Thursday night we attended the
Albany Marine Band Concert at the Hatch Shell. Adam and I enjoyed a leisurely walk down the Esplanade on this warm yet windy evening.
We strolled by the "Salt & Pepper Bridge".
Also known as The Longfellow Bridge.
As the sun dipped low over the Charles we observed young kids playing a baseball game while others participated in sailing lessons.
and then we claimed a spot on the lawn.
The Hatch Shell, a large dome stage on the south bank of the Charles River is well known as home to Boston's infamous
4th of July celebration including a performance by the Boston Pops. It also lends itself to various concerts throughout the summer months.
The Marine Band performed from 7:00 - 8:30pm this evening in honor of
Marine Week Boston.
These men in uniform are highly skilled musicians. Some recognizable pieces were played including the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme and the Star Wars Theme. It was engaging and relaxing at the same time. I could lie back on our blanket and close my eyes for a bit, or watch intently as they performed joyous and powerful ensembles.
Besides thanking the city of Boston and cracking jokes in between pieces, the conductor had the crowd participating in a series of
Hoo-Rah chants. They also invited an audience member on stage to conduct a piece. This time around it was a 6 year old boy named Sam, who despite his young age, already has aspirations of becoming a Marine.
Corporal Howell Kendrick Anders (my cousin!) trombone player extraordinaire looking dapper in his uniform with my sister and I. We chatted with some of the Marines we'd met throughout the week and many of them agreed this was one of the coolest locations they had ever played at. Worth noting, that while these Corporals and Sergeants mission first and foremost is music,
all Marines in the Band are fully trained to fulfill their secondary mission of bearing arms in the defense of our nation (
website). The Few. The Proud. The Marines.
The Marines had an early morning marching performance so we said our goodbyes and made our way down Back Bay length of Beacon Street. Our destination was The Lower Depths on Commonwealth Ave.
The Lower Depths is a hole-in-the-wall Kenmore Square bar with an insane selection of beers and
$1 Fenway Franks! While it had cooled down some, the below-street-level patio was secluded and our table of choice in the corner was cozy surrounded by potted flowers and plants.
Note: this is a ca$h only and a beer and wine only establishment.
But don't fear, they have an ATM and there are over 150 beers between the taps, the bottles, and the cans, to choose from. If you are having trouble narrowing down, the staff is extremely knowledgeable on the 5+ page menus. Leah asked for a white ale recommendation and our waiter knew just the beer for her. I ordered a can of
Butternuts Porkslap, everyone chuckling as the words came out of my mouth. How hilarious are the belly slapping pigs?!
With a location convenient to Fenway Park but situated on the outskirts of the Lansdowne St/Yawkey Way madness, this bar can be a welcome extract from the riot like masses of Red Sox game night crowds.
Well maybe not always, but at least tonight, it was pretty calm.
They have a stellar menu. My go to order is the
Fish Wrap ($8) with tater tots
. A soft flour tortilla gets filled with beer battered cod, shredded lettuce, a blend of cheeses, mango salsa and habanero aioli.
The thick slice of lightly crisped on the outside, flaky on the inside cod is surrounded by a mouthful of sweet mango and a potent aioli. That habanero is
hot and I love it. With any sandwich on the menu you get to choose from a plethora of sides. Go with the Tater Tots. Trust me! The coleslaw is also fresh and flavorful. Leah and Tray shared the
Nachos ($9) and raved about them. Everything on them is house made, including the chips topped with refried black beans, melted cheese and the garnishes of guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and pickled jalapeno. While I didn't take a picture, you can just barely see them in focus behind this blurry shot of my fish wrap.
No one got a hot dog this time around, but you really can't go wrong with a
Fenway Frank ($1) featuring
a grilled all beef frank served on a buttered new england style roll. From there you build your own, choosing from 17 toppings costing either $1 or $2. The same can be done with a
Burger ($8). After another Porkslap, I was ready to call it a night. Adam and I walked almost the entire length of the city over the course of this evening! Oh hey much needed exercise.
I couldn't be more proud of my cousin. Marine Week bringing him to my city and being able to watch him perform was a welcome surprise. HOORAH.
Oh and I can't wait for more nights this summer on the LD patio, hopefully stuffing my face with a Fenway Frank and discovering more beers with funny names and one-of-a-kind logos.
My sister and I arrived and were happy to learn from the hostess that the grilled cheese special is offered on the patio bar as well. It was a gorgeous Tuesday evening so we took full advantage of the riverside views, settling in first with some cocktails. 
I went with what can only be described as my dream cocktail, the Italian 75 ($9) which combines my two favorite liqueurs - Aperol and St Germain with lemon, prosecco and gin. Leah's Watermelon Basil Margarita wasn't as noteworthy, while it presented a strong taste of tequila, the other flavors were muted - more water than melon, the basil just a dusting. 
For our second round I stuck with my beloved Italian 75 and she decided on Sangria ($9) which was much more satisfying than round one. Along with our cocktails, a sophisticated version of the weekly grilled cheeses were enjoyed; boasting layers of melted mozzarella, peppery arugula and spicy pepperonicni on thick slices of evenly toasted bread.
I should mention one half of a grilled cheese is $2, still a large half and $2 well spent. In addition to this deal, the bar offers $1 oysters daily from 4 - 6 pm. We couldn't pass this up and slurped three briny easy coast oysters each.
We also noshed on some Sfizi - "little tastes" which are individual antipasti plates meant for sharing. 
The Fried Calamari ($6) incorporated delicious little morsels of fried lemon zest along with a grilled lemon thyme aioli. The Pannocchia ($6) which is grilled corn on the cob with pecorino cheese and a spicy aioli, was excellent. 
We exited the patio off the back steps and decided to take an evening turned sunset stroll around the Charles. 
We stopped to feed a family of ducks, meandered over the Longfellow Bridge, watched the Red Line speed by and looped back around to the Boston side of the river and walked the Esplanade home. 
