Scottish YouTuber Ruth Aisling visited Boston for the first time and was left pleasantly surprised by the city's famous sights and foods, while noting a major cultural difference in tipping practices compared to Scotland.
First Impressions of Boston's Cuisine
Ruth traveled to Boston with her brother Hugh to support the Tartan Army during the World Cup. While there, she sampled local specialties including a lobster roll, clam chowder, and the iconic Boston cream pie. She was particularly impressed by the dessert from Bova's Bakery, describing it as 'absolutely huge' and praising its soft sponge cake and chocolate ganache.
On her YouTube channel, Ruth said: 'That bakery has the most cakes I have ever seen in any bakery anywhere. The girl was telling me that they bake the cakes fresh every single day.' She rated the Boston cream pie a 10 out of 10, adding: 'Living near that bakery would be the most dangerous thing ever.'
Tipping Culture Shock
Ruth also experienced America's tipping culture, which she found very different from Scotland. After an American diner breakfast with 'substantial' portion sizes, she showed her receipt and explained: 'In America, you need to pay a tip on the bill. In Scotland, a tip is usually given if the service exceeded your expectations, maybe 10 or 15 per cent. But here, it's standard practice to pay a tip every time.'
She noted that a friend advised a 20 per cent tip for sit-down meals, which she and Hugh left. Ruth concluded that Boston 'completely exceeded' her expectations despite initial hesitations.
