After weeks of waiting...

The story that Clara Silverstein did on my 826 Boston workshop is finally out! I was starting to think this day would never come. The Globe's been holding it since late September -- and now it's out, in the new (and improved?) "G" section, in the issue announcing Barack Obama's incredible, historic election win. Not only is this timing an honor for me, but it may mean that 826 will receive increased exposure from the many people who will be buying the newspaper today. That would certainly make it worth the wait!

Here's an excerpt from the piece:

When children have a chance to play restaurant critic, they might describe a mound of pasta with cheese sauce as volcano-shaped, or compare a cheesecake to sugary socks. Being a restaurant critic feels like an adventure.

That's what happened when budding critics, ages 11 to 14, recently learned how to become more discerning diners through "Food Critic for a Day," a workshop at the nonprofit 826 Boston in Egleston Crossing. First, the eight students meet with teachers Ryan Rose Weaver, an editor at go2 media, and Jennifer Coates, an assistant professor of nutrition at Tufts University. They start by asking them to describe a Chinese sesame bun filled with red bean paste. The texture reminds T.J. Wasserman, 11, from Belmont, of a "Tempur-Pedic mattress." Eva Hernandez of Roxbury, 13, says the bun looks like "a deflated basketball."

After the first class, students visit restaurants around Boston, including Ashmont Grill, Beacon Hill Bistro, Bella Luna, Myers + Chang, UpStairs on the Square, and the Chocolate Bar at the Langham, Boston. Their assignment is to order dinner and review the experience. Restaurants donate the meals to the student and an adult...

Click here for the full story!

(Photo is mine; I took it during the workshop!)