B&G Oysters: Our first stop brought us to a lovely oyster bar. Each day, this seafood haven has a different selection of oysters to choose from, and if you sit at the bar, like we did, you can even watch them being shucked for your order. The "shuckers" are very friendly and I definitely found myself asking "Oh, those look delicious, which ones are those?" a few times. They were happy to answer. Our server, Chamath was extremely knowledgable in helping us to pick out both our wine choices and our oysters! It was so hard to choose after he spoke about them, but we ended up with the following: Summerside (from Malpeque Bay, PEI), Rip Tide (from Buzzards Bay, MA), Blue Point (from Norwalk, CT), Pine Island (from Oyster Bay Harbor, NY) and Penn Cove (from Whidbey Island, WA). In my opinion, the Rip Tide oysters win this contest. They were juicy, sweet and went perfectly with B&G's special mignonette, made with prosecco and shallots. YUM! Chamath also raved about the Jonah Crab Salad, which boasts bibb lettuce, avocado and a blood orange vinaigrette. We decided we needed to try this as well. It certainly was delicious! The balance of flavors was incredible, and the crab was wonderfully fresh! As we bundled up for the trek to the next stop on our journey, Chamath asked where we were headed, and even recommended a few dishes to try there. (To Chamath: we did try them and they were delicious! Thanks for a wonderful time!) B&G Oysters can be found at 550 Tremont Street, in Boston, MA. Reservations recommended.
Coppa: I'd been looking forward to trying this restaurant all day. Thank goodness there were a few seats open at the window bar, because this place was PACKED, and for good reason. We sat and first concentrated on the drink menu, which intrigued me because of the way it was organized. They were separated by flavors, Refreshing, bright, sweet, tart, slightly bitter, Rich or savory, sometimes spicy, and Sweet, medicinal, and luscious. I decided on the Cin! Cin!, which was delicious (another yummy choice of cocktail: Elena's Cocktail). Much of the menu at Coppa is small plates, an Italian form of Tapas, so we ordered a few of those to get a taste for the menu. The recommendations from Chamath, over at B&G, were the Duck Prosciutto and the Meatballs Alforno, so we ordered both of those, along with the Burrata and the Cavolfiore, a salad of marinated cauliflower, shallots, thyme and sea salt. All four plates were very tasty and beautifully presented. I will definitely be going back to try the pastas as well as the pizzas and will keep you all posted on that adventure. I might have found a new favorite spot in Coppa! Coppa can be found at 253 Shawmut Avenue, in Boston. Reservations recommended here as well!
The Gallows: Third stop! The Gallows has a VERY cool ambiance. The first thing we noticed as we walked through the door were the bats hanging over our heads...and the T-Rex head mounted behind them. I loved it immediately! Inside, the ceilings are wood boards with the light shining through the cracks, a very interesting way to light a space, and it works so well for them. The bar area was hoppin' and we waited to find a couple of seats right up by the bartenders. Carl, the bartender who helped us, was awesome. He had some great recommendations for us and we were pleased with everything we tried. He has an extensive knowledge of scotches as well, so if you have questions...look for Carl! I have to say that they have the most interesting list of cocktails I've ever seen. One of the choices even had VEAL STOCK in it. I was not that brave, but did try The Stalker, which was refreshing, with celery bitters and Pisco (an unaged brandy from Peru) ...something I'd never heard of before! I love learning new things about food and drink! Also try The Healer, for a rye whiskey version of a Sidecar. What I liked about The Gallows' menu is that they offered charcuterie board choices, a great thing to order at a bar for a few nibbles. We ordered the Ploughman, which came with goose three-ways, including a delicious terrine, their in-house pickled veggies, bread and cheese. It was a lovely snack to go with our intriguing drink selections! I love an eclectic mix of people, and that's exactly what The Gallows offers. It was a great scene! The Gallows can be found at 1395 Washington Street, in Boston. I would recommend a reservation if you want to do a sit-down dinner, but the bar area was a great time!
Estragon: Our last stop took us to Estragon, a tapas bar, and another one that I'd been looking forward to all day. I'd heard about this place from Joe, a bartender at Pops, and lo-and-behold, who was behind the bar? Joe! We were so happy to see him. (I must mention that he makes the BEST Sidecar ... seriously, I talk about it all the time!) Estragon, as well, boasts an interesting drink menu, and they use an ingredient that you don't see very often - Green Chartreuse. If you haven't tried it, you must! It's a very savory liquor and they make a lovely drink with it called The Silent Order. It's a must-try! Since this was the last stop on our tour, we spent a little time enjoying a last drink and chatting with Joe. He's an awesome bartender, but he also has some film projects in the works - check him out with ZoPro Films. You can find his contact information at the bottom of this post. We then ordered a few Tapas plates to top off our evening: Queso de Cadra con Tomate (Goat Cheese on Toast with Tomato), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp with Garlic), Puerros con Romesco (Grilled Leeks with Romesco Sauce), Coles de Bruselas (Roasted Brussels Sprouts), and Chuletillas de Cordero (Roasted Lamb Shanks). DE-LIC-IOUS! We topped the evening off with three scoops of ice cream that Joe talked us into having. They came in a lovely dish that separated the scoops so we could enjoy them one at a time. The flavors were Saffron, Chai, and I think, Lemon Rose. My favorite by a mile was the Saffron flavor. It was a lovely shade of pale yellow and had just a hint of the strength of saffron flavor. What a lovely way to end the evening! Thanks for the rec, Joe! Estragon can be found at 700 Harrison Avenue, in Boston's South End. (If you are looking to try Estragon on an extreme budget, there is $1 Tapas at the bar, Monday - Thursday, 5:30pm - 7pm. Try it - that's the best deal around!)
I hope you enjoyed the tour I've taken you on today. I know I certainly enjoyed the "research" portion of this post. The girls and I had a fabulous time at all of the places we visited, and will certainly frequent them in the future. If you stop in to any of these places, let me know what you thought as well. Do you have more recommendations? Did you try something I didn't have? I want to hear about it...so let us all know with a comment!
If you'd like to contact Joe Covington about his film projects, he can be reached at JosephCovington@live.com.
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