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/