Suburbs for Something Different: Acton Jazz Cafe is Worth the Trip

I realize you may think happy hour specials are #1 in my heart, but believe it or not, I can be swayed to shell out a couple bucks for a night of quality music in a classy establishment. The Acton Jazz Cafe - a mere 45 minutes from Boston - provides just that. Local musicians entertain a full house night after night and once you’ve been, you’re bound to be back.



The beer and wine menu runs about the same as Boston, with most beers around $5 and a glass of wine around $6.50 (actually pretty good for a classy joint). Their menu is a mix of bar fare and comfort food - I recommend the jalapeno poppers ($9), and I hear the spinach pesto lasagna is A+.


I’ve been to the Jazz Cafe a number of times and the music selection is always a treat. You can find the lineup of musicians (not all jazz - you’ll find blues and rock, too!) here: http://www.actonjazzcafe.com/event and they are even kind enough to post the cover charge so you will always be prepared. Last night, we listened to The Doug Lowe Jazz Group- acoustic guitar, stand up bass, drums, and 3 fantastic sax players, who I have the pleasure of knowing personally. Dennis Hurd and Doug Lowe (far left and far right respectively) are local residents with a not-so-local level of talent.


And I’ve yet to see a band play here that didn’t request special guest Greg Bloom (aka Frank the Horn) to grace the stage for a sax solo or two (right).

While it’s not exactly T-accessible, I can’t imagine I’m the only one who enjoys a relaxing night out of the city once in a while- you’ll find it at the Acton Jazz Cafe.

Groovy, baby...

Little B

Grendel’s Den & Charlie’s Kitchen – Harvard Sq. on the Cheap

Some colleagues of mine invited me out to Harvard Square last night for a couple drinks and some cheap apps. I had heard that Grendel’s was the place to be for happy hour specials and was anxious to try it out for myself.

I arrived a little after 6pm and met up with a group of 8-10 people. The bar is in a basement so it definitely has the “den” feel to it, but it wasn’t overly crowded or loud which was a plus (then again, it was also a Wednesday night – how crowded would it be?). One weird little quirk – there are no “men’s” or “women’s” bathrooms – just a sign on the door that says “Either Or”…awkward?

Moving on - their beer list had a few gems (check it out: www.grendelsden.com) and when the bill came we were pleasantly surprised that just about everything rang in at $5 – easy to split!

Their happy hour special runs from 5:00-7:30pm and the entire menu is half off. We sprung for Nachos Supreme (originally $8), Chips & Salsa ($3.50), and some Gorgonzola Zucchini Bruschetta ($6.50, I think?)…so our happy hour total came to $9….not too shabby. The portions were all good sized and we had plenty of food to pick at. The salsa was surprisingly hot (not that I minded), but something to look out for. Nachos were interesting – all the flavors were there, but rather than giving us bowls with various dips, they were piled with cheese, sour cream, vegetarian chili, guac, and salsa. Im not sure “liquidy” is the right way to describe it, but the ratio of hard to soft toppings was a little off. The bruschetta was probably the most interesting app – we discovered that these were nothing more than wheat bread with some cheese and zucchini shavings that had been thrown in the toaster. The initial complaint was that we could easily make these ourselves, but we quickly realized that for $3.25, it wasn’t so bad. If cheap is what you want, yes, this is the place to be for happy hour app specials.



Onward to Charlie’s Kitchen for one more drink…this won’t appeal to everyone but I was pleasantly surprised to see Bud Light Lime on tap (love me some watery beer – don’t judge). Again, not too crowded or loud, though I can’t speak to the crowd situation at the tail end of the week. I hear there’s a pretty slammin’ jukebox that I’ll have to check out next time.

I also like to hit up Charlie’s during the day – while I’m on a “cheap” kick, this place has a pretty tasty burger and fries for as little as $5 (I hear they are famous for their Double Cheeseburger – will report back on this next time). Yum, I love greasy food!

Overall a successful night out of cheap eats and drinks!

You stay classy Boston...
Little B

Howl at the Moon with the best, and the worst of us...

If you live in Boston and you’ve yet to hear about Howl at the Moon (the new dueling piano bar in the financial district), you’ve been living under a rock. For the past couple weeks I’ve been blasted with emails, texts, free admission passes, BuyWithMe coupons, etc…all in the name of promoting this place. So this weekend I checked it out.

I was prepared for a long line and my expectations were right on par – it was around the corner. I went with a small group of girls and one of them asked the bouncer what the best way in was. He said if we went in downstairs, there would be no line and we would be able to go upstairs once inside. Great! 30 seconds later with stars stamped on our hands, we were in.

The scene downstairs was very trendy. Colored lights backlit each section of the bar and the walls were lined with booths offering bottle service. Drinks were reasonably priced – rum and coke for $6, or a filthy, dirty martini (with grey goose) for $9. We later discovered you could order what looked like a scorpion bowl in a bucket for about $26. Seemed like a strange offering for a place with bottle service, but I’ll take it.

We headed upstairs to check out the live music and found ourselves elbow to elbow with entirely too many Bostonians, eager to take part in the hyped up Howl at the Moon experience. The music was great – musicians were on key and on target with their song choices. I found myself singing along to everything they played. However, as much as I wanted to enjoy with piano duality – there were really just too many people to be comfortable in that space for long, so we headed back downstairs.

The lower level picked up with some interesting dance beats (I still have "shots, shots, shot" stuck in my head) – all in all, a lot of fun. The trouble with this place is that everyone in the city wants to be there right now. It didn’t take long for someone to lose their marbles in the bathroom…and near the bar…not so classy, but not surprising either with buckets of booze being offered. We tried to go back upstairs to see if it had cleared out at all, but were told that because we had come in through the downstairs entrance, we couldn’t go back up (turns out, those who stood in line got a "cooler" stamp). I have to say, I was not impressed that we were told we’d be able to get upstairs, and then forced to stay down.

Overall, this place has the potential to be a really great addition to the night life in this city, but not until the hype has died down. I’ll definitely head back for the great tunes and good prices…but not for a few more months.

-Little B

Sweetwater for a Sweet Summer Happy Hour

So I’m terrible at softball, but one of my favorite ways to tackles the mid-week blues is to hang out with the guys (and a couple girls who can handle the harassment) and throw the ball around in a not-so-competitive atmosphere. Win or lose - our after game destination is the same: Sweetwater Café in the Alley next to the Commons.

The word “café” isn’t really a good description of Sweetwater – honestly, it’s kind of a dive…but I mean that in the best possible way. The scene is laid back so it’s acceptable to waltz in with your grungy softball clothes on and have a few laughs with the team. Outdoor tables are almost always open and perfect for throwing back a few pitchers. And the waitresses do a great job of keeping them coming!

One note from personal experience – this is definitely not the place to take your kid for a burger after work – there’s no telling what inappropriate comments are going to come out of the mouth’s of semi-drunken beer-league players from Southie.

But! If you want to enjoy the last few days of summer with a bunch of friends, Sweetwater is the place to be. Good service, not crowded, and just generally a good time all around.

Cheers!
Little B

Italian Tapas? Yes, please....check out Damiano's in the North End

I will admit the loud, bar-like atmosphere didn't hit me as a nice place to catch up with the rents over a relaxing italian dinner this weekend. Damiano's on Hanover St. in the North End was crowded, and the music was uhh, techno-y? Oh, and the waiter talked entirely too much. Even after he said "Okay, Ill give you some space," he continuted talking for ohhh 5 more minutes or so. (I'll pause here while you open a new window to make your reservation now....)

However, when push comes to shove, the easiest way to please me at a restaurant is to put fantastic food in front of me.

While Damiano's gets very few points for atmosphere, it gets a whole boatload of points for quality of food. Each of the 10 small portions our party of 4 ordered (ranging from $10-$14), were far from disappointing. Odd as they sound, the lamb lollipops were out of this world. Tender and buttery, and pretty darn awesome if I do say so myself. And the figs - a seasonal special wrapped in prosciutto - were so good we ordered more!

All in all, Damiano's has some growing to do. As a newcomer to the North End (opening just 2 years ago), Damiano's needs to take some time to tone down the noise level, the music, and their wait staff. But with food that rivals the best of the best in Boston, this is a place to keep your eye on.

Brain Dump...

Ciao Amici!


Im getting more and more excited about the prospects this blog may hold!
Along with reviews of the restaurants/bars/activities I head to on a daily basis, here are a few things I have in mind to write about (once Ive done the proper research, of course!)…and let me know what you’d like to read about! Apologies for the lack of pictures - that will change once I start posting based on my visits to Boston establishments!

Best Guac – I don’t think I can express how much I love guac. Its my go-to dish for a BBQ, and Ive been known to eat nothing but guac and chips for dinner (more frequently that I should). However, I’ve YET to fall in love with restaurant-made anywhere in this city – had some AMAZING guac in Philly at a place called El Vez. They have some really unique choices like spicy crab or goat cheese & pistachio. So if you’re ever down there, I highly recommend it. But this is about Boston – so clearly I need to do some exploring and report back. Any suggestions?


On Tap Selection – I can think of two establishments off the top of my head with well over a hundred beers on tap. How thick is the competition here? Anyone else smell a beer-crawl comin’ on?


Why should Happy Only Last an Hour?? As you all know, there is no alcohol happy hour allowed in Boston, BUT to keep the patrons happy, many places have incredible deals on food from 5ish to 7ish on weekdays. I want to discuss the best places to go each night of the week for some cheap delicious happy hour specials. Did you know you can get a ¼ pound cheeseburger and fries at McCormick’s for under $3 if you order between 3:30pm and 6:30pm!!?? Amazing.


Cheap Drafts - This may not appeal to all of you, but I happen to run with a certain crowd who likes a nice, light, cheap as hell beer from time to time. We’re talkin’ $2.50 drafts tops. I want to put together a list of the best places to find this watery-goodness when you’re in it for the long haul, but not the long bill.


So to wrap it up…
The longer I live in this city, the more I realize how little I know about it. Thanks to those of you who have already started reading and have encouraged this little project (either through following, or offering to check out a new restaurant with me). I think this is going to be a really fun ride.


Ci vediamo,

Little B



PS – im a bit of an Italian language enthusiast so if I throw in something that makes no sense, feel free to ask :) “Ci vediamo” for example, literally translates to “we see each other”….but when I say it, I mean “stay tuned, Ill be writing again soon!” Fun fact!

T Creeper!

I had my next entry all ready to post, when I heard some great news that I want to share…

Brace yourselves because this isn’t light-hearted, fun news, but Boston related and fantastic nevertheless.

Not too long ago a friend of mine was riding the green line when some creeper was standing on the bottom step and took a picture up her dress with his phone. Justifiably shaken up and feeling violated, she didn’t report the incident right away.

The other day she saw the same jerk on the train again, chasing down another skirt.
She whipped out her own phone, carefully took a picture of him and showed it to transit police. Because she knew where he had gotten on the T, where he got off, and knew just what he looked like, she had provided them with all the tools to catch him in the act. This was two days ago.

She just found out that the police caught him YESTERDAY using the info she gave him. He was busted doing the same thing to someone else, and now there’s one less creeper on the T.
Kudos, darling :) You did all the ladies of Boston a favor (and gave us a real live look at the importance of that “see something, say something” campaign they are constantly pushing in the subway).

And props to the transit police too! Im truly impressed by the efficiency and effectiveness of your detective work :) I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised and have a renewed faith in the law enforcement in this city!

(A much lighter, fun-filled post to come shortly.)

Over and out,
Little B

Gotta start somewhere...

So Im one of those people who gets a buzz from scrolling through the "things to do" section of Boston.com. Im a planner by nature and lucky for me, I live in a city full of plan-tastic opportunities (don't judge me for that adjective, its too early).


You can judge me for this though - Right now Im sitting here asking myself what my favorite thing to plan is and I cant even decide - dinner, happy hour, birthday parties?! Cheesy yes, but when all the planning is said and done and we finally meet up for our $7 pitchers of Bud Lite (Sidebar, if you're wondering) or the best sweet potato fries in town complimented by a delicious avacado'd california burger at Bukowski's (cash only but worth it)...there is nothing more satisfying.

I suppose its as good a time as ever, or perhaps even a little late to introduce myself. I go by Beth, but you can call me Little B, because honestly "Beth" just isnt cool enough even for my own blog.

So I grew up in the far of stix of New England and stumbled into the big city for some formal education just in time to watch the Red Sox break the curse. For those of you counting back, thats 2004. So, with 6 years of first hand Beantown experiences, including many a late night pizza run to Little Stevies, karaoke and beef skewers at Hong Kong - RIP :( - and a few more trips to the North End than my love handles would care to admit...here goes.


The plan from here is to share it all - best happy hour specials, worst place to bring a date, best late night chinatown establishment, worst red headed slut shot (it was really bad...), I will document as I discover.


Your comments and questions are welcome and encouraged!


Thanks for reading!


-Little B