one great argument against the embargo
the place: eastern standard, 528 commonwealth ave, kenmore sq.
the date: friday, 04.10.09
the plan: post work cocktails, maybe a snack
work is inexpressably frustrating these days, so practically every evening, I am desperate for a cocktail. so, though dinner and a show were on the agenda for later in the evening, I couldn’t turn down the offer of a drink to fill the hours in between. since I had to be in the fens later, it seemed like a great reason to go to eastern standard, since I hadn’t been there in awhile. the bar was pretty crowded, but there was space outside and though it was drizzling, it wasn’t actually that cold, so we settled in on the patio.
drinks, of course: I generally tell people that eastern standard has the best cocktails in the city. I feel pretty strongly that this is true. they have a great menu that mixes classic and innovative, the ingredients are good, the drinks are well-mixed. still, all of that said? I get the same thing every time: the old cuban. when trying to describe it’s basic essence, I sum it up as a mojito with champagne. which, of course, makes it the perfect drink for me. it’s rum, lime, mint, and champagne and heaven. that last part might not be true, but after one (or three), it certainly feels like it. le had her usual cosmos and seemed pleased, m had some fantastic periodistas, and ryan went with a whiskey smash when he joined us, most likely because it reminded him of his beloved mint julep. everyone was happy.
to start: m wanted a snack and the fact that I had had two drinks and no lunch made me inclined to think that might be a good idea. we went with the calamari and the cheese plate. I honestly didn’t think to note the cheeses (I never do; it’s a problem), but they were all delicious, particularly the soft goat cheese selection. the calamari was cooked to perfection, crisp but not greasy and very flavorful. I feel like calamari is on every menu in the city and is rarely actually enjoyable, but this was really quite good.
after the third cocktail and some spirited attempts to flirt with the older guys sitting next to us (they wouldn’t have it, even when we were cute and witty and offered to lift a chair over our heads for them), we ceded our prime real estate to a group of not-so-nice grown-up frat boy types and headed off for futher adventures. it’s too bad that I remembered how much I like eastern standard right as red sox season is starting and it’s about to become impossible to visit at least half of the nights in a given month.
