Boston Food and Drink

Briefly stopped into the new Met Back Bay on Saturday.  Much brighter than the Old Joe’s use to be, same setup downstairs for the most part, small bar and some seats upstairs, we didn’t venture into the upper levels but according to the Globe, it has some very nice digs!

Stopped into Joe’s on Saturday, and every seat was full, granted it was a very nice day on Newbury, but this place never slows down.

Went to Towne and had the WORST bloody mary of my entire life.  I chalk it up to a bad bartender but wow.   Let’s hope they have a Bloody Mary 101 going on this week!

Had some great service from waitresses at McGreevy’s watching the football games, granted there wasn’t a lot of people in there but we never had an empty drink sit!  Had some very spicy Buffalo wings and a ton of Bud Lights

Also had great service at Lir for the later games.  Great people watching as the people who were day drinking were slowing down, classic.  Had a great BBQ chicken pizza and some great Guinness pours!

Went to the Butcher Shop on Sunday and had a fantastic spicy tomato soup paired with a grilled cheese.  Order this up if you are in the South End!

So it’s been a little while but I’m back on the horse.  In the true spirit of Blake’s Takes original intent, this episode took me to an area of Boston that in 6 years, I’ve been to maybe 3 times and always just driving through. This little corner of the world is known as Jamaica Plain.  I found a few theories as to where the name “Jamaica Plain” originated and none of them were very nice.  They ranged from some English guy who ran out on his wife to the slave trade so I’m going with the one that basically boils down to the people of colonial Boston friggin’ LOVED their rum.  Very fitting.  I rolled with some friends who know the area this night and figured only good things could come from it.  Considering I had just taken a bath on the Breeder’s Cup I was up for a 180° and having a great night.

 Stop one was the Brendan Behan on Centre Street.  Great Irish bar with a great pint of Guinness (thanks for taking your time with the pour!) and your expected JP hipsters with one amazingly awesome curveball.  This place is DOG FRIENDLY!!!!  I hope I’m not blowing up their spot with the health department or anything but everyone needs to know about this.  They are totally, completely, and 100% dog friendly.  Mans best four legged friend meets his other best friend that comes in 16oz form.  I guess if you hate dogs, hate drinking or for some unfathomable reason hate drinking with dogs this isn’t your sort of place but I thought it ruled.  “Hey, how do I make this great Irish bar better?  I know, let people bring their dogs!!!”  You get a great atmosphere, well poured Guinness, and friendly dogs all over the place.  Next time your friend with the dog says they can’t go because of Fido, bring them here!  Props to the little white dog humping everything in sight.  Pure entertainment.  Check this place out, you won’t be disappointed.  Leave your cat at home.  Why aren’t there any cat bars?  Because cats suck and everyone knows it.

Next our travels took us the Galway House also on Centre Street.  This place was very cool.  Think great Boston style Irish pub meets South Shore family restaurant.  Our waitress ruled and I regret not getting her name.  40 something waitresses who refer to everyone at the table as “Sweetie” or “Hun” are A-OK in this guys book.  Classic Massachusetts pub grub with a homemade feel, cheap prices, and fast and fun service made all the better with cheap, cold beer.  What made a lot of this experience great was Sean saying that he’s walked by it a bunch of time and was afraid to go in because it looked sketchy from the outside.  To be fair it did look sketchy from the outside but this probably just helps keep it the secret gem it is.  Definitely looked like a local type place.  Get the onion rings and the cheeseburger club.  Each plate comes with an entire apple as a side.  Genius.

Stop number 3 was considerably more difficult walk but only because the 10 of us were now sufficiently buzzed and that walk brought us to Costello’s Tavern on yes, Centre Street.  Apparently EVERYTHING in JP is on Centre and that only makes an impromptu pub crawl that much easier.  We didn’t spend all that much time here, just a few beers but well worth it.  Most of what I remember is 3 girls comparing wedding/engagement rings all telling each other how great the other girls’ rings were all the while secretly critiquing the rings or looking at them with contempt and jealousy.  Don’t worry TK, yours is the best and they those chicks knew it!  The place wasn’t all that crowded so it was tough to get a good feel for the place but I would definitely go back.  Its right along the trail to a bunch of other places no matter which way you’re coming from and the atmosphere was cool.  I’ll have to make another trip to this one, get rightly soused and revisit the topic.  Costello’s definitely at least earned that.                                            

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that…” -Jerry Seinfeld

The final stop of the night was The Jeanie Johnston which may or may not have been a lesbian bar but definitely had karaoke going on that night.  Now I was pretty well done up at this point and maybe that helped but the joint was rocking!  No kidding, this place was great!  People were straight killing it on the mic and they had Big Buck Hunter.  What else do I need to say other than that I have a whole different group of friends that would run things here.  You know who you are….

Well that whirlwind tour was my first real experience in JP and it didn’t disappoint.  I’m definitely going to make getting back out there a priority because we barely scratched the surface.  I probably had the same preconceived notions about the area but ditch the prejudice and start pounding the pavement.  Tons of great bars and restaurants and everything is walking distance.  Get some peeps together, start hoofing it and good things are bound to happen.  I’m not gonna lie.  There was one more stop at some pretty cool spot with a fireplace and as I’m sitting and writing this I can’t for the life of me remember what it is but I’m gonna find out and give it it’s due props!  And sorry to Sean who I called trying to find the name and obviously woke up.  You’re a good friend.  No WAY would I have answered…

The Kells spot is now a distant memory in the minds of Allston bar flies.  Tavern in the Square will open it’s 4th location in October.  After walking by the spot yesterday, you can expect a great venue to grab beers, watch games, and apparently hop up onto the roofdeck and enjoy some views of the city (this cannot be confirmed yet).  Check back to see when it will be open!

Tavern in the Square, 161 Brighton Ave, Allston http://taverninthesquare.com/tavallston/content/home

Jerry Remy’s sports bar will attempt to double the occupancy today and ask the licensing board for a roof deckon top of their Fenway location.  According to Grub Street, City Hall and the Boston Redevelopment Authority oppose the expansion citing, “The city’s zoning code does not allow separate bar areas with standing room without dining”.  Looks like the Baseball Tavern will still be it for roof top drinking near Fenway…

Grub Street article http://boston.grubstreet.com/2010/11/jerry_remys_plans_to_double_do.html

According to Grubstreet and The Herald, a pop-up restaurant will open up inside furniture store Mohr + McPherson on 11/12 and 11/13.  It will begin with hors d’oeuvres passed around at 7pm followed by a 5 course meal at 7:30. 

Course one: black truffle and pistachio sausage with parsnip puree and turnip

Course two: marinated and grilled squir salad with bitter greens and sherry vinaigrette

Course three: roasted squash soup with brown butter, marjoram and smoked pepper

Main course: local cod wrapped in speck with thyme-infused potatoes and romeso sauce

Dessert: honey and lavender panna cotta with almond crumble and luxardo foam

Tickets http://eatatmandm.eventbrite.com/  Herald article http://bostonherald.com/blogs/lifestyle/fork_lift/?p=2185

Mohr + McPherson, 460 Harrison, South End, 617.210.7900

Yep, that’s what is happening in Brookline.  Cognac Bistro has opened in what use to be a gas station on Harvard St in Brookline.  This was the old B. Good spot that never quite caught on. You will notice the garage doors and concrete floors that use to house plenty of vehicles in its day….now it will house some great steaks, wines, and of course some top shelf Cognac.  A great spot for all you Coolidge Corner folk…enjoy!

Cognac Bistro, 455 Harvard St, Brookline, 617.232.5800

 2010 HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA WEEKEND

So where do I begin.  Episode 3 is going to cover the entire weekend surround the 2010 Head of the Charles Regatta.  I’ve looking forward to this for a long time so I tried to give it my all and get a nice well rounded experience and I have to say I feel like I accomplished my mission.  I’m pretty much going to try to cover 48 hour period starting late Friday night through Sunday night as efficiently because there’s a lot to cover so here goes nothing.

Friday  11:14PM (Late Start)  Got a call from a friend to be at Big City in Allston.  Covered that last week so I won’t go into that again.  Ended up at the Draft on Harvard Ave.  That place is a tragedy waiting to happen.  Literally defied the laws of physics with how many people they fit in there.  That spot has become the place to be but it’s lost on me as to why.  Hope you don’t like getting drinks when you go to a bar because you’re not getting one here.  

Saturday 1:38AM  Couldn’t get out of that place soon enough.   Nearly had a panic attack in there.  The Draft isn’t all bad though.  Check out during the day.  Good, cheap burgers

12:17 PM  Time to get down to the river for the HOTC.  Flask in tow I had great expectations for people watching and was not let down.  I’m amazed that some people are allowed to leave the house on their own.  Shout out to Val for killing it in her race.  Good job kid.  Also saw an extraordinary number of gingers there.  Weird

1:39PM  With no fewer than 10,138 prominent landmarks at this thing, still couldn’t find some friends we were looking for and they had a mini dachshund dressed like a yellow submarine.  “Meet me at the bridge”.  Thanks dude…

1:43PM  Watched little kid pour 2 sugar packets on top of his Boston Cream Donut.  Power move.

2:46PM  Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square for burgers and beers.  Great place, go there.  Think the waitress hated us but I’m pretty sure she was also ruthlessly hungover so she gets pass.  Proceed to yell “Brett!!! You’re a F$@&ing idiot!” when is saw a buddy.  He was having lunch with his girlfriend’s parents who he was just meeting for the first time. 

4:48PM  Meet up with the same friends who lured me to the Draft the night before and head to John Harvard’s Brew House on Dunster.  Get the Spiced Ale, pretty damn good.  Tastes like Halloween and Christmas had a kid.

6:29PM  Took the T for the first time in over a year.  Lived in Boston going on 6 years now and I still don’t really know what I’m doing.  Flask came in handy

8:11PM  Ended up in an apartment that had a painting of a cow who looked like Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort

8:29PM  Girl I was with pulled a half eaten burrito out of her bag that I convinced her she would be stoked about when she remembered putting it in there 3 hours ago.  She was.  Your welcome, Lora

9:36PM  Ended up at the Sevens Ale House on Charles Street.  First Black o’ Lantern of the season.  Only had Shipyard Pumpkin in a bottle so it cost about $89.50 for 5 but totally worth it.  Played darts with a Phillies fan (Sorry bro).  Great place so definitely check this one out.  Digital scoreboard for darts in case you’re the short bus type

Sunday

1:19AM  Head out of Beacon Hill.  If you don’t hangout in this area, get down there.  Everything is walking distance and there some great places.  It’s historic too.  Broaden your horizons and get some culture in your life

7:30AM  Alarm goes off.  Figure I’ll get an extra 20 minutes of sleep

11:17AM  Actually wake up

11:53AM  Actually get out of bed

2:13PM  Head to Tavern in the Square in Central for some football.  Got yelled at for seating ourselves.  Walked back to the hostess, stood there for 5 minutes, taken right back to the same table.  Go figure.  All the Tavern’s are great though, good TV’s, plenty of beers and they have fried pickles…hoping the one in Allston opens sometime before 2011

3:45PM  Finally end up at the Brighton Beer Garden for the Pats game and they were great.  Had a bunch of people and our waitress was mint.  Wish I knew her name because she deserves a shout out.  She made sure there was never an empty glass on the table.  Had a bet trying to place her accent (Upstate NY) but Erin is cheat and a liar and sandbagged me while I was in the bathroom but just asking her.  Very sporting Erin, you’re all about the fair play.   BBG is solid and they’re getting a big Blake’s Takes thumbs up.  Awesome place to watch a game, big menu, great food and awesome staff so get there if you’re not in the know

8:23 on Hilarity most definitely ensued

Honorable Mentions

Keddy -  for being the only one to agree with me that the Draft sucked

Sean– for saying “Huevos Rancheros” more times in one afternoon than I’ve heard in a year

Nachos – just for being yourself

Ben, Amy and Sarah – You guys know how to have a good time.  I’ll never think of 9pm – 10pm the same way ever again

This took a lot of work…and a LOT of drinks.  Here are our picks for best hotel bars.  The criteria was that it had to be a destination that you would go for a drink, not necessarily for the food.  Tough job but someone had to do it…:) In no particular order (except for #1)

1. Bar 10, Westin Copley, 10 Huntington, This place is what EVERY hotel bar should be like, cool, sleek, big bar area, healthy pours, and you don’t feel like it’s too much of a scene.  Enjoyed by all and has that hotel feel.  Please bring back the hummus plate Bar 10, we miss ithttp://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/dining/index.html?propertyID=1035

2. Cuffs, Back Bay Hotel (formerly Jury’s), 154 Berkeley, Here is another example of an unpretentious hotel bar, all types of people, great bar and bar seats, big outdoor patio to eat and drink (gets great sun in the day), cozy in the winter with a gas stone fireplace to sit near, ultra clean bathrooms, a ton of fun!http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/boston_hotels/the_back_bay_hotel/eat__drink/restaurant__bar.aspx

3. Jer-ne, Ritz Carlton, 10 Avery St, great bar, really friendly bartenders, a great burger, great sidecars, and a perfect location right off the Boston Common, the lobby has a champagne bar set up during the evenings, we miss seeing Manny look clueless out front…or do we? http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/BostonCommon/Dining/JER-NERestaurantBar/Default.htm

4. Bristol Lounge, Four Seasons, 200 Boylston, place is the perfect example of old money, power lunches, and the beauty of a high class hotel.  Views of the park and the well heeled. Great after work scene, comfy leather chairs and couches, let’s hope this plays stays forever. http://www.fourseasons.com/boston/dining/the_bristol_lounge/

5. City Bar, Lenox Hotel, 61 Exeter, sort of like a mini-club without loud music, very sleek with couches, tables, and a decent sized bar. Really cool illuminated bar bottles and always PLENTY of people, always a line on Saturday, good for a single looking to talk to the city singles.  http://www.citybarboston.com/citybarboston/

6. Noir, Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St Cambridge, if you haven’t been to the Charles Hotel you should, it is very nice, rumor has it they have the most comfortable beds in the city…great bar with a patio and a bar outside, they have happy hour prices for food and drinks, you will pay Boston prices but it is worth it. http://www.noir-bar.com/

7. M Bar, Mandarin Hotel, 776 Boyslton, Ultra trendy Hotel offers an ultra trendy bar, windows look at at busy Boylston St, horseshoe shaped bar, a ton of seats, and a ton of good looking people, hint: in the winter bring your drink out into the lobby and sit right in front of the fireplace. http://www.mandarinoriental.com/boston/dining/m_bar/

8. Alibi/The Yard, Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St, Alibi is a jail-themed hot spot that has a huge outdoor patio in the summer with couches and tables, The Yard just opened up and has drinks and a bar open until late evening, we just checked out Yappier Hour and it is a great space, all open air.  The rotunda lobby opens up Thu-Sat for drinks and a Champagne bar…a lot goin on over there, just the way we like it http://www.libertyhotel.com/food_and_drink/alibi_room.html

9. Oak Bar, Fairmont Copley, 138 St James Ave, a great dark-wood bar that looks like a throwback to the old money of Britain, they will make any martini you want and they are VERY good, live entertainment Wed-Sun starting at 8, a great place to impress your date http://www.theoakroom.com/oakbar/

10 RumBa, Intercontinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Ave, real cool Champagne and Rum bar on the Waterfront, bar is circular to encourage chit chatting, friendly bartenders, a bit of an older crowd but a great scene all weekend, a bit lacking in the wine selection though…http://www.intercontinentalboston.com/html/boston-bars.asp#top2

Other great places: Market at the new W, Bond at the Langham, Woodward at the Ames hotel, bar at the Taj Hotel, Charlesmark Hotel bar, Minibar at the Copley Hotel, many more, let us know your favs!

The Met Back Bay finally opened this week and by the looks of it, this place should be a great stop after a long day of shopping on Newbury.  Two floors of drinking and eating with a private top floor for those bold enough to buy a membership.  They will specialize in huge cocktails using freshly cut ice from a block, a fine cheese and ham bar, plenty of table and bar seats, and floor to ceiling views of Newbury St.  Check it out this week!

Urban Daddy slide show  http://bit.ly/bHq1B0

Met Back Bay, 279 Dartmouth St (the old Joe’s)

So, I’m going to start off by saying that this installment of Blake’s Takes is going to be a little on the biased side but it’s my blog and well, I can do whatever I want.  Biased or not, I still think that something worth while can be taken from it so read on.  At worst, you’re getting an insight on a place where I have my name engraved on a plaque on a stool and my own mug so if anything, my opinion carries some weight on the sheer man hours I’ve spent in this place alone.

Episode 2 takes us to Big City in quaint and charming Allston Village.  I started hanging out at this place just over 5 years ago out of nothing more than convenience as it was a stones throw from place of actual work.  One thing led to another and as anyone who’s a regular anywhere it just sort of happens.  Other people might not get why that’s your spot but you know and that’s all that matters.  Maybe it’s the drinks, the atmosphere, or the people but for whatever reason, you feel at home.  For me and Big City it was all of the above and I’m lucky enough to now be able to call some of the current and former employees great friends.  Now on to the meat of the subject matter.

 1. Check this place out if for no other reason than the beer selection.  80+ beers on tap, a ton of bottles and the menu changes regularly so it will keep you on your toes.  The beers fresh and the bartenders know what they’re talking about so don’t be afraid to ask for their recommendations.  If you can’t find a beer here that you want to drink you’re one of those insufferable beer nerds and I hate you.

 2. The staff is pretty awesome (depending on your definition of awesome).  For real, some of them, past and present, have become really good friends of mine. Be good to them and they’ll be good to you (probably).  I’m also inherently evil as are most of them so they’re right up my alley.  If you’re one of those people always thinking things you’re really not supposed to say, you can say it to them.  One in particular, we’ll call her Schmerin Schmundy, is particularly twisted but in a totally good way.  Also, I’m going to be giving out one digit of her phone number each week so you can give her a call.  She’ll dig it. 

 3.  The manager has an epic mustache.

 4.  They let me do pretty much whatever I want.  Seriously, I’ve tried to get myself kicked out of this place just as a social experiment and I’ve failed miserably every time (Disclaimer:  this is not an invitation for you to go there and do whatever you want.  I’m special and they like me a bunch)

That pretty much sums up my love affair with this place.  That and the fact that for Allston, you’re going to get a slightly different crowd than some of the other places in the area.  That’s not a knock to the college kids.  That’s me accepting the fact that I feel really old White Horse, the Avenue, the Draft and the like.  Oh yeah, check out trivia with Morgan White on Thursday nights. Nothing like your regular bar trivia and the more you drink the more fun it gets.  Check it out as a chill place to drink some really good beer and they’ve got a bunch of pool and foosball tables too.  However, word on the street is that this place is changing up their image to so get in there and see it in all its glory before it’s gone.

 P.S.     Head of the Charles is this weekend and I have almost unattainably high hopes for its blog-worthiness.  I’ll have a flask.  Look for me and One Eyed Willy commanding the Inferno and wreaking havoc on anyone interfering with my roommates girlfriends race.

Big City, 138 Brighton Ave, Allston, www.allstonsfinest.com