A long lost friend of mine recently moved to Cambridge, and my excitement to show her around the city has been consuming me ever since. We talked briefly yesterday and she expressed an interest in a place with “fun cocktails.” In a daring attempt to be impressive, I decided to take her someplace I’d never been, but has been the subject of a lot of buzz: Drink. A short walk over the bridge on Congress St. by South Station, you’ll likely walk right by this little bar. Oozing with exclusivity, Drink is a basement establishment with an unassuming sign out front written in about 48 point font. So make sure you know the address if you’re chic enough to try this place, or you’ll end up backtracking like we did. 
The vibe was fairly mellow and the bar reminded me of the game snake the way it weaved across the entire room. We grabbed a couple seats and were offered a food menu and the tiniest glass of water I’ve ever seen (it literally looked like a shot glass). If you haven’t heard of Drink yet, here’s the premise…these bartenders are seemingly so good at their trade, that you can just tell them a couple key ingredients you’re fe
eling at the moment, and they’ll mix you up something amazing every time. My friend expressed an interest in pomegranate, and I said I liked vodka or rum base with a citrus vibe. Shortly thereafter she was presented with a Jack Rose and I with a Traditional Daiquiri (who knew they came without the strawberry?). Both were small, but good…nothing mind-blowing by any means though. 
The atmosphere was nothing special either, and for $10.75 a pop, I suppose I just had higher expectations for this experience. I will say their calamari was very good, though again…small (and $12). The real kicker came at the end, when it came time to pay. As we sorted through our wallets, pulling out credit cards and cash and calculating what we owed…the bartender grabbed the bill and a credit card TWICE, thinking we were ready to pay. I feel like a server who can intuitively know what 
drink would be perfect for you, should also be capable of assessing whether the bill is all set – or at least having the courtesy to ask us, rather than walking off with it without a word. Hmph.Over the course of the evening, my friend had mentioned her want to try out Finale. And since the night was young, we hopped on the T and went for it.
This famous bakery/desserterie has 3 locations – Park Plaza (which is where we went), Harvard Square, and Coolidge Corner. I’ve been for lunch before because my office is close to one, but I’d said their specialty really is dessert. Skip it and go for the burrito at noontime. 
We found ourselves staring at a delectable menu of sweet cocktails, and after the “eh” experience we’d both had – we each ordered a fun one. I had Coconut Hot Chocolate - $9 (the weather was brutal outside and I had a chill – wah!), and she ordered the Hazelnut Martini - $8…both highly recommended by the waitress. 
Her gentleman friend joined us and ordered a Minty Chocolate Martini - $8. All were delicious, but in the end we all agreed the Hazelnut martini was the most delicious dessert/drink we’d hzad in recent history….I highly recommend it. We complemented our drinks with the Boston Cream, accompanied by mini whoopie pies, gelato on an almond Florentine, apricot sauce, and fresh fruit ($11). The dessert chef had mirrors above his station so we were able to watch as various dishes were decorated and sent it. How fun! We ordered more than one Boston Cream, and turns out there was plenty to share. 
The dessert was very good and you probably cant go wrong here if you have a sweet tooth, but I really just can’t say enough about the hazelnut martini. Yum. Overall assessment of the evening? Save your pennies if you want a “fun” cocktail and head over to Flash’s in Park Plaza (review to come!) - friendly vibe, bigger/better drinks, and no attitude.
And next time you take a date to see a show or a movie, stop by Finale after for something sweet to seal the deal. Livin’ la dolce vita…
Little B
While I understand the desire for a cheap, good drink, I think you need to give Drink another try. The whole point of the establishment is to get creative and learn about beverages; the mixologists there are experts in their craft and come up with some of the most unique, highly out of practice concoctions to tickle your fancy.
ReplyDeleteAlso, while this place is a Barbara Lynch endeavor, it is not necessarily the place to go for her food. She is quite a celebrity in the industry, especially in Boston, and she generally has a restaurant to appease anyone's palate. Italian? Head upstairs from Drink and stop in at Sportello. Set up as a communal counter, the atmosphere is relaxed with the chefs cooking at your feet; the food is absolutely tasty and fresh. (They sell yummy baked goods from here also) In the mood for some of the best cooked meat you've ever head? Trot over to the South End and stop in at the Butcher Shop. Not to mention, they have a great wine list. Right across the street is her seafood restaurant, B+G Oysters, which has a great patio for the summer. She also has a couple more restaurants, a little more fancy and a little more expensive, but worth it -- No. 9 Park and Menton (her newest and more exclusive; featuring a lengthy tasting menu for $$$$). Every establishment has a wonderful staff full of knowledge, and if you're in the mood, they'll usually keep a good conversation with you.
Not to mention she owns Stir in the South End, holding everything from cooking classes to wine, beer, and cheese classes.
All in all, I'd say give Barbara Lynch another try, her restaurants are surely a culinary delight.
Thanks for the comment, Lindsay. A couple things – I didn’t expect anything about Drink to be “cheap” by any means. But you’re right, I was expecting a good drink and a great experience. I went to Drink with an open mind, curious to learn more about its allure, and I found that the bartenders/mixologists just didn’t provide the experience I was looking for. They didn’t tell us anything about the drinks we were served, and frankly, I didn’t think the one I had was all that creative/unique. However, I do have friends who swear by it, and I’m always willing to give a place a second try, so thanks for speaking up!
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for all the Barbara Lynch suggestions. By no means do I feel my experience at Drink needs to define my opinion of her. The restaurants you mentioned all sound like great recommendations, and as I mentioned in the post, the calamari I had at Drink was very good, albeit expensive for the portion. I’ll be sure to add some of her other restaurants to my list, and report back on my findings.
Thanks for reading!
Little B