultimately give the city. We were in the midst of preserving marriage equality at the State House. We had just passed universal health care as a legislator in Massachusetts. So, we were seeing changes in the healthcare industry and in people’s social lives. We were at the beginning of a Patriots dynasty, the Red Sox were ending a curse. The Bruins hadn’t won the Stanley Cup yet, and the Celtics hadn’t won another championship yet, so we didn’t realize we were in the beginning days of an incredible sports run. We were on the cusp of a minor Renaissance in Boston, if you will.
How have you seen the city evolve over the past two decades? People talk about how Boston has changed, but it’s still Boston, the city of neighborhoods. On the business side, we’ve de nitely evolved into a global destination point. We’ve seen the growth of the Boston waterfront. We’ve seen people looking to strengthen their community by strengthening their Main Streets.
What are some of your favorite spots in Boston? McKenna’s in Savin Hill, Green Hills Irish bakery in Adams Corner. I like taking my mother there and feeling my ancestry and heritage. You hear the Irish brogues and people talking Gaelic, it’s amazing.
Rob Ninkovich
The Illinois native has made Boston his home after playing with The New England Patriots for eight seasons and into his retirement. During his tenure with the Pats as a linebacker and defensive end, he won two Super Bowls in 2014 and 2016. An avid car enthusiast and a former NFL analyst for ESPN, he now resides in the suburbs with his wife and children and tackles fundraising efforts for many local organizations.
What are some of your earliest memories of Boston? The first time I flew into Boston was in 2009, I remember flying into Logan and driving an hour to Foxborough. I was saying to myself, ‘Where is this place?’ But it was cool because it had that Foxborough aura, it has a special kind of feeling. I also remember borrowing Adalius Thomas’ truck because I wanted to go into the city and see the Garden, but I didn’t realize the amount of traffic or how to navigate the tunnel system.
How would you describe Boston to a newcomer? The city is beautiful. It’s not overly big. There are all these different cool spots, it’s walkable. It just has so much character. The one thing you notice about Boston is the people and the community and how it’s a small city, but it’s a strong city.
What are some of your favorite things about Boston? I meet all different people with the same goal to give back to the community. I think that’s really special. We’ve gone through the highs of championships, some lows, and we all come together and we’re a stronger community for it. I love taking my son to the Garden to see the Celtics and the Bruins. Fenway is another amazing spot. There are great spots in the Seaport. My favorite restaurant is Carmalina’s in the North End.
Sandy Edgerley
The New Jersey native came to Boston to attend Harvard University, where she received her BA and eventually her MBA. She worked for several years at Bain & Company and founded the real estate development firm Hexagon Properties. Today, she is the co-founder of The ‘Quin, Boston’s preeminent social club which aspires to build community and encourage giving back.
What are some of your first memories of Boston? I remember thinking it was so beautiful. My first couple of months, I lived in Back Bay and worked in Faneuil Hall. I would walk all the way around Beacon Hill, the Public Garden and the Boston Common, and I felt so lucky to be in this fantastic city. I’ve always loved Newbury St. and being able to sit outside and people-watch. I remember 29 Newbury was always so much fun.
How have you seen the city change over the past 20 years? Boston has always been a world leader in education and healthcare, and over the last 20 years, we’ve added so many other world-class industries. We’re number one in life sciences and biotech. Think about all the sports championships we’ve won in the last 20 years! It is rare for a city this size to excel in all these different areas, and it’s still very accessible. I think we’re an inclusive city, something that is even more a part of Boston than maybe it was 20 years ago. I feel in that way, Boston feels different and better than it did 20 years ago.
How do you think the city will continue to evolve? I think we’re going to continue with innovation. So many startups begin here because the ecosystem, workforce and education are here. I hope the city becomes increasingly inclusive. I hope more and more young people decide that they want to stay, live, and work in Boston.
Photography by: PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL BLANCHARD
