596210 Sat Feb 14 12:58:12 -0800 2009 27 12 Boston Area 0 4417494 i'm looking for a place that has a great beer selection that also has great food, not a brew pub but great food and great beers. i prefer belgian and belgian style beer and i have a friend coming to town who enjoys the same. the list doesn't have to be extensive just interesting selections, not just your standard bud, amstel, and guiness offerings. boston and/or cambridge preferably but would be willing to travel a little Sat Feb 14 12:58:12 -0800 2009 259971 cockscomb 1 4417560 Unless you're dying for a killer Veggie Burger, Bukowski's Taven (I prefer the back bay location a million times over the cambridge one) probably won't fit the food bill although they have the best beer selection around. Green Street in Central Square has a concise and thoughtful beer list and they food is better than good. Deep Ellum might have a stronger, more diverse selection than Green St, but their food isn't really worth it. I've heard the Publick House in Brookline offers a good selection, but I can't vouch from experience. Good luck! Sat Feb 14 13:32:07 -0800 2009 4417494 261711 ChickenLittle 2 4417878 According to their most recent email, Deep Ellum has five different Belgians on tap as of last week: Brasserie De la Senne "Taras Boulba" (Belgium) De Ranke "XX Bitter" (Belgium) Brasserie de Geants "Saison Voisin" (Belgium) Cantillion "Fou'Foune" (Belgium) Brasserie de Geants "Goliath" Tripel (Belgium) That's in addition to the extensive bottled listings, which are heavy on the Belgians and Belgian-style. And I repeat, in case you haven't heard: the food has improved quite a bit since the original chef (who was both in over his head and trying way too hard) left last fall. If you haven't been there in a while, you might be surprised. I would concede that the food offerings are not yet up to the quality of the beer and the cocktails, but since I think the beer and the cocktails are the best and most conscientiously-served (seriously, don't get into a beer-nerd conversation with the owners unless you've cleared the next couple hours in your schedule) in town, I'm willing to accept merely good-to-very-good food alongside. Sat Feb 14 15:50:22 -0800 2009 4417560 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 3 4417936 thats good to know... the cocktails are the best and most consistent? i'll definitely have to try deep ellum then. i have often looked at the menu and thought it was still on the pub food side but, i will have to give it a try. any of the other higher end food concept places have good beers?? sat at #9 the other night and had some kasteel kriek from von steenberge. Sat Feb 14 16:25:22 -0800 2009 4417878 259971 cockscomb 1 4417994 I really like Hungry Mother for good food and respectful treatment of beer. While the list doesn't lean towards Belgians, Brooklyn Local 1 is a great beer. http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/ Sat Feb 14 16:55:00 -0800 2009 4417494 11661 nfo 2 4418007 yet another reason hungry mother is on my short list now... great nfo, thank you. i think we may have found our spot. i guess i shouldn't limit the comment to belgian or belgian style beers. i meant to imply that i was looking for more food beers and/or those with a more vinous quality. but i find more often than not, the best of those (ales, lambics, gueuzes etc...) to be belgian Sat Feb 14 17:02:39 -0800 2009 4417994 259971 cockscomb 1 4418030 the food's not *great*, but both the publick house in brookline and the parrish cafe in copley have excellent beer selections. again, not great food, but doyle's in jp is a slice of culture to be sure and a very good selection of brews. Sat Feb 14 17:19:22 -0800 2009 4417494 30273 hotoynoodle 2 4420961 I've really liked the Public House for several years but they've raised prices on beer recently and I feel less enthusiastic, maybe this will change. I think the owner is overextended with the new store and BBQ joint but he's risking it all by raising prices at the Publick House, it's definitely less crowded. I do like their seafood waterzooi and recommend ordering this. Bukowski's is probably my first choice for beer and food now. Mon Feb 16 05:02:55 -0800 2009 4418030 18264 steinpilz 1 4419723 I'll admit this will sound like an unusual recommendation, but New Mother India in Waltham has a fantastic beer selection (Julius Echter Hefe Weiss, several lambics, and Celebrator Dopplebock to name a few), and excellent food. Sun Feb 15 14:05:54 -0800 2009 4417494 55578 Eatin in Woostah 2 4419801 never heard of it... sounds good. i havent had great luck with indian spots Sun Feb 15 14:45:14 -0800 2009 4419723 259971 cockscomb 2 4421557 I've been to NMI a number of times and they do have a great beer list for an Indian restaurant - good prices too - can't beat a 750ml of Duvel (served with the proper Duvel glass - albeit frozen) for less than $8 - I don't even think you can buy it in a liquor store for that price. But the service there is mostly lacking, quality of the food is mediocre, and a touch more expensive compared to other Indian restaurant's in the area, otherwise I would have been there many more times than I have already. Mon Feb 16 09:13:17 -0800 2009 4419723 12014 LStaff 3 4425390 It's funny - NMI is the first Indian restaurant my husband and I ever went to (separately, by coincidence), 15 years ago when we both lived in Waltham right after college. I've had lots, and lots of Indian since, but NMI is still my favorite. It's probably the combination of their food with good Belgian beer that does it for me, plus the nostalgia. Service varies depending on who you get and the night you go. I find it generally very cordial and earnest, while maybe not the most professional. They have a tendency to forget the raita. :) Tue Feb 17 11:35:39 -0800 2009 4421557 55578 Eatin in Woostah 1 4420381 I'm fond of Cambridge Common, between Harvard and Porter squares in Cambridge...they have a great and constantly shifting tap list of 25-ish beers (with a couple Belgian-style ales in there usually) and they know how to serve them properly. It's reasonably priced for Cambridge, and the food is generally pretty darn good. It's nothing terribly high-concept, but it's not just pub food either, and it's well-executed. (although if you're in the mood for pub food at any point, they do have the best fried pickles anywhere). Also a lot of the time they have cask beer available, which is lovely and not typical for Cambridge. Redbones in Davis Square (Somerville) can be good too - the barbecue's decent - but it's usually a mob scene on weekends (they don't take reservations and the wait can be hours) and to be honest their tap list has been looking a little lackluster lately, compared to how it used to be Sun Feb 15 18:54:36 -0800 2009 4417494 23850 zach272 1 4421496 Check out Atwoods Tavern on Cambridge Street in Cambridge. Interesting menu, interesting beer selection without being too over the top and snotty. I've had the Gimbergen with their mac n'cheese with applewood smoked bacon..... its a reason to sleep over and have it again for breakfast !!! Comfortable dark wood... evening entertainment, good mix of folks. PS: If you can score the table at the front window, its got a little gas fireplace next to it. check out the food and beers as www.atwoodstavern.com Mon Feb 16 08:55:35 -0800 2009 4417494 54569 Buddernut 2 4422195 menu looks great and reasonably priced... do you know if the charcuterie is made in house? Mon Feb 16 12:33:32 -0800 2009 4421496 259971 cockscomb 3 4424356 I know that they make their rilettes and pates in house. Everything else is from Formaggio Kitchen. And Tuesday is the night to go, Dwight Richter and his band are super talented! Oh no... the secret is out! Will I ever get a bar seat again? Tue Feb 17 07:33:40 -0800 2009 4422195 261711 ChickenLittle 3 4427502 Hmmm, I dunno if the charcuterie in made in-house, but a quick phone inquiry to them might tell you. I know they're pretty creative and their veggie burger is made in-house. I love their garlic rosemary fries which I believe are fresh cut. I say it's definitely worth a try. I don't think you'd be disappointed.... but if ou go, give us a post back. I'd love to hear your opinion. Tue Feb 17 22:05:08 -0800 2009 4422195 54569 Buddernut 4 4427543 loved dwight richter... music was awesome. that alone would bring me back. good beer selction. the charcuterie was good also. i'm still looking for a step above in terms of food but the beer was good Tue Feb 17 22:27:32 -0800 2009 4427502 259971 cockscomb 5 4429995 Hey, I was at Atwoods last night too! Were you at the bar or at a table? It's impossible not to like D.R. Band. I know what you mean about the food, but I usually overlook that. Or you can have dinner at East Coast Grill, stop at Christina's for Ice Cream and then walk down to Atwoods for beer. Ice Cream and beer.... yeah! Wed Feb 18 15:46:49 -0800 2009 4427543 261711 ChickenLittle 6 4430069 I was at the bar... seemed like you were able to get your seat at the bar while it was busy, there were still some seats. i love that they serve la chouffe. i may have to return next tuesday for another and dwight ritcher. probably grab some food elsewhere before the 10pm show Wed Feb 18 16:10:50 -0800 2009 4429995 259971 cockscomb 1 4422508 I've never seen a restaurant in Boston that combines truly great food with great beer, so I think you'll have to make a trade-off: good food/great beer or great food/good beer. Great food/good beer: I second the Hungry Mother rec. They have a very small, but fairly well-chosen beer selection. Besides the Brooklyn Local 1, they had Ommegang Hennepin on tap last time I was there. I can't think of another place that fits into this category. Does Ten Tables carry good beer consistently? I know they've had beer events. Good food/great beer: Publick House has to be top of list for Belgians (it's their strength), followed by Deep Ellum and Atwoods. Atwoods has the slight edge on food, in my opinion, whereas Deep Ellum wins on beer. Scratch Redbones - their tap list tends to have more extreme/rare American beers. Cambridge Common is also weak for Belgians. Sunset Grill has lots of Belgian offerings but the food blows. Hope this helps! Mon Feb 16 14:06:42 -0800 2009 4417494 41620 fecalface 2 4430079 what exactly do you mean by extreme/rare american beers? Wed Feb 18 16:13:40 -0800 2009 4422508 259971 cockscomb 3 4433425 What I think he means are American made craft beers that are pushing the boundaries - high alcohol (9-12%), double/triple IPAs, imperial stouts, unusual ingredients, etc. You should definitely consider Publick House. One advantage is that two other places run by the same owner are near by - Publick House Provisions (excellent beer selection focused on Belgians ...if you want to buy some beer to take home) and the Road House. The Road House is a BBQ joint that has had some real problems with their food but they have an excellent selection of very high quality American craft beers on draft. Thu Feb 19 14:25:41 -0800 2009 4430079 123149 southernwayfarer 3 4434504 Exactly - here is a blurb from the Bros on Extreme Beer: http://beeradvocate.com/articles/530 Roadhouse has an outstanding beer selection, but hardly any Belgian beers (if any). Whereas Publick House is undoubtedly the mecca for Belgians. I personally prefer the tap list at Roadhouse, but you may not enjoy it as much and it's trickier to navigate. Fyi on Publick House Provisions - they have a decent selection of beers and lots of glassware, but the prices tend towards the high side. There are other stores in Boston with a better selection, cheaper prices and less attitude. Just my two cents. Thu Feb 19 20:36:53 -0800 2009 4430079 41620 fecalface 1 4422794 Townsend's in Hyde Park. Great food and great beer. Their website seems to be down, right now, but hey have a decent selection of Belgians in bottles and on tap. Mon Feb 16 15:32:41 -0800 2009 4417494 149889 firewrx612 1 4422970 Not sure how many Belgians they have, but I've always enjoyed Miracle of Science Bar and Grill in Central Square for good food, good drinks and a decent atmosphere Mon Feb 16 16:34:26 -0800 2009 4417494 242801 CoryKatherine 2 4423578 No Belgians at MoS, but I am hoping Tory Row, their new place in Harvard Sq, might have some Belgians. As much as I love Belgians, though, they are not the end-all-be-all. Craft beers dispensed from clean lines or even hard-to-find bottled beers, a la Dogfish Head Midas Touch (delicious!) would suffice. Atwood's, Highland Kitchen, Publick House, et al, have been mentioned. A bit off the beaten track is Magoun's for clean beer and decent pub grub. The Indian place in Waltham reminds me that Namaskar has an unexpectedly good beer list (my memory is failing me at the moment). Life is too short to drink shi*%y beer! Mon Feb 16 20:12:36 -0800 2009 4422970 121319 digga 1 4423365 Actually, we're pretty lucky to have restaurants putting such careful thought into their beer selection--as seen in this thread :) You could put together serious bar crawl :) I'll add Highland Cafe in Somerville to the list--only 4 taps but they are all good and lots of bottles. Great food. Charlie's Kitchen has a pretty good list for a dive; food is, well, dive bar-ish, but I love the grilled cheese. Christopher's (Cambridge Common sister restaurant) has a good list too; food is mediocre. check out beeradvocate.com Mon Feb 16 18:43:56 -0800 2009 4417494 18481 MaineRed