Nick Foley, 33
General manager at Ocean Prime
Exotic origins: I was born in Brisbane and grew up in Melbourne, Australia.
In his spare time: I’m currently training for the Boston Marathon, and I’m raising money for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. I completed the New York City Marathon in 2014 for a charity called Team for Kids.
Literary endeavors: I enjoy writing. My first book about the restaurant industry is being published in the summer.
He’s sporty, too: I played semi-pro soccer in both Australia and New Zealand, and played for the Australian University team.
Seeking a soccer fan? It would be a huge turn-on, but as long as she’s OK with me getting up at all hours to watch my team, then we’re all good.
Deal breaker: Being rude to anyone in the service industry. Debbie my Dunkin’ Donuts lady is the best!
Celebrity crushes: Eva Mendes and Jenny Dell.
Worst trait: When I asked them, my mum said, “You can be stubborn, Nicholas,” and my dad said, “You are impatient, son!” They answered awfully quickly, too.
Seduction dish: Anything at all with a bottle of Ruinart Rosé Champagne.
Ever use the accent to seduce? Absolutely! And 70 percent of the time, it works.
Hospitality perks: I definitely work long hours, and I’m busiest when most people aren’t working, but I promise you’ll never go hungry or thirsty again.
Great Catches
By Jonathan Soroff Jan. 29, 2016
We know the dating pool can be shallow, especially during an age in which one superficial swipe to the right on a hook-up app constitutes getting to know someone. That’s where we come in. Each year, we choose our list of Boston’s top bachelors and bachelorettes as our Valentine to you. As always, we reeled in suggestions from readers and hand-picked some singles ourselves, arriving at a highly eclectic and accomplished lineup of fascinating locals. Meet Boston’s Most Eligible Singles, Class of 2016.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Amanda Pflugrad, 28
Sports reporter for the Boston Celtics
Must love dogs: An organization that I’ve been involved in is Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities by providing them with highly trained assistant dogs.
Have passport, will travel: This summer, I went to visit my family in Miesbach, Germany, and had the most amazing time. I’ve traveled to Milan and Madrid with the Celtics, and I plan to visit Sydney or Paris this summer. Who knows? I may visit both.
Paging Freddy Krueger: With the Celtics’ schedule, I don’t get a lot of downtime during the season, but when I do I enjoy watching scary movies.
Hidden skill: Since I was both a gymnast and a cheerleader, I’m still able to do some tumbling. I also never lost the ability to hold a handstand for a lengthy amount of time.
Celebrity crush: Chris Hemsworth. Channing Tatum comes in a close second. That man can dance.
Physical trait that drives her crazy (in a good way): I love a man with good hair. The longer, the better.
Ideal first date: To me, it’s about finding out about their character and how much depth they have. Sporting events are always fun and low-key, too.
Worst trait: Maybe more of a weird one: I talk to myself quite a bit. I think it stems from broadcasting and talking out loud when rehearsing lines and scripts, but I get called out on occasion.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Harvey Dalzon, 32
Concierge at a residential property
Hobbies: I love DIY projects, furniture, antiquing and restoration. I like reading fantasy series, keeping up with the Billboard Hot 100 list, trends in pop culture, fashion and, of course, everything Beyoncé.
Hometown cred: I’m a big Boston sports fan: Pats, Bruins, Red Sox, C’s.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): Nice hair, partly because I’m bald and envious.
First-date agenda: Turn off my cellphone to focus on the person I am with.
Worst trait: I talk too much.
His idea of romance: Slow dancing.
Does a guy need to know how to dance? No, because I can teach him. It’s great if he has at least a two-step down. I need something to work with.
Dating disaster: I’ve called a date by the wrong name a few times.
Biggest turnoff: Bad hygiene.
Qualities of a good concierge that also make a good mate: We have a great ability to communicate with people and build relationships. We know how to listen. When it comes to good ideas for an eventful experience, we never lack for suggestions. You can bet we have at least two connections at a restaurant or bar. Finally, and most importantly, we truly enjoy helping others.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Kelyn Rowe, 24
Midfielder for the New England Revolution
Good deeds: I was named the team’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2014 and 2015 for doing things like regular hospital visits with the club for the Jessie Rees Foundation (Team NEGU) and Love Your Melon. I also started Kelyn’s NEGU Crew, giving young cancer patients a chance to attend a game and walk the field afterward.
Off the field: Being from the Pacific Northwest, I enjoy a lot of outdoor activities like hiking, and I’ve recently started rock climbing (indoors, because it’s too damn
cold in the winter). I’m also a self-proclaimed good cook. What I make is simple, and I wouldn’t call myself a special talent, but people seem to eat it…at least while I’m in the room.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): Someone with a contagious smile has my full attention.
Celebrity crush: Selena Gomez or Tori Kelly.
First-date agenda: Have a drink or two and get to know someone. After the first date, the spontaneous, fun dates follow.
His idea of romance: Simplicity. I think a glass of wine with a desirable view is romantic.
Biggest turnoff: Rudeness.
Seduction dish: Salmon over an arugula salad or making a homemade pizza. I don’t think I can trust someone who can’t scarf down a pizza with me.
Do soccer players have the best asses among pro athletes? I’m probably not the right person to comment, but I will say I don’t know of a soccer player who’s had any complaints.
By Jonathan Soroff
Nahid Bhadelia, 38
Physician and infectious disease specialist at Boston University
Fighting the good fight: I wrote about my experience working in Sierra Leone during the Ebola epidemic after the first time I returned. I ended up going back three more times and had the good fortune to observe the cases recede and the communities return to some semblance of normalcy.
Above and beyond: I’ve been raising money for Sierra Leonean health care workers who were not paid for their demanding and life-risking work. So far, we’ve raised more than $42,000 and helped 63 families.
Special skills: I speak a little bit of Swedish and understand Hindi/Urdu.
Looking for: Someone who sees helping others as an integral part of their life and as a route to happiness.
R&R: I love visual arts. I paint and draw but am an avid photographer. I won an editor’s mention on the National Geographic website as well as three photo contests.
Athletic pursuit: I truly love running. I find it rejuvenating and an important time for daily reflection. I ran the BAA half marathon last fall and am running Boston’s Run to Remember in the spring. I’m hoping to run a full marathon in 2017.
Celebrity crush: Astronaut Scott Kelly. He’s one of the first humans to spend a year in space. Need I say more?
Deal breaker: Narrow-mindedness.
Worst trait: I tend to overcommit.
Her idea of romance: Watching stars at the Hayden Planetarium.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Nick Foley, 33
General manager at Ocean Prime
Exotic origins: I was born in Brisbane and grew up in Melbourne, Australia.
In his spare time: I’m currently training for the Boston Marathon, and I’m raising money for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. I completed the New York City Marathon in 2014 for a charity called Team for Kids.
Literary endeavors: I enjoy writing. My first book about the restaurant industry is being published in the summer.
He’s sporty, too: I played semi-pro soccer in both Australia and New Zealand, and played for the Australian University team.
Seeking a soccer fan? It would be a huge turn-on, but as long as she’s OK with me getting up at all hours to watch my team, then we’re all good.
Deal breaker: Being rude to anyone in the service industry. Debbie my Dunkin’ Donuts lady is the best!
Celebrity crushes: Eva Mendes and Jenny Dell.
Worst trait: When I asked them, my mum said, “You can be stubborn, Nicholas,” and my dad said, “You are impatient, son!” They answered awfully quickly, too.
Seduction dish: Anything at all with a bottle of Ruinart Rosé Champagne.
Ever use the accent to seduce? Absolutely! And 70 percent of the time, it works.
Hospitality perks: I definitely work long hours, and I’m busiest when most people aren’t working, but I promise you’ll never go hungry or thirsty again.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Emily Romano, 29
Founder of the Paper Airplane dating app
Early entrepreneurship: My first business endeavor was as the head of a baby-sitting syndicate.
Academic inclinations: I have an innate love of learning. Even today, I study things and take online courses because I think they sound cool. People are always surprised at what a dork I am; I wear the label with pride.
Changing course: I briefly attended law school, then got cold feet and a quarter-life crisis. An undergrad friend was working for a Beverly Hills matchmaking agency, which I thought sounded glamorous. I was a matchmaker for a year and then convinced them I could do sales. In my first week, I became the highest closing matchmaking salesperson.
The proverbial lightbulb: I wanted to make the dating process less painful, and over the years, I came up with several ideas on how to do that. But this past June, I had an epiphany, and that epiphany became my new company.
Hobbies: At the risk of sounding like a huge nerd, reading is a hobby of mine. I also enjoy yoga, running, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, mountain biking and boxing.
Celebrity crush: Justin Trudeau.
Worst trait: I am brutally honest, to a fault. I’ll tell you if your outfit sucks and act like I just did you a favor.
A single dating expert: Is that like the cobbler’s child being the last to get shoes? Being an entrepreneur of any kind makes dating a bit of a challenge. It’ll happen when the time is right. It’s also worth noting that I have yet to meet a shoeless cobbler’s child.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Joanie Tobin, 35
Photographer, videographer and filmmaker
On her CV: During high school, I worked as a photographer at Artists for Humanity and eventually made it to UNC-Chapel Hill, where I majored in photojournalism.
Giving back: I’m an alumna of Youth Enrichment Services, where I’ve volunteered as a ski instructor since 2007, and I served on the host committee for Artists for Humanity’s 2015 Greatest Party on Earth. The summer after I graduated high school, I interned at Washington Gateway Main Street, a business development and neighborhood improvement organization in the South End. Now, I’m vice president of the board.
Harland Sanders has nothin’ on her: In 2012, after shooting a mini-documentary in Kentucky, I was commissioned a colonel by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It’s the highest honorary title in Kentucky, and it recognizes noteworthy accomplishments and civic and community service.
Celebrity crush: Jake Gyllenhaal.
Romantic pursuit: I made a dating game for women called Manuary. It started in 2013 with a simple challenge from my friend: Let’s go on 10 dates in January and call it Manuary. In 2014, more people wanted to play, so we upped the ante by turning it into a cross between a scavenger hunt and bingo.
Deal breakers: Social conservatives and face tats.
Worst traits: I inherited my dad’s obsessive perfectionism. I’m prone to bouts of hanger. I wake up to Bob Oakes blasting on an insanely loud clock radio from the ’90s.
Dating disaster: The first date who asked me to go to an S&M show with him and his sister after dinner.
With a demanding job and a million extracurriculars, where does romance fit in? After spinning and before/during Netflix.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Patrick Yocum, 26
First soloist with Boston Ballet
Average workday: Boston Ballet does as many as 100 performances a year, and at any given time, I can be rehearsing for as many as eight different roles, sometimes more.
Arcane skill: My friends make fun of me for teaching myself dance notation—an old way of recording choreography on paper. It feels like learning a forgotten language.
Celebrity crush: Andrew Rannells.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): A great smile and broad shoulders.
Grindr or Scruff? Neither. I tried Tinder for a while, but it’s not my thing. Meeting people in the real world is more difficult, but I think you end up with a more genuine experience.
First-date agenda: Go see the BSO. I don’t get to go often enough, and I love Symphony Hall. And as much as it’s already a presence in my life, I always need to find inspiration in other arts.
Worst trait: Out of my element, I’m shy. I wish I was a more natural extrovert.
Dating disaster: I once met a very nice, attractive man who tried to recruit me for GOProud, the LGBT Republican group that champions Ann Coulter.
Romantic locale: The reflecting pond at the Christian Science Center on a calm night. It feels like an oasis in the center of the city.
Best feature: You can’t quite beat a dancer’s legs, but I’m also a good listener.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Corey Saunders, 29
Personal trainer, personal assistant and model
Born athlete: In high school, I had three years of varsity in three sports and was lucky enough to receive calls from the New York Mets for a possible professional career.
Move over, Derek Zoolander: I spent two successful years modeling in New York for various fashion and athletic companies. In 2011, I relocated to Massachusetts and continued to model here.
Not just a pretty face: For the past four years, I’ve been a personal assistant and property manager for a high net-worth individual. I decided to use this invaluable business experience to start my own personal training company, e·volve fit.
Off hours: I love traveling the world, reading, spending time with my family, meeting new people, football, basketball and baseball.
Creative pursuits: I enjoy photography, carpentry and wood-working (I can build a house) as well as working on cars.
Celebrity crush: Kelly Kapowski.
Craziest thing done for love (or lust): I gave my sister’s jewelry to my third-grade girlfriend.
Romantic locale: Venice, Italy.
Deal breaker: A woman who doesn’t want to have kids.
Worst trait: I’m a neat freak.
Ever worry that a woman will only be interested in you for your body? Yes.
How can you tell when romantic interest is genuine? When you meet her parents.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Brittney Nichols, 30
Manager of experience and local partnerships at Second Glass
On her CV: I just wrapped up my time working for the Welcoming Committee, an events and travel organization that caters to the LGBT community. Next I’ll be working with my friends at Second Glass as they open their wine store, Wine Riot, in the South End and expand their events portfolio.
Endearing quirk: I have the perfect card for every occasion sitting in my desk drawer. I love to send mail to my friends and family. I think it’s a lost art.
Physical trait that drives her crazy (in a good way): Scruff and a lot of hair. I know how cliche that is given the popularity of the man bun these days, but I had a huge crush on both Inigo Montoya and Westley as a kid.
First-date agenda: Learn about your favorite things and places. Bonus points if we can ride bikes from point A to point B.
Proud achievement: Moving across the country on my own, without a job and without an apartment. That’ll show you what you’re made of.
Romantic locale: My bed on a Sunday, with nowhere to go, with a person you want to go nowhere with.
Three more things to know: My go-to drink is a Dark ’n’ Stormy, but the ginger beer has to be spicy. My two brothers and I are really close; we hang out a lot and we all have matching tattoos. I also date ladies.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Melissa Stone Partridge, 41
Chief of staff at an education nonprofit
Before entering the non-profit world: I lived in New York City for 10 years, working in finance as a trader for seven of them. Then I began a career in education, starting in a kindergarten classroom that shared many similarities with a trading desk; it was frantic and unpredictable, but the 5-year-old clientele were a lot nicer.
Boston bona fides: Under Mayor Menino, I led a task force to provide students with autism and their families expanded services. I worked in the Boston Public Schools for years.
She knows the ropes: I serve as co-chair of Courageous Sailing’s board of directors, as well as its annual Make-A-Mark event. Sailing has always been a big part of my life. I have raced in Boston and beyond, and I look back fondly on crewing in San Francisco Bay and on charters around the British Virgin Islands. That said, when it comes to racing, I’m better at serving as “rail meat” and mixing Dark ’n’ Stormies.
Drink of choice: Wine has become a great interest of mine. I was living in San Francisco in 2000 and got caught when the tech bubble burst. While underemployed, I sold wine in San Francisco and expanded my knowledge by going to Napa and Sonoma. I’ve taught wine classes, and currently, a friend of mine hosts wine and food dinners where she does the cooking and I do the pairing.
Celebrity crush: Edward Norton. I sat next to him at the movies. He’s dreamy in all the right ways.
Turnoff: Whining. Sack up, dude.
Proud achievement: Parenting my two boys. They’re growing up to be great young men who are kind, respectful, curious and vivacious.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Ben Glass, 28
Cancer researcher at BIDMC and Harvard Medical School
Oh, the places you’ll go: I love to travel. A few of my favorite memories include drinking high-grade scotch with businessmen in Taipei, riding a donkey in Santorini, running around with monkeys on top of a mountain in Japan, seeing my favorite English premier soccer team, Arsenal, play in London, and visiting the old town in Dubrovnik.
Special skill: I’m a veteran of sketch comedy at ImprovBoston in a hilarious, now-defunct group called Trolls Royce.
In his spare time: I enjoy building computers, reading, yoga, beer and banter. I’m a certified scuba diver, and I’ve taught myself how to play the guitar, the bass, the banjo, the ukulele, the piano and the harmonica.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): A girl who wears glasses.
Deal breaker: A girl who likes country music.
First-date agenda: Scope out how many science-fiction novels they’ve read.
Dating disaster: I invited a girl to an ice-cream social in fifth grade. I accidently dropped my ice cream on her shoes.
Do scientists understand more about the birds and the bees than the rest of us? Absolutely not. There’s something about great love that cannot be quantified or simplified down with scientific reasoning.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Chris Edwards, 46
Advertising creative director/writer
Playing to type: I have two sisters—one older, one younger—and from what my degree in psychology tells me, I exhibit classic signs of middle-child syndrome.
Bold move: After nearly 20 years, I left my full-time job as E.V.P. and group creative director to go freelance so I could also focus on other writing projects, including a book due out in October.
Mea culpa: I’m responsible for the earworm “Gimme back that Filet-O-Fish, gimme that fiiiiiish.” My sincere apologies.
Hidden skill: I’m addicted to crossword puzzles. I can complete the NYTpuzzle any day of the week, Monday-Wednesday, without cheating.
Deal breaker: Smoking.
Guilty pleasure: I love old-school birthday cakes from Shaw’s: gold with buttercream frosting.
Celebrity crush: Leslie Mann. Gorgeous, sexy and funny as hell.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): I prefer dating women who are shorter than me. I keep spreading the rumor that flats are making a comeback, but nobody seems to be buying it.
Dating disaster: On a first date, 10 minutes into dinner I had an allergic reaction to the wine. My lips swelled up like a balloon. It was like a “Botox gone wrong” episode of The Doctors. Needless to say, there was no goodnight kiss.
Romantic locale: Anywhere can be romantic with the right person…except maybe the DMV.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Zoë Barry, 31
CEO and founder of ZappRx
Interesting antecedents: I was nearly pre-med in college, moonlighted as a veterinarian saving bald eagles one summer in Alaska and later worked in a neuroscience primate-research lab at Harvard.
Her Rx for success: ZappRx is a next-generation prescription platform. Since starting it in 2012, I’ve raised more than $13M in capital and hired a team of 20-plus people.
Fun fact: At Columbia, I was part of the honors thesis seminar and focused my thesis work on whiskey. In fact, all of ZappRx’s technology sprints are named alphabetically after whiskeys. At this point, we’re up to Inchgower.
Date destination: I love strolling through the zoo. I know it may sound strange, but I absolutely love animals and learning all about them. I even have a pet rabbit named Kibbles.
Good deed: Recently, I partnered with Wonderland BookSavers of Connecticut and Reach Out and Read to donate nearly 2,000 books to Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.
Peak experience: For a few years, I was a ski instructor in Breckenridge, known for my moves on the moguls. These days, I’ve scaled back, but to stay healthy, I run regularly and swear by a nightly glass of Bordeaux.
Best feature: Definitely my unruly mane. I can toss it, shake it, and I’m not afraid to let it go wild.
Celebrity crush: Leonardo DiCaprio…but only when he’s rocking the “Dad Bod.”
Deal breaker: Big egos. Humility is hot.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Jessica Callahan, 32
Midday on-air personality at 101.7 The Bull
On her CV: I fell in love with radio during my college internships with KISS 108 and JAM’N 94.5. After college, I worked part-time on Cape Cod and in Worcester and full-time in Connecticut and Vermont.
Giving back: I’m involved with the Jimmy Fund and Operation American Soldier, and I just started volunteering with Audrey’s Rescue Angels.
Boston fan? I love our Boston sports teams. I try to go to as many Red Sox games as possible. I also bet the Pats would win the Super Bowl in 2015, before the season started, when I was in Vegas!
Otherwise you’ll find her: Going to concerts and to the casinos, and I try to swim as much as possible.
Best feature: My height.
Celebrity crush: Justin Timberlake. He’s actually the reason I’m in radio (sort of). I was trying to win concert tickets on KISS 108 to see him back in 2003, and I kept hearing a commercial saying that KISS was looking for interns. I figured if I interned at KISS I could meet him. It’s been 13 years, and I still haven’t.
Seduction dish: Chicken Parmesan.
Favorite country song: I have so many, but Carrie Underwood is the reason I fell in love with country music.
Ever adopt a fake Southern accent on air? No, but I’m on the air in Texas, so I should probably work on it.
Fun fact: While in college, I was a Red Sox tour guide, so I am no pink-hat fan.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Wayne Chang, 32
Tech entrepreneur
Business bona fides: My latest venture, Crashlytics, sold to Twitter about a year after it launched, valued at roughly $300 million at its IPO.
Paying it forward: I love to help others succeed. I do this through directly becoming involved in their projects, whether through mentoring, angel investing or just generally trying to be helpful—the success of others fuels my own happiness. I’ve been fortunate enough to be an angel investor or adviser in more than 40 startups.
Best feature: Probably my skin. Everyone says I look like I’m 22. It’s my Asian genes. I’ll probably look like this until I’m 60, and then I’ll suddenly shrink and look like I’m 3,000 years old.
Bad habit: I like to try new foods, and I just naturally assume other people do too. I’ve convinced people to try things (like uni) they otherwise wouldn’t—to disastrous results.
Physical trait that drives him crazy (in a good way): Great hair.
Ever worry that women are attracted to your money? Do women worry that guys are attracted to them because of their beauty? It doesn’t matter what the initial attraction is based on. The connection afterward is all that really counts. If the only connection is about how many private jet rides they can get, or diamonds or handbags, that’s really easy to filter out.
First-date agenda: Laugh. A lot. With the other person.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Danny Rosquete, 32
Sports attorney/agent
Good deed: I’m currently in the process of raising a minimum of $10,000, with a personal goal of raising $20,000, for Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a member
of the Stepping Strong Boston Marathon team.
Once a pack rat… Ever since I was little, I’ve been a collector. Collecting baseball cards fueled my passion for baseball and my desire to get into professional sports. Even today, I find myself collecting things like fossils and historic autographs.
Unusual skill: I can catch a lot of sea creatures like lobsters with my hands. I guess it goes back to growing up in Maine.
Celebrity crushes: Candice Swanepoel and Anna Faris.
First-date agenda: Go to the zoo or the aquarium and eat ice cream.
Worst trait: I work a lot. I have a hard time relaxing.
Proud achievement: Graduating from law school and passing the bar exam in 2.5 years.
Seduction dish: A hot fudge sundae. I can’t cook, but you can’t really mess up ice cream and toppings.
Could he be with a woman who didn’t like sports? Of course, I want my better half to take me away from work.
Is it as true that in love as in business you should always be willing to walk away from the deal? In business as in baseball you must always be willing to walk away from the deal. With love I think people are too willing to walk away from the “deal” and as a result never truly realize the potential two people had.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Kandace C. Cummings, 35
Hairstylist and filmmaker
Creative outlet: While working in the financial services industry, my interest in film began to grow. I started as an actress and learned the process of how a film was produced. My friend and I decided to begin writing our own scripts, getting them produced, filming and distributing them. We’ve won multiple awards for our short films.
As if that weren’t enough: I decided it was time to take the leap into my second passion: hair. I’d always wanted to be a hairdresser, and my stylist at the time challenged me to quit my job. She stated that if I decided to sign up for cosmetology school, she would employ me during my education so I had a guaranteed job. After four years in the business, I found myself working at Anita Kurl Salon and doing well. My boss decided she’d had enough, and I took over the business.
Professional philosophy: My career is more than just doing hair. It’s providing a sense of confidence.
Fighting the good fight: In 2011, my brother was shot and killed during a home invasion at his fraternity house at Old Dominion University. My family and I created the Remember Christopher Foundation and the Christopher Cummings Memorial Scholarship to raise awareness about campus gun violence.
Dukes up: I’ve been boxing since ’06.
Defining characteristic: I’m a natural-born risk-taker, but they’re calculated risks. I love the art of business. It’s a real-life logic puzzle.
Are men intimidated by entrepreneurial women? I think they’re turned on by it and intimidated in a good way. It presents a challenge.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Kayla Quigley, 23
Bartender at Citizen Public House and grad student at Simmons
Behind the bar: I mainly serve sarcasm and occasionally cocktails. You can usually find me there Thursday and Saturday. All other nights, I am creating a tiny bald spot by ripping my hair out in pursuit of my master&rsqursquo;s in Gender and Cultural Studies.
Career goals: I’d like to continue on to my Ph.D. and eventually become a professor. I hope to work in masculinity theories and draw connections between the urban saloon and the urban bar, as an institution that fosters hegemonic masculinity.
Favorite cocktail to prepare: A Toronto. A fantastic Manhattan variation including Fernet Branca, it provides an interesting herbal backbone to a classic cocktail. It’s a great cocktail that has a balanced sweetness and spice (add rye).
Her wheels: Currently, you can find me riding around the city on my yellow ’79 Honda CM400T Café Racer, admiring every moto that passes. I love motorcycle culture.
Parle Italiano? I grew up in a Southern Italian family that spoke Neapolitan dialect, so I decided to dedicate my undergrad “free time” to learning and tutoring textbook Italian.
Celebrity crush: Emma Stone (what a babe).
Deal breaker: A loud chewer.
Romantic locale: Hands down, Italy. I studied there and would kill to go back on a romantic adventure.
Seduction dish: Spaghetti and meatballs. Eat that with confidence, and I’m yours.
By Jonathan Soroff | Photo Credit: Holly Rike
Ted Hawkins, 26
General manager at SRV
Provenance: I was born in Manhattan and grew up in the city until I was 14, when we moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. I went to high school at Punahou (Barry O’s alma mater).
On his CV: After studying hospitality administration at BU, I started working for Barbara Lynch at Menton and eventually became the assistant general manager at No. 9 Park. This summer, I left to join the team at SRV.
Off-hours: I love basketball and play as much as I can. I really love music and though I don’t play much any more, if drums are around, I will more than likely try to play them.
Celebrity crushes: Khaleesi and Joanna Gaines.
Kitchen cred: I’m a pretty good home cook. I can sear a pretty mean duck breast. My guacamole is always well-received thanks to my mother’s recipe.
Special skills: I can fall asleep in almost any situation. If I’m remotely comfortable, there’s a good chance I’m close to snoozing. I also danced hula in high school.
Best feature: I think I make people feel comfortable.
Deal breaker: Being a bad tipper.
First-date agenda: Eat and drink. That applies to all interactions I enjoy.
Seduction dish: Spicy miso ramen from Sapporo Ramen in Porter Square.
His ideal mate described as a wine: The three B’s: bright, bold and balanced.
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