Good Eats: Speed Round

Today I felt like doing one big recap of a few new places I’ve tried recently. I’m thinking bulletpoint style because there’s really no good way to connect all of them. Let’s just go with the flow…

The Jerry Remy’s near Fenway has a fantastic roof deck. You can see the ballpark right across the street and feel the action (no view of the field though). There is plenty of cover for shade and oscillating fans with mist to keep you cool even during the dog days of summer. And if you want to know about the beer selection up there and how it compares to downstairs in the main restaurant, well, don’t take my word for it.

Sticking in the neighborhood, I had my first bite of a Tasty Burger last weekend. It was delicious. What I remember most was the speed in which it was ready, the “special” sauce they used and the mess that it made (always a sign of a good burger). I would probably rate it 2^nd or 3^rd on my list of casual burger places after Five Guys, right there with Fuddrucker’s, ahead of UBurger and lightyears better than B.Good.

To the North End we head and an overachieving hole in the wall known as Ernesto’s. Apparently, North Enders know this spot but we were clueless. The slices are HUGE. If you want 2 normal slices, order 1 Ernesto’s slice. We made the mistake of ordering 2 slices for each of us so we had a full 8 slice pizza on our hands. And boy is it a hidden gem. It’s hard to find the entrance because it barely exists. Studio apartments are bigger than this place. There were 4 tables crammed inside so come prepared to eat your food on the way out the door. As you may have figured, none of this would be worth it if the pizza wasn’t top notch and you certainly won’t be disappointed. They have a wide variety of selections so you can try something new or enjoy an old favorite.

If you head down Atlantic Ave a couple blocks you will run into Littlest Bar. I have passed this bar numerous times on my way to The Times right next door but this week I decided to take my first foray. As the name suggests, it is in a small space. It shares the first floor of the building with The Times and receives maybe 20% of the space. They legitimately had a door behind their bar that opened up into their neighbor’s back room, which is bigger than their entirety. But what was really great was their outdoor patio which was quite spacious and caught me by surprise. We happened to be the only ones out there (rain was in the forecast and it started sprinkling just as we asked for the check) but it seemed like it could be a really happening spot.

Last but not least, let’s cross the bridge to Charlestown and visit Tavern on the Water. I had a vague familiarity with this place (in name only) and did not know what to expect from our venture. It ended up blowing us away. Whether you get a table upstairs or snare a stool on the outer edge of the main floor the views are amazing. We also got fooled into checking out the bar downstairs which had fake sand and was cash only (don’t waste your time with this nonsense). And they may not have nachos but try the chips & guac.

The hosts with the most

Saturday was my sister’s birthday. Since we had friends staying with us over the weekend we weren’t able to go to her party but we did take her out to dinner Friday night. We went to Margarita’s which was funny for a couple reasons. First, my old apartment was near a Margarita’s and Brig & I went a few times, including one memorable Cinco de Mayo. Second, when we were younger and still living in NH my siblings and I would get birthday coupons from Margarita’s so we would inevitably go a couple times a year. This Margarita’s we hadn’t been to yet so it seemed like the obvious choice. It was much bigger than we expected and the food came through as always.

After dinner, Brig’s friends Michele & Tony arrived from NYC. We talked into the night and made plans to do the Sam Adams Brewery tour on Saturday. Well, Saturday happened and the 4 of us were on the subway to the brewery when Tony looked at me and said, “Hey, are you hungry?” I said yes, of course, because it was almost Noon and we had put off breakfast. “Are there any good spots near the brewery?” I was pretty sure our chances were bleak so I mentioned a place Brig & I had been to before that was coming up at the next stop. So I ever so sweetly asked the girls if they would mind pacifying us with some brunch before beer and they acquiesced.

We went to Joe’s American Bar & Grill right on the waterfront. Their brunch deal is great because it comes with a free adult drink (bloody mary, screwdriver, mimosa, etc.) I tried eggs benedict for the first time in my life and they were delicious. Brig got a fancy omelette that looked great too.

After brunch we were heading back to the subway to continue our trip to the brewery but I was concerned we wouldn’t make it. The brewery stops doing tours at 3:00 and it was already closing in on 1:00. They usually have long waits and don’t take reservations so we were really taking a chance at that hour. We instead decided to head over to Fenway to show our guests "America's Most Beloved Ballpark".

We got off at Kenmore and were walking towards the field when we saw a bunch of people in blue shirts with viking hats. Apparently, they were doing a beer marathon and most of the bars were in this general area. FML. We went to Bleacher Bar so Michele & Tony could look into centerfield but the place quickly got crowded and annoying. We decided to leave after one round to try and find somewhere without these vikings. We ended up at Jerry Remy’s because Brig has been dying to check out their roof deck. As luck would have it, no vikings! We spent the whole afternoon there and tried out some new beers: Brooklyn Summer, Green Monsta IPA and Hell or High Watermelon.

Sunday, we went out to Saus (as you know) and then said our goodbyes. On the way back, Brig bought a pair of Sperry’s and I bought a new pair of Toms. I had some new Old Navy shorts that I wanted to wear but realized I didn’t have any shoes I liked them with. So, the situation had to be rectified. Now I’m straight stylin’.