A warm and breezy afternoon was spent strolling the streets of Assembly Row.
On Wednesday, August 31st, I spent a lovely afternoon at Assembly Square/Row.
If you haven't visited the Somerville neighborhood, I'd add it to your list of things to do, especially if you are looking for a leisurely day of shopping and dining.
According to the history of Assembly Row, the area was large empty fields of no use. When the City of Somerville and a developer, Federal Realty, partnered to design and grow a mixed-use neighborhood and retail environment.
Assembly Row is now home to posh apartments, a hotel, fitness studios, a movie theater, coffee shops, outlet stores, restaurants, and shops.
Some brands you will find are American Eagle, Bath & Body Works, Sephora, Levis, Polo, Shake Shack, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, and The Smoke Shop BBQ, just to name a few.
There are many great little areas with green spaces that are shaded and perfect for resting with an iced coffee or ice cream cone.
J.P. Licks is an ice cream shop that also roast coffee beans and sells a variety of coffee drinks. Their beans are also available for purchase.
There are many small alcoves of seating all around the complex, near many of the stores.
And for all of you home chefs out there, Le Creuset, one of my personal favorites in cook wear.
Being from the south and a southern food snob, I definitely want to check out Southern KIN, so I shall. I will give you the skinny when I do.
I'll say this as a warning if their biscuits aren't made from scratch...
After checking out the shops around the area, I decided to grab some lunch. No, I didn't try the Southern Kin. I love southern food, but it can be a little heavy, and I wasn't quite in the mood for fried and smothered in gravy. It was just plum too hot.
Instead, I stumbled upon Tony C's.
Tony C's is a local sports bar chain with four locations around Boston and eastern Massachusetts. I asked my server if the restaurant's namesake had anything to do with opening the chain. It turns out no. Simply just the theme of the sports bar.
The restaurant gets its name from Anthony "Tony C" Conigliaro, a former Red Sox player in the 60s and inductee to the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
The restaurant was relatively slow on a Wednesday afternoon, with only a few tables taken and several couples at the bar. However, the server said it's a good idea on game day to come early, that the restaurant fills up rather quickly.
I sat at the bar. The bartender came over and greeted me immediately.
After viewing the extensive beer menu, I opted for a local IPA from Harpoon Brewery.
The beer was fresh and served cold. Perfect for the hot summer we are experiencing.
I appreciate restaurants that offer a wide selection of local beer, wine, and spirits. We should support our local businesses whenever we can.
I ordered the mushroom and swiss burger, medium rare, and a side garden salad with the dijon vinegarette.
After waiting about 10-15 minutes, I received my lunch, talk about quick service! The burger came out overcooked but was served hot and well-seasoned. While the burger was cooked pretty well, meaning there was little to no pink, it was still juicy. This may have been a fluke, but the next time I have a burger there, I will update you on the cook (or try it out for yourself and update me).
Next, the salad was cold, right out of the cooler. Pretty simple, a spring mix with grape tomatoes (which I quickly removed), chopped cucumber, and a little red onion. The dijon vinegarette was mustard forward which gave it a good bite. I would order the dressing again.
All in all, I'd say Tony C's is a satisfactory place to catch your favorite team's game or relax after a long week with a cold beer and catch up with friends. Fairly typical sports bar eats, excellent beer selection, and good service. Sometimes, that is all you can ask for.
Click on the menu image below to view full menu.
Click on the image below to visit Tony C's website.
Sounds like a place I would definitely go watch a game or two!