Dance the Night Away at Revolution Rock Bar!

I've been wanting to check out Revolution Rock Bar for over a year now, but every time I go, I'm greeted with a monstrous line and an ugly cover charge. This weekend, however, we concocted a fool-proof plan. Since it was a friend's birthday, they were willing to drop the $10 cover down to $5 (which is more in my comfort zone, especially for a place I've never been). Actually $10 isn't a bad cover for a Saturday night in that area, but what can I say, I like to save my money for the drinks!

RRB as Im going to call it from here on out...is located on on High Street (right by newly opened Howl at the Moon - which btw STILL has a huge line outside at 9pm that you couldn't pay me to stand in). We decided to venture over early, and lucky for us, we beat the line! I know 9:30 is a little early to put your party shoes on, but by 10pm, the line was long and we were inside, coats checked ($3), drink in hand. Worth it!

The scene is very trendy - rocker stars and some faces reminiscent of pop art lined the room and the ceiling was covered in quotes. My favorite feature is the cow-print cubes that replace chairs around the room - though don't expect to sit down unless you've made a reservation for a group. All the seating areas on the main floor were reserved so wear some comfy shoes - you'll be doing a lot of standing!

By 10:30 the place was packed and the DJ was spinning up some tunes. A compliment to his skills, we actually debated whether we were listening to a pre-recorded mash-up for a while. Good songs, good mixing, generally good atmosphere. Although, at one point early on a fight broke out and there were no bouncers to be seen? Fortunately, the gentlemen involved were hammered and it didn't take much work to shove them out the door where they could continue their battle away from the crowd.

We checked out the lower level later in the evening (which had previously been completely empty) and found that the dance party was roaring there as well. Not sure if there was a second DJ, or if he just migrated with us...either way, the music was great.

My drink of choice was a rum and diet. They were good-sized and at $8, were a pretty good value as the bartenders didn't skimp on the rum. My first one was pretty much rum on the rocks, with a splash of coke. Eek! Better to have that problem though, than paying 8 bucks for a cup of soda with a thimble of alcohol in it, right?

All in all, I'd say a great place to go out as long as you're willing to get there early. Seems like they do a lot for groups, so if you're heading there for a bday celebration - call ahead and see if you can get a spot reserved and get a discount for your friends!

Rock on :)
Little B

I’ve been holding out on you…the best burrito revealed…

Last night, after some much needed retail therapy (a girl’s gotta do something to lift her spirits in this crappy weather), I decided I was too tired to cook. Though I generally have a healthy sense of adventure, I wanted something reliably delicious, so I stopped into Cactus in Maverick Square (in Eastie – one T stop on the blue line from Aquarium). Honestly, I should have written this review from the start. The fact is I’ve secretly been comparing all burritos to my favorite burrito in the city this whole time. It gets a 10 in my book and I’ll do my best to explain why.

Cactus is a little hole-in-the-wall with maybe 3-4 tables and some counters with stools against the wall. My mouth starts watering every time I walk in from the sight and smell of the most delicious looking Mexican food, freshly prepared and waiting for me behind the counter. Though I typically stick to my order of a small chicken burrito (and there’s nothing small about it), I would venture to say that Cactus can do no wrong. I’m just too in love with this particular burrito to ever choose something new. These people know how to make good food, that’s all it comes down to.

So as I stand there waiting, they throw together some shredded chicken, guac, beans, hot sauce, sour cream, pico, cilantro, tons of cheese….I know none of this sounds particularly out of the ordinary for a burrito. But when they wrap that bad boy up and throw it on the grill for a minute, the end result is heaven. Perfectly melted, perfect balance of flavors…I honestly can’t praise it enough. And grab some Jarritos (soda) at the counter for the full experience.

I know my typical Mexican restaurant review consists of burritos, guac, and margaritas…but really, when you’re the best at one thing…best to just stick with that one thing. No margaritas here, and I’ve only had the guac IN a burrito, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

My apologies for holding out on you for so long…maybe I was just being selfish? Anywho, now you have it - my absolute favorite burrito. I dare you, Beantown, to find one better.

Feels good to be honest, doesn’t it?
Little B

Decent Drink, with a Fantastic Finale

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 feeling 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

Via Matta when you're feeling classy...

Via Matta has been on my list of “someday” restaurants for a while now. It receives consistently good to great reviews on Yelp and is conveniently located downtown. Sadly though, it’s a bit off my dining price point for a standard night out. Last night, however, I had a date planned with my bestie (Packie) to go see Wicked (fantastic show, btw…definitely go if you haven’t!), so we decided to get all jazzed up and head out for a nice dinner before the show.

We made reservations for 5:30 – absolutely not needed on a Tuesday night, but if you’re registered with OpenTable.com, you make a reservation for everything. Reservations add up to free gift cards, and who doesn’t love that? We showed up at 5:26 since we came straight from work, and the hostess informed us that we were a bit early and the dining room wasn’t open yet. Seemed a little picky to me, but you don’t have to ask us twice to get a drink at the bar before dinner, so that’s just what we did.

Their cocktail list was unique and creative but nothing jumped out at us, so in the end we decided to spring for Cosmos…$12 each and delicious. Prices were as to be expected at this particular establishment.

The hostess came over mid-martini and told us our table was ready, so we carried our pretty pink drinks over and found our little table for two decorated with tealights (good spot for a little romance if you’re there on a date). They served us some delicious bread with olive oil while we decided on our meals. We ordered a bottle of the Salviano, Orvieto Classico ($36)…purely because it’s from a region of Italy I studied in during college and because Orvieto tends to put out nice wines. And it was nice, indeed!

We ordered the spicy calamari with tomatoes, olives and capers ($14). Also, delicious. And, being the classy place this is, they brought us our own little bowls of calamari instead of making us divvy it up from a shared plate. For dinner, I opted for the Chitarra (basically homemade spaghetti) with lobster, peas and spicy tomato sauce ($28). Again…fantastic. I wasn’t even terribly hungry going into dinner, and I polished off this entire meal. So very good. Packie had the Chicken alla Milanese with cherry tomatoes, arugula and red onion ($23). The meal was good, but to use her words, it was “nothing to write home about.”

Overall, it was a really nice dining experience. Like I said, you’re likely to drop a pretty penny in this place so make sure you like your date a lot if you’re planning on treating them to dinner here. But a great place for a relaxing, classy - even romantic evening.

Salute!
Little B

Sidebar for the Win

Now that I've proven I am capable of enjoying a classy evening of jazz and wine...back to the usual. Sidebar is my #1 go-to dive for a few after work beers. Located in the middle of downtown crossing on Bromfield st, Sidebar is a little hole in the wall bar serving $7 pitchers of bud light and wicked cheap wings (they're good, too...).

What I like most about this little spot is that even with its great prices and fantastic locale, it seems to remain a bit of a secret. Maybe I shouldn't be opening my big mouth, eh? Who am I kidding, we're all friends here. Of course I want you there :) But in general, you'll always find a table big enough for your crew and within 5 minutes you'll have 3 pitchers and 50 wings in front of you for under $30. Hard to beat.

One thing to mention, Sidebar is definitely an opener...not so much a closer. The bar empties out pretty early in the night when the hustle and bustle of the work day gets too far gone. I don't recommend heading here for a late night drink, and for God's sake dont bring a date here. But when you've had a rough day at work and you're ready to let your hair down, head over to Sidebar. It won't disappoint.

Oh, and make sure you invite me, too...

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