The Last Word: Cocktails at No 9 Park, Lunching at Abby Lane and Croques
Our week in review: snippets of food, drink and fun stuff that didn’t make it in to a full post but we thought good enough to share. Happy Friday!
What Lin’s Drinking: Seelbach. I’d order pretty much anything on the cocktail lists at No 9 Park, but last night it was a Seelbach. I love this as a winter drink. Even though it’s made with bourbon, the bubbles still keep it on the light side, and a perfect drink to start the evening with.
What Jon’s Drinking: Singapore Sling with Mescal on the side at Sycamore. Bar Manager Scott is a big a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fan and that just may be his favorite line in a movie. The drinks were pretty damn good too.
What Jon is Drinking Part 2: Boulevardier by Sam at No. 9 Park. Sam Olivari is leaving No.9 for a cook position in the kitchen at Ming Tsai’s upcoming restaurant, Blue Dragon. We had to go in and wish him the best.
Lunching at Abby Lane: I was pretty excited when Abby Lane opened up right across from my office. Literally. Jon met me for lunch this week in Boston “celebrity” Chef Jason Santos’ new spot. The highlight of the meal was the Tuna Tartare, a nice portion with well-balanced texture and flavor. I ordered the Pizza Buffalo; I enjoyed the blue cheese flavor and dressing that had a fun hint of dill, but there were way too many ingredients in this pizza. All of the pizza toppings (fried chicken, blue cheese, caramelized onions, more sauce) were on top of a traditional red sauce and mozzarella base. Jon’s Chicken Sandwich was underwhelming, looking like there was not a good bread-to-filling ratio. The prices are reasonable for lunch, and the service was quick enough for a one-hour lunch break; perhaps we just made a few bad choices.
Tuna Tartare with sesame dressing, wonton chips, red ginger; $14
Pizza Buffalo with spicy fried chicken, caramelized onions and blue cheese; $11
Chicken Sandwich with balsamic tomatoes, basil leaves, fresh mozzarella; $12
The Key to Pot Roast: Short Ribs! Turns out if you use short ribs in your pot roast, it will magically transform from a dry, stringy flavorless dish to something rich, almost creamy and totally delicious. Short Rib Pot Roast (featured image) is on the new menu at B Street in Newton, and just perfect for comfort food on a cold winter night.
What to Watch For (say out loud in ESPN voice): Croque and Cocktail Tuesday’s at Bistro du Midi.
- What: Each Tuesday at the bar, enjoy a selection of $5 croque sandwiches from Chef Robert Sisca. In order to stick with you New Year’s Resolutions, Chef will have a “skinny” offering each week.
- Where: The bar at Bistro du Midi, 272 Boylston St across from the Common.
Par Avion (equal parts Rye, Aperol, Averna, fresh lemon)
Highlight of the Week: Dinner at Bogie’s Place, the new steak joint inside jm Curley. We had high expectations, and they were surpassed. More next week, but I think it’s pretty fair to sum up Bogie’s Place in two words: “Nailed it!”
Read of the Week: Derek Brown writes a pretty debatable article about Why Bartenders Should Stop Creating Cocktails. Do you agree with him or not?
From the BE Archives: Descent at the W Hotel: Funny to think that we were so excited about this spot opening. And truth be told, we honestly enjoyed the drinks here, which is no surprise since they were made that night by the one and only Elizabeth Powell. I can’t say I’m surprised that their cocktail program is now non-existent, but I’ll always remember their Tea Party as the drink that introduced me to Scotch cocktails.
In Case you Missed It:
Happy Friday, and GO PATRIOTS! What are you doing for the game on Sunday?
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