Restaurant Review: The Abby

My lunch at The Abby was not planned. See, I thought I had made my eye doctor appointment for the fourth of July, but of course I hadn't. How silly of me, nothing is open on the day America won their independence from over priced tea--or whatever. So even though my quest for eye health was ill-fated, I still was able to pop in enjoy a nice lunch at The Abby with Kayla.

                                                                                                                                                       Source: Boston Burger Blog

The first thing we noticed about The Abby was just how adorable it is. Located right in Washington Sq., this little place packs a wallop. With big windows that let in beautiful natural light and a quaint little open kitchen, the interior of the restaurant is instantly inviting. The service was also very friendly. Even though our server was obviously busy she never once neglected us of feared away from small chit chat. Everything about this place just screamed inviting.

The lunch menu, while slightly limited, had a decent selection of of both lunch and brunch options. Kayla and I both enjoyed the falafel wrap, which was delicious and truly one of the better vegetarian options I've seen offered at a small place like this.

It was nice to walk in and not have to order just a salad or a half-assed vegetarian version of another menu item. We were a little disappointed by the lack of veggie options on the menu, but at least what they offered was a pleasant surprise.

Above: Kayla, pleasantly surprised. 

The dinner options fare much better when it comes to variety. There are several vegetarian options as well as fish and other assorted meats that just seem off the chain. Of course, I can't judge without trying them, so I guess I am just forced to go back and try their roasted cod with potato scallion pancake and shallot cream sauce. Kind of driving me crazy just thinking about it. The Abby also offers smaller dishes for those who aren't as hungry, or just want a snack with a beer. 


Oh yeah, that's right, the beer list. The glorious, glorious beer list. 


The beer selection is another area where The Abby really shines. Let me tell you, these guys aren't messing around. With a wide selection of local, international and domestic beers on both bottle and draft you can tell that The Abby really enjoys their craft beers. Honestly, for being in Brookline, it is one of the better places in Boston to enjoy a local beer that isn't just a Sam Adams. A lot of other restaurants could really learn from The Abby's example.    


So with great food, friendly service, a lovely atmosphere, and a beer list that will take you a good long while to drink through, The Abby really deserves your attention. If you live in the area, or even if it's a bit of a trek, I suggest trying it out. 

Restaurant Review: Trattoria on Newbury

I like trying out new restaurants, I really do. When those little hops open and have yet to build a strong clientele base I just want to pick them up and hug them like a lost puppy. However, the fact remains that not yet having a Yelp page is terrifying. Terrifying. 


So be it an adventurous spirit, or lack of motivation to keep walking down Newbury Street on a hot day, Renee and I decided to try out Trattoria on Newbury. 

It started out just fine, with a cute little patio and a polite hostess, but it all went downhill from there. The service was pretty friendly, but slow paced. We also had this little old man refilling our half-empty water glasses every 15 seconds. He just kind of moped around the patio like a middle aged Igor at a mad scientists lab. Creepy, but at least he was helpful and we were certainly hydrated.


The wine and beer list was limited to only a few choices so we stuck with our water and decided to start with a Cesar salad. Before we placed the order, however, Renee asked the waitress if there were anchovies in the salad dressing.


"I don't know," said the waitress, "the dressing isn't home made."


Ok, so I'm no food snob, but when you have real estate on one of the busiest streets in Boston the least you can do is not give me the equivalent to going to the salad bar at the Piggly Wiggly. Despite this we decided to order the salad anyway. What we were delivered was a sad looking batch of romaine lettuce, croutons, and parmesan cheese thrown together on a plate. These three ingredients does not a Cesar salad make, and for a slightly higher price point it was incredibly dissapoiting. 


For the entree all we wanted was to split a sandwich. So they didn't get salad quite right, no big deal. A place like this must totally have a bomb sandwich, right? 


Not really.


Not only did we have to wait almost a half hour for an eggplant parmesan sandwich, but when it was served to us it was powerfully average. It sat alone on a big white plate with no sides to speak of and lacked any sort of originality. Easily thrown together at home.


So, while the staff was kind and easy to talk to, the food was nothing special. I could even forgive the restaurant if it was just a quick place to grab a bite in between shopping binges, but alas, it is not. There are just too many better restaurants within a short walk of this place to recommend Trattoria.