Alums' Jewelry Boutique, Food Truck Officially Named Boston's Best

Jewelry and food trucks may not be the first industries that jump to mind when thinking of MIT alumni. But, perhaps not surprisingly, Boston Magazine has named two MIT alums Boston’s best in those unqiue field.

The magazine’s annual Best of Boston list was unveiled earlier this summer and M. Flynn, the Boston boutique co-owned by Moria Flynn MBA ’07, was named best jewelry (everyday) and the Cambridge-based Bon Me, co-owned by Patrick Lynch MCP ’10, was named best food truck.

Moria, who was co-president of the MIT Sloan Retail and Consumer Goods Club, opened M. Flynn in 2009 with her sister, Megan. The duo had previously operated a wholesale jewelry business based on their grandmother’s costume jewelry.

From Boston Magazine: 2013 Best Jewelry, Everyday—M. Flynn:

“Time and time again, we reach for the pieces in our jewelry box linked to this darling South End boutique. The sisters Flynn—Moria and Megan—have impeccable taste…and if you have a piece of heirloom jewelry you’d like to recast, they’ll help you design a custom keeper.”

The store’s unique inventory is made entirely in the U.S., with the majority of items made in Boston and Providence. In 2010, the shop expanded with Faire la Fête at M. Flynn, a special occasion and bridal boutique that was named to the Boston Globe’s Best of the New list.

In an interview with MIT Sloan, Moria credited Sloan with a strategic mindset that made her analyze the challenges of retail jewelry industry and develop creative ways to engage customers, including a jewelry blog, By M. Flynn, which is updated almost daily.

Lynch opened Bon Me with his wife, Ali Fong, shortly after receiving his master’s degree in city planning from MIT in 2010, the same year the pair won the City of Boston’s Food Truck Contest. Their food trucks specialize in Vietnamese fare, including their best-seller, the eponymous Bon Me sandwich.

From Boston Magazine: 2013 Best Food Truck—Bon Me:

“Bon Me’s legions of fans religiously check Twitter to find out which corner Patrick Lynch and Ali Fong’s pâte-slathered sandwiches, cool soba noodles, and overstuffed lemongrass-chicken rice bowls will be appearing at next.”

Bon Me, whose name is inspired by the Vietnamese word bánh mi (bread), has two food trucks that regularly travel between more than a half-dozen Boston locations and use social media update their location in real time. But MIT-based readers need not trek beyond Cambridge limits to enjoy their cuisine. Bon Me opened a brick-and-mortar location at Cambridge’s 1 Kendall Square earlier this year.

Do you know of more alumni on this year's list? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll add those deserving alums to our story.

Update: This story was updated to include a second MIT alum who was honored as Best of Boston.