Stepping out of your neighborhood really pays, especially when you step into the neighborhood of Kenmore, which is quickly becoming a hot spot in terms of dining destinations.
At the mercy of a good friend and foodie, I took to the streets of Comm. ave, home of The Lower Depths, a bar renowned for its customizable franks and extensive beer list.
From the minute I walked in, I knew I was in a special little nook; the place was bustling with activity and the staff were genuily happy to greet us despite their ceaseless to and fro-ing.
As daunting as the beer list was (it boasts 130 plus) my eye was quickly drawn to their hard ciders and fruity flavoured beers..I know, I know! I just haven't quite acquired the taste for ales or lagers...or hops! My first round was a pear cider, crisp and refreshing, while my friend opted for his favorite dark chocolate beer. His was decadent and I liked it, but could not have done justice to the whole glass.
We decided to go the appetizer route. Once we had gotten the attention of our bar tender, which proved a little tricky, we ordered their nachos and their Tatter Tots Supreme which came as an order of crispy tots covered in balsamic vinegrette, blue cheese and caramelized onions. Unfortunately, this dish would have done better if it had really been smothered in the toppings, instead it was a little dry..
As a tribute to my friend's soft spot, we ordered their Jerk Chicken wings. This is not something I usually order, but I actually quite enjoyed them! I would have preferred a bit more spice to them, but in general, they were well made and the smoky-ness was nicely balanced by the mango salsa offered as an accompaniement.
Although we did not go for their hot dogs, I managed to snag a picture of some across the table and in all honesty...I think we should have added one to our platters. However, we did seem to be filling ourselves up quite happily with our wings and tots.
Here we have the chili dog on the left and the mac and cheese with grilled onions in the center and on the right...yumm
As with all my meals, I like to end on a sweet note. Luckily, The Lower Depths has a dessert pretzel which comes served hot with a healthy drizzle of cream cheese (or sour cream) frosting. It was probably my favorite part of the meal and melted like cloud in my mouth.
Now, although I said this was the end of our meal. We ended up venturing even further and found ourselves in Fenway at Tasty Burger. This is a joint I had on my list since it opened last year. A blast from the past, this place is your classic diner serving up juicy burgers.
The pool table is free and, once the very intimidating players vacated the premises, I got a few pretty good shots in. It was certianly enough to work up another partial appetite to justify ordering their bacon cheeseburger right before they closed at 2 oclock in the morning...
It may sound crazy...but boy was it worth it! I am going to have to revisit both places, Kenmore will seem much more accessible come spring time!
(The Lower Depths does not have a website)
Yum, sounds like my sort of outing (130 beers? I could handle that right about now) but you would have to shift things forward an hour or three (Does 2 am exist? Not in my world!)
ReplyDeleteSurely!
ReplyDeleteWe will have to add it to our list...it is getting quite extensive!