Boston Trip Recap
My brother-in-law, Garrett, and I took a weekend trip to Boston last weekend. Our main reason for going was to visit Fenway Park to see a Red Sox game. In addition to seeing the game, we wanted to check out the city too.
We hopped on MARTA from my house and flew out of Hartsfield Airport without any issues. Landing at Logan Airport, we took the shuttle to the subway station and headed south to the transfer point. We were both pretty hungry so we decided to head straight to the dinner spot with our backpacks instead of going to the hotel first. After a few minutes of wandering around at the transfer point, we figured out the train system and we hopped on a Green C train heading to Washing Square Station.
Getting off the train in a slight drizzle, we walked a few minutes and found our destination, The Publick House. The Publick House is a beer geeks’ dream come true. A large tap and bottle selection with a large dose of Belgium and Microbrews. I read a lot about The Publick House before we left Atlanta and it didn’t disappoint.
The Publick House was packed like I figured it would be. We put our name on the list for a table and headed to the bar to wait out the hour before our table would be ready. First up, Allagash Tripel. Boy did this hit the spot. Fruity, yet easily enjoyable. Second was Orval. Orval is easily one of my most favorite beers. When we were in Belgium, you could get this stuff dirt cheap in a grocery store (less than 1.5€). At $9 a beer it pretty expensive, but at a bar that’s a decent price. Garrett had never had Orval and he very much enjoyed it. I’m not 100% sure what beer we drank third, but I think it was something from La Chouffe.
Our table was up so we grabbed our backpacks and sat down. We ordered some fritas and both got the burger. Our server suggested pesto with blue cheese and it was perhaps the best burger I’d ever had! Washing down the burger was a Mojo IPA from Boulder Beer Company. Service was good and the beer and food was excellent at The Publick House. If I find myself back in Boston again, I’ll definitely be back.
We hopped back on the train and with a short walk, made the way to our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott in Cambridge. Despite asking for two beds, we ended up with one and a cot. The room was clean and updated. The TV had ESPN HD so Garrett and I were happy. Overall, it was a decent hotel. The only downside is there didn’t seem to be any restaurants nearby.
We awoke Saturday and after decent walk, found ourselves having breakfast at Bruegger’s. Breakfast was very good and we walked to the nearest train station (right outside Bruegger’s door) to get on the Subway. Our next destination, beer!
After a short walk from the subway station, we arrived at the Samuel Adams brewery. Samuel Adams gives free tours of their Boston brewery where you learn about their beers, the brewing process, and of course sample beer. The tour is free and lasts about an hour. After sampling some test beers, Blackberry Whit and Coffee Stout, we voted for our favorite. Shortly after that, our tour began. Our guide (Sean?) was pretty funny and informative. We sampled Boston Lager and Octoberfest in the tasting room.
After lunch at Uno Chicago Grill, we headed to Fenway Park. Fenway Park looks a lot bigger on TV than it does in person. Garrett and I are huge baseball fans and Fenway holds a unique place in baseball lore. Our tickets were expensive, but the view was good and we had a blast at the game. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays!
Sunday ended up being a very long day; more on that in a minute. Breakfast was at Finagle A Bagel downtown. After Breakfast we decided to hit the Freedom Trail. We strolled by Samuel Adams’s grave, Paul Revere’s house, the USS Constitution, and other historic landmarks that were part of the beginning of our great nation. Lunch was a couple slices and a beer at Ernesto’s Pizza in the North End. We were able to catch the last few innings of the Red Sox game while at Ernesto’s.
Just before leaving for the airport, we decided to stop by Modern Pastry in the North End. While we were in line, I received a call from Delta saying our flight had been delayed two hours. We got our pastry for eat in, and walked around the North End for a few more hours while hitting the majority of the rest of the Freedom Trail.
Getting to the airport was a breeze, departing was not. Near our gate we had a few Boston Lagers while watching the remainder of the NFL games. During that time, our flight was delayed again. We headed back near the security checkpoint and had dinner at the only place that was open, Legal’s Test Kitchen. This turned out to be a blessing. I had the tuna burger which was fantastic. Legal’s even had Chimay dirt cheap!
We got back to Hartsfield Airport after 1AM (nearly 4 hours late) and had to take a taxi since MARTA was closed. I got home around 2AM. Needless to say, I notified my team lead that I wasn’t going to be in at my usual 8:30AM.
All said, Boston is a great city and Garrett and I had a blast! What impressed me most was the subway system. With a little bit of walking and the subway, we got everywhere we wanted to go and didn’t need a car (or taxi) the entire weekend. The “T” is so much better than MARTA that I already miss it. Can’t wait to go back!
