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?

Jerry Remy's Sports Bar and Grill, 1265 Boylston Street

September 4, 2010

After a game at Fenway, a group of us went over to Jerry Remy's. Being next to Fenway Park of course its all about sports...it's a wide open space, with tons of huge TV's and a raised seating area away from the bar. What sets it apart from all the other sports bars in the area is that it could handle the after game crowd and we didn't feel cramped. We could even sit at a table just to get drinks. I suppose the crowds could be smaller because of the Sox's record :(

You may even spot a few of the Players... we discovered as we were leaving that at the next table was Buchholz and Varitek.

4 Stars

http://www.jerryremys.com/

Special guests ~ Mike B and his wife, Jill, John E and Rob

Bricco, 241 Hanover Street

August 27, 2010

Crazy that I've never been to Bricco before this, but I guess that's the reason for the blog. My choice in the North End is always LoConte's on Salem street, so thanks to Jaime for suggesting a new place. Nicole and I met Jaime on the first night of St Anthony's feast. We only heard the parade as it went by because the longer we stayed at Bricco the less we wanted to go outside. We started at the bar with wine. They carry my favorite wine from the Italy trip which is hard to find around here. COS Nero d'Avola- try it if you find it!

Apps were amazing - Scallops, brie with prosciutto, and giant shrimp cocktail. For dinner - I recommend the gnocchi, but everything was good. After dinner we returned to the bar. The bar is small and open to the dining room so it can be loud inside. Decor is dark and sleek, with big windows that open to street. The place was packed, but we never had to wait long for a drink. There was wine, espresso martini's and Lemoncello shots to complete the night. Overall it was a great place and I'll have to add this to my favorites in the North End.

4 Stars

http://www.bricco.com/

The Fat Cat, 24 Chestnut Street Quincy

August 20, 2010

Every time I go by this place its always packed. I finally decided to wait it out and see what the crowds were about. Sonya and I grabbed dinner and we both loved the place. Great beer and wine selection with reasonable prices. They had a bunch of bottles of wine for $25. We chose to explore the beer selections. A lot of Belgian beer, Sonya got the Wells Banana Bread beer...Yumm! The food came fast and in huge portions. With beer, an app and two dinners we got out of there for $50 bucks!

Definitely have to keep this on the list.

3.5 Stars

http://www.fatcatrestaurant.com/

The Burren, Davis Square Somerville

August 19, 2010

We were out in Davis Square to see a screening of the original Jaws at the Somerville Theatre and stopped into the Burren after the movie. BTW - First time seeing Jaws for me and Mel - We LOVED it!!

The Burren is the real deal. A true Irish bar down to its core. We walked in to the fiddle players at the front and ordered a round of Guinness plus a Magner's for me. They have a long list of beer on tap and a good selection of bottled beer including my new favorite summer drink Magner's Pear Cider. If you can find it, buy it!

The crowd was a mix of people all ages, even a group of runners still in workout gear. Overall a great atmosphere and a place I'd like to go to more often. The Burren might have gotten a 5 if I tried the food.

Special guests this week - Derek, Mel, Nate, Mike Budz and Courtney

4.5 Stars

www.burren.com

Trump Plaza Beach Bar, Atlantic City NJ

August 7, 2010

Welcome to the Jersey Shore!! Nicole and I stopped in for a drink at the Beach Bar right off the Atlantic City Boardwalk. You would think this place would be great...palm trees, sand, a live band, and frozen drinks with umbrellas. Everything about it was wrong. The service was horrible, the band was from 1997 with acid wash jeans and the crowd, well you can take a guess.

The "Situation" and Snooki would have classed up the place. The bar gets 1 Fist pump because the weather was so nice!

1 Star

Coppa 253 Shawmut Ave Boston

July 28, 2010

Nicole and I walked over to Coppa after work. Coppa is another restaurant from Ken Oringer who also owns our last 52 in 52 winner - Toro. Coppa is on a quiet South End street in a mainly residential neighborhood. They have seating outside on the sidewalk and only a dozen or so tables inside. When you visit a Ken Oringer restaurant you have to be willing to go outside the norm. You won't know what a lot of things on the menu are, you just have to trust that it will be amazing. Coppa centers on italian small plates with fresh Salami, cheeses, pizza, and pasta.

I had the special which was a seafood Ceviche, not sure what was in it but is tasted a lot like flowers...in a good way. Nicole wimped out with a chicken and pasta dish, oh and some Risotta balls. Everything was delicious. Coppa is know for their pizzas which we'll have to try next time. They have an inventive cocktail menu, anything you order is good.

My complaint with the place is the atmosphere. It was way too bright and the decor just looks like it was left over from the previous restaurant. The bathroom was covered in a 1/4" of dust and didn't look like it had been cleaned for months.

I was a little disappointed with this place, I was hoping for more.

The food gets a 4 and the atmosphere gets a 2.

3 Stars

www.coppaboston.com

The Port Tavern, 84 State Street Newburyport, MA

July 24, 2010

Dennis, Kerry, Joe and I stopped into the Port Tavern after a great day at the Yankee Homecoming Brewfest in Newburyport. We probably didn't need more beer, but were cabbing it, so we decided to keep going.

First, congrats to Libby on a great event for Yankee Homecoming. The brewfest was a ton of fun and the beer vendors were great!

The Port Tavern was a nice place. Friendly staff, good beer and food selection. Sorry this review is kinda lame, but I don't remember much from this place. It looks like I had a good time!

3 stars

http://www.theporttavern.com/

Duckfat, 43 Middle Street Portland Maine

July 18, 2010

On the way home from an amazing camping trip in Maine, the Shady Tree Clan decided to grab an early dinner in Portland. Duckfat is a unique place.... The fries are actually fried in Duck fat and they are delicious!! All the food is made with fresh, natural ingredients. This would definatly be my go to place if I lived in Portland. It was a great way to end a great weekend!

Special guests on the blog this week - Derek Mueller, Julia Topalian, Nate and Liz Burgess

4 Stars

http://www.duckfat.com/

Whiskey Priest, 150 Northern Avenue

July 14, 2010

After a fun night out on a Boston Harbour cruise for a Bruin's charity event, the girls and I stopped in to Whiskey Priest next to the pier. Whiskey Priest seems to have it all...great location on the waterfront with plenty of accessible parking, over 100 types of beer and the longest Whiskey menu in Boston. Except...they don't quite get it right, nothing fits together. The theme is kind of Irish, the menu has a mix of asian and seafood and the place is so loud you can't hear your friends next to you.

Special guests this week - Jill Butler, Sheila Buckingham and Niki Lawrence

The only highlight of this place was when Nikki dropped her tiny crab cake on the floor!

2.5 stars

www.thewhiskeypriestpub.com

Atwood's Tavern, 877 Cambridge Street Cambridge

July 7, 2010







I didn't think I'd be able to fit a new bar in this week, but my softball teammates rallied and we stopped into Atwood's after the game. Atwood's is a neighborhood spot in Inman Square. They have live music every night, a decent beer selection and above average food. This is the type of place you can pull up a bar stool and get comfortable on a Sunday afternoon.



A solid 3....thanks for coming out Derek and Melanie Mueller and Katelyn Horrigan

3 Stars

http://www.atwoodstavern.com/

Splash Ultra Lounge, 150 Kneeland Street

June 30, 2010

Week 5.5 - Today was a gorgeous day so we decided to find a place with a Patio. Splash has that and a little more...this little oasis in Chinatown had a roof top deck equipped with a shallow pool, private cabanas and white couches with a waitstaff that looked straight out of America's next top model! To top it off, Wednesday is ladies night, so all ladies with a reservation recieved a 3 course dinner for free! The food was really good (talapia, Mushroom stuffed ravioli or Chicken and ziti) with a salad and cheesecake. The drink prices were upped to account for the free meal but well worth the $13. They also have "Rush Hour" Thursdays and Fridays with a free buffett from 5 - 7 pm.

The Lounge vibe was comfortable but still chic. Up on the roof deck we felt transported to Miami and the lower level had a couple cozy little side rooms that just invited you in.

Check out the restrooms, something you don't find often around here...Heated toilet seats with a bidet. Funny Stories!!

**Everyone should check out this place at least once this summer**

5 Stars

www.splash-boston.com

The Yardhouse, 950 Pvd Highway Dedham

June 27, 2010

Week 5 - Nicole, Billy and I met here for an early dinner at the Yardhouse at Legacy Place. This is a west coast chain making its debut on the east coast. The restaurant is in a great location at Legacy Place and seems busy all the time. There's 150 beers on tap and the selection is varied. I had a Ommegang Belgian Beer brewed in NY, Billy had a Sam Adams Red and Nicole had a Woodchuck Pear Cider. All good.

The food was just a bit above mediocre. The downfall of this place for us was the waiter. He would not leave us alone! He must have checked on us 15 times! Overall better than a Friday's or Joe's because of the beer selection, so hit this place if the wait at PF Chang's or Legal's is too long.

2.5 Stars

www.yardhouse.com

Post 390, 406 Stuart Street

June 21, 2010

Week 4 - Nikki L and I visited Post 390. It was a Monday night, so the place was fairly quiet. Our first impression was positive, chic decor, great location. We sat at the upstairs bar and ordered drinks. I had the Post Hard lemonade and she had a martini. The lemonade was one of the best drinks I've had in awhile! Not fruitty or sour, just perfect. We had the calamari and flat bread pizza. They claim to do comfort food really well, and I'd agree. The calamari was perfect and the flat bread was done well with quality ingredients.

I'd love to go back for a dinner with a group of friends, there is a lot of seating for big parties and the menu looked interesting without being overpriced.

Nicole B, we'll have to go back!

4 Stars

http://www.post390restaurant.com/

Stoddard's Fine Food and Ales, 48 Temple Place

June 16, 2010

Week 3 - We decided to check out Stoddard's after reading the reviews on Yelp. None of us had even heard of the place, but were all happy we decided to check it out. Lisa V joined us again this week and we were able to grab a table in the bar. The place was packed with a young after work crowd. The pub looks like its been there since prohibition with the old oak bar and tin ceilings which look authentic and not fake. They spice up the decor by displaying several framed pieces of sexy lingerie.

They had an amazing selection of beer. Lots of German Wheat beers which are my fav. Nicole even went outside her typical fruitty rum drinks and got a beer! We ordered a cheese foundue app with soft pretzels for dipping and lobster hush puppies. Yummm! The snacks were delicious!

Overall, this place was fabulous! We loved the vibe, the food, the drinks and even the bathrooms were cool. Put this place on your list to check out soon!

5 Stars

http://www.stoddardsfoodandale.com/

Drink, 348 Congress Street

June 9, 2010


I've been reading about the bartenders from this place and how they create interesting cocktails, so I thought we should check it out. We had a guest appearance by Lisa V this weeek, (Sorry we were so late!)

The place was packed on a Wednesday night, we couldn't even get a seat!
So about the drinks...I had a "Fort Point" which was a spin on a Mahanttan...not my kind of drink. Both Nicole and Lisa's drinks were good. The size of drink was not worth the $13 - $15 price tag. The place had great apps and we liked the way they kept the warehouse feel. Wierd that they had fossilized bugs on the bar.

3 1/2 Stars

http://www.drinkfortpoint.com/

Ginger Park, 1375 Washington Street

June 2, 2010

Week 1.5. We hit Ginger Park for a second bar during week One. Very cool interior but the place was dead! We had a drink and quickly left.

2 Stars

http://www.gingerparkboston.com/

Myers + Chang, 1145 Washington Street

June 2, 2010

Week One of 52 in 52 brought us to Myers + Change in the South End. This is an Asian inspired restaurant and bar with catchy "Confucius says" quotes on the walls.

The food was different, the drinks were strong. We loved the vibe of the place and want to go back and try the desert!

The Mai Tai had me sauced even before we walked out of the place!

5 Stars

Confucius says " Man who drop watch in toilet have crappy time"

http://www.myersandchang.com/