A Niece Night for Davis

Tonight I took my sister's 3 daughters into Davis Square to 'Hang Out with Food', and show them a few of my regular haunts.

After a swift, little-traffic drive down Route 2, we had dinner at The Burren (because who doesn't love Guinness and live music?). Celia and I each had a Burren Burger (the thick cut fries were amazing), and the twins (Helena & Georgia) split a Margarita Flatbread Pizza and a basket of sweet potato fries. Plus beers all around. We hung out there for about 90 minutes and then headed off for my next planned destination.

Sadly, for some reason, Saloon was closed.

So we backtracked a bit and went to The Foundry instead. With its red leather booths beyond the main bar, exotic lighting, and being not very crowded, it was a worthy alternative to Saloon, with a similar drinks menu. The girls were all enamored with the selection and the ambiance, and it was cool to have them see one of the newer hang outs of the Not Lame Minus crew. They each tried something different (for their first round - I was the driver), and I, not being a big spirits drinker, chose a Velvet Crush (rum, spiced pear, lemon, velvet falernum, and amaretto) which was very good, and I'd definitely have again. Another 90 minute hang out there, and then it was a walk back to the Red Line, back in the car, and amazingly, home by ten.

SUCH a fun night, with three of my favorite people! I'm sure we will do something similar sometime soon...

Friday Night on Elm Street

Time for another Not Lame Minus Boston area adventure...

I drove to Alewife, parked and zipped into Davis Square on the Red Line. Then I grabbed two seats at Elm Street Taproom's bar, ordered a decent A Little Rain IPA from Small Change Brewing Company, and waited for Brian's arrival. We got dinner: I had the Double Skinny Burger and waffle fries, and he got a BBQ Chicken Sandwich to go along with his Old Fashioned. I had another beer, and around 7:00 we headed out to find another place to hang out until Gavin could meet us around 9:00 pm.

We crossed the street to go to The Burren, but it was packed, so we walked a few feet to Sligo instead. Upon entering, I recognized it for the same dive bar I'd patronized years ago (and disliked greatly). However, as an in-between stop for one round, it was fine. Brian bought the round: a Guinness for himself and a serviceable Harpoon IPA for me. An hour passed with a decent soundtrack, the Red Sox and Celtics both playing on the televisions, and the typical smells and sounds of a dive.

We were going to meet Gavin at Saloon, a favorite destination of recent years, but the wait for a table was over an hour, so we opted for The Foundry instead, where we immediately were shown to a booth even without our full party present. Brian got another Old Fashioned (which was better than the one he'd had earlier), and I decided to try a fancy drink myself. I opted for the Float Downstream, a tequila-based drink containing mango, pineapple and turmeric, with a 'tajin rim', whatever that was. The drink was surprisingly good. The tajin rim was not. So I drank from the other side of the glass. When Gavin arrived he also got an Old Fashioned, and when we ordered food, he got wings with some odd maple BBQ sauce, and I had the fish and chips (very good!). At around 11:45 as a group we decided to call it an evening, though Brian wanted to keep the revels going.

Another fun night in the books, with plans to meet up again in a few weeks...

A Gathering...

A couple of weeks ago Gavin called me and Brian to let us know that the Harvard Square location of John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House was closing its doors for good.

The three of us have spent many fun evenings at this location, either specifically to hang out, or as a precursor to a pub crawl, a Red Sox game, or other varied Boston-area activities; and also in various combinations with many other friends. I can't recall the first time I ate here or had a beer, but it's been close to two decades of patronage. At any rate, tonight was the place's final night, so we gathered.

It was my day off, so after a side trip to Blue Bottle Coffee on Bow Street, and an hour of people-watching from the stoop of the Harvard Lampoon, I arrived at JH, and parked myself at the bar with a beer to wait for the others.

I snagged a Road 2 Ruin Double IPA from Two Roads Brewing Co. out of Stratford, CT. A delicious, yet not too smart choice, as I forgot it was a double IPA, and drank it rather quickly! About 30 minutes later Brian arrived, and Gavin was so hot on his heels, that he was literally right behind him as he sat down. We grabbed a table instead, and the festivities began. We all caught up with our lives (Gavin's daughter Indigo is already 3 years old; Brian flew to Boston from work - too freaking cool; I bought a new car a few weeks ago; etc...) over beers and appetizers (I had a much milder Spyhopper IPA - very good, and excellent fried calamari).

For the main meal I had the last Dunster Burger I'll ever enjoy. They are the best. A half pound black angus burger with the following: whiskey barbeque sauce, smoked gouda cheese, bacon, a fat fried onion ring, lettuce, tomato and pickles - ridiculously good! I wound up having only that one beer with the meal because I wanted to really enjoy it. And I did.


The others each had one more beer as we took our time on this final night. We were very fortunate to be able to spend one last time at such a great place. And we lucked out with a friendly and gorgeous waitress, which always adds a nice aspect to a good meal.

After settling the bill, Brian & I were able to talk Gavin into a quick jaunt over to Davis Square to track down a place we'd been to before, a basement bar called Saloon. It's a speakeasy-ish place marked by a very unassuming sign, and is very classy. I'm not a hard liquor fan, or much of a cocktail drinker, but back in September of 2013 I had a fantastic rum drink here. I can't remember the name, and sadly it's no longer on the menu. Which is a shame. For the Tree to Nine (Prizefight Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, Heering Cherry liqueur, orange bitters) I chose this time around was horrible, though Brian seemed to enjoy both his and mine (haha). Gavin had a Guinness, which I teased him for. Who knew that it would wind up being the better choice compared to the one I had?

Anyway, we headed back up the stairs to street level, said our good-byes (with a promise to do it again real soon), and faded into various parts of the night, Gavin in his car, and Brian & I hopping on the Red Line in opposite directions. I can't wait to do it again, some other time, somewhere else...

Paperwhite

Old chum Erik & I each made the trek from our respective homes to Boston Sunday night to catch the Paperwhite show at Great Scott. We met at Alewife and hopped on the Red Line to Davis Square for a great pre-show dinner at old haunt The Burren. They had their usual Sunday night Irish music going on in the front room as I had an amazing ½ pound Burren Burger with cheddar, bacon & mushrooms, and some awesome thick-cut fries, along with a Harp Lager to wash it down. It was fantastic to be back in a bar that I've spent so many great nights out with friends from as far back as 1996, when it first opened.

Then it was back on the Red Line to Park Street Station, with a switch to a B-train on the Green Line to Harvard Street, and Great Scott. The opening act, Iyves went on first, and while she had a strong voice, her songs were too slowly-paced and not very energetic for the most part. Super-nice girl though. I'm glad I had a few Lagunitas IPAs to make it better (haha). Then it was time for the headliner! Wow. Katie Marshall, the singer had such a great voice, super high-energy, and it was so great to hear all of the songs I've been obsessing over for the last few weeks in person! They played a set that felt way too short, but at least I got to hear "Only Us" at the end, followed by an encore of "Unstoppable". I can't believe the tickets were only ten bucks. I am so glad I had that whim, and sprung for them back in January. A fine time had by all...

Cambridge & Somerville Nights

Last night all five (Brian, Gavin, Jay, Rob and I) Not Lame Minus guys got together in the Boston area for dinner and a few beers...

I hopped in my car at 4:35, sped north up 495, banged a right onto Route 2 East, and pulled into Alewife around 5:30. Then, one quick Charlie Card charge-up & a short Red Line ride to Harvard Square found me on a bar stool next to Jay at John Harvard's Brewhouse.

I had one of their house Pale Ales (which is always good), and then on Jay's recommendation I tried the cask conditioned session ale they were featuring. A session ale is one that has a lower alcohol content so as to be fully experienced and enjoyed over a leisurely evening. This particular beer tasted like an exotic chocolate dessert, and even had a pleasant aftertaste, but it didn't quite fit in how an ale that is being imbibed during a night out with the guys should, so I only drank half of it. If I could remember the name of it, I'd love to have it down at the lake sometime.

Gavin arrived soon after, and as we caught up on things (I hadn't seen him since our group trip to Oak Bluffs last April with Brian) I happily returned to the house ale. A bit later Brian & Rob walked in after their trip down from New Hampshire seacoast, the five of us had one beer as a group, and then Jay headed home. The rest of us moved to a table and had dinner. Our waitress was a tiny elfin blonde with a big smile. I was instantly smitten (it's times like these when I wish I still lived in Boston). She was very friendly, and I couldn't stop smiling whenever she was around. What a fine enhancement to the convivial atmosphere! Anyway, I had the always excellent fish and chips with another ale, and the four of us fell into a comfortable eat & gab session, talking mostly about our jobs (or lack thereof), the economy, and the possibility of renting a house for a week this summer on either Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. It was great to just hang out like that for the first time in ages, with no time constrictions.

Then it was off to nearby Tommy Doyle's for another beer. We walked in, headed up to our relatively familiar haunt on the top floor (The Loft), but it was mostly a dinner crowd, so we headed down to the basement. The experience in this part of the bar was mixed: We scored a central circular booth and all slid in, and got served a round by a spunky wavy-haired brunette. I had a Harpoon IPA, but after the superior John Harvard Pale Ale, it seemed rather low-quality, which is odd, because I usually love that particular beer. The beer may have been lacking, but the view from our table was spectacular - a group of four thin yet curvy girls who had a hypnotic tendency to do a lot of animated posing and stretching as they talked to their goofy male companions. However the place was far too loud to truly enjoy the atmosphere, so we left after that one round. Gavin bid us good evening and headed home, while Rob & I hiked with Brian to the latter's car for a quick ride over to Davis Square.

We went right to Joshua Tree, a bright airy bar with many televisions showing sports and a very attractive bartending staff. We got seats at the door side of the bar, and alternated between rounds of beer and water (reflecting the ambivalence we felt about how long to continue the evening at that point). Our friend Erik popped in with a couple of friends after a bit (him having called me while we were in the car to see where I was in the city), and he split his time between us and his chums. He must have been in heaven (while we were all in hell): it was 80's Night in the dj booth... *UGH* The last thing I want to do while hanging in a bar in 2010 with friends, is hear the soundtrack of my junior high years. That being said, there were a lot of the better songs of the era, and Brian & I each got to observe and interact with our personal favorite bartenders from a previous visit. Alas gentlemen, no matter how intriguing, I think a "City Duck" is not allowed... (haha).

Anyway, after a last rally it was off to Redbones. We made a beeline for downstairs, and *shock of shocks* there were empty seats at the bar! I have been going there for nearly fifteen years, and this was only the 2nd time I'd been able to actually sit at the bar and interact with one of their cute bartenders. They had the delicious Opa Opa IPA on tap, so I ended the drinking portion of the evening with one of those fine ales and a mild flirtation with the brown curly haired bartender (a sexy 30-something with curves & a smile that matched her engaging personality). Finally, just before 1 am there was one last glass of ice water all around before we left, and then after we piled into his car again, Brian was nice enough to drop me at Alewife, saving me a tedious T ride before my long drive home. A fine ending to a laid-back yet kick-ass night with all of the Not Lame Minus crew!

Davis Square, Somerville

Having had a pretty quiet week (besides setting this place up), I wanted to get out of the house and hang out with my friends. Since I am on the Redbones e-mail list, I suggested to the NLM Crew that we should attend the Dogfish Head Brewery event being held there Thursday night. Gavin had a rough few days at work and was too exhausted to go out, and Rob hadn't checked his e-mail for a couple of days, so Brian & I met at Alewife, hopped on the T, and arrived in Davis Square around 5:30.

When we got to Redbones, we headed right downstairs (they call the below-street-level part of the place "Underbones"). It was so packed, however, that after ten minutes or so of being ignored at the bar (I've been eating/drinking there for over a decade, so for the record that was unusual, but annoying nevertheless) we headed upstairs to the back bar, where we each had a beer in seconds, plus seats along the outer wall. I had a really good Dogfish India Brown, which compared favorably to Newcastle, and Brian had a Dogfish Black & Blue (he can fill you in, though he told me it was 'fruity'). For some reason, neither of us was that hungry, so we got several appetizers. He got a plate of nachos, and I got hushpuppies (something I got hooked on back in Kansas in 1987-88), catfish fingers, and fried oysters (of which I could have eaten fifty, let alone the amazingly good five I was served). I also enjoyed a fantastic Dogfish 60 Minute IPA. Easily my favorite beer of the night. I would have liked to try a few more of the selection (there were around 20 beers on tap from the Delaware-based brewery, including a 90 Minute IPA, and a 120 Minute IPA), but it was so packed, that we decided to hit some other Davis Square bars.

Next up (and right across the street): The Burren. I have considered this Irish pub 'mine' since it opened back in 1996. My five college buds (Keith Bedard, Darren Suarez, Jeff Vautour, Bob McCarthy, and John Hutchinson) and I used to go there all the time. John lived in Needham, and Jeff lived in Waltham, so we spent many fine evenings in this Davis Square bar. Also, my old Roslindale ('93-'95) roommate Jay ran the Somerville Theater for awhile, so it was a convenient place to hang out. When I managed a Waldenbooks in the Assembly Square Mall for close to a year in 1997, a bunch of us would meet there nearly every Friday night for a few Guinness drafts, and my assistant manager played the occasional weeknight set there with her Irish music ensemble, James' Gate. On May 1st, 1999 my friend Jason (see: "Upcoming Events", though it's not the same band) played a rousing gig with his band Soupbaby. And finally, it's proximity to Redbones has made it an obligatory stop anytime any of my friends & I go to enjoy the great BBQ there (which was ridiculously frequent when Keith & John shared an apartment in Medford for several years). Anyway, I am babbling. To sum up: it's a kick-ass bar, Brian & I went in for a beer (it was pretty quiet tonight), and then we turned left out the door to see what was next.

The Sligo Pub was a few doors down. It was a tiny little hole in the wall, with several huge tvs showing the Sox-Marlins games. It was clean, well-lit, and nearly entirely full of 'bros'. It was a complete sausage-fest, except for one girl with her five pals. And to make matters worse, I got a Sam's Boston Lager, which after a couple of IPAs (I had a Harpoon IPA at The Burren), tasted like complete shit. We felt guilty doing so (the bartender was prompt and very friendly), but after I used the namesake-sized water closet, we left the bar, beers practically untouched. On any other night, it could have been a really fun place to hang out, but with only one cute girl in sight, and wall-to-wall 'sporto' meat heads, it truly was the definition of Lame Minus...

Finally, across the street from The Burren, we parked ourselves at the bar at The Joshua Tree. Wow. This is my new favorite bar in Davis Square! The hot bartenders (more than one) kept our pint glasses full, there were many high-definition tvs on the wall showing us both the Red Sox's lame rain-out loss and the Yankees shameful defeat at the hands of the lowly Nationals, and there were beautiful women everywhere. There was even a live band we hadn't been expecting, playing lots of loud rock. Such a good mixed crowd, with a fantastic vibe, and never a dull moment. Gavin even sent a few humorous texts, so his presence (however limited) was felt. Anyway, sometime after midnight (and six Long Trail Ales - good stuff!), we paid our tab, walked back to the T station, rode to the parking garage, I got a quick look at Brian's new Honda Fit (sweet!), and we each drove off. Another successful Not Lame Minus event! There's nothing like an unplanned, slow-motion, four-bar pub crawl, especially when it ends on such a high note.