Saturday, April 18, 2009

Red Sox on Patriots Day – Life is Good.

Ah yes….there is nothing like an 11:30am start to an April Red Sox game in Fenway Park. Damn right it’s gonna be cold, but at least I’m not running in from Hopkinton like the 50,000 people partaking in the Boston Marathon. The starting gun for the Marathoners blasts off at 10am – I imagine that’s when we’re going to start drinking.

I have to be honest – I’m not going to be cold. I’m going to be sharing a luxury box with 20 other people that we scored at half price. And it comes with all the free beer we can weasel down our collective esophagi. This is all new territory for me – I’ve sat just about everywhere in Fenway except the luxury and monster seats. And with beers topping $7 inside the park you can bet that my buddies and I have our normal watering holes on route to the park.

Here’s a little secret that I hate/have to share: the best place to park is the garage on Dalton Street. Trust me. And it just so happens that the Bukowski Tavern is on the bottom floor. Buk’s is known as a beer bar, I’m a beer guy, and what else would you drink before, during and after a baseball game. Buk’s usually has a couple of my current craft beer draft favorites: Sixpoint, Southern Tier, Mayflower, Green Flash, Troegs, etc. The craft beers are “city prices” – pints usually start around $6 and go up from there. Some of the higher abv (alcohol by volume) beers might be served in 10, 12 or 14 ounce glasses. Any bona fide beer snob who appreciates a good pour in the proper glassware will find plenty of bottled Belgian beers served in goblet or flute form. The affordable food prices bring everything back down to earth – a hotdog and fries is $4. Cheddar cheeseburger with mashed or fires - $8.

If the quest for vittles is from sea rather than land, the Summer Shack shares the bottom floor of the garage with Buk’s. It’s not exactly a chain, it’s not exactly mediocre, it’s neither cheap nor expensive – but if you’re jonesin’ for a fried mollusk it’ll do nicely.

Speaking of fried seafood - The Baseball Tavern was a legendary dive bar on Boylston Street that’s still on Boylston but can no longer live under the “dive” moniker. They took over an old nightclub with a roof deck and a stage for bands in the basement. And here’s the rub – they serve the biggest, fattest plate o’ fried clams in the city! FYI - this is Boylston behind Fenway, not the Back Bay Bolyston that’s a pink hat cluster fuck.

Here’s a quick list of places where the lines are as long to get in as they are to get a drink – but you might meet a cute chica: Cask and Flagon, Jillian’s (and everything else on Lansdowne), Who’s On First, Game On and Copperfield’s. And as with all great places that feature jocks, cute girls and booze – you can probably get in a fight too.

One of my favorite places in all of Boston is Eastern Standard. It’s smack dab in the middle of Kenmore Square in the Commonwealth Hotel – but this is soft leather chair / martini bar territory and it will have to wait for another blog. There’s a beer theme going on here, which brings me to Boston Beer Works. This is a brewpub – please don’t order a Bud Lite here people. It’s embarrassing for everyone involved. This cavernous pub has had it’s ups and downs, but the current brew-master seems to be on the right track. The IPA is sweet and hoppy with a thick foamy head, very drinkable and void of a bitter finish. The menu is extensive – mounds of nachos and a variety of flavored chicken offerings await. It’s right across from the park, so expect to wait in line on game day.

Bukowski’s sister location, the Lower Depths, is located on Comm Ave. just outside of Kenmore Sq. and it features 40’s. Of beer that is. In big brown bags and all, ya’ll. They also have an extensive craft beer menu (ala Buk’s) and cheap hot dogs.

What have I forgot – how about an Irish Bar? An Tua Nua is over on Brookline Street and they will proudly serve you a perfect pint of Guinness. Tua has some crazy popular dance and DJ nights, and the crowds here before a Sox game are definitely more diverse than other bars in the neighborhood. And finally – across the street is Audubon Circle. It’s all modern and fancy with sleek lines and minimalism with a down-tempo soundtrack, but they sure make a fine burger. It’s been called the best in the city, but I wouldn’t go that far. AC is also good for a mojito or a kiwi-cucumber gimlet – if that’s your thing.

Oh, by the way. Enjoy the game!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Let's go to Foley's for a Drink

I don’t have a “Norm” type bar where everyone knows my name ala Cheers. That’s probably a good thing. Although, JJ Foley’s in Boston’s South End is where my work compadres and I roll after work – and sometimes during work (we’re dedicated patrons). To use an over-used but appropriate term this place is “old school.” The bartenders wear crisp white dress shirts with ties and call patrons sir, even if they might not qualify. All the historic crazy crap on the walls documenting Boston’s political history, that looks like it’s been there for 100 years, probably has (Foley’s turns 100 this year – Happy Birthday!). When it was respectable for a politician to have a drink and discuss politics (crazy, huh) Foley’s was the place to hop on your soapbox with a Guinness in hand. I’ve chatted up ex-mayor Ray Flynn a few times at the bar. What with all the political correctness in the world today, sadly it now seems a politician can only go to a bar if it’s a media related event (or if he's retired). How pathetic considering that the American Revolution was instigated in the taverns of Massachusetts. The first murmurs of revolt were lubricated with rum doled out by Massachusetts publicans. Why does everyone hate the freedom! But I digress.

Foley’s recently expanded and added a kitchen. The old bar side doesn’t have barstools, a feature that I adore. Patrons stand at the bar or go and sit at one of the tables along the wall. I sit on my butt all day and don’t need a stool to enjoy an IPA. This provides unfettered access to the bartender and a more social environment where real estate along the bar belongs to all.

The new side does have barstools; let’s call it the restaurant side. Food can be purchased in the old side, but I just can’t get used to eating over there. It’s like ordering a lobster roll at Fenway Park instead of a hotdog. I’m a traditionalist, when it works for me. The food can be described as better than average pub grub with an eye on the old country (did I mention that Foley’s is an Irish bar). Corned beef (in March at least), shepherds pie, fish and chips – no surprises here. Although I’d bet that your average person in Ireland eats ten times more Indian and fast food than corned beef. The Foley’s burger is solid; the pizza is decent as are the wings and other appetizers - and it’s all affordable. Burger is $8. Steak tips are $11.50.

Foley’s is as good a place to put a little food in the belly to start the night as it is for last call. With a 2am liquor license and easy to find parking (at 1am), Foley’s can go from stone-dead to raging in a matter 30 minutes. By 1:30am or so things can get a little freaky, but I’ll save some of those stories for another time.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to my observational post on drinking establishments. Call it a bar, pub, tavern, dive, tap-house, lounge, watering hole or whatever fills your mug. I’ll even include restaurants who take their bar patrons seriously. I live and work in the Boston area and I’ve tipped a few back ‘round these parts - from last call at Murphy’s Law to martini’s and oysters at Eastern Standard. My whims and desires change like the weather around here – some days I just want a beer and to catch some sports. If I’m with my girlfriend we’re probably on the hunt for a nice glass of wine and some creative appetizers, tapas or a raw bar. If I’m with friends from out of town I’ll bring them to a spot like the Barking Crab for a beer on their outdoor deck with a sweet view of downtown (and smash a lobster with a rock). You get the point – different bars for various occasions: burger and beer, live music with a Jack and Coke, scotch while people watching. I have many needs and you’ll read about all of them here (eventually).