I don't know about you, but all this work hard/play hard stuff has pretty much exhausted me. It can be frustrating going from one cliched Irish pub to the other, meeting the same types of people, drinking the same drinks, and coming home with the same stories every weekend. Granted, for every five or so nights of "getting my drink on," I come home with some pretty entertaining tales. But for the other four nights when my lust to be a lush is squelched, I find myself wishing I'd just settled down with some friends into a nice, quiet place - someplace where we could catch up with each other, not be bothered by meddlesome boys, and go home at a reasonable hour.
Is this the antithesis of Senioritis? Have I gone from college senior to senior citizen overnight? What's all this babble about getting home at a "reasonable hour?" Where is the Traveling Lush, and what have you done with her ID? Well, kids, there comes a time in the life of every senior... no, let's not go there.
Everyone's tired. It takes a lot of effort to hike into Boston and hunt down adventure. But staying on campus all weekend can be a little stifling, despite the easiness of it all. So why not compromise, and try someplace not too far away - but not in Davis Square - that's not a bar, but that has a bar, someplace where you can hear each other speak and see what you look like. Grab some friends and enjoy the adult-ness of a bar/restaurant. At least it will make you appreciate the frat-party atmosphere of other places, and you can pretend for a night that you're an adult.
Where is this fabled place, you ask?
You've been past it many times, I know you have. Between Porter Square and Harvard Square, and right on the 96 bus route, is Temple Bar. It's a bit flashy, and both the exterior and interior d?©cor reflect the yuppie crowd it attracts. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the inspired menu and unique atmosphere.
Temple Bar looks like money. It looks like somebody let a public relations firm go wild on the interior, since everything is calculatedly "cool" and "hip." From a copper bar that's quite eye-catching to the looming light fixtures overhead and large Pottery Barn-esque mirrors on the long wall, the decorations work as an effective background for people looking for something nicer than the Burren but not as trendy as Sonsie or Bar Code.
Owned by the same brothers who run Grafton Street in Harvard Square, Temple Bar is very similar to its sibling. Both attract professionals who work in the area - but probably don't live here - for lunch or a pint after work, and cater to their tastes and their wallets. Appetizers are in the $8 range and drinks on the pricey side, but the menu is definitely worth a peek. With aspirations of grandeur, some of the appetizers and many of the main courses are almost too gourmet for their own good. One confused customer, who usually prefers The Kells to The Red Room, exclaimed, "I was looking for chicken fingers or nachos."
Tsk, tsk. Temple Bar serves Roaster Wings instead of Buffalo Wings, Mussels instead of Mozzarella Sticks, and Boston Pops (battered shrimp) instead of nachos. One nice surprise is the inclusion of both cheese and chocolate fondue to the menu, a nice European touch rare to places in the area. The main courses run from a fantastic looking gourmet pizza, to Roasted Cod served with oysters and fingerling potatoes, to an eight-ounce tenderloin filet. Not exactly your run of the mill pub fare, but Temple Bar is not hoping to be your run of the mill pub.
Let's talk about dessert for a minute. Chunky Monkey is not Ben and Jerry's, as you might have imagined, but is actually a cr??me brulee custard with caramelized bananas and semisweet chocolate chunks in a baked hazelnut ring. Need I say more? For those of you looking for ice cream, the Raspberry and Mango Sorbet comes in a chocolate honey tulip cup, served with chocolate ganache and seasonal fresh berries.
Though some patrons claim that the bar area of the restaurant picks up on weekend nights, it's hard to imagine these up-and-coming business personalities crowding around tables or leaning into the immaculate bar. Temple Bar definitely attracts a mature audience, which can be good if you want to play dress up. If you want to play as hard as you work, however, stick to your favorite haunts and let the "mature" kids enjoy this borderline pretentious bar.
