Tuesday, December 1, 2009

My Top Ten Bars around Boston (winter edition with a beer slant)

It’s getting towards the end of the year; a time when writers everywhere are being pestered by their editors to come up with various "best-of" lists. Why provide real content when you can pull a list out of your ass, right?

So here’s my top ten list of bars in Boston – in no particular order and for no obvious reason. Simply put – these are some of my favorite bars. Maybe not the finest and certainly not the fanciest, but they have all found a special place in my beer drenched heart.

Redbones. Located in Davis Square this bbq joint has reasonably priced grub, two bars, and a stellar beer list (and usually one cask beer). I know it’s a cheesy and worn out description, but these old red bones have “character”. It’s a place that has evolved over time, a place where the crazy crap on the walls covers the old crazy crap from twenty years ago. A detail oriented interior designer would probably have a seizure upon first glance of the bar's interior. The eclectic mix of patrons and friendly service keeps me coming back to Redbones long after I moved away from the neighborhood. Redbones' most unique feature: bicycle valet parking. How's that for goin' green?!?! Character, eclectic, bicycles, bbq – I miss living in Davis Square...

Delux. Oh oh – I might have to use the word eclectic again. But really, I mean it this time – the Delux has a shrine to Elvis for chrissakes. It’s also home to the smallest restaurant kitchen I've ever seen. I’m not talking chicken salad sandwiches and chili - I’ve chomped on everything from plump juicy pork chops to tilapia drenched in a mesmerizing tropical sauce. The friggin’ mango salsa with homemade pita chips is a must starter. All this is performed in a closet sized kitchen with four burners and not much else. If you’re allergic to hipsters, tattoo’s and dudes who wear tight pants you might want to slum elsewhere – otherwise pull your ass-crack up to the bar and order a Schlitz tall boy in a can.

James Gate. It makes my list for a very particular reason; a rip-roaring fireplace. It does have other fine attributes mind you, but fire is the reason I plant myself here several times during the winter. This is a bona fide wood burning fireplace where you can walk up, throw down a log and stoke it yourself. This is not some ornate Back Bay gas hole. The Gate is an Irish Bar complete with fresh Guinness (duh) and a few actual Irish people hanging about. Their Bangers and Mashed is my favorite in all of Boston. The barroom is dark and gritty with inviting tables and benches that look like they were chiseled by hand. Bonus points if you’re a lesbian or with one.

Charlie’s Kitchen. These guys make the list because of their jukebox. I despise those top 40 Internet jukeboxes with every Nickelback song ever – god damned good for nuthin' Canadians. Charlie’s jukebox is dominated by local bands, most of which have played this room on a Monday night; their only night for live music. Charlie’s has recently expanded by building out a quaint little patio out back (um, beer garden). With gentrification zombies taking over Harvard Square, Charlie’s stands tall while defending their old school honor.

Grendel’s Den. This is another gentrification killer of Harvard Square. The first time I popped in here 20 years ago they didn’t even ask for my fake i.d. Sweet. Not much has changed since then – hell, it almost seems like the prices are about the same. One a recent visit here I had a perfect dirty vodka martini for $7.50. The bartended did not shake my libation into submission like you see all too often; he agitated it with gentle lovingness. My girlfriend had a spectacular Manhattan style drink for around $8, and then a glass of Chardonnay for $5. And get this – everything on the menu is half price from 5-7pm every day! It’s one of the few places where you’ll find Harvard professors chatting up street musicians. Grendel’s is another fine winter hidey hole, with about five hot/mulled “adult” drinks on the menu. Sweet.

Plough and Stars: Ahh yes…the memories run deep here. From squeezing past Mark Sandman from the band Morphine on route to the bathroom to dancing my ass off to the Ray Corvair Trio. Well, more like jumping up and down in place like a spaz. The Plough is nothing less than legendary. Freaks, the maladjusted, retarded geniuses, poet laureates – ya’ll are welcome here. Don’t make me use the word eclectic again. By the way – this pub has been killin’ it with the food the last couple years. It’s been a while since I’ve strapped on the feed bag here, but I remember other-wordly duck confit and heavenly cheesy grits (might have been two different meals though). Either way – good stuff abounds here my friends.

Cambridge Brewing Company. Yep – it’s a brew pub. And I’ve yet to find one anywhere in the country that makes me happier. There will always be something that resonates with me when the dank sweet smell of hops permeates a room. Maybe in a past life I was a monk who ran an ale house in medieval Europe. I will admit that not every brew I try at CBC is acceptable to my palette. But I keep trying, and I keep learning, and I keep coming back. I’m not a fan of fruit beer, but their Great Pumpkin Ale is like a cold mellow slice of grandma’s pie (and less filling). They have a solid menu for a brew pub with a variety of seasonal dishes that incorporate local produce. Fresh beer, fresh food…mmm, mmm good.

Publick House: Do not call the Publick House an Irish Bar. Never ever do that. It actually used to be called Anam Cara, but I think the owner had an aneurysm after he heard the words Irish Bar muttered one too many times under his roof. Not only did he change the name, but he expanded and added a new section called the Monk Cell which only serves Belgian Beers. It’s a great little back room that envelops you in dark wood and a sky of glassware. This is considered one of the top beer bars in the country, and probably the best Belgian beer bar to be found outside of, well...Belgium. They also specialize in adding beer to their dishes – such as the stout-marinated hanger steak. If you’re a beer guy/geek/aficionado – the Publick house is now your Valhalla. Embrace the funk (of beer).

Middle East: It’s a restaurant, it’s a bar, it’s a nightclub – it’s off the hook, yo! Swoosh in for a falafel sandwich, swagger up to the bar for a jack and coke and end the night watching a band or trying to get digits from that hipster hottie looking all cool in the corner. Lot’s of action going on under one roof here. There’s a main stage downstairs, a medium stage upstairs, free music in the “bakery” and usually DJ’s in Zuzu (which is more of a cocktail lounge). All these spaces share the same kitchen and owners. Cover charges vary from night to night, but it’s not unusual for a dozen or more bands to be rattling the rafters on any given night – from hardcore to hippie. And if you stay until closing time, do check out the drunken shenanigans and hook-ups at Hi-Fi Pizza right across the street. Good times.

Green Street: It may not look fancy from the outside, but don’t let that fool you - this is middle upper low upscale dining. Green Street’s cocktail menu is as extensive and informative as a Farmer’s Almanac. Their liquid concoctions consist of classics like the Moscow Mule to sweet and fruity variations like the Parisian Orchid (with elderflower). The kitchen’s been through some twists and turns with their chefs the past few years – the old Caribbean fusion flavors that first made me a regular have been replaced with creative American, whatever. But any place that serves a fried food of the week is okay in my book (er, blog).

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