Yankee Brew News Archive

A Quick, Biased List of Places to Go in Boston

Originally Published: 04/96

By: Dann Paquette

Why did Yankee Brew News decide to throw together a special section for the National Microbrewers Conference? Well, looking around one day we noticed how many visitors to this city were walking around with those yellow "Cheers" bags. We thought to ourselves, "Is this the kind of image we want fellow beer people to take home with them from Boston?" We decided that although Cliff and Norm did a lot for the image of Boston drinkers (not!) we wanted you to see Boston as we do. Also we as Bostonians, like the natives of all big cities, have become used to answering a lot of what seem like dumb questions from tourists.

But what separates us from say, Parisians, is that some of these questions we can't answer. For instance, what are "Boston Baked Beans"? And even more disturbing, where can I get them? Yes, like you we've heard the term "Beantown" and "Boston Baked Beans" all of our lives, but still we've never eaten them. We couldn't find you "Boston Baked Beans" if we tried.

In these modern days cities are becoming more and more carbon copies of one another. Yes, Boston does have a few malls. We have a Hard Rock Cafe and we have those faux trolleys that give tours. But we are also home to the beginning of a revolution, a great harbor, two daily newspapers, Irish bars, the Kennedys, a lot of subpar professional sports teams and the greatest college town in the world. So while there are no doubt some holes in this list, there are enough gems listed below to give you a better sense of what Boston's really all about.

Beer Bars

Up until about a year ago there were only a handful of bars in Boston that offered a good selection of microbrewed beers. Lately everyone has jumped onto the bandwagon. The are plenty of places to get a wide selection of good beers. We offer the following establishments as your best bets (in no particular order), including the subway line that will get you there.

Redbones - 26 beers on tap, pit-style barbecue. 55 Chester St., Davis Square, Somerville (Red Line)

Sunset Grille and Tap - 100-plus beers on tap. Brookline Ave, Allston (Green Line)

Doyle's - A Boston landmark from the 1880s, mostly imported beer. 3484 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain (Orange Line)

Jacob Wirth's - A classic 19th century bar and restaurant serving German food. Samuel Adams television spots were shot here. 31 Stuart Street., Chinatown/Theater District (Green/Orange Lines)

Wursthaus - Largest bottled import selection. 4 JFK Street, Harvard Square (Red Line)

Boodles - Lots of microbrews in bottles. In the Back Bay Hilton, 40 Dalton Street., (Green Line)

Cornwall's - English style pub. 510 Commonwealth Ave., Kenmore Square (Green Line)

Samuel Adams Brewhouse - Six Sam Adams beers on tap. 710 Boylston Street., Boston (Green Line)

Coffee Houses

Yes, we'll admit that the rebirth of American coffee, like beer, came from the Pacific Northwest. But you may not know that also like beer, the coffee house phenomenon started here in Boston. In 1678 "a publique house for retailing of Coffee and Chocolato" opened in Boston. This was the first tavern devoted to coffee in the New World. Boston does have a diverse coffee culture that is reflected in an eclectic group of cafes.

Grunge - The Other Side Cafe, Newbury Street, Back Bay (Green Line);The Someday Cafe, Davis Square, Somerville (Red Line)

Underground - Liberty Cafe, Mass. Ave., Central Square (Red Line)

Folk - Passim, Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Literary - Bookcellar Cafe, 1971 Mass. Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

People Watching - Au Bon Pain, Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Urban Swank - The Black Crowe, Egleston Square, Jamaica Plain (Orange Line)

International - Cafe Algiers, Brattle Street, Harvard Square; Victoria Cafe, 296 Hanover Street, North End, Boston

Live Music - Middle East Cafe, 472 Mass. Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Internet Access - Cybersmith, Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Chess Playing - Au Bon Pain, Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Tobacconists

Two Guys Smoke Shops, 262 Meridian Street, East Boston, 423 Broadway, Everett

Leavitt & Peirce, 1316 Mass. Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Ehrlich Pipe Shop, 32 Tremont Street, Boston (Green Line to Government Center)

Irish Pubs

Boston is currently amidst a renaissance of Irish pubs. In the late eighties the Brendan Behan Pub opened in Jamaica Plain's Hyde Square. Named after the legendary Irish writer whose tipplings were nearly as famous as his books, like Confessions of an Irish Rebel and Borstal Boy, the pub excelled as a neighborhood bar.

By tradition there are many bars in Boston with Irish names. Most of them however are large sports bars with contrived decors. The "Behan" took down the television before they opened and replaced it with a lit aquarium. It came to the point where people from all over Boston packed into the tiny J.P. pub nightly. One of the partners soon branched-off and opened Flan O'Briens in the Mission Hill area followed by bartenders and patrons who went on to open places like the Field, the Druid, and Phoenix Landing in Cambridge. These pubs are owned and run by young Irish sweepstakes winners as opposed to the long-standing Irish bars which are typically run by old Boston-Irish families.

The best nights to attend these pubs are perhaps "session" nights--the nights that local Irish and American musicians get together informally to jam jigs, reels and airs right from their pub chairs. Not surprisingly some of the best Irish and Scottish "trad" musicians in the world have made Boston their second home.

The Brendan Behan Pub - 378 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (#39 Bus from Copley). Sessions on Tuesday night and Saturday afternoon.

The Burren - 247 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville (Red Line). Sessions every night, Monday through Saturday 9:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m., Sunday 6:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Flan O'Brien's - Mission Hill, Boston (off #39 bus route)

The Field - 20 Prospect Street, off Mass. Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

The Druid - Inman Square, Cambridge, (Red Line)

Phoenix Landing - 512 Mass. Ave., Central Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Some other good pubs are...

The Green Dragon - 11 Marshall Street, across from City Hall Plaza, Boston. Session on Thursday night.

The Plough & Stars - 912 Mass. Ave., Cambridge (Red Line to Central or Harvard)

The Littlest Bar - 47 Province Street, Boston (Downtown Crossing)

Live Music

Folk - Johnny D's, Davis Square, Somerville, Passim, Harvard Square (Red Line)

Jazz - Wally's, Mass. Ave., Boston (Green Line); Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave., Allston (Boston)

Blues - House of Blues, Harvard Square (Red Line); Wally's, Boston

Celtic - The Burren, Davis Square, Somerville (Red Line)

Rock - The Rathskellar, 528 Commonwealth Ave., Kenmore Square, Boston

Grunge/Eclectic - The Middle East, Mass. Ave., Central Square (Red Line)

Ethnic Foods

Indian - Indian Globe, 474 Mass. Ave., Central Square, Cambridge; Bombay Club, 57 JFK Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge (selection of single malts and wine); Kebab -N- Curry, 30 Mass. Ave., Boston

East African/Ethiopian - Asmara Restaurant, 739 Mass. Ave. Central Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Italian - Il Panino, 295 Franklin Street, Financial District, Boston; North End, Boston - Quaint Italian neighborhood with numerous Italian restaurants

Spanish - Dali, 415 Washington Street, Somerville

French - Maison Robert, 45 School Street, Boston

French/Japanese - Zipanger, 439 Tremont Street, Boston

French-Cambodian - Elephant Walk, 70 Union Square, Somerville

German - Jacob Wirth's, 31 Stuart Street, Boston

Barbecue - Redbones, Davis Square, Somerville

Vegetarian - Buddha's Delight, 5 Beach Street, Chinatown/Combat Zone (Orange Line); Five Seasons Restaurant, 669A Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (Orange Line)

Breakfasts & Brunches

Centre Street Cafe, Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (Orange Line to Green Street Station, left on Green Street, right on Centre Street, 1/4 mile on left)

Gospel Brunch, Sundays at House of Blues, Harvard Square (Red Line)

Harvest Restaurant, 44 Brattle Street, Harvard Square (Red Line)

Five Seasons Restaurant, 669A Centre Street, Jamaica Plain (Orange Line)

Greasy Spoons

Paramount Deli, 44 Charles Street, Back Bay/Beacon Hill (Red Line)

The Tasty Sandwich Stop, 2a John F. Kennedy Street, Harvard Square (Red Line)

Games

Chess and Coffee - Au Bon Pain, 27 Brattle St., Harvard Square (Red Line)

Chess and Cigars - Leavitt & Peirce, 1316 Mass. Ave., Harvard Square (Red Line)

Board Games - Cornwall's, 510 Commonwealth Ave, Kenmore Square (Green Line)

Paint ball - Boston Paint Ball, 131 Beverly Street, Boston

Pool - Flat Top Johnnie's, One Kendall Place, Kendall Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Recreation

Boston can be a pedestrian-friendly city but only when it's convenient to the driver. Crosswalks shouldn't be taken for granted when jogging, roller blading and even walking. Make sure you know that the driver has intentions to stop for you before you enter them. Bike riding in Boston can also be a little tricky. We're a twentieth century city stuck in between roads that were designed for carriages and cows. Most of Boston's streets are narrow and lined with parked cars. If you're bike riding here please watch out for doors. There are however a few places that are traffic-free in Boston if you like to jog, bike or roller blade.

The Esplanade - Back Bay, Boston

This park runs a few miles along the Boston side of the Charles River. There are paths for bikes as well as joggers. It is not considered safe late at night. To get there take the footbridge at the corner of Beacon and Embankment Streets (Near the Public Garden and "Cheers") or take the Red Line to Charles Street and cross that footbridge. By crossing the large bridges at Massachusetts Avenue and Charles Street you can access the Cambridge side of the Charles River. Cambridge has a similar set up on their side.

By the way, the views from these two bridges are perhaps the most breathtaking in Boston. If you plan to jog a good route might be starting at the footbridge near Beacon or Charles Streets and head to your left (as you face the river) when you exit the footbridge. You can follow any of the paths as they will all converge and cross the large bridge at Mass. Ave.. Take a right off the bridge and follow the river until you get to the next large bridge which takes you back over to Boston and to Charles Street.

Shopping

Yes, Boston has a lot of the stores you can find just about anywhere. However, there are some pretty unique shops if you know where to go.

Harvard Square, Cambridge (Red Line)

Newbury Street, Back Bay, Boston (Green Line; stop at "Arlington", "Copley" or "Auditorium")

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Faneuil Hall, Government Center, Boston, (Green Line; stop at "Government Center"); (Orange Line; stop at "State Street")