Our first stop was at the semi new Brick & Mortar to say hi to Misty who had since left Drink, and to have a fantastic cocktail which she is so good at making. The bar also has some very good food including chicken confit wings. Before we left Misty poured us shots of house bottled and chilled Diamondbacks. Now that is a shot I can get behind.
Next stop, Island Creek Oyster Bar. This is the sister restaurant and bar to Eastern Standard and was really fantastic with a great cocktail menu and raw bar. Seasonal, as well as innovative mains, like my fluke with spatzel and favas and Dayne's lobster roe noodles with braised beef and lobster tail were excellent.
We finished the evening with a nightcap at The Hawthorn Bar, connected to both the restaurant and The Commonwealth Hotel. We had been chatting with the restaurant manager and he offered to get us into the bar, past the line, with fantastic seats in the small bar. I'd like to go back and have a few more rounds here as well!
Sunday morning started at Eastern Standard for brunch. We found the drinks as good as when we originally visited 5 years ago but the food itself was just meh.
The rest of the day was spent shopping around Harvard Square as well as grabbing a quick salad and drink at the Russell, after finding the new location of the Brazilian restaurant Orinoco closed between the hours of 3 and 5pm.
We had happy hour at the recommended Green Street, a funky old bar and grill that made me feel like I was drinking at Paul Revere's house (small, low timbered ceilings...)
Our friend Joel happened to be in town on business from Seattle so the 3 of us met up for a wonderful dinner at Craigie on Main (which also has a really stellar cocktail menu). We opted for the 6 course $65 tasting menu which was awesome. This dish of squid ink pasta and clam followed a dish of three amuse, one of them being squid noodles. I loved the natural succession of the courses.
Before leaving for Cape Cod (and then Andover) in the morning, we had a tip from Woodinville distributor Steve Williams to check out Grand Ten Distilling in South Boston. The tasting room is still under construction but the gin is bottled and ready to be purchased. It's a great American style gin, similar in flavor to our own San Juan's Spy Hop but it includes the local cranberry as the acid note. Additionally they are aging a gin, have their own apple brandy in barrels and are going to be bottling a Medford style rum soon. Check them out the next time you are there!
Heading south to Boston, from the reunion the next week, we checked out a few more places before flying home.
Just north of Cambridge we stopped in Somerville to taste our way through a nice bitters selection at The Boston Shaker. They have loads of fun stuff for drink geeks including bar ware, books and bitters/syrups/garnishes. Highly recommend a stop if you have the chance.
Back in Boston we had one more taste of the Cape at Summer Shack, a casual fun eatery in Back Bay. Oysters on the half shell, lobster rolls, clam rolls and house made chips. All delicious.
Then we spent some time exploring the New England Aquarium, home of Myrtle the 600 pound turtle, shark and ray touch tanks, jellies, penguins and seals before catching our flight back home.
All Boston photos here
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Location:Boston, MA
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