Robert Rouleau

SUNDAYS IN BOSTON just feel different. Whether I have stayed the night at The Newbury or stopped in early to check on something, I like to take a breath before the city fully wakes up. Then I head out for what I think is one of the best 5K runs around. 

From the hotel, I cut over to the Commonwealth Mall, which looks like a movie set this time of year. The leaves crunch underfoot and the light filters through the trees just right. I make my way across the Harvard Bridge, with the Charles calm and the skyline glowing. The crew teams are out early and always bring a quiet energy to the morning. I loop back along the Esplanade, past the Hatch Shell and the Arthur Fiedler statue, and it always reminds me how good this city can be when you slow down enough to take it in.

After the run, I head to Tatte Bakery & Café on Charles Street for an Americano, then walk down toward the river. I grab one of the Adirondack chairs along the water and just sit for a bit. No music, no podcast. Just the breeze, the sailboats, and some room to think.

AN INDULGENT LUNCH

If my wife and daughter are with me, we will head to Zurito for lunch. Chef Jamie Bissonnette’s Basque menu is exactly the kind of food I crave when the weather shifts. We always order too much. Ibérico Jamon, Gildas, Patatas Bravas. And somehow, we manage to finish it all.

Later in the afternoon, I might take a walk through the Public Garden,  passing the last swan boat of the season docked for the year. If I have time, I will stop by the Boston Public Library courtyard and just let the day settle.

I end things at The Street Bar with a bowl of butternut squash soup, a few oysters, and a proper Manhattan. It is simple, warm, and feels just right for fall. I will usually plan the day around catching the Patriots game at home, but I like to let the last few hours of Sunday move a little slower. The city gets quiet again, and so do I.

Robert Rouleau grew up in Worcester. After 17 years in the hospitality industry in Southern California, he returned to Massachusetts with his wife and daughter to reopen The Newbury Boston, where he serves as general manager.