Shay's Pub, 58 JFK Street Cambridge

November 18, 2010

Out for Derek's B day at his most favorite spot in Harvard Square. I have to agree, this is the kind of bar you can settle into. Kind of a dive bar but with a great beer selection, good food and an easy spot to meet a group of friends.

I had a Brooklyn Chocolate Stout which was a lot different than I thought it would be, lighter and easy to drink.

If you go, make sure you hit Pinnochio's Pizza around the corner for a slice of Sicilian Pizza heaven.

3 Stars

http://www.shayspubandwinebar.com/

52 in 52 Goes on Vacation!

November 6 - 10th

Nicole and I traveled down to Miami and Key West for a last minute holiday. Some of the Best places we visited...

Hogs Breath Saloon - Key West

Outdoor bar with live music, you drink PBR's out of the can and dance to the sounds of great southern rock music. 4 stars




Raleigh Hotel - South Beach

Very posh art deco hotel on Collins Ave. We had breakfast at the poolside restaurant, mimosas and brioche french toast! 4 stars




News Cafe - South Beach A south beach legend - somewhere to be seen on Ocean Avenue. Sunshine, palm trees and sangria. A great way to kick off the trip. 3.5 stars

Ritz Carlton - South Beach

So its the Ritz so you expect the best, right? I just can't see the value in an $86 breakfast for two! The pool was amazing, complete with pool boy to roll out our towels and fluff our pillows. 3.5 stars

Willie T's - Key West Outdoor Bar with every wall covered in $1 dollar bills. Live music all the time and friendly roosters walking tableside looking for handouts...only in Key West! 3 stars

Blue 22, 1237 Hancock Street Quincy

October 27, 2010


Jill and I stopped in for trivia on a Wednesday night. The trivia was ridiculously hard but the beer selection was good and cheap. Nothing great at this bar but nothing bad.


Extra points for the fun halloween decorations. This picture is from Jill, she's so mature!





2 1/2 Stars





http://www.blue22-barandgrille.com/

The Gallows, 1359 Washington Street

October 20, 2010

Nicole and I stopped in at The Gallows because it was close to work and it was new. This place fits into the new "Gastro-pub" category. Not exactly sure what that means, but we know we liked it. The decor was Vermont Barn meets trendy city restaurant. All the specialty drinks sounded good, but I stuck with the Italian wine. We had the cheese puffs which were little cheese biscuits of heaven and then one of the best burgers I've had in awhile. The place started out very quiet but as it got closer to 8 pm, the place started to fill up. After a couple failed restaurants in this location.... this place might have a chance. Definitely worth the visit, and good value for the quality. We left with only spending $40 bucks!

4 stars

http://www.thegallowsboston.com/

House of Blues, 15 Landsdowne Street

October 15, 2010

Finally made it to the new and improved House of Blues (former Avalon) on Landsdowne. I was expecting a brand new facility with all the bells and whistles. I quickly came to realize they only renovated the outside and made it one story higher. It was the same old Avalon with a new balcony level. Still a great place to see a show... the sound was good and there was never a wait at the bar.

Special guest to the blog this week- Andy F and a surprise appearance by Kristen Z!

3 stars

www.hob.com/boston

The Publick House 1648 Beacon Street Brookline

October 1, 2010

After several recommendations, I got a group together to check out the Publick House in Brookline. Known for their extensive Beer Menu and Mac and Cheese, I knew this place would be great. The place filled up quick with an after work crowd on the rainy Friday night. Our server was very knowledgeable, she came ready with recommendations which were all good. We all tried new beers but my favorite was the St. Bernadus ABT 12 made by some monks in Belgium. Another tell tale sign for a hard core beer place...their glassware selection, and Publick house did not disappoint!

The food was really good too. Mac and Cheese had all sorts of add ins to choose from.

Overall great crowd, great food and incredible beer selection!

Special Guests - Greg, Dave, Luke, Megan, Carolyn and John

4.5 stars

http://www.eatgoodfooddrinkbetterbeer.com/

Lord Hobo, 92 Hampshire Street Cambridge

September 10, 2010

Tonight was a very special night for 52 in 52. We tackled 3 new bars in one night. It was a Sugarbush on the Charles outing, so there were many special guests to the Blog.

Lord Hobo is one of those places that you keep hearing about and was one of the first bars I wanted to check out for the Blog. The bar is between Inman and Kendall Square, so leave the cars at home, parking is tough.

This is the former B Side Lounge reincarnated as a Beer connoisseur's paradise. The beer menu is crazy, mostly European imports and each served in a particular glass. This hipster hangout has a buzz...we got there at 6:30 and by 7:30 there was a line to get in. This unfortunately meant most of our group didn't stick around, so we finished our beer and moved on. I will definitely return to Lord Hobo to continue exploring their fantastic beer selection, but will avoid the crowded weekend nights.

3.5 Stars

http://www.lordhobo.com/

Bar #2 Tommy Doyle's Irish Pub, 1 Kendall Square

This was a Ruby Tuesday's Irish cousin. Glad they had Octoberfest but everything else was pretty bad. The best part was the company - The Sugarbush crew in full force.


1 Star



www.tommydoyles.com

Bar #3 Cambridge Brewing Company

Right next door to Tommy Doyle's was the CBC. Pretty good brewery with a selection of 6-8 varieties. I'd recommend the Pumpkin.

2 Stars

http://www.cambrew.com/

That weird guy at the end of the bar is with us, Nate were you sleeping?