Went out early again, Sunday evening at 5:30, to Sarma (East Somerville, Pearl Street). The timing was to get a seat at the bar and have some food and hangout before it got all crowded. When we walked through the door there was maybe one table taken (out of maybe 12 tables), half the seats at the bar were taken and half the seats at the communal table. By 6:30 the place was full. Kind of amazing how popular the place is. Sarma is related to Oleanna, a restaurant in East Cambridge that is definitely a restaurant, whereas Sarma is half bar half restaurant. Something like the relationship between BackBar and Journeyman (Union Square Somerville) or State Park and Hungry Mother (Kendall Square Cambridge). Patrick was tending bar with Lisa and Vik wasn't there. Great drinks and service as always, liked but didn't love the SOLOTON SMASH (cute quantum name) Pineapple/Fenugreek Bourbon, Sibona, Meyer Lemon as it was fruitier than I like. The AREA FOUR, rye and amaro montenegro? was great as usual. The place was really popping by the time we left at 8PM.
01 JAN 2015
Missed going out on New Year's Eve due to designated driving duties, so when New Year's day came around I was ready. Unfortunately the bars weren't. Atwoods (East Cambridge) was closed at 11:45, biked up past East Coast Grill and Bukowski's (maybe still under construction) and they were empty as well. Ended up in The Druid, which is a great little bar, if it weren't for the TV. Had a couple of drinks and listened to the Thursday night DJ spin some old and oddball tunes. Enjoyed myself while hanging at the last bar stool doing my best to obstruct my view of the TV. A total of about 20 people in a place that could hold about 40.
29 DEC 2014
Unusually I have a free early evening so stop at Spoke (Davis Square Somerville) for
first time ever. Should have come here before and don't have a good excuse.
I got there about 6:30PM, much, much earlier than I usually go out. The
place is small and quiet and seems to qualify as a bar as much as a
restaurant, one of the reasons I hadn't stopped in before. The
bartender was Chris, formerly of Westbridge (Kendal Square Cambridge) a
place that has hidden TVs that are usually, but not always off. He was,
as always very friendly and makes excellent cocktails, started with a "Boulevardier" a drink I have been wanting to try - Bourbon, Campari and Dolin Rouge, it was excellent. I followed that with a "Fort Point" which is take on a "Manhattan", made with Rye, Benedictine and Punt e Mes which was even better. The bar seats about 15 and had several free seats
while I was there, most of the tables seemed occupied.
Later that night, around 10:30PM, I went out to Back Bar (Union Square
Somerville) and had the best Egg Nog in years. I believe it had both
brandy and bourbon but could be wrong. As always you must be assigned a
seat by the person at the front of house, as there are only about 8
seats at the bar it is hit or miss, I got the last one that night and am
not sure there was even a table for 2 available. They are still doing an
excellent business, which means I don't often stop as it is too dim to
read and doesn't seem like the right environment to read anyway plus
seats are hard to come by until late at night.
27 DEC 2014
Checked out Cafe Art Science lateish, arrived around 23:40 (they close at 24:00), one other couple at the bar, plus me. Ordered a "Mark's Bicycle" and chatted with a bar tender I hadn't met before, I think his name is Simone. Left around 24:00 and headed over to Atwood's. Only one guy on the door and he was new, no cover as the band (The Blue Ribbons, I think they have a Tuesday night residency at Toad in Cambridge) was almost done at 00:20, I still got to here 4 or 5 songs. The keyboard player is great with an excellent voice. Had a "He ' Brew, Death of a Contract Brewer", great name, pretty good beer, like a heavy dark porter, a bit of a sharp bitter taste and some coffee notes. Followed that with an Idle Hands Brunhilda, asked for it in a shell as it is normally served in a very heavy glass stein. Excellent drinkable beer, plus I like the price, $6, which I found out was a mistake by the bartender when I ordered the same the following night.