Restaurant & Bar Reviews

I stopped into Cafeteria Restaurant to checkout what all the hubbub was about. There have been quite a few restaurants in this spot over the years, I wanted to see if they had done anything earth shattering with the space. I only stopped in for a drink, which was great, so this review may not be that helpful if you are interested in the big theme change they present of cafeteria!

I sat at the bar space on the first floor because there was a function going on upstairs. The bar was busy (perhaps because it is on the smaller side). The bartender was pleasant and quickly served us our champagne, so no complaints there. If I needed a spot to get a drink before dinner, I would say I might stop in again. Cafeteria didn’t standout in either direction of phenomenal or poor. If you like having a drink in a cozy spot, this might be the bar for you!

 

Good size club room located at A17.

Well stocked bar with certain complimentary drinks. This does not include Bushmills or Ciroc which only become available after 12pm ( me and puff diddley or whatever he is now called are not very happy with this arrangement )

Food station is very basic.

Does include plenty of charging stations.
Overall no problems but no frills either.

We actually started the evening with a few drinks at ‘The Lobby Bar’ in the atrium of the Liberty Hotel. This building was previously “Boston’s Charles Street Jail which had been opened in 1851 as an experiment in prison reformation and closed more than a century later after a judge ruled conditions there were inhumane.” (NPR article)

The building re-opened in September of 2007 after a five-year, $150 million renovation, as the Liberty Hotel. Our night started with a ‘Harvest Margarita’ pictured below and a Besame, both were delicious.

We then moved into CLINK. to commence our dinner.

I was very happy to see they offered gluten free bread to start our dinner (along with normal bread)

We also found an exquisite bottle of wine to take us through the evening, it’s called Darioush (neither of us had it previously and it pleasantly surprised us.)

In regard to food, we started with the Beef Tartar (a little too pureed for our preference) though the ice cream on top was a unique pairing that went well with the overall dish.

When asked between the Tuna Sashimi and the Octopus with Yucca, the waiter said, hands down if you like Octopus this is the best in Boston. While it was good especially when compared with others I’ve had in Boston, I have had better in Argentina.

Our main dishes were another beef dish, and the scallops, both were good, but nothing off the chart. My scallops were especially interesting as they were accompanied by a mix of raw mushrooms and carrots, thankfully I like raw, for those who don’t this may be a little to overpowering to be bearable.

Overall, dinner was nice, the atmosphere entertaining and the wine and cocktails even better. We arrived for a 6pm reservation, the place was packed (Saturday night) by the time we left which was around 9PM. I recommend booking a reservation for CLINK. and heading over early to get a drink at the Lobby Bar and take the architecture and crowd in at your leisure.

 

Buckhead is the ritziest suburb of Atlanta.Paces 88 is located in the St Regis hotel.

Paces 88 is a very upscale American Bistro .

I was there for lunch and there was a vegan option not shown on the main menu.

I did not have a starter but went with an Irish coffee. Nothing special here but the presentation was very nice.

Steak frites was also very good.

Lobster BLT was ok but nothing to write home about.

If the weather is good try the outside patio. Very cool.
To make a reservation

We stopped in here for Sunday brunch, and thanks to Daren’s help we started out with a glass of the 2010 Kunin Pape Star and bottle of the Digfish ale.

This spot had been open as ‘Kitchen’ since June of 2011, previously it went under the name Pop’s, which I still remember the mouth watering pulled pork sandwich I had!

We had the omelette, bibb salad and hamburger Yorkshire style.

we then followed this with a Singapore Sling:

followed this with a Moscow Mule (forgot to take a picture) and then a ‘Sparkling Cloister’ (champagne cocktail)

while listening to Ray Charles on LP!

and following all of this with a ‘Hemingway Daiquiri’ a little to tart for Chris…but I loved it.

As you can see this place had a vibe that kept us there all afternoon, Daren was an equally entertaining bartender and turned us onto a new must have App for the local cocktail scene lover, checkout GetOnTheBar and you’ll see what I mean. Not to mention the fun loving crew that inhabited the rest of the kitchen (you see here chef finding a way to insert some brandy into his meals) asking politely of course as to make sure this would not hinder the bar that evening.

We finished the afternoon up with a tall cup of black coffee, I highly recommend stopping in for a bite to eat or an entertaining drink and conversation with the bar men at Kitchen Restaurant in Boston’s South End it’s at 560 Tremont Street (Previously ‘Pop’s’ restaurant was situated here.)

Woodward is a happening spot for tasty food with an old feel, it is named for a tavern once housed in the Ames family home, Woodward is a modern-day tavern that incorporates local fresh foods and a dynamic beverage selection.

“Located at 1 Court Street and Washington Mall in downtown Boston, the Ames Building was designed by the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge in Richardsonian Romanesque and paid for by Frederick L. Ames. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world, exceeded only by the Monadnock Building in Chicago, completed that same year.” (Quoted from Wikipedia)

I started with the Steak Tartar (topped with an egg, not a usual choice for me but the dish was delicious none the less)

The Simple greens salad was topped with pumpkin seeds, cucumber, dill yogurt and a cider vinaigrette, fantastic!

Also at the table we tried the Steamed mussels, pork belly, fennel, garlic and Woodward Ale! Unforgettable!

This is a common stop for us when we have people in town and want to show them a comfortable setting with deluxe food and as dressy as you want to make it. I highly recommend stopping into Woodward at the Ames hotel if you are in Boston.

Great stop for a drink with atmosphere, across the street from Mongoose versus Cobra. Everyone here had a pint in hand and a smile on their face.

Stopped here for a cocktail after dinner,  the drinks were excellent, best we’ve had all weekend and the name of this place alone should spark your interest to stop in ‘Mongoose versus Cobra‘ will not disappoint.

The front has large windows that open to outdoor seating in the front. They have a great bar space to the right and seating through to the back of the bar. A very funky space with a great staff!

Andy was our bartender and filled us in on the stuffed baboon above the bar (previously occupied an investors basement) he mixed a great flight of shots despite being a QPR supporter.

I highly recommend the ‘Roy Orbison’ a cocktail made with Angostura Bitters plus a few other magical ingredients, it was phenomenal (I had two)

I highly recommend stopping at Mongoose versus Cobra in Houston for a drink, they are fantastic and memorable.

If you have a chance you should stop by the second oldest building in Houston a renovated old building turned hotspot and awesome gastro lounge in the Houston Downtown area known as Hearsay at their first location 218 Travis Street, Houston, TX

Hearsay Gastro Lounge is in the W. L. Foley Building, the second building on the block designed by prolific Texas courthouse architect Eugene T. Heiner buit in 1889. Much of the credit for the current state of the great building goes to former owner and artist Lee Benner and his six year renovation that started in 1993.

I suggest you book in advance if you plan to have dinner at Hearsay Gastro Lounge we had to book the day of and were squeezed in for a 6PM reservation.

I started with the ‘Whitney’ a fabulous blackberry + vodka + champagne cocktail, had to stop at one as it was soooo good!

The Caprese salad was wonderful even with the under ripe tomatoes.

New Address 1008 Prairie Street | Houston, TX 77002
Prohibition Website

Stopped by this place when it was next to the Galleria in hopes of getting into the sold out burlesque show via the waitlist. We were able to sneak a peak at the show (even though we didn’t make the waitlist)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a happening old time speakeasy style bar and restaurant. The bartenders have a dress code that identifies their skill levels: vest = first level, suspenders the next level, all black with suspenders = mixologist.

I started with a ‘Southern Lady’

It was a little to strong for my taste, moving on to some wine from their fun selection which also features the beloved Chimay!

We started with the Caprese Salad and the Wasabi Calamari

 

Finished with the Truffle Mac and Cheese (which left something to be desired)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surf & Turf (mostly turf with extra seasoning)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Crab Role without the roll! (Best Crab I’ve ever had!!!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next time I’m in Houston I wouldn’t think twice to come back, we had a great time and were surrounded with a fabulous energy (reminded me of one of the SupersShag pole showcases a few years back great taste and good friends) I recommend you book a reservation at Prohibition or just show up at the bar and see what you can get!