Giveo App CEO Sarah Okon’s 3 Go-To Boston Restaurants

Sarah Okon is the young, ambitious co-founder and creator of Giveo, an app working to change the way we define a donation. Giveo is a cashless donation and marketplace platform that allows for donations in more ways than just monetarily. Whatever your talent or skill, you can “donate” it to a cause that moves you.

The platform facilitates the donation of anything that could potentially help someone else, whether it be money, goods or products, or time. Giveo is a highly philanthropic app that works to give purpose to anyone who wants to donate, no matter how small.

Okon began creating her company after she moved from Poland to America as a teenager and realized the discrepancies in how different cultures responded to the influences of social media and online platforms. Fueled by her passion to give back, she sought to create an app that could help humanity and make it easier to connect with others in fruitful ways.

The recent Boston University graduate studied Computer Science and Math, which ultimately let her to make the connection between empathetic web culture and the promotion of ecological driven solutions. In seeking way to help others feel understood and supported by their communities, Giveo was born.

When Okon networks in her home-base of Boston, here are her top three picks for lunch spots!

Saltie Girl

For some of the best, sustainably sourced seafood in the city, check out Saltie Girl in Back Bay. This fun, lively restaurant may often be packed, but the food is worth the wait with ppular dishes like the fried lobster and waffles with spicy maple syrup; snow crab toast; and the Gloucester lobster roll.

The menu has an impressive selection of seafood towers piled high with oysters, lobster, crab and more; as well as a selection of New York style smoked fish served with the classic bagellet and cream cheese. Unique to Saltie Girl is their large range of tinned seafood with everything from caviar and anchovies to sardines and octopus. It a great place to eat family-style.

Shojo

Situated in downtown Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, this spirited eatery featured modern Asian cuisine alongside innovative Japanese cocktails. The menu is ecclectic and features Asian street food with a twist, plus a global influence on flavors. The small plates are ideal for sharing. Popular dishes include the Wu-Tang tiger style ribs with hoisin and Thai bbq; pork belly dumplings; duck fat fries and the salt and pepper calamari with jalapeno-lime aioli.

When it comes to cocktails you can’t go wrong. From elevated classics like the spirit-forward Rolls Royce with gin and sweet vermouth, to unique libations like the Mistag Shojo with lime, pineapple, pecan, banana, rum and absinthe; or the That Green Drink with pandan, Thai basil gin, green chartreuse and green tea, there’s something special for everyone.

Lookout Rooftop

For a fun night out, Lookout Rooftop is unbeatable. With views of the skyline and Boston Harbor it’s a great, lively place for a night out. During the day it offers an all-day menu of light bites that include bang bang chicken wings with gochujang; chorizo jalapeno poppers; New England clam chower with whole belly clams; cheeseburger sliders and more.

The rooftop bar has a selection of both top shelf classics and specialty cocktails with standouts like the Mars Toast Almond with chocolate rum, Kahlua and Baileys; Watermelon Cooler with cucumber vodka; and the Kentucky Peach Tea.