Washington Square Tavern

Overview:  Washington Square Tavern sits right off of Beacon St on Washington St in Brookline.  The restaurant was unexpectedly busy for a Tuesday night.  The bar was crowded and the small dining room looked very full, but there was one intimate table in the corner left for us.  The dining room is painted in gold and decorated with vintage Le Tour photos framed along the walls.

Dinner at Washington Square Tavern was another one of those "its good, but..." experiences.  The food was very good, but it was overshadowed by some negatives.  The Tavern broke the cardinal rule of restaurants...Don't forget the appetizers.  Shortly after ordering, our burgers arrived and we were both wondering what happened to the cod fritters.  When we alerted the food runner of the mistake, the fritters appeared table side in minutes.  Thank goodness because they were excellent.  The smoked cod gives them a very rustic flavor, and made a great side dish for the burgers too.

We both ordered the burger with cheddar; rare and medium well.  Heather's first reaction was "thats a lot of meat!"  Really thats what she said.  The truffled fries were crispy, but with the slightest flavor of truffle. 

The highlight was the Porkslap Ale, not only for the great name and equally as creative can design, but because its actually a great tasting beer.  I was disappointed when the waiter brought over the bright orange 12oz can, but quickly got over it when I tasted the fantasic bitter flavor.

Overall the burger was great and despite the negatives we would go back.

Deep Ellum

Overview: Deep Ellum opened in 2007 on Cambridge street, offering Allston residents an eclectic atmosphere where hipster staff donning plaid long sleeve wovens and shaggy hair serve craft beer and cultured classics. Although the food is anything but an after thought, Deep Ellum’s focus is placed squarely on their offering of libations. The beer menu, which is three times the length of the food menu, features cask, organic and craft ales and lagers. The cocktail menu features gin, rye, and bourbon recipes made with housemade bitters.








Medium Well: Deep Ellum's food is much, well, better than I had expected for an Allston restaurant. A fair amount of the menu is made in house from scratch, and everything we ate was delicious. For a starter, we ordered the house Charcuterie plate with housemade pates, terrines and cured meats. I ordered the meatloaf sandwich, which is a combination of baked pork and beef, and topped pepper jack cheese. As a girl who has a taste for wine, vodka drinks, and bud light golden wheat I was lost in the beer menu and made Mike decide which beer I should order. He chose the organic Pinkus because it is large, has a funny name and is organic... In retrospect, I suppose I could have made that decision.

Medium Dead: There is a burger on the menu but on this particular night I ordered the Best Wurst Plate because all of the sausage is made in house and changes constantly. The wurst plate featured two spicy pork and garlic sausages served over rice and beans. There is no mistaking homemade sausage because the casing has a great snap and, at least at Deep Ellum, the pork filling tastes so fresh. The sausage was primarily garlicy but with a subtle spicy flavor that got more intense with every bite. The creamy rice and black beans were a perfect accompaniment to offset the spicyness.

The Verdict: With excellent food and appealing drink options, Deep Ellum is a pleasant surprise that is worthy enough of becoming a Friday night hangout.