Before seeing a good, second rate performance of, “Good People,” a good, second rate play, it seemed like a wonderful idea to check out Yakitori Zai.  This is the city’s first and very own yakitori restaurant.

Located on Shawmut Avenue, on a neat corner, in the South End, what we have here is a first rate yakitori restaurant.  You might as well be in Tokyo: Stunning room with perfect lighting, cool and old school jazz, and great skewers of delicious chicken and vegetables served with alacrity as well as generous pours of sake and beer.  I hope it lasts.  Doubtful, sadly, as the anonymous and self-annointed critics on Chowhound and elsewhere are bitching about the prices.  The same crowd that has no problem dropping twelve bucks on a cocktail objects to $7 skewers of perfectly cooked chicken.

Further down, about 1800 seconds before the curtain went up, it was time to stop by at Darryl’s: Perhaps the most chill bar in the city.  Live jazz, a D.C. or Harlem vibe, and cold Manhattans mixed nicely.  That’s right: Nicely.

After the show: A big slice @ NY Pizza where, from the window seat, we saw girls with skirts hiked up to their hips staggering on pointed black, high heels.