Atmosphere:
When thinking of the Cask N' Flagon, one typically imagines a raucous, uproarious gaggle of wicked big Sox fans drinking pitchers of Bud Light and generally having a surly good time in the way that only Bostonians know how to love. Well, maybe or maybe not, but that was the misconception I had in my mind before visiting for dinner and drinks on a June evening prior to a Sox vs. Yankees game. I was immediately struck by the gentility of the crowd, especially since the place was absolutely packed, as one would expect before such a matchup. It's certainly a sports bar, but it clearly earned its place as the #2 Sports Bar in America for qualities not typically associated with Sports Bars: it's clean, civil, well run, efficiently serviced, and just generally a good hearted great time. There are plenty of TVs, too, so any guest can get a good look at the game, or whatever else might be going on that day, from any seat in the house. The space is basically divided into two main parts, the front bar area where people mill around, drink, and chat, and the seated back section where their excellent servers bring food and beer to seated guests.
Experience:
The Chef, Mark, and the Manager, John, welcomed me when I arrived. Mark has an obvious passion for food and the product that he puts out every day; he showed me around the kitchen, which is truly a massive operation, and which clearly gives Mark and his staff the flexibility to do what they do culinarily with such great results. And, he constantly praised the guys who cook for him, crediting them for the food that the restaurant puts out. He is a class act.
John brought me to a table for 4 near the front of the restaurant, but I wanted to walk around and take some photos of the crowd before I dove into the food. While doing so, I met a bunch of great people. Everyone was in a great mood, and all willingly posed for me as I was doing my camera guy routine. Of course, you expect a good, energetic crowd for Sox vs. Yanks, and perhaps the place isn't always so full of fun folks, but it certainly was when I hung out for an evening. I even met a charming young couple from New Hampshire who came over to say hey after I took their photo when they noticed I was eating alone. I invited Kate & Dan to join me and to help me taste the food, and we had a total blast sampling a variety of dishes. I told our server Ali to simply put us in Mark’s capable hands as I wanted to try as many things as I could.
Food:
If the atmosphere was a slight surprise, the quality of the food was a tsunami shockwave. I hesitate to call their fare upscale bar food, because it is really food of a quality that is superior to what one would encounter in many more highly priced, supposedly upscale establishments that's built around a bar menu concept. And, they do cover the gamut of food you'd expect and want to find in a sports bar - it's just done exceedingly well - and many other things.
We kicked things off with a wing sample platter and a spinach & artichoke dip served in a bread bowl. These are not grandma's wings; they are huge, meaty ones that have a perfect amount of sauce. We had sweet chili, buffalo, barbeque, and then buff-eque, a combination of the barbeque and buffalo wings. While all of the wings were tasty, those buff-eque wings were not only a unique twist on the wing, but a scrumptious one and a clear favorite of mine. The spinach artichoke dip itself wasn't wildly unique, but that didn't make it any less tasty or enjoyable. What was out of the ordinary in that offering were the deep fried pita chips they serve to scoop the dip up - I'd never seen those before and they work well, as they give the pita bread a tad more rigidity so they can scoop more effectively.
As a stop-gap course between appetizers and mains, to soak up some of our Harpoon IPA and Leinenkugels Summer Shandy - a truly excellent summer beer that I'd never heard of before but which my companion Kate was overjoyed to see on tap - we had some boneless Mango Buffalo wings. Talk about unique! Mark makes the sauce himself using some vinegar, brown sugar, mango, hot sauce, and a few other things, and they are a really zesty combination of sweet, tangy, and a touch fruity. These were awesome, and a highly memorable flavor that you won't find elsewhere.
For main offerings, we tried 3 things: Grilled Beef Tips, Summer Salmon, and a Chicken Caprice sandwich. The caprice really stood out, because so many places just don't make this kind of effort to take a sandwich from something forgettable to something special. It featured a grilled chicken breast with artichoke hearts, pesto, and fresh mozzarella on a nice bun - lip smackingly delicious and very satisfying. The beef tips were grilled and marinated with the same sweet chili sauce as the sweet chili wings. These were done to a nice medium rare, and though they could have been a touch juicier, they were a carnivorous delight paired up with a heap of garlic mashed potatoes. The salmon was the most interesting, and I enjoyed it though I almost never order salmon in a restaurant. Mark grills a salmon steak and serves it on a bed of butter-sauteed spinach, but finishes the dish with a mango vanilla salsa. I could've eaten a bowl of that on its own, but it also pairs well with the fish texturally, and also stays mild enough to not overpower it.
Assessment:
The main message about the food here: it's way more than bar food and is a very solid dining option. I'd return here in a second if I were in the Kenmore area and needed a place to eat, and would highly recommend the food to even picky friends. This is a Boston establishment that needs more recognition for its food!
By Justin Cambria
