Panorama toasts Beantown's favorite Gaelic watering holes
by Josh B. Wardrop
If you've got March 17 circled in green pen on your calendar, and you're hoping
to spend the evening out in Boston sipping Guinness (or Murphy's or Magner's.)
at an authentic Irish pub surrounded by revelers.
We've got bad news for you.
Choosing between the dozens and dozens of Celtic watering holes to be found
throughout Boston is a task of Sisyphean proportions-unless, of course, you
have the inside goods on the best places to get your Irish up. The following
are Panorama's suggestions for spots to have a truly festive St. Patrick's Day.
Going
Southie for the Winter
As anyone who's visited Boston in March knows, South Boston (affectionately
known to one and all as "Southie," and not to be confused with the South End)
is pretty much Ground Zero for all things Irish in Beantown. Southie is home to
the city's annual St. Paddy's Day parade, and as one would imagine, the
neighborhood is also chockfull of Irish bars, many of which take advantage of
the Gaelic holiday by charging a stiff cover at the door on parade day, March
19. For a taste of authentic Irish boozing on or around St.
Patrick's Day, visit the L Street Tavern (195 L St.,
617-268-4335, cover: $10-20), which was immortalized in the film Good Will
Hunting. If you like your experience a bit more gentrified, the newly
renovated Amrhein's (80 West Broadway, 617-268-6189) or Shenanigan's
(332 West Broadway, 617-269-9509) represent Southie's move toward upscale
pubbery.
Southie
Alternatives
If negotiating the parade seems like too much effort, there are a couple of
alternately strong Irish neighborhoods in Boston. Just south of the Fenway area
is Jamaica Plain, which boasts several fine establishments, such as Doyle's
Café (3484 Washington St., 617-524-2345, cover: $10-20)-a favorite
of generations of Irish politicians and the site of a battle of bagpipe bands
March 18 at 8 p.m.-the Brendan Behan Pub
(378 Centre St., 617-522-5386) and James's Gate (5 McBride
St., 617-983-2000), a pub named for the town in Ireland where Guinness
originated. Alternately, you could visit Brighton, where generations of Boston
Irish have enjoyed pubs like The Green Briar (304 Washington
St., 617-789-4100, cover: $10-20), The Corrib (396 Market St.,
617-787-0882) and relative newcomer Devlin's (332 Washington
St., 617-779-8822), which specializes in upscale cuisine.
Not
Your Average Pub Grub
Just because it's St. Patrick's Day, that's no reason to subject yourself to
the same old corned beef and cabbage-not when there's Matt Murphy's Pub
(14 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0188), long renowned throughout Boston for
having some of the best food of the city's many Irish pubs. Whether you're
searching for mainstream favorites like fish and chips (served in a twist of
newspaper, Old World-style), or something more inventive like rabbit pot pie,
you're bound to come out thinking you've stumbled upon a pot of culinary gold.
Local Favorites
The wonderful thing about having roughly as many Irish pubs in Boston as there
are people is that the selection ensures something for everybody's tastes. For
the artistically inclined, there's The Druid (1357 Cambridge
St., Cambridge, 617-497-0965) which is adorned with original Celtic oil
paintings, wooden and metal sculptures, stained glass windows and antique
furnishings. College students and young professionals looking to set off sparks
with the opposite sex this St. Paddy's Day will likely flock to The Purple
Shamrock (1 Union St., 617-227-2060, cover: $20-30) near Faneuil
Hall. Meanwhile, Kennedy's Midtown (42 Province Place,
617-426-3333, cover: $15 at night) takes the Irish pub concept a bit more
"upscale steakhouse," with a more mature focus on high-end wines and liquors
and its tucked-away location in Downtown Crossing. And pub aficionados are
delighting in the return of Cambridge's beloved Plough and Stars
(912 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617-576-0032), which closed last June after 37
years for a much-needed facelift and rethink. Now it's back in business just in
time for St. Patrick's Day, with an updated menu and the same old comfortable
atmosphere.
Guinness,
Lo Mein and Quesadillas
Purists would imagine that Irish pubs might be the one place where the concept
of "fusion" cuisine would never take hold. But in 2006, Boston boasts a handful
of spots where Celtic roots have gotten tangled up with some odd ethnic
partners. Jose McIntyre's (160 Milk St., 617-451-9460, cover:
$5 after 5 p.m.), for example, bills itself as Boston's only
Mexican-Irish bar, with a menu that includes everything from steak tips to
margaritas. Meanwhile, in 2004, popular Irish pub The Kells (161
Brighton Ave., Allston, 617-782-9082) made a radical switch when its menu was
converted to all Asian cuisine (which you can wash down with a Guinness or a
Mai Tai). Finally, new kid on the block Goody Glover's (50
Salem St., 617-367-6444) has stayed true to its Irish roots with its menu (as
witnessed by the mussels steamed in Magner's cider) but opted to do so in the
heart of the North End-Boston's own version of "Little Italy."
Kick up
Your Heels
If you've got little ones in tow and are willing to have your St. Patrick's Day
fun a few days early or late, you can get a true Irish experience at The
Burren (247 Elm St., Somerville, 617-776-6896, open at 6 a.m.
on St. Patrick's Day, cover: $20) on March 13 and 20 , as the
bar offers Irish set dancing classes for children in the pub's back room. While
you enjoy the food and drink, your kids can learn the basics of the
high-stepping, twirling traditional dances of old Eire. The Burren is also home
to live Irish music every night, including Sunday night's singer/songwriter
session.
Last
Call
Unfortunately, this March 17 will be the final chance for
visitors to experience St. Paddy's Day in one of Boston's most distinct
watering holes. At the end of March, The Littlest Bar (47
Province St.) will close its doors after 60 years of serving up drinks,
camaraderie and good times to Bostonians-38 patrons at a time. The smallest
capacity bar in town is losing its lease, and while owner Patrick Grace of
Kilkenny, Ireland promises to reopen somewhere else in the near future, this
will be the last holiday at the current spot. So, squeeze in, if you can manage
it. 
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