148254 Sat Jun 12 18:29:49 -0700 2004 20 12 Boston Area 0 794957 Bar Food! Hard to define the genre precisley. Sometimes they are known as the local bar, tavern, tap, cafe, etc. But, what they all have in common, is that they all do certain kinds of food, and they are all famous amongst the locals. Many of these little treasures have been in the same place for forty or fifty years, or more. The menu's are limited, but evrything is extremely well done. Could be pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, pasta, etc. Here are a few on the South Shore that are worth a visit. Anyone care to add to the list? Denly's Garden, Jackson Square, Weymouth. Venus Cafe. Whitman. Linwood, Randolph. Squires, Hanover. Poopsies, Marshfield. They are all bars and anything on the menu is surprisingly good. Usualy cheap money, to boot. What did I miss? Louis Sat Jun 12 18:29:49 -0700 2004 0 Louis 1 794964 I'm not a lifelong South End resident, but a couple of places that seem to meet your criteria include Anchovies and Tim's Tavern. Newer places that might end up that way if they survive another decade or two are the Delux and the Franklin, though they're a bit more modern in their menus. Sun Jun 13 02:01:27 -0700 2004 794957 0 MC Slim JB 2 794966 Tim's, certainly is like the the type of places I have in mind. Great Burgers coming out of the back. I will have to try the others when I am in town. Sun Jun 13 05:03:44 -0700 2004 794964 0 Louis 1 794975 What about the Halfway Cafe in Watertown, Dedham and somewhere else? Maybe the Galway House in JP? I think it's more a suburban thing. Sun Jun 13 18:04:17 -0700 2004 794957 0 Joanie 1 794989 Well I've done the Poopsie's and Squires thing so I know about them, but what do the other three serve that is special? With regard to Joanie's post I find the Halfway Café on Washington Street (Dedham line) to be fairly repulsive. On a number of visits the steak tips were dry and tough, the steamers were sandy and a bit "off" smelling and the "Ah So" wings are IMO one of the biggest abominations of a wing possible...fried wings tossed in Ah So sauce....blech! Oh yeah and they refuse to make a cocktail in a larger glass(even though it isn't a request for a double). I recommend Lewis' in Norwood center as a great place for a drink and some great bar food(as an added visual benefit, the grill is behind the bar...and I won't mention what is on the back walls) The Lewis Burger is great Wings are good and tossed with fries in a basket The German Frank is a top quality griddled hot dog(apparently made by some butcher in Walpole(i need more info on that) The Caesar salad is pretty serviceable The Orange juice is squeezed at the bar and cocktails come in 16oz glasses(if you request it in a "bucket") I can recall some pretty good bar goodies at Bison County in Waltham(especially the wings)and a good bartender too. I wish I had a place in Adams Village like that...Sonny's does some things okay but it is really hit or miss and hardly ever consistent. The Dogwood does pretty good pizza(ask for it well done and be sure to tell them no fresh tomatoes) James' Gate can be good too. The wood grilled sausage and lamb skewers at Santarpio's are pretty good...i will say the pizza has disappointed me the last couple of times There must be some other hidden treasures out there. Mon Jun 14 08:34:41 -0700 2004 794957 0 DodinBouffant 2 794992 I'm with Joanie on the Halfway--you must have hit an off night. I go there quite frequently post-softball. While I wouldn't expect Ah-so wings to be any good, therefore wouldn't order them, the majority of the menu is pretty good. Great burgers, and the steamers are usually excellent. Mon Jun 14 09:00:27 -0700 2004 794989 0 AlanH™ 3 794994 or an off three or four nights you are right about the ah so wings but when i asked the bartender to describe them to me her words were "well they are fried and tossed in a sort of ah so sauce" I figured they doctored them up somehow..but no no sweat I've said my piece Mon Jun 14 09:40:41 -0700 2004 794992 0 DodinBouffant 3 795001 I used to live about a 1/2 mile away from the one on the Dedham/W. Roxbury line. I probably averaged at least one meal a week there for 6 months and might have had one bad meal. I usually ate the tips, liked their grinders, and beers, probably stuck to regular wings and on occassion liked their steamers. I agree they could be sandy, but I assumed (had just moved to the area) that was the norm. I liked the Halfway but I guess not enough that when I lived in Watertown for 3+ years after W. Roxbury I bothered to try the Halfway in Watertown. As far as tips, I don't recall them being quite as good as West Street in Newton but still tasty. Mon Jun 14 10:22:10 -0700 2004 794992 0 Dax 2 795050 Denly's is the crown jewel, of the five I mentioned. First opened in 1933, (Do you think that's enough time to season the pizza ovens properly?)it retains, at least, an authentic 1950's neighborhood bar look. There may be 10 or 12 large high back wooden booths, a bar that can sit,maybe,ten people, and an enclosed kitchen, out of which, comes some of the the best "bar food" found anywhere. Famous for their pizza. I have discovered recently, that they are equally good with everything they do. Appetizers of: imported cold cuts, drizzeled with olive oil and homemade oil cured olives, Hot vinegar cherry peppers stuffed with imported provolone & proscuitto, are just two of my favorites.Their heated Itallian cold cut sandwich is unbelievable, as is their special "peppers and eggs" sandwich, just like Mama's.I am working on trying all of the pasta dishes. But a specialty of the house, that I cannot do without,is their homemade sausage served with their own vinegar peppers. You simply must check this out for yourself. Regarding the Linwood: It's just Pizza and booze, but they been doing it for 50 years or so. Come early or there will be linesd. The Venus in Whitman: Really good Pizza, sandwiches, salads and great "pizza oven cooked" french fries! Better yet, From Monday to Friday everything is half price! That's two for one, guys! Louis Mon Jun 14 14:46:24 -0700 2004 794989 0 Louis 3 795055 Homemade sausage with homemade vinegar peppers just may mean I could be there tonight...you struck a nerve... Mon Jun 14 15:34:50 -0700 2004 795050 0 Dodinbouffant 1 794996 pizza, fried calamari and antipasto at cafe sorrento in milford. pulled pork and ribs at the sit n bull, maynard. fried clams at the bar lunch in hudson Mon Jun 14 09:52:45 -0700 2004 794957 0 mike 1 795007 Not really 'undiscovered', but it is newly tried for me, R.F.O'Sullivan's in Somerville, my new favorite bar. WOW. What a burger. Absolutely deliciously plump and juicy, perfect medium rare. Tried the Patty-O-Melt, cheddar and sauteed onions, lettuce and tomato... making my mouth water just thinking about it. Definitely a 20 minute burger, but worth every second. Three sided bar, grill completing the square. Big menu. I also very much liked the 24oz corona bottles. Now, if only I felt safe enough walking there and back so that I didn't have to drive... Mon Jun 14 10:50:48 -0700 2004 794957 0 eating out 1 795008 Well if you're like me, food is secondary to good beer when visiting a tavern. So here's my list of favorite Boston area beer spots in order of preference. 1) Anam Cara - without a doubt the best beer selection in Boston. Others may have more taps, but none come close to having the most diverse, fresh, and quality selections. May be a little pricey, but its well worth it to have beer knowledgeable bartenders and beer served in a proper glass - and at the end of the night what does it cost you - a few bucks more? Excellent burgers and fish and chips. 2) Redbones - Decent tap selction that rotates frequently with some hard to find selections. German biers like Mahr's, Weinhenstephaner, Julius Echter, Reisdorf, Bitburger,frequent the list. Friendly service and hearty bbq goes really well with good beer. Northwest beers in November. More diverse glassware would make this place even better. 3)Watch City in Waltham. Great seasonal and special beers made in German, Belgian, and English styles with a twist. I love the lagers made here. Food is decent if you stick to apps., sandwiches, and burgers. 4) Cambridge Brewing Co. - Solid brewpub beers - especially the seasonals and specials. New cask beer every Tues. night. Food can vary from decent to good, but is in decline as of late. Fish and chips are always good though. 5) The Tap in Haverhill - not exactly Boston area but still reachable on the Commuter Rail. The best brewpub beers made within the 495 loop by former Northeast Brew. Co. and Concord/Rapscallion brewer Dann Paquette. Food is pretty good for a brewpub, never had a bad meal there. Other beer places around Boston in no particular order. Boston Beer Works. Huge selection of brewpub beers with 15 or so usually on tap. Too bad alot of them taste very similar and are targeted towards Bud drinkers. A couple of decent ones though and the food menu is huge and somewhat tasty. Horseshoe Pub in Hudson. Whenever they finish getting the new bar ready this place will rock. 85 fresh taps concentrating on locally brewed beer. Great burgers. Bukowski's. Decent advertised selection which can be hit or miss depending on availablity. High prices, intentional short pours, and attitudes of the staff prevent me from going more often. Cheap food specials in the early evening. Cambridge Common. If they would learn how to pour beer correctly I would frequent this place more often. If you like your draft beer ice cold, this is the place for you. The Sunsets. Those in geeky beer circles (yes I am one of them) seem to avoid this place like the plague. Yes they have 100 taps and even more in bottles (but its really not that much since they are "out" of many things on the list), but the quality has been very lacking in recent years. Unclean tap lines, stale kegs, and bad pouring techniques usually lead to a bad pint here. Hopefully the new cellarman from Redbones will get these guy heading down the right path. People rave about the food here, but I think their food is about the same quality as their beer. Poor. John Harvard's. The beers here are so mediocre that it bores me. The Kolsch and IPA are drinkable, but the rest of the selection doesn't cut it for me. I've never had good service or good food at the Cambridge location, but the Framingham location is much better. Mon Jun 14 10:50:55 -0700 2004 794957 0 rl 2 795208 rl-You nailed it for me--Great post! I'm always at Anam Cara! Wed Jun 16 13:40:39 -0700 2004 795008 0 Trumpet Guy 2 795209 rl-You nailed it for me--Great post! I'm always at Anam Cara! Wed Jun 16 13:40:39 -0700 2004 795008 0 Trumpet Guy 1 795011 P.A.'s Lounge in Union Square, Somerville has bags of chips. Maybe peanuts. Mon Jun 14 11:03:40 -0700 2004 794957 0 formelry grueldelux 1 795016 I've had some very respectable burgers, excellent fries, good hot wings and a pretty impressive chef's salad at Coolidge Corner Clubhouse. Also second the burger at O'Sullivans. BK Mon Jun 14 11:57:08 -0700 2004 794957 0 BK 2 795023 Second the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse. Great spot, good selection of beers, pretty good food- buffalo chicken salad recommended- it's huge. Mon Jun 14 12:25:19 -0700 2004 795016 0 eating out 1 795033 Kelley's Square Pub in East Boston has the best pizza - far better than Santarpio's around the corner, IMHO. Their honey steak tips are excellent too. Great specials during the week make the reasonable prices even more appealing. The Line in Everett always had great burgers but it's been a while since I've been by there. And I'll second the Tim's recommendation! Mon Jun 14 13:11:02 -0700 2004 794957 0 eastiegirl 1 795058 Hubub in Mattapan gets my vote. Delicious fried chicken wings and tropical fruit drinks. They also make a great bloody mary. Mon Jun 14 16:53:30 -0700 2004 794957 0 FoodFox 1 795151 Burgers, Steak Tips and Beer at Tir Na Nog on Somerville Ave just before Union Sq. Actually, I had my best cheeseburger ever there. Good Gaelic "atmosphere" with live music most nights. Tue Jun 15 17:52:58 -0700 2004 794957 0 BC