When Eric’s not jogging around the city trying to work up an appetite, you’ll probably find TFL’s resident cocktail aficionado in one of Boston’s top cocktail bars sipping a Negroni. As the former Boston editor at UrbanDaddy, he spent two years scoping out local restaurants and bars; today he also writes about spirits for Cocktail Enthusiast and Bevvy.

Early days spent chowing on old ladies’ church festival pierogies in rural Pennsylvania fostered the writer’s love of food and drink, which has only grown during his eight years in our city. Here his preferred spot is Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe, a bustling noodle joint in Downtown Crossing. Aside from the unique hand-pulled noodles, he loves the modest, “criminally-underpriced” vibe. “It always looks closed, even when it’s open,” he says.

Eric takes a philosophical approach to eating. “Every day you get three opportunities—ok, maybe more. It’s sort of magical,” he says. “Why not make the most of it every single time—whether you’re eating an Italian hoagie or a nine-course meal?”