The document discusses Chef's Playground, a new space at Boston Children's Hospital where local chefs entertain, educate, and cook for patients; it has been popular with both chefs and patients. It also profiles L'Académie, a baroque chamber orchestra that performs intimate concerts for newborns and their families in the NICU at Mass General Hospital. The performances have helped calm newborns based on monitoring and reduced alarms during concerts.

1. 8
THEIMPROPERBOSTONIAN
FOOD FOR
THE SOUL
Local musicians aren’t
the only Bostonians giv-
ing back to sick kids.
Boston Children’s
Hospital, which has
been bringing in guest
chefs for nearly a
decade, opened Chef’s
Playground in its food
court late last month,
giving local toques such
as Rachel Klein, Brian
Poe and Ming Tsai a
place to entertain, edu-
cate and cook for chil-
dren. There’s usually
one chef booked for a
few hours each month,
but Children’s Hospital
senior director Shawn
Goldrick is considering
making the demos more
frequent to accommo-
date the chefs clamor-
ing to lend a hand. “The
chefs always end up
extending their stay,”
Goldrick says. “We had
Tiffani Faison in here
once for six hours mak-
ing s’mores with the kids
and teaching them
how to make their own
Fluff.” / Matt Martinelli
A Different Kind of Lullaby
SOUND IDEA: L’Académie’s performances
have inspired enthusiastic responses,
including this post-concert sketch by a
patient’s grandaughter.
WIZARD CULT
This metal band—composed of a “cult of wizards visiting this Earth
from another version of reality”—conjured up its name after writing
some songs about a prominent Dungeons & Dragons character.
ROCK-N-ROLL CALL
What’s in a name? More than you’d think, which we found
when we tapped some Boston bands whose monikers
strike a unique chord. / Hannah Landers
Harpsichordist Leslie Kwan’s most fulfilling experience as
a musician didn’t happen in a concert hall. It took place in
the Patty Ribakoff Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Mass.
General, where her nonprofit baroque chamber orchestra,
L’Académie, began playing intimate concerts late last year.
Their audience: 18 tiny newborns and their worried parents.
“Each child has a monitor next to them, and each mon-
itor has a central artery in the nurses’ station,” Kwan
explains. “And while we were performing for that hour,
none of the alarms went off. Not one. It was miraculous.
They said it has never happened. It still gives me goose
bumps just thinking about it.”
L’Académie’s general director has always believed in
the healing properties of music. But back in 2003, when
her own mother was diagnosed with stage-three non-
Hodgkin lymphoma, Kwan felt helpless. “I thought it would
be really great if I could bring music to her,” Kwan recalls.
“But the only way I could do that was loading tracks on her
iPod. She was in an in-patient facility and was in the hos-
pital for weeks at a time.”
The idea of combining music and medicine coalesced
a few years later, when she met a couple with connec-
tions at Dana-Farber while playing a private house con-
cert. L’Académie had been conceived as simply an outlet
for Kwan and her friends to play the music they loved, but
soon, small groups of L’Académie musicians, ranging from
soloists to quintets, started performing at the hospital.
Kwan says the impact was immediate and profound.
“There was a little girl, I think she might have been 18
months old, that sat there with the biggest smile on her
face, but she had a little banner there on her wrist that was
there for her cancer treatment,” she remembers. “That
really changed the tone for me. We weren’t just doing
orchestral concerts; we were providing peace and beauty
to people at a really difficult time.”
As word of L’Académie’s mission spread, it caught the
interest of a number of donors and partners, including
NICU namesake Patty Ribakoff, co-chair of Mass. Gener-
al’s philanthropy program. “When someone wants to do
something that’s so powerful and so meaningful and so
impactful, it spoke to me,” Ribakoff says.
L’Académie has begun tapering down their Dana-
Farber concerts to focus on a partnership with MGH,
where they plan to play one or two performances a month,
which will be taped so patients can enjoy them in their
rooms through the hospital’s closed-circuit TV station.
They want the series to “have legs beyond the actual 14
hours of programming,” Ribakoff explains.
Kwan, whose mother is currently in remission, tears up a
bit when she talks about her work. “One of the couples [in
the NICU] came up to me and said, ‘I’m at a loss for words
as to what to say to you. This was one of the best gifts I’ve
ever received.’ So it’s hard not to get emotional,” she says.
“I’ve performed all over the world, but this, for me, has
been the most meaningful and powerful way of express-
ing what I’ve been gifted with.” / Alexandra Cavallo

2. 10
THEIMPROPERBOSTONIANFIRSTTASTE:JILLIANMEDUGNO
E
ver been to a Moldovan
restaurant? No? Well, you’re
about to get your chance. Moldo-
van native Artur Andronic is set
to open Moldova Restaurant in
Newton by August’s end, introducing authen-
tic Moldovan cuisine to Boston-area diners.
“It’s definitely a new type of food,” he says,
although most of its ingredients and season-
ings are likely to be familiar. Think Eastern
European: beef, pork, potatoes and cabbage.
Neighboring countries Romania and Ukraine,
as well as Turkey and Russia, influence the
fare from Moldova, which declared its inde-
pendence in 1991 after the dissolution of the
Soviet Union.
“We use a lot of cheese—goat cheese—in
our food,” Andronic explains, as in a tradi-
tional pie stuffed with cheese, potatoes, cab-
bage and apples. Another classic is a cornmeal
dish similar to polenta. “We don’t do deep-
fried food,” he says. Andronic, who earned his
MBA at Suffolk, has hired a Moldovan chef, “a
young guy with good experience,” who’s cur-
rently developing lunch and dinner menus for
the 20-seat space.
As for Andronic’s favorite Moldovan fare?
“My mom’s food!” When she visits, he’s likely
to request that she make a traditional stew,
which can feature different meats (pork and
rabbit are popular) as well as “onion, garlic
and plain, simple spices—salt and pepper. We
don’t go crazy with herbs,” he adds.
The restaurant is still working on obtain-
ing a beer-and-wine license, but diners can
eventually expect a wide selection of Mol-
dovan wines. Moldova Restaurant will also
serve coffee and housemade Moldovan pas-
tries from 10 am to 9 pm.
A LOT MORE BARK
Further capitalizing on its waterfront
location,TheBarkingCrabhasaddedanew
40-seatpationexttoitsred-and-yellowtentin
theshadowoftherecentlyopenedEnvoyHotel.
Lobsterrolls,seabreezesandcityviewsmakea
finecombination—everythingyoucouldwantin
thesummer,exceptforeasyparking.
Dish/CarolynFayeFox
BREAKTHE
MOLDOVA
FirstTaste/MattMartinelli
READYTOROCKTHE CUSHMANS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON HOJOKO.
Hojoko
The Verb Hotel,
1271 Boylston St., Boston
(617-670-0507)
hojokoboston.com
T
im and Nancy Cushman are
synonymous with three letters in
Boston: O Ya. But for Hojoko, their
izakaya, or casual Japanese pub,
opening in late July at the Verb
Hotel, they’re focused on three other letters:
F-U-N.
“There’salotofdifferentsidestoJapanesecul-
ture,butoneofthemishavingatonoffun.They
liketogooutandletlooseandjustkindofrockand
roll.Actually,theyareintorockandroll,”Timsays.
“Itwasreallyallthatinspirationtoopenareally
fun,high-energy,everydaytypeofrestaurant.”
HojokowillgetadoseofenergyfromtheVerb,
withfloor-to-ceilingwindowsthatopenfromthe
restauranttothebuzzingpooldeckoutside.The
tabletopsinsidethe100-seatspotareamixof
brightlycoloredpatternsanddarkwoods,while
Japanesemoviepostersandalbumcoversthatthe
Cushmanshavecollectedoverthepastfiveyears
linethewalls.Inkeepingwiththemusictheme,
thereareplansforlivegigsonasmallportable
stageintherestaurant.Musicianswillinclude
acoupleofbigactsayearaswellaslocals,with
anemphasisonstudentsfromthelocalmusic
schools—somethingthathitshomeforTim,a
Berkleealum.
“Nancy’sideaistojusthaveatriangleguywalk-
ingthroughthediningroom,”Timjokes.“Butwe’re
goingtohaverock’n’rollandallkindsofstuff.”
Topbilling,however,isreservedforthefood.Hart
Lowry,whohasspentfiveyearsatOYa,willhelmthe
kitchen,turningoutavarietyofshareableplates.The
menuwillincludesushi,sandwiches,friedfoodand
farecookedonaJapanesecharcoalgrill,suchaspork
andshrimppotstickerswithafoiegras-umeboshi
sauce,nori,sesameandyuzupowder.
Therewillbedozensofcounterseatswithviews
ofthekitchenandthebar,whichwillofferarobust
selectionofsake,localandJapanesebeer,andOld
Worldanddomesticwines.CocktailswillhaveaJap-
aneseinfluence,withdrinkssuchastheTokyoTea,
whichmixestequila,lemon,green-teasyrupandbit-
teredMidori,andthe5,6,7,8,featuringvodka,crème
deviolette,lemonandmangofoam—andaname
thatnodstotheJapanesebandinKillBill.Allthe
drinks“willhaveasmile,”partofarelaxedvibethat
offersacounterpointtotheultra-high-endOYa.
“NoteveryoneendsupgoingtoOYainBoston,
sowehopethisisalocationandaconceptwhere
literallyeveryoneinBostonhasachancetogo,”
Nancysays.“It’sgoingtobealotoffun.Youjust
walkinandfeelagreatenergyinthere.Hopefully,
we’llseesmileaftersmileonpeople’sfaces.”
SERVICE WITH A
SMILE: Hojoko’s vibe
is all about fun.
THE REAL
THING: Artur
Andronic
plans to bring
new flavors to
Newton.
THE BORED OF HEALTH
Vocalist/guitarist Marc Wolfson Pinansky didn’t lose sleep coming up with this
sextet’s name. It came to him in a dream, he says, blending the group’s “love of
wordplay, humor, life and often blatant disregard for our physical well-being.”

3. CHILL
OUT
Ever wonder why we don’t drink
red wines cold? Put a bottle of
cabernet on ice for an hour, pour
a glass and you’ll understand:
All you taste is tannin. But this
is the time of year when almost
everything is better with a light
chill. If you’re outdoors, red is
all you drink and you don’t like
alcohol fumes rising from your
glass, you can cool each of these
bottles down to 60 degrees
(20 minutes in the fridge) and
they should taste delicious and
refreshing. / Sandy Block
GoodEats:
Wanting’More
If you only know okra as a gooey gumbo thick-
ener, a pickle or simply another fry job, you owe
it to yourself to order the grilled version at The
Frogmore. At the recently opened Jamaica Plain
restaurant, the whole spears (sourced locally
when possible) take a turn over fire until they
develop delicate char and subtle smokiness, but
retain every bit of their fresh snap and interior
caviar-like crunch. Tossed with chopped field
tomatoes and bits of sweet cipollini onions, it
offers a fresh and simple profile that co-owner
Alex Homans says showcases the restaurant’s
Lowcountry style. / Elizabeth Bomze
• • •
Grilled Okra, $8 at The Frogmore, 365 Centre St., Boston
(857-203-9462) thefrogmore.com
FAMILLE PERRIN, CÔTES DU
RHÔNE VILLAGES, 2012
Produced with organic grapes
by the family that makes the leg-
endary Château Beaucastel Châ-
teauneuf du Pape, this wine
features red pepper and wild berry
flavors. Creamy in texture and
medium to full in body, it has a mel-
low fruit profile that makes it a per-
fect match for grilled burgers.
$16, Blanchards Wines & Spirits,
Boston
OKRA, GO:
The Frogmore’s
grilled okra
retains its snap.
Sandy Block is a master of wine and the vice president of beverage operations for Legal Sea Foods.
SEXY COYOTE
Boasting a sound vocalist
Kamen Ross says is like “a
gang of stray cats [playing]
mariachi music on elec-
tric guitars,” this band was
inspired by Southwestern
coyote myths about the ar-
rogant animal falling victim
to his own ego.
— ROCK-N-ROLL CALL —
THEIMPROPERBOSTONIANWINE,GOODEATS:HOLLYRIKE
12
ARTAZURI GARNACHA,
NAVARRA, 2013
Spanish garnacha is a perfect sum-
mer drink. Balanced but mild in tan-
nin, it’s full of floral aromas and
flavors of red currant, strawberry and
raspberry. The secret to garnacha’s
success is high-elevation, low-yield-
ing vineyards, such as those in the
Pyrenees foothills of Navarra. Fresh,
juicy and balanced, this is an irresist-
ible red wine to go with fish.
$11, Cambridge Wine & Spirits
THE WOLFTRAP,
WESTERN CAPE, 2014
A largely syrah-based blend with
mourvedre and a dash of viognier
from one of South Africa’s least pro-
nounceable wineries (Boekenhout-
skloof), this wine is fresh, ripe and
slightly smoky. Full of red raspberry,
with undertones of plum and an
interesting mocha-like note on the
finish, this goes great with barbecue.
$11, Blanchards Wines & Spirits,
Boston
JEAN-PAUL BRUN, “TERRES
DOREES” MORGON, 2013
This estate-bottled Cru
Beaujolais offers a layered,
medium-textured taste of ripe
cherry flavors, tart acids and
earthy stone fruit notes. There
are subtle hints of baking
spice and a charming bright-
ness that lingers into the fin-
ish. This pick is great with a
goat cheese salad.
$23, Cambridge Wine & Spirits

4. 14
THEIMPROPERBOSTONIANQ&AILLUSTRATION:MALLORYSCYPHERS;UPGRADE:NICOLEPOPMA
Q&A
FOREVER
ACES
On July 26, Pedro Martinez will
become the second Dominican-
born player inducted into the
National Baseball Hall of Fame. Two
days later, the former Red Sox ace
will have his No. 45 retired at Fen-
way Park. He took a break from writ-
ing his induction speech to answer a
few questions. / Scott Lauber
YOUR FIRST MINOR-LEAGUE
PITCHING COACH, GUY CONTI,
CALLS YOU A “BORDERLINE
GENIUS.” WHAT DO YOU THINK
HE MEANS? What he means is
that I was a great student of every-
thing, not just the game. I remem-
ber I had a dictionary that I got as
a gift from a Bostonian that was
my teacher in the Dominican at
the [Dodgers’] academy. I called
Guy Conti my “white daddy,” and
[his wife] Jan is my “white mom.” I
still have the same feel for Guy, the
same respect. But he would take
that dictionary and he would make
me use it for real. He would give me
words every day to spell.… He knew
I was eager to learn, eager to study.
It didn’t matter if I got in trouble. I
wanted to learn what it was like. I
remember being on the bus in Great
Falls [Montana], and one of the
guys from California goes, “Pedro,
let me teach you a new word.” He
made me stick my head out the
window, and he goes, “Tell those
two girls, ‘Nice boobs.’” I was like,
“Nice boobs, girls,” and they were
like, “Thank you, asshole,” and gave
me the middle finger. But that was a
lesson to learn, you know?
RED SOX GENERAL MANAGER
BEN CHERINGTON ONCE SAID HE
HEARD YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE
BULLPEN FOR THE FAMOUS GAME
5 OF THE 1999 ALDS. TRUE? It is
exactly the way he said it. I remem-
ber coming to [manager] Jimy [Wil-
liams] when I saw Bret Saberhagen, a
veteran in probably his last year, just
leaving it all out there. He was tak-
ing a lot of pills and stuff to try to just
pitch one inning or two innings. I got
desperate. That day I asked Jimy,
“Can I do something?” And he goes,
“No, Pedro. My orders are that you’re
going to pitch maybe 18 to 20 pitches
at the end of the game.” I saw the
game was 8-8 in the third inning. I
said, “No, Jimy, I need to do some-
thing for the team now. Please allow
me to do that.” He goes, “No, I’m
going to lose my job if I do that.” I said,
“I’m sorry, Jimy, for your job, but I’ve
got to go.”… I had to pretty much over-
throw Jimy’s rules. I have respect for
whatever decision he had to make,
but at that point, I was more commit-
ted to my teammates and the people
than to my career.
A CHANGEUP: YOUR FAVORITE
BOSTON RESTAURANT? If I say
one, they’re going to go bananas.
I’m going to have to give you three:
Brasserie JO in the Colonnade,
Strega and Abe & Louie’s.
IN YOUR RECENTLY PUBLISHED
BIOGRAPHY, YOU ADMIT 90 PER-
CENT OF THE BATTERS YOU HIT
WERE ON PURPOSE. REALLY?
That’s right. I would say 90 percent
were in retaliation because when-
ever you hit one of mine, I needed to
get one of yours. I’m not afraid to say
that, and I’m not afraid to teach that
either. I’m not suggesting that you
need to hit people, but if you have to
protect your teammates, do it.
THE SUM
OF HIS
PARTS
The righty racked
up 219 wins with
his powerful arm.
The trash talker
mouthed off in the 2003
ALCS, inciting a brawl
that led to his Don
Zimmer takedown.
His legs
provided
the power
he needed
to strike out
3,154 batters.
Pedro
overcame
a back
injury to
pitch six
no-hit
innings
in relief
to win
Game 5 of
the 1999
ALDS.
BITCH TRIFECTA
Vocalist/guitarist Jane Park turned
one “clever but angry” dude’s affront
into a name for her MySpace page
and, later, her folk-rock quintet.
— ROCK-N-ROLL CALL —
UPGRADE
BEER MUSCLE
Henry Manice and Naveen Pawar love talking about
squirrels—but don’t think they’re nuts. Wanting a more
substantial post-tennis match brew, the former medical
industry co-workers developed Mighty Squirrel, a craft
beer launched last month with 5 grams of protein, retained
“through a special recipe and process we developed in the
kitchen,” Manice explains. Featuring notes of citrus and
honey, the final product offers one more reason to push
through that finish line—stay tuned for news of weekly
Squirrel Runs in the city. / Meghan Kavanaugh