Good food AND watch the game?

[italophile]

Hi all, it's my husband's birthday and we'd like a nice place to watch the Patriots game Saturday while not compromising on food or competing w/ "super" fans (super loud, super drunk, etc). We live in the city, but aren't opposed to traveling for a good spot. There are 6 of us, all food is fine, though I think they equate sports=bar food, burgers so that is preferred.

Thoughts?

[hiddenboston]

So where did you end up watching the game? Great game, by the way, though I'm in New York right now, so I had to watch it in Giants country. I left my Pats shirts at home, of course.

[Gabatta]

We had a 6:30p reservation at the Grotto which was excellent as usual. We headed over to the Red Hat for the game afterward.

Why did you leave the jersey home? It's not like it is Sox/Yankees level of hatred (although I wear my #24 into the staduim regularly). No real issue with wearing a Pats shirt in NY. You've got to represent for the home team.

[Joanie]

I never would have thought that Hiddenboston was so wimpy, leaving his shirt at home!

A friend and I watched the Giants at the bar at Sidney's in the MIT Hotel and it was quite good. Absolutely dead which wasn't quite the atmosphere we wanted but certainly good viewing of two TVs and a wide choice of meals. The dinner menu isn't served til 5:30 so we split a shrimp flatbread from the bar menu ($12, also on the dinner menu) then at 5:30, I ordered a baby spinach salad w/ walnuts and goat cheese ($7) and she had a great tuna dish. The bison burger was tempting but I'd had burgers the nite before. Ended with a decent mocha/butterscotch torte at $7. Friendly Irish bartender, I like that bar area. I noticed Miracle of Science was dead too. Maybe everyone was footballed out from the nite before.

[digga]

Has the menu changed at all since the hotel was bought by the Le Meridien group? Having trouble finding a current menu on-line.

[Joanie]

I didn't realize they'd changed til I saw the sign when we left. That hotel used to be relatively reasonable, I wonder if they jacked up the prices. And yeah, I went to menu pages for a menu, which is somewhat like what we saw but doesn't include the bar menu.

http://boston.menupages.com/restauran...

[hiddenboston]

Well, in truth....uh....I forgot to bring the shirt with me. Yeah, that's it! Actually, in retrospect, I couldn't see someone in Cafe Angelique taking a swipe at me for being a Pats fan (unless they tried to hit me with a rolled up Lands End catalog). So yes, I am indeed a wimp. :-D

I've been meaning to get to Sidney's for awhile now. Probably won't have a chance to get there for the game this weekend, as I'll be somewhere in the Norwood area, but perhaps for a Celts game down the road.

[saltyair]

Amhreins in Southie

[Doug Mc.]

Eastern Standard has a large bar & large high top tables in the bar area. I do find it quite loud even when the game isn't on.

[Guinness02122]

CF Donovan's is the superior spot. Much better food than Waterfront Cafe, and real fans that aren't obnoxious.

[heWho]

If you can get a spot at the bar, Coda in the south end would be a good fit.

[jfood]

It's been a while but Summer Shack used to have a big screen they pulled down. And jfood likes the food there as well (others think its crap). As a head's up, jfood was there on a Monday night and a group of non-footballers arrived and asked for the table right under the screen and the resto turned off the game and put the screen up. "Are you kidding me?" was the polite way of describing the reaction from the football fans. The table did not take the hint and sat there and ordered. OMG.

[Infomaniac]

I guess SS it's not a good place to watch the game then.

[jfood]

Call ahead and make sure that the game will have priority over four ladies eating broiled fish.

[Infomaniac]

now thats funny

[BillieJean]

Intercontinental on waterfront. Good food, two flat screens, lots of room. Last time I was there it was very quiet--no loud fans, etc. Kobe burgers, great fried clams, raw bar--something for everyone. Pricey, yes, but a great spot.

[TomH]

Olde Magoun's Saloon in Somerville ia a great spot to watch the game. It can be a little loud but not too bad overall. Also, the burgers/bar food are great!

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Olde Magoun's Saloon
518 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145

[digga]

I like Magoun's a lot; in fact, we stopped in today for lunch and to catch the SD-Indy game. We love that they have the audio (just loud enough to hear the game and hold a conversation) and the food is good. He had a HUGE mound of chicken nachos and I had a "Szechuan" yellow fin tuna sandwich. I take issue with the Szechuan label, but still, I ate it all - with a rare center with sufficient Chinese 5-spice (flash-frozen tuna, according to the bartender), grilled bun (not ciabatta as advertised), and lightly dressed cabbage slaw, I couldn't complain. Bar Harbor Real Ale and Allagash White on tap were fresh and clean. Nice place to catch a game, but nevertheless, I dunno about choosing Magoun's for a birthday meal. Guess I like to get a little more gussied up for my birthday.

[TomH]

I was actually there to watch the game as well. As a matter of fact my wife and I were seated right next to you at the bar. Too funny! The reason I know is that I saw that HUGE plate of nachos come out and I was cracking up at the size of it.

Glad you enjoy it there. It is a "local" for me and one of my favorite spots.

[digga]

Frighteningly, he demolished the whole plate (that was his meal, you see). You left before you could witness the carnage. I was appalled. Today, he is, too.

Nice to "bump" into a fellow CH. Hope to see you and your wife there again!

[MC Slim JB]

I see that 28 Degrees in the South End will have the game on. Pretty swanky environs to watch the Pats in.

My preference would be for J.J. Foley's a few blocks away: solid bar food and Irish food, good beer selection, cool 19th-century atmosphere, nice people, modest prices. But there will probably be a bit of hooting and hollering.

[hiddenboston]

Maybe the Dogwood Cafe in JP? I'm pretty sure their TVs are big enough to watch from the dining area, though perhaps BostonBob can confirm this for me (thanks, Bob!).

I also like the idea of the Waterfront Cafe or CF Donovan's.

For a really quiet, mellow night of watching the game from one of many TVs in a classy, old-money environment, you could always go to The Last Hurrah in the Omin Parker House, though the food is just ok.

[Bostonbob3]

It's a little iffy regarding TV viewing from the dining room. A few pillars and lots of people milling about what is sure to be a crowded bar may make the view fairly obstructed.

[Pegmeister]

Bob's suggestion of the Waterfront is a good one, although I have been there when it has gotten quite loud. For a more low key evening I like the bar at Artu. They only have one TV but it's easy to view and you can get a shrimp scampi pizza or a nice sirloin steak. I also had the most incredible expresso martini there last week. It was made with Gianduia Liqueur (Bottega). I can't even describe the taste sensation!!!
Most games, I end up at CF Donovans. Just take the red line to Savin Hill station and it's directly across the street. They have plenty of TVs and you really can't beat the food. My favorite lately being the Bianco pizza with shrimp and garlic added. It's more like a bruschetta with shrimp, but it's delicious. Other dishes include surf & turf (tenderloin and shrimp); chicken parm; chicken curry; parmsean crusted haddock; and chicken bella bocca.

[bakerboyz]

In Newton Upper Falls, excellent comfort food/bar food, not too large or noisy, nice atmosphere and should not get loud, drunk crowd; many big screen tv's: Johnny's Biltmore Cafe.

[Bostonbob3]

Waterfront Cafe, North End (Commercial Street).