664626 Wed Nov 04 07:34:40 -0800 2009 21 12 Boston Area 0 5154725 Can anyone recommend a restaurant worthy of a special occasion dinner that also has a really great beer list? My husband is beer obsessed (home brewer, partial to Belgium beers, spontaneously fermented stuff, funky/sour beers) and we both love great food. I love Oleana - creative food that's in season and locally sourced, with an unpretentious vibe - but we went there last year. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!! Wed Nov 04 07:34:40 -0800 2009 1121632 OrangeSamurai 1 5154867 Dunno if it's "worthy of a special occasion" -- but The Independent in Union Sq, Somerville has very good, unpretentious food, and an excellent, rotating list of draft beers. Often several Belgian choices and a few for the adventurous. Tasted Monk's Flemish Sour Ale last time I was there. Not my kind of beer, but your husband might dig it. In any case, it's my go-to for a great beer menu. Wed Nov 04 08:14:04 -0800 2009 5154725 130470 franksnbeans 2 5185523 Have you been to The Independent recently (like, in the past month)? It has been one of my favorites for a casual but yummy meal since it first opened, but something has gone horribly awry. We had a horrible dinner there with friends last Sunday and I just heard this morning from a friend that his meal last night was awful as well. I am pretty dismayed about it. Mon Nov 16 09:25:30 -0800 2009 5154867 119167 ginafly 1 5155012 Eastern Standard has a pretty extensive bottle list with plenty of Belgians, as I recall... Hungry Mother has a small but generally excellent selection on draught. Wed Nov 04 08:49:51 -0800 2009 5154725 218487 noradeirdre 1 5155094 Great question. Sadly, I think you'll have to choose food or beer--or maybe make the special occasion part not the part at the restaurant ;) I've found the Independent to be hit or miss lately w/the food but a great beer list. Highland Kitchen in Somerville has a pretty good list and great food: more of a gastropub atmosphere. Hungry Mother in Kendall has a limited selection of drafts, but great food. Gargoyle's in Davis has great food and a few good drafts If you can: go to Armsby Abbey in Worchester: amazing localvore food and fantastic beerlist (heavy on the Belgiums) -- really is worth the drive! Wed Nov 04 09:09:49 -0800 2009 5154725 18481 MaineRed 1 5155213 I would strongly concur with Hungry Mother as the best beer/food combo I've come across in town. The two times I've been there they have had a solid tap selection and a very nice bottle selection. That said, it leans a lot more heavily toward american craft brews than the super-obscure, funky belgiany types that you'd find at a top-notch beer bar. If you're really lucky, Lord Hobo will open by then (they're saying any day now), and it's very nearby, so you can follow up your meal with a walk over there from some crazy beers. (Lord Hobo has an ambitious menu too, but since it's not yet open it's clearly too soon to recommend that aspect). I've never had beer at Eastern Standard (the cocktails are too good) but if the beer list is good it seems like a solid second option. I would NOT recommend the Independent. Nice tap list, and passable food, but far from a special occasion meal. Wed Nov 04 09:42:34 -0800 2009 5154725 21490 celeriac 2 5155409 Another thought: go to Hungry Mother for dinner and stop by Cambridge Brewing Company for beers either before or after. It is right down the street from Hungry Mother, and the sampler of their seasonal brews is definitely a beerhound-worthy experience. Currently they've got a lot of pumpkin in their seasonal beers: http://cambridgebrewing.com/beer/seasonal/ If that isn't your thing maybe best to skip it, but I've always been very impressed by the CBC brews. Unfortunately, while the food is decent, it is definitely not special-occasion worthy IMO. Wed Nov 04 10:31:35 -0800 2009 5155213 1108572 greenzebra 1 5155234 Your husband may be partial to Belgium beers, but I love a good America beer, and sometimes can enjoy a good Germany beer or a nice England ale. ;-) Wed Nov 04 09:49:27 -0800 2009 5154725 12014 LStaff 2 5155302 I thought I was the only one... I second Armsby Abbey in Worcester, even though it's a haul. Wed Nov 04 10:03:29 -0800 2009 5155234 92744 invinotheresverde 2 5156906 Bravo. Wed Nov 04 18:48:16 -0800 2009 5155234 90719 chickendhansak 1 5155340 Check out Beer Advocate's calendar page (you can narrow it by location) for special beer dinners around the anniversary date. http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar/2009/11 Wed Nov 04 10:12:08 -0800 2009 5154725 16834 elcaminogirl 1 5155429 What about Ten Tables? A beer-hound friend of mine claims they care just as much about their beer list as their wine list, and offer pairing suggestions. Locations in JP and Cambridge. Wed Nov 04 10:37:34 -0800 2009 5154725 12377 bella_sarda 2 5155501 Unless they have more than what they show online, it's not very impressive for a Belgium lover. Chimay, Ommegang and Brooklyn are pretty standard. I'd hit up Publick House for a few before dinner especially if he's into sours. Wed Nov 04 10:53:42 -0800 2009 5155429 11263 tallullah 1 5155493 Publick House. He can find at least 4 beers he's never tried, and the food is serviceable... Wed Nov 04 10:51:44 -0800 2009 5154725 51849 okra 1 5156705 Brasserie Jo has a lot of Belgian beers on the menu (which you would never know, looking at their website - why is the beer menu not online???). My hubby is also a homebrewer and I took him there for his birthday. I've enjoyed their food very much, though I don't know if it's special-occasion enough for what you have in mind... Wed Nov 04 17:20:53 -0800 2009 5154725 163803 gimlis1mum 2 5156967 Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Yeah yeah, I meant BelGIAN, thanks for pointing that out. A friend of mine just suggested Vee Vee, which I've never tried. Wed Nov 04 19:17:15 -0800 2009 5156705 1121632 OrangeSamurai 3 5158007 Oh yeah---my confusion---THAT's the place (Vee Vee) my beerhound friend raved about. We were talking about Ten Tables and Vee Vee in the same convo, so I got them confused. Never been there myself though, so can't talk about the food. Thu Nov 05 08:40:27 -0800 2009 5156967 12377 bella_sarda 4 5159990 I think we're going to go with Vee Vee! And with that beer list, I now have to figure out how the best way to trek from Union Square to Centre Street sans car... Thu Nov 05 20:53:04 -0800 2009 5158007 1121632 OrangeSamurai 5 5160420 You might want to check out mbta.com and use the trip planner. Have a great time, and please report back about your night! Fri Nov 06 06:05:17 -0800 2009 5159990 77061 bear 5 5160570 It's not a bad walk from the Orange line (maybe 10 minutes from the Green St. stop). Fri Nov 06 07:10:52 -0800 2009 5159990 1108572 greenzebra 6 5161134 Take the 86 or 91 bus from Union Square to Sullivan Square to reach the Orange Line, ride to Green St., then walk (see above post). Fri Nov 06 10:08:04 -0800 2009 5160570 12377 bella_sarda 5 5161597 I bet you it's 5 min less than driving, ha ha. That's not a favorite drive for me. You can also take the E line to the 39 bus which would be any place from Copley Sq. to Heath St. It would drop you about 5 doors down from Vee Vee. Fri Nov 06 12:30:24 -0800 2009 5159990 14253 Joanie