Chowda and Lobsta

Boston-food wise at least, when you think about its history & even today, you might think lobster which was once a food for prisoners and the poor is now a delicacy in most places. not here. same goes for chowda or oysters. its funny bcuz anywhere outside of Boston, these prices are doubled. but here you still get the old school prices and freshness of exactly what youd expect from shellfish caught the day of. I did a little search for the best gastropubs in town and the same few spots kept popping up. One-'Stoddards fine food and ale' is around the corner from the hotel right off Boston Common-a throwback joint. Food from 'an era forgotten' with things like heritage pork with ham grits, deviled eggs, local Island creek oysters, lobster scallion hush puppies. I dunno why I expected to see more Indie foodie places or gastropubs around but even with these places, the foodie scene here cant help but have this classic French or English boathouse feel.

Russell House Tavern

the house across the Street from Russell House

Charles River

Like how you can judge a good bottle of wine by its cover i realized you can always tell a mediorce spot by 2 things-the waiters are overly generous and sharply groomed and the decor reminds me of an upscale yacht club.  No joke-when you walk in a new place and see this, if the menu isn't enticing, trust your gut and find another spot. Spend your money at the Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square where you'll find more of what I love-the gastropub done well. The 'majority of the menu is sourced from local ingredients found within a 20-mile radius of the restaurant.' I decided to put on my running shoes-something I havent done in about 3 weeks and go for a run down Commonwealth Ave, this cool parkway with its rows of memorials to old authors and generals and fishermen. then I cut over to the Charles River down a few more miles into Cambridge. First I try the Island Creek Oysters. I'm finally experiencing my first oyster in Boston. And they're worth the wait. It comes with a pickle mignonette and topped with this herby oil and its blimey heaven! I heard some buzz about their burger from the Hair crew guys. Very tasty. something simple and American maybe that youd see winning an amateur burger cook-off. Just a fat hunk of Vermont grassfed beef between an english muffin w/ cheddar and fried onions. And some extra crispy salted fries like the 'thrice baked chips' at the Breslin in nyc. And I washed it down with some Harpoon IPA cask beer. Even though by NYC's standards this would be considered a pretty safe version of a gastropub and the burger isnt probably the best in town it was still tasty. Oh, and Harvards pretty but nothing like Yale.