Tag Archives: Bar

Longfellow House and Menotomy Grill

Bar, Boston, Food, History, Hotel, longfellow, longfellow house, Menotomy Grill, Restaurant, , , , , , , ,

Our last evening in Boston consisted of a meal at Menotomy  Grill, but before going there we stopped to visit the Longfellow House located at 105 Brattle Street.  The beautiful home was built in 1759 by John Vassall.  Mister Vassall was loyal to the King and chose to abandon the house when George Washington and the Continental Army marched into Cambridge.

Finding the house empty General Washington moved in and used it as his headquarters during his time in Boston.  In 1843 the house became the property of the noted American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who lived in the house until his death in 1882.

The house is worth your time and is a great example of the colonial period.  The part of the visit that I most enjoyed was the walk through the gardens behind the house.  I would love to return to the house in summer when everything is in full bloom.  As I walked through the gardens I could imagine Longfellow walking as I was with pen in hand.

Gardens at the Longfellow House
Gardens at the Longfellow House

After the tour we returned to our hotel – the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Arlington.  Beside the hotel is the Menotomy Grill and Tavern.  The Menotomy Grill also has its part in history.  It was built at the site where another tavern once stood.  The older tavern that the Menotomy Grill and Tavern replaced was Cooper’s Tavern.

After the battles of Lexington and Concord the British army returned to Boston.  The return march was not pleasant for them.  Americans were up in arms and fired upon the British every step of the way.  Their march through Arlington was the worst part.

Hearing that the British were approaching the Coopers decided to hide in their cellar.  They had only two customers in the tavern, Jabez Wyman and Jason Winship, who refused to hide with them.  When the British saw the light in the tavern they entered and killed both men then drug their bodies out into the road.

Enough of the history, let’s talk food.  The Menotomy Grill and Tavern has wonderful food and a menu which should satisfy anyone.  I had the Braised Pork Shank, which came with cheesy bacon grits, a fried egg, and cilantro.  It was a great contrast of flavors and textures. It is something really worth trying.

Also at the table we had herb roasted chicken with a potato sausage stuffing, a grilled chicken BLT which came with a chipotle aioli.  Just saying grilled chicken BLT says it all, you know it was good.  For those who like to combine the modern with the past, the Grill has a drink called the Cooper Flip in honor of the other tavern.

The Menotomy Grill and Tavern was a great end to our time in Boston and Cambridge.

Cheers Bar and Restaurant Boston

Bar, Boston, cheers, Cheers, Cheers, cheers bar, cheers boston, Cheers restaurant, Food, Restaurant, Travel Blog, , , , ,

After walking through Boston Common, we arrived on Beacon Street.  Across the street from us at 84 Beacon was Cheers Bar and Restaurant, made famous by the TV sitcom Cheers.

Street view of Cheers Bar and Restaurant
Street view of Cheers Bar and Restaurant

Upon arriving at the Cheers Bar and Restaurant, the first thing a true fan of the TV show will notice is the location of the bar.  On the TV sitcom the bar is below street level with steps from the sidewalk leading down to it.  The real Cheers does have the steps leading down but they take you to the restaurant instead of the bar.  The bar is in fact on the second floor.

When you enter they will ask if you would like to put your name on the waiting list to be seated at the restaurant or if you are just going to look around and visit the bar.  Do not worry about the wait time as the restaurant moves fast and there are so many things a fan of the show can look at.  You will be seated before you know it.

Daughter and Son in law at Cheers
Daughter and Son-in-law at Cheers

The restaurant has a wide selection of food to pick from.  From the starters list I would recommend the Chicken Fingers. The chicken is lightly breaded but is crispy and is served with a honey mustard sauce.  The other starter that we tried was the Nachos Grande.  The nachos are chips with green and red sweet bell peppers, cheddar cheese, with salsa and sour cream.

My mother at cheers.
My mother at Cheers.

The Cheers Bar and Restaurant offers soups and salads and several options for meals.  We of course chose hamburgers.  The burgers are your normal burgers with basic toppings served with fries and a pickle.  The one difference you will notice is the size.  They are big.  The petite burger is a quarter pounder.  Another thing you should note is for each burger sold, Cheers donates fifty cents to the Cheers for Children Charity.

My wife and I checking the offerings at Cheers
My wife and I checking the offerings at Cheers

If you do not have time while waiting to be seated, you must go to the bar area and have a drink after your meal.  Sip your drink and look around the room while you remember all the joy the TV show brought into our lives.