(no subject)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Ok folks, got a restaurant-related question here.

What I'm looking for: places with full bars and very good bar menus, that aren't too expensive, but have some class to them. That is, they can make you a dirty Tanqueray martini and feed you, I dunno, goat cheese quesadillas or something, as opposed to making you nasty sugary shooters and feeding you lackluster chicken fingers while rowdy frat boys yell and watch sporting events on TV all around you. It doesn't have to be just a bar, and it doesn't have to be a full restaurant.

Places I've been that have the kind of stuff I've liked: Grafton Street in Harvard Square, Noir at the Charles Hotel, etc. Anything a little less pricey than those places would be welcome, though. When I have a real job I'm perfectly willing to spend the cash, but right now I am a lowly temp, getting paid shite wages to research information on some of the richest people in the world so this college can ask them for money. Closer to Davis or Porter would also be nice.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

(crossposted to my personal journal)

Comments

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

In Davis, I'd say:

Gargoyles
400 Highland
Orleans

[moment2shine.livejournal.com]

If you like Indian food, Diva is my favorite restaurant in Davis Square. They have the Diva Lounge next door for cocktails.

Meals run 12-15 apiece but there are always leftovers to make your coworkers jealous the next day!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

How's their bar menu?

[chuckm.livejournal.com]

Lots of signature drinks. The specialize in infused vodka, with an Indian twist.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

little tapas-style things, indian-esque (potato chaat, chicken skewers) mostly <$10. for $20 you can get a lovely drink and a lovely snack. i don't regard this as cheap, but it's awfully pleasant, esp. if you've already eaten a proper meal and are just going for indulgence :)

[moment2shine.livejournal.com]

i know they have a few imported beers and i've seen people sipping martinis and such there. i have yet to indulge but they seem like they're trying to do the sophisticated lounge thing.

[unferth.livejournal.com]

Christopher's in Porter Square is pretty decent. It's not quite as classy as Orleans or 400 Highland, but it's correspondingly cheaper and the food is still good. It can get a bit noisy sometimes, but not like a sports bar.

I haven't tried their mixed drinks - I usually just get beer when I'm there - but they have their menu on their web site:

http://www.christopherscambridge.com/drinks.html

That's a link to the bar menu, but you can easily get to the food
listings from there.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'm not sure I'm too keen on their bar...though their appetizers are often more creative than their entrees.

Orleans

[tracy-rolling.livejournal.com]

I don't think Orleans is classy at all. I hate that place. Huge TVs everywhere. Kinda expensive. It's got these bizarre Frenchified airs but there is hardly anything even remotely French on the menu.

It's basically an overpriced Italian restaurant/sports bar

I think Diva has a TV, too, doesn't it? I cannot stand restaurants with TVs in them.

Re: Orleans

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I agree with the TV thing. It's hard to escape them, and anything more than one small screen with the sound off really gets on my nerves big time.

I've never been IN Orleans, I've only had a mojito outside there. The outside seating is nice in good weather, though the table was really tippy.

Re: Orleans

[unferth.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I agree on the TVs, although I have a lot of practice ignoring them. Perhaps I should say Orleans is attempting to be classier than Christopher's, whether or not it's succeeding.

Re: Orleans

[tracy-rolling.livejournal.com]

hahaha.

I remember when they covered their beautiful rose paiting with a plastic kinko's ad boasting "now serving brunch."

I was apalled that they disrespected their one pretty object by just screwing the thing directly into the wood of the rose painting. I shook my head at that.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

I would not recommend Christophers. It's far from high class and doesn't rise above standard bar food.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Their brunch is quite enjoyable, though. I'll give 'em that!

[unferth.livejournal.com]

I'd still put them at least two notches above the TGIF's or Pizzerias Uno of the world, which was kinda the contrast I got from the chicken fingers/frat boys initial comment. They're not an impress-a-date kinda place, but I think they're a good midrange option (and one without TVs, as far as I can remember). I have no idea whether or not their cocktail menu is anything worth mentioning.

If I'm there for dinner I usually end up getting one of their specials - their standard menu is a bit predictable, I'll admit that.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

They have several TVs! I've definitely watched baseball games at the bar.

Garrrrrrrrgoyles

[tracy-rolling.livejournal.com]

I totally second Gargoyles. I had a Tom Collins to die for there last night.

My favorite thing to eat there are the duck drumsticks.

Oh yeah. You got that right. DUCK drumsticks.

I made this map of Davis-area places for somebody

http://www.platial.com/tracy_the_astonishing/map/8094

It's a hodge podge of brunch spots, bars, cafes, etc, and totally incomplete. Anybody can add to it. I just whipped it up quick with my favorite favorites as a kindness for somebody.

Here's Gargoyle's
http://www.platial.com/place/101589

Re: Garrrrrrrrgoyles

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I do adore Gargoyles, but DAMN, they're pricey. :(

Re: Garrrrrrrrgoyles

[gookalockgeek.livejournal.com]

I'll second Gargoyles, too. It is pricey, though. My hubby used to cook there, but we couldn't afford to eat there! :)

Re: Garrrrrrrrgoyles

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I just went with my boyfriend a few weeks ago, and the duck was so good I wanted to cry. Mmmmmmmmm.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

The bar at Gargoyles is great,expensive, but you actually get a lot for your money. I've paid ten or twelve dollars for a manahattan there, but the drink is three times the size as what you'd get in any other bar. And much better than you'd get anywhere else. And you can get killer food for $12 and under.

The other place I'd recommend for upscale bar food is Chez Henri, bewteen Harvard and Porter. The Cuban sandwich is out of this world, could feed two people, and is in the $10 range. It's probably the best dining deal in Boston. And the drinks at CH are incredibly good, though pricey. Just be sure to go early on Friday and Saturday so that you can get a seat. I'd say you could split a sandwich with someone and get your buzz on for $40 for two people.

drinkie winkies

[tracy-rolling.livejournal.com]

Yeah, watch out for the drinks at Gargoyles. They will knock you right on your ass if you don't watch out. I think the price is just right for the quality, and it protects you from drinking too many, which would be easy to do otherwise.

Re: drinkie winkies

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Yeah, they do serve good drinks. Had a dirty martini there last night, in fact. One of the 6-ounce ones, not the 10-ounce, though.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

What about Cambridge 1 in Harvard, the Middlesex in Central, and the Independent in Union?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

The Independent definitely sounds worth a look! The others, possibly, but not what I'm looking for at the moment.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

The Enormous Room in Central Sq. has yummy drinks and some food. The food is good but it's a very limited menu.

Cuchi Cuchi has one of the best bars in Cambridge IMO. The food is really good tapas but pricy.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I am dying to try Cuchi Cuchi ever since I read about their Salome's Potion (muddled blackberries and fresh basil with the divine Hendrick's gin). Might save that for a birthday treat...

restaurants

[reed-davis.livejournal.com]

I second The Independent.
Also, if you like Grafton Street you might want to check out Temple Bar on Mass. Ave.

Re: restaurants

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Chez Henri just off Mass ave also has good cocktails. If you are over by the Aquarium, Sel del la Terre is really good as well.

Re: restaurants

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Yeah, just checked out their website...sounds excellent, actually.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

They have a really yummy basil lime gimlet *yum*

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Their cocktail menu makes me happy. I like eclectic, non-froofy, interesting cocktails.

sabur's in teele sq.

[kglue.livejournal.com]

This may be a bit out of the way from Davis, but I've always been partial to Sabur Restaurant (http://www.saburrestaurant.com/) in Teele Sq. The back lounge area has a great atmosphere and the menu and bar menu are great. The drinks are pretty good too (though it depends on who the bartender is). There is a TV back there that is rather conspicuous, but there's really no one there to watch the games.

It's been awhile since I've been, so things may have changed, but I doubt it.

Re: sabur's in teele sq.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

They have a really good brunch starting at 11am on Sat and Sunday.

[lonely-squirrel.livejournal.com]

You mentioned Grafton St in HQ ... Just down Bow St on Mt Auburn is a place called Daedalus, which IMO serves better drinks and has a nicer atmosphere. The food's a bit more expensive, but the drinks ought to be about the same. It's a classier place, which for you may translate into "less crowded" or "less fun", both of which are probably true.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I've been to Daedalus for dinner before. Nice place, good martinis. Their appetizers are pretty comparable to Grafton Street, pricewise.

[kglue.livejournal.com]

And better yet, in a couple of weeks they'll be opening a new roof deck

Way out of the way, but...

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of Solea, on Moody St. in Waltham. It's tapas, owned (if I recall correctly) by the same guys who run Dali, and the bartenders are definitely capable. Goat cheese? Check.

All of that said, Moody St. is a pain to get to, but it is a really enjoyable evening out.

Out of Davis and into Cambridge

[dawneliz.livejournal.com]

You may also want to give The Blue Room a shot (Kendall Sq). Reggie is a great bartender and is there Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri nights. Some good and funky drinks, good food (a little $). And I second and third Chez Henri. Go there, plop yer butt at the bar with a friend, have a mojito or two and *share* the cubano. Also very good...Oleana. If they still have that sake martini drink, it is very nice. And get their deviled egg thingie as a snack.