Best bar within a mile of Davis Square

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Okay, we are going to do another poll. This one is "Best Bar within a mile of Davis Square".

You need to make suggestions here and if there is agreement, it will be included in the poll.

Two rules (please no butthurt).

1) It has to be within a mile of the center of Davis Square.
2) It needs to be a Bar. The difference between a bar and a restaurant is a judgment call, but we can generally agree. Restaurants that have a bar do not count, while bars that serve food does. For example, the Burren is a bar that has food, Mikes is a restaurant that has a bar.
2) Lets go with "best place to have a drink". I'm fine with that. Nominate now and I'll put up the poll at 3pm.

A little bit later this afternoon, I'll make the poll. Examples we are already going to include are:

Burren, Joshua Tree, Underbones, Sligo, Orleans, PJ Ryan's, Christopher's, Toad, Spirit, Newtowne Grill, Joe Sent Me, Johnny D's.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Not sure whether Christopher's qualifies or not under your criterion.

Looks like you've ruled out Rudy's, Gargoyles, SoundBites, Sagra. You probably want to add in Powder House Pub.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

Those all seem like restaurants to me, but I can be overuled.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I think it's a fair call on three out of four, especially Rudy's, since last I checked parents don't generally take their kids to bars. I'm a bit uncertain about Sagra, though.

[ron_newman]

I've gone to Christopher's many times without drinking alcohol, so to me, it's a restaurant.

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

They also have an upstairs that's dining-only, so I'd classify Christopher's as a restaurant. In contrast, the Joshua Tree is mostly bar.

[inahandbasket]

frankly I think your grouping is fairly arbitrary.
Orleans and Christophers are definitely more restaurant-with-bar if you ask me, far more so than Mike's. And Gargoyles front room is definitely a bar, if you're splitting out Underbones you can split out the gargoyles bar.

I think if you're really doing this you toss rule #2 and just go with "best bar within a mile of Davis."

Perhaps do Best Classic Bar and Best Classy Bar...

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

We need some operationalization here. Bars exist sui generis from restaurants.

We end up comparing things that are separate categories and that does no good.

I'm willing to change my mind on Christophers and Orleans and toss them out (but I don't want to), but lets try to keep these to places that are bars.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

I can toss it out if that is the consensus.

[ron_newman]

A bar is a place where it would be unusual to go without ordering at least one alcoholic beverage. Or a place with live music. I doubt that helps much, though.

[evenblend.livejournal.com]

how about... "Best place to drink"

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

then it confuses bars and restaurants.

[ron_newman]

I like that. I think anomie666 is trying to avoid a poll with 20 choices, but I'm not sure if the proposed distinction really works.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd generally classify Christopher's as a restaurant.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

But, a huge chunk of the downstairs is Bar only.

And Mike's & Sagra...I think should be allowed to count.

I think any place that's reasonably a good choice to "go have a drink" sans food should be fine.

but besides, most of those places listed aren't so great. And the Burren is pretty good, so it wins by default (except I hate how often they have cover charges)

[veda815.livejournal.com]

+1 "Best place to drink"

[frederic.livejournal.com]

Is the Powder House Pub even open any more? When we walked by last night, there was a couch section out front with a "Take Me" sign and the place seemed unlit.

[whitefire.livejournal.com]

Undergoing renovations at the moment.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

best places to drink +2

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I think it's a fair call on three out of four, especially Rudy's, since last I checked parents don't generally take their kids to bars.

That's not a bad rule of thumb, but FYI I have taken my kids to the Burren for brunch many times, and often take them to Christopher's for dinner. I'm pretty sure we've taken them to Johnny D's and Orleans as well.

A better guideline might be whether the establishment posts a bouncer outside the front door in the evening. If it does it's a bar; if it doesn't it's a restaurant. (That would include e.g. the Burren and Sligo but not Christopher's or Joshua Tree, I think.)

There's going to be ambiguity here in any case. Personally I would say that Christopher's is definitely a restaurant, not a bar, and I'd probably consider Orleans and Johnny D's also to be restaurants (but with less certainty).

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

Where's the Porter Square Tavern?

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

Official name I suppose is "tavern on the square, porter square"

[ron_newman]

Oops, I didn't realize this.

[ron_newman]

I don't know. Where is it (geographically) ?

[derekp.livejournal.com]

It's on the corner space at the Porter Square Exchange. I think that's within 1 mile... barely. .65 miles as the crows flies. Think it counts.

[nathanjw]

How about Diva Lounge?