Mandarin Oriental, Boston, MA USA

Ordered at the The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston, MA.

The beginning. Rachel was staying at The Lenox Hotel, and I at the Mandarin Oriental. Two hotels side-by-side, both boutiques, but one a chain and the other an independent… Rachel and I decided to sleep separate from one another the night before our wedding, and these were the hotels we chose.

What do the hours leading up to your wedding feel like? They are hard to describe; each hour is different, and as alcohol is consumed, each hour gets… well, more exciting and relaxing. Fortunately my groomsmen were meeting me in my room and I didn’t have to spend many minutes alone, as the alone hours are the hardest. And fortunately they brought alcohol and empty stomachs (why alcohol? because room service was ridiculously expensive: a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label was $350 on room service, as was Grey Goose and Makers Mark… or around $25 from the store across the street.)

What food to order from room service though? That was an easy one: club sandwiches for all.

And one Red Bull for Evan.

The standard rooms at the Mandarin Oriental Boston are quite large, thankfully, as soon there were five groomsmen, our officiant, a photographer, videographer, and two girls with flowers for the men, comfortably mingling in my presence… with enough room for five club sandwiches and one order of chicken wings.

It was an incredible occasion to experience. Surrounded by friends I’ve known since the beginning, in what I would describe as one of the nicest standard hotel rooms in Boston, decorated with flowers, about to get married, the moment being captured on video and photography , all dining on club sandwiches (except for Cory who opted for the wings)… there are some moments that you never forget in life, and this was one of them.

I had to calm myself to accurately rate this club sandwich.

Its presentation lacking creativity, the Mandarin Oriental Boston’s club sandwich was a non-unique, traditionally American take on this universally found meal. I would describe the hotel as a very special property in Boston, but unfortunately, this was not reflected in their club sandwich. Delicious turkey. 3 slices of sourdough bread. Avocado. Arugala. Bacon. It was filling, but I craved more than just filling; I wanted something exciting. Something that screamed “Mandarin Oriental” like their incredibly well-done intro-video that played each time I turned on the TV. Nothing about their brand was reflected in this club, so while we all enjoyed our sandwiches, to me, I was a bit disappointed.

That disappointment was quickly wiped away as we consumed more drinks and walked over to The Lenox. The anxiety though, well that didn’t dissipate until I saw my bride walking down the isle. And then the real party began… and during the after-party, The Lenox Hotel surprised us with miniature club sandwiches for all, a great, special treat to end the evening.

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