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...

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!

Harvard Square & Beyond

Last night, four of the NLM crew (Jay, Brian, Gavin & I) made our separate ways to Harvard Square for dinner and a few beers.

I met Jay at the T-stop, and we headed over to John Harvard's to wait for Brian, and have a beer. We were there for all of an hour, but in that time we had a couple of their fine IPA's, saw on the tv that Michael Jackson had fallen into a coma, and then that he subsequently passed away. It was surreal (and sudden), and the mood in the bar was mostly somber.

We headed over to Bartley's Burgers (the main point of the evening's trek to Boston) to wait for Gavin to get out of work and meet us there for dinner. After no wait at all (unusual, I am told), we got crammed into our booth, caught up on events in each others' lives, and discussed potential destinations for our annual fall trip. When the food arrived, everyone dug in, and while the "John Kerry" (swiss & mushroom burger) wasn't the best I've ever had (in Boston, let alone the world), it was pretty damned good. And the fries were amazing! Was it because they were truly legendary, or because I hadn't had french fries in months? A future trip will have to answer that question...

It was still early, so we headed to the nearby Hong Kong Restaurant's second floor lounge to have a couple more beers (I had 2 Long Trail Ales, a new favorite) and watch the rest of the Red Sox game (which they lost). It was pretty dead, but for most of our visit, the bar was tended by an incredibly hot brunette in a red & white summer dress named Jessica. After we chatted with her for a little bit, she left, to be replaced by some big burly guy and his 3 clone friends sitting at the other end of the bar. The very definition of LAME MINUS!! Who would ever trade a filet mignon for a platter of 4 sausages? Weak. So Jay headed home, Gavin left after another beer, and then Brian & I headed for the T back to Alewife after a stop at the local Newbury Comics to pick up copies of the new Pete Yorn cd (I already have 2 tickets to his July 26th show @ The House of Blues).

On the ride back to Alewife, after some hemming & hawing (he hemmed, I hawed) Brian & I finally determined that we weren't ready to call it a night (surprisingly, it was only 9:30). So we jumped into his new car and drove into Boston. We parked across the street from the old Tower Records (where the lame Best Buy has taken over the space), and hoofed it to The Cactus Club, a fun bar we'd been to in the past, both together (New Year's Eve/Day 2001/02) and separately. We walked up to the bar just as some dude shattered his big margarita glass all over the floor, and promptly proceded to wend our way to the opposite side to get our beers (I opted for my first of three Harpoon IPAs, he had a Sam's Summer). After a bit of mingling and moving around, we settled at the bar next to a woman who'd been checking Brian out pretty steadily from across the way. While they got to know each other, I contented myself with a mix of watching the various beautiful women walk by on the sidewalk outside the bay window, SportsCenter, and parts of the Sox game I missed earlier.

At 12:15, Brian indicated that he would like to walk her to her car, and he'd "be right back". I was fine with my ice water and the scenery, so he left with his new friend. After twenty minutes or so, I went to the rest room, and then went outside to wait for his return. There was a patio chair to the left of the entrance, so I settled there to wait, and enjoy the cool Boston night air. It was quite peaceful, even the loud (and talented) street drummer, who added the perfect soundtrack to my people watching, as the Prudential Building loomed overhead, its lights slowly winking out one by one as the hours passed. Okay, it wasn't 'hours', only 90 minutes, and it was quite enjoyable, talking to passersby, and observing the city late at night from such a cool vantage point. Brian got back to the bar at 1:45, and we walked to the car, while he related events and his plan to meet her again next week. Sweet! Another successfully fun Thursday night is on the Not Lame Minus books... And we already have tentative plans to join the guys somewhere in the city again next Thursday!