Archive for the ‘Boston bars’ Category
November 13th, 2008
A reader named Daniel emailed me recently asking what I knew of recent “bartender movement” around Boston, including what has become of the crew at the B-Side. Timely question, Daniel, because Boston drink-slingers are engaged in a lively round of musical bars right now.
Let’s start with the crew at the B-Side, which, it turns out, will not be opening again under new ownership as I wrote earlier. The lounge on the corner of Hampshire and Windsor in Cambridge is officially in limbo. Sad. From what I’ve heard, among the principal bartenders left standing when the place closed, Dave Cagle is heading to Deep Ellum, Al Harding is at the new-and-improved Cafe Marliave (along with ex-B-Siders Jackie Ross and Christopher Duggan, who’s also occasionally at the Indo), Russ is at the Beehive, and Rob … I totally forget where Rob’s going (update forthcoming). While I’m on the subject, the B-Side’s swan song, last Sunday, was an evening of fun insanity, with customers doing their damnedest to drain the place of every last ounce of liquor, and most of the above B-Side alums — plus Joe McGuirk and Claudia Mastrobuono, both now at Highland Kitchen — stepping behind the bar to help out.
As for the other bars with personnel in flux … Misty Kalkofen is moving from Green Street to Drink. That means Drink will now boast a ridiculous roster of talent including Kalkofen, John Gertsen, Ben Sandrof and Josey Packard, among others. Meanwhile, as Daniel informed me, Green Street has lured Emily of Deep Ellum across the river. She joins Andy McNees (formerly of Bukowski and Eastern Standard) and Bice (formerly of B-Side, Deep Ellum, etc.). Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, who earned renown at Eastern Standard, is now boss of the bar at chef Tony Maws’ new place, Craigie on Main, which is scheduled to open this Friday.
I know I’m missing a few other significant moves, here. I’ll post updates when I get them, along with reviews of Boston’s new star bars Drink, Cafe Marliave and Craigie on Main. In the meantime, best of luck to all you ‘tenders in your new gigs.
Tags: bartender movement, new Boston bars
Posted in Bartenders, Boston bars | 14 Comments »
November 2nd, 2008
We knew this day was coming. For those who haven’t heard, sorry for the late notice: B-Side closes its doors for good after tonight. I’m heading over there for one last drink. I hope I can get in the door, as I imagine many people will be there to pay their last respects to the bar that re-introduced greater Boston to serious cocktails.
Posted in Boston bars | 6 Comments »
September 26th, 2008
So, I announce some interesting event at a bar, like a Boston-New York bartender exchange or a tasting of Old Tom gin, tell everyone to check it out, and then just skip to the next post without recollecting the pleasant times that have given me, as Diana Ross would say, the sweetest hangover. My bad. Here’s a little follow-up on recent events.
That bartender exchange between Eastern Standard and PDT? Well done. I don’t have any intel yet on how ES’s Kevin Martin fared in New York, but it was a pleasure to be PDT bartender Daniel Eun’s patron during his guest stint in Boston. The highlight for me was Daniel’s beer cocktail. It involved a vigorously shaken mixture of Aventinus (a delicious weizenbock from the German brewery G. Schneider & Son), Sailor Jerry Rum, a whole egg and a bit of nutmeg grated over the drink’s frothy crown. As I told a friend, that drink was so good I wanted to marry it. Or at least shack up with it for the winter.
The B-Side Group Hug was a lot of fun, with a roomful of regulars, industry people and cocktailians paying their boozy respects. Would some bartender out there please keep the B-Side’s Tommy Noble cocktail alive? I love this combo of gin, Pimm’s, simple syrup and lemon juice. It’s a great drink to start the evening with, and it’s perfect for brunch, too. Oh, and FYI: B-Side barmen Al and Russ are both doing stints at the old Downtown Crossing haunt Cafe Marliave, which has recently been re-vamped.
Last night at Deep Ellum, a dozen or so people — many of them industry — gathered on the back porch to taste Hayman’s Old Tom Gin and Dolin Vermouth with Eric Seed of the Minnesota-based import company Haus Alpenz. There were people from Rialto, Dante, Eastern Standard, the Wine Bottega and Reservoir Wine & Spirits. Luckily for my lazy ass, Fred and Andrea from the Cocktail Virgin Slut blog were there taking notes, so if you want details on these spirits (and on the Trilby cocktail that bartender Max Toste mixed with them), check out this post. Max also showcased the Old Tom in a Tom Collins and a Ramos Gin Fizz, among other delights.
Thanks again to all of you who make going out to bars in Boston more interesting and fun than ever.
Posted in Beer, Boston bars, Cocktails, Events, Gin, Vermouth | 4 Comments »
September 16th, 2008
On Monday, September 22nd, join me, Scott Howe, and the rest of your fellow barflies in the drinkboston community in a big group hug for the B-Side Lounge.
If you haven’t heard the news yet, scroll down a few posts (The death of a lounge) and you’ll see that the B-Side, which single-handedly resurrected classic cocktails and old-school bartending in greater Boston, will soon change hands. While we’re optimistic about the incoming establishment, we have to take a moment and give props to the B-Side, its owner, Patrick Sullivan, and all the ‘tenders as they serve up their last Windsor Hi-Lo’s and Double-Wides.
This is not a wake, so no crying. And it’s not an event per se, i.e. you don’t need to buy tickets. Just show up sometime between 5:30 p.m. and closing, and order a drink or three. It’ll be like a farewell party for that beloved boss who’s retiring, with everyone from the office showing up, buying drinks, telling war stories and toasting the jolly good fellow. I’ll do my best to be there until last call, so stop by and raise a glass with me to the place that spawned some of our city’s best bars and bartenders. As Patrick himself put it, “The trade is now in better shape than ever.”
Posted in Boston bars, Events | 5 Comments »
September 9th, 2008
I don’t know — any bar that doesn’t completely skew to the jello-shot set is fine with me. But Boston.com asked me to suggest a few Boston bars for the over-35 crowd, and I obliged. Let the list-bashing begin (not to mention the criticism of my phone-interview grammar — eek).
Posted in Booze in the news, Boston bars, drinkboston in the news | 21 Comments »
