Greater Boston

[Ron Kramer]

Going to Troquet for the first time since moving back to Boston on Saturday... Any recs from the current wine list? Is it still as good as it used to be?

So how was it?

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Sorry Ron, didn't see your question. Unfortunately, my friends canceled on me.

I see Troquet's summer wine sale is going on. If anyone wants to hit it up, let me know...

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

There was some earlier mention in this thread about Dumpling Daughter, a modern-Asian BYOB in Weston MA. I am organizing an offline there on Saturday October 1, 2016:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vie ... 8#p2080218

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

According to the May and June minutes of the Watertown MA Licensing Board, two restaurants have been APPROVED FOR BYOB.



Farmer's Market Kitchen
222 Arsenal St
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 393-0201
http://www.fmkcatering.com
~I've never been in there, but is very close to where I work and I'll have to stop in and see what's up. It's been a lunch takeout and catering spot so far, but they've apparently been wanting to do sit down dinners. Chef/owner sounds potentially promising:

https://www.zagat.com/30under30/2014/boston#8

Jasmine Taste of Persia
580 Mount Auburn St
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 923-2999
http://www.jasminewatertown.com
~Never been here either, so can't comment on how good it is, but it sounds like the usual small ethnic hole-in-the-wall sort of place.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Hi All,

I've taken it upon myself to update the mailing list for Ron Kramer's Boston-area offline group, adding in some new friends and WineBerserkers who were not on the previous list. After a fun get together last night at Dumpling Daughter in Weston MA, we'd like to keep the ball rolling. Steve Curry has volunteers to organize a Sine Qua Non dinner in the near future, which is something we've been trying to do for a long time. Stay tuned (the pressure is on Steve!)...

So if you would like to be included on the mailing list for upcoming offlines, please send me an email at "montebello1964 at yahoo dot com" with your full name and email address (will not be posted online, but will be visible to the other email list members when emails are sent out).

I'm sure we will also try to post announcements on WineBerserkers as well, but it would be nice not to have to duplicate post every update by having a consolidated email list.

[Tom Gibson]

~Kitchen On The Common - Belmont, Ma
no label for cuisine
$0 corkage, byo stems or they provide stemless glasses

Note: closed like a month and a half ago. Should be removed from the front page.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Farmer's Market Kitchen, mentioned below, now has an official Watertown BYOB license!

I've been a couple of times for takeout sandwiches and enjoyed their falafel wrap and Cuban. It's been a lunch takeout and catering spot so far, but they've apparently been wanting to do sit down dinners (currently closes at 3 or 3:30).

Will have to talk to them about whether they can do a private BYOB dinner.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

BOSTON BYOB REGULATIONS: Approved

http://www.universalhub.com/2017/city-a ... estaurants

[Tom Gibson]

The law reads like there will be a lot of little restaurants in Rozzie and Dorchester that will have BYO by summer time. I hope it sparks some higher end type places to open and become great landing spots.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

The law reads like there will be a lot of little restaurants in Rozzie and Dorchester that will have BYO by summer time. I hope it sparks some higher end type places to open and become great landing spots.

I gather there is a 30 seat limit, and mandatory waiter service, which given the areas involved pretty much means we are talking about tiny ethnic restaurants being the only beneficiaries. I don't know any fine dining, 30-seat restaurants in those areas (analogous to the brilliant Laurel in Philly). Very annoying how restrictive this is. Get ready for drinking rieslings at Vietnamese restaurants.

I wish some of these decision makers would visit Philly and see how BYOB should really work. Baby steps I guess.

[Gerry Morrisey]

I just read that due to the high number of restrictions and lengthy application process the city has yet only received one completed application. Just so typical of city, the only thing they are good it is finding a way to screw it up.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

I just read that due to the high number of restrictions and lengthy application process the city has yet only received one completed application. Just so typical of city, the only thing they are good it is finding a way to screw it up.

I guess that means they actually have an application form now, so technically that is progress!

Where did you read this?

[Gerry Morrisey]

I just read that due to the high number of restrictions and lengthy application process the city has yet only received one completed application. Just so typical of city, the only thing they are good it is finding a way to screw it up.

I guess that means they actually have an application form now, so technically that is progress!

Where did you read this?

I read it here:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_ ... _goes_flat

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Interesting to see a more complete description of the regulations in that article:

• the restaurant must not already hold an alcohol license.
• it cannot be located in a downtown neighborhood.
• must have a capacity of 30 people or fewer.
• must offer sit-down service.
• byob can only be allowed from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• all employees must undergo in-person, industry approved alcohol training.
• 64 oz. of malt beverage per-person limit.
• 750 ml (standard wine bottle) per-person limit
• Only in Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury

And I'm happy to see that the list of neighborhoods where BYOB is permitted is longer than I thought it would be! But that 30 seat limit is really the killer. Pretty much limits us to small ethnic restaurants (like the mentioned Seven Star Bistro--Taiwanese)

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Seven Star sounds like an interesting little restaurant serving Taiwanese/Sichuan street food (Xiaochi). Will have to check it out when they officially get their BYOB license. Only 16 seats, but apparently they will take reservations for parties of 4 or more.

Seven Star Bistro (also Rozzie Ramen popup 2 nights a week)
153 Belgrade Ave
Roslindale, MA 02131
(617) 325-8686
www.sevenstarstreetbistro.com
Seven Star: Thursday – Sunday, 5PM-
Ramen: Tuesday – Wednesday, 5PM-
16 seats

Old video from Phantom Gourmet, before they apparently redesigned to have seats for 16:

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

The new Troquet is officially open:

http://boston.eater.com/2017/3/2/147893 ... th-opening

"...private 25-seat back room for wine dinners and other events."

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

SEVEN STAR STREET BISTRO in Roslindale just received Boston's first BYOB license:

http://www.universalhub.com/2017/boston ... ?nocache=1

http://sevenstarstreetbistro.com

"...customers over 21 will be able to bring in one bottle of wine or one container of beer - which can be up to a growler-sized 64 ounces - each, between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. (they won't be able to go out to refill their supplies, though)."

According to Facebook, they need to finish training staff before they can permit byob.

[jhemming]

SEVEN STAR STREET BISTRO in Roslindale just received Boston's first BYOB license:

http://www.universalhub.com/2017/boston ... ?nocache=1

http://sevenstarstreetbistro.com

"...customers over 21 will be able to bring in one bottle of wine or one container of beer - which can be up to a growler-sized 64 ounces - each, between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. (they won't be able to go out to refill their supplies, though)."

According to Facebook, they need to finish training staff before they can permit byob.

Have had breakfast there via there "Astro diner" and it was pretty good. Excited to try it for dinner

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Just talked to 7 Star and they are open for BYOB business!

[Peter Tryba]

Good catch, Kevin!

This will be a busy place until more restaurants go for the license.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Steve C, Kevin L and I decided to take one for the team and investigate the first of 3 legal BYOB Italian restaurants in Winthrop MA. The other two seem to have better reviews, so will have to try those next...

D'PARMA RESTAURANT (review posted on Yelp)[/b]
467 Shirley St
Winthrop, MA 02152
b/t Irwin St & Sturgis St
(617) 846-5867
http://www.dparmarestaurant-hub.com
[note, they also have a non-BYOB location in East Boston.]

To make a long story short, I'm going to give D'Parma 2 Stars for their food plus 1 star extra for being one of those rare, almost mythical creatures, a LEGAL BYOB in Massachusetts.

If you know me, then you know that I appreciate a great wine list. And the very best wine list of all is the one that I have at home! So if a restaurant will let me BYOB my own wine for dinner, then they immediately shoot to the top in my book.

The only problem is that BYOB is ILLEGAL in ***most*** of Massachusetts. Grrrr, yes, we are still living in the 19th Century in MA! But wait, why did I say "most?" Well here is where, in typical MA fashion, it gets a bit complicated:

1) Massachusetts law states that BYOB is illegal in any restaurant that has a liquor license.

2) If a restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, then the legality of BYOB depends on the laws of the city or town in which the restaurant operates.

3) But only some towns permit BYOB for restaurants without liquor licenses. To the best of my knowledge, these include: Brookline, Lowell, Needham, Watertown (requires a BYOB license), Wellesley, Winthrop, and Worcester. Arlington and Belmont may also be in this category, but I'm still researching that. If you know of any others, please let me know!

4) However, thanks to a newly passed law in Boston, BYOB is only legal for restaurants without liquor licenses in some but not all Boston neighborhoods, namely: Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury and West Roxbury. Such restaurants must be sit-down with waiter service and 30 or fewer seats, and they must have a BYOB license (which only Seven Star Bistro in Rosindale does as of April 2017).

5) By the way, many restaurants will let you BYOB under the table if you ask them (with or without a corkage fee). However, it is definitely poor form to post about this online since we don't want to get them in trouble for doing us a favor (which occasionally happens, although rarely in my experience).

OK, with that background out of the way, you will have noticed that Winthrop is one of those towns that permits legal BYOB. And from perusing Yelp, I was able to find 3 restaurants in Winthrop that do not have liquor licenses and allow BYOB (all Italian). None of which are very well known, so I decided to do some reconnoitering first before I invited my somewhat snobby wine group (don't tell them I said that)...

First up was D'Parma, mostly because it was the only one that is open on Mondays. I should also note that their second location in East Boston has a liquor license and is therefore not a BYOB.

Inside, D'Parma is a surprisingly attractive, wood paneled, two room space. It was perhaps half-full on a Monday evening, and not terribly loud. Service was prompt and generally friendly.

However, as I noted above, I'm only giving them a mediocre 2 stars for their food. Why? I and my two dining companions ordered 3 appetizers to share, and then since we were drinking California cabernets, steaks. D'Parmis is not really "red sauce", but it's not fancy fine Italian dining either.

The appetizers were the best part of the meal. They were good sized and generally tasty, but a bit sloppily presented and not actually very exciting. But I would eat them again.

Unfortunately, the steaks were a disappointment. 8 oz sirloins (not stated on the menu), 1/2 inch thick. I ordered mine medium rare, but it came out medium to medium-well. Certainly a OK piece of meat, but not steakhouse quality. However, the real sin was the accompanying mushroom risotto, which was a disaster. In fact, I wouldn't call the huge pile of rice with mushrooms and onions a risotto. Short grain rather than risotto rice, and not at all creamy. No detectable Parmigiano flavor. The large slices of portabella mushrooms were in fact the only good part and I did finish those. The worst "risotto" I've ever had.

However, despite the average food, this still is a legal BYOB and so gets an extra star from me for that reason alone. Wine glasses were serviceable, but of the typical style found in "red sauce" restaurants, so I would recommend bringing your own if you care about this. We opened and poured our own wines, which we prefer (although no one offered to do it for us).

BYOB wines:
2006 Sine Qua Non Autrement Dit (rose)
2003 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Ridge Monte Bello

Parking is fairly easy at a city lot located a block further down Shirley St (free after 5PM). Otherwise be careful about parking on the streets without a permit, and there is a small lot next door that is ok to use after hours (new rules).

Would I come back? Maybe I'll give them a second shot and try more of their pastas and bring a few more casual bottles of pasta-friendly wine (no more serious cabernets!). But it's not the sort of place I'm going to rush to invite my wine group to drink SQNs!

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG: Boston's only legal BYOB is closing

https://boston.eater.com/2017/6/13/1579 ... le-closing

[David_K]

THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG: Boston's only legal BYOB is closing

https://boston.eater.com/2017/6/13/1579 ... le-closing

Unbelievable. Boston's new BYOB "program" is an embarrassment. I mean if they don't want to allow it, don't allow it, but if you're going to set it up, then do it so more than one or two restaurants can possibly qualify.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Now that Seven Star Bistro is closed, there is a new holder of the title "Only Legal BYOB Restaurant in Boston":

300 Saratoga Cafe
300 Saratoga St
Boston, MA 02128
[b/t Prescott St & Putnam St, East Boston]
(617) 567-0300
https://www.yelp.com/biz/300-saratoga-cafe-boston

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/08/25/b ... staurants/

Across from Rino's. Apparently they've been open since April. I will have to check it out, although Mom & Pop Red Sauce Italian restaurants in Boston generally are not that good.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Reposting my Yelp review...

LEGAL BYOB IN EAST BOSTON!!!

I've now been to 300 SARATOGA CAFE twice (once with board members Steve C & Neil P), and sufficed to say, I enjoyed both meals.

Especially the meatballs, which are excellent (your Italian grandmother wold be happy to serve them)!

As far as the rest of the menu (some of these were specials), I've tried the steak, rack of lamb, house-made pastas with tomato sauce, 4-meat ragu or vodka sauce (fettuccini, gnocchi, lobster-crab ravioli) and panna cotta, and was happy with all of them. The steak was properly cooked to temp, and while not steakhouse-quality, it was still a pleasurable accompaniment for some great red wines. Overall, good, tasty, well-made "red sauce" neighborhood Italian cuisine, like you would hope to find.

The service was friendly and attentive (we were served by the hilarious sous chef who grew up in the area the first time, and by newly hired Michelle on our second visit). The owners were in the house and the husband Robin was very personable and fun. It is a small, comfortable space, but can be a tad noisy if crowded, but still pleasant. There is a muted TV over the small bar (obviously not serving alcohol).

Yeah, Rino's across the street is famous thanks to "wonder-awful TV chef/bloated punk-pop hedgehog person Guy Fieri," (to quote the Globe), but I actually think the food at Saratoga is just as good (especially those meatballs, which leave Rino's in the dust). And you don't have to wait in line forever to get a table at prime time.

AND IT'S LEGAL BYOB, in fact, the only one in Boston (see below for details)!!! So it deserves 5-stars just for that in my book!

House wine glasses are serviceable (better than Rino's), but if you really care, bring your own stems like I do. They also prefer to open your wine, keep it at the bar, and pour it for you, but I convinced them to let us do that ourselves, which we like to do. Sit along the window, where the ledge make a nice place to put your wine bottles, leaving more space for big plates of food. [They are amenable to doing a 10-12 person offline if we plan it in advance.]

As you will see from some earlier Yelp reviews, Saratoga originally also offered a selection of Latin dishes (the chef is Latino). But there wasn't much demand for them in an Italian restaurant, so although they are still listed on the laminated menu, they are no longer available.

Note: Their website seems to have been taken over from another restaurant, and wasn't accurate for a long time, but seems to be improving. For example, there's a link to OpenTable, but you have to call for reservations, although one of the two phone numbers is incorrect.

I will definitely be back again to enjoy some good Italian cooking and BYOB wine.

[WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BYOB IN MA:

If you know me, then you know that I appreciate a great wine list. And the very best wine list of all is the one that I have at home! So if a restaurant will let me BYOB my own wine for dinner, then they immediately shoot to the top in my book.

The only problem is that BYOB is ILLEGAL in ***most*** of Massachusetts. Grrrr, yes, we are still living in the 19th Century in MA! But wait, why did I say "most?" Well here is where, in typical MA fashion, it gets a bit complicated:

1) Massachusetts law states that BYOB is illegal in any restaurant that has a liquor license.

2) If a restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, then the legality of BYOB depends on the laws of the city or town in which the restaurant operates.

3) But only some towns permit BYOB for restaurants without liquor licenses. To the best of my knowledge, these include: Brookline, Lowell, Needham, Watertown (requires a BYOB license), Wellesley, Winthrop, and Worcester. Arlington and Belmont may also be in this category, but I'm still researching that. If you know of any others, please let me know!

4) However, thanks to a newly passed law in Boston, BYOB is legal for restaurants without liquor licenses in some but not all Boston neighborhoods, namely: Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury and West Roxbury. Such restaurants must be sit-down with waiter service and 30 or fewer seats, and they must have a BYOB license (which only two restaurants have successfully received, Seven Star Bistro in Rosindale, which has since closed, and 300 Saratoga in East Boston).

5) By the way, many restaurants will let you BYOB under the table if you ask them (with or without a corkage fee). However, it is definitely poor form to post about this online since we don't want to get them in trouble for doing us a favor (which occasionally happens, although rarely in my experience, but one restaurant owner has told me he has been getting calls from someone (the city?) asking if "he does BYOB", so they may be cracking down with the new law in place).

You are also limited to one 750 mL bottle per person and the restaurant must seal partially finished bottles in a plastic bag to which they have stapled the receipt if you want to take leftovers home.]

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

SAM'S KITCHEN--LEGAL ITALIAN BYOB IN WOBURN MA
37 Main St
Woburn, MA 01801
(781) 305-3375
www.samskitchenus.com

Heard about this in the Boston Globe:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regio ... story.html

We shared a variety of dishes (pictures below are from multiple visits), but since the tables are small we needed to pass and eat them to clear space for the next course (especially if you have a bunch of wine/glasses taking up space). The noise level was energetic (restaurant was full), but we could still easily converse. Service was excellent (the owner's wife and son served us).

LOBSTER RAVIOLI: With lobster cream sauce ($21)
~Good flavor, lovely creamy sauce, perfectly cooked pasta, but this last two visited it had many fewer chucks of lobster inside, more of a puree

CAESAR SALAD: Crispy romaine lettuce, anchovies, homemade croutons ($11)
~I never order a salad, but someone wanted one. Perfectly serviceable, but not noteworthy (but at least it had anchovies in it!)

BOLOGNESE: Pork/beef/pancetta, substituted linguini instead of penne ($23)
~Our favorite dish, with perfectly cooked pasta and a nice sauce. However, this would been more interesting if the chef put a few chili pepper flakes in the sauce to give it just a touch of heat

ARANCINI: 4 homemade risotto balls, filled with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese ($15.90)
~Unfortunately, this just wasn't good. The risotto was dense and overcooked. However, the ubiquitous house tomato sauce had a nice fresh flavor

VEAL PARM: Home-breaded veal parm, tomato sauce, fresh penne ($25)
~Tender, well-made, with perfectly cooked pasta and that same nice fresh sauce. Nothing particularly exciting, but tasty enough in an old-school way

OFF-MENU: Carbonara
~We asked for this, and the chef was happy to make it. Very tasty, with a unusual, strongly herby flavor that really appealed to me. No competition for Erbaluce's, but I would definitely order again

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA: Chicken breast, prosciutto, spinach, mozzarella, fresh ricotta gnocchi, vodka sauce, broccoli rabe ($29)
~I only had a bite of this and it seemed fine, but again not really exciting, but you don't really order this for excitement, more to flash back to old-school, Italian-American cooking

FISH OF THE DAY: Swordfish, with seafood risotto (mussels, shrimp), lobster cream sauce, asparagus ($32)
~Overall a good dish, and the fish was well cooked, but I think the risotto was a bit more well done than is my preference (not overcooked, but I prefer mine more al dente)

CHEESECAKE: With raspberry jam
~Don't know if this was house-made or not (I suspect not). A typical restaurant cheesecake

CANOLLI: With ricotta filling
~Not house-made, small size, but crispy, perfectly fine

BYOBed 10 1/2 bottles, but we didn't finish them, so I'm sure the staff enjoyed some after we left! Unfortunately, a 1964 Fratelli Berteletti Gattinara I brought had turned into sherry. Glasses are serviceable, and they were able to provide 4 for each person, but I brought my own anyway. They also provided a rabbit ear corkscrew. Easy street parking or 5 private spaces behind. Definitely make a reservation, no matter what night of the week.

Go with the house-made pastas, which are the strength here. Nothing fancy, just tasty Italian-American cooking. 4 stars for food that would be better than average in the North End; and 1 star for BYOB. I think it is probably better than Nappi's for BYOB north of the city. I've been here 3 times so far.

[Gerry Morrisey]

Kevin, thanks for the heads-up on Sam's Kitchen, going to try it out tonight.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Kevin, thanks for the heads-up on Sam's Kitchen, going to try it out tonight.

I've been there 4 times now, most recently last night. Go for the house-made pastas, which are the best things on the menu.

[Gerry Morrisey]

Kevin, We went to Sam's Friday night and had was very happy with the overall experience. Like you mentioned, a tiny little place that probably seats around 35. Started with a 2002 Pol Roger Champagne to start and tried the Arancini app. It was tasty enough but as you stated the risotto was over cooked and dense. My wife had the Eggplant parm which she enjoyed. The pasta was perfect and thankfully the cutlets were not totally drenched in sauce (personal peeve of mine, lol). I asked for the veal saltimbocca but they were all out so settled for the veal osso buco. The veal was very good and the demi glaze was very nice. Again, the risotto was overcooked and dense. The desserts were ok with the chocolate cake and tiramisu. Your review was spot-on.

I mentioned to the waitress, I think it was one of the owners daughters, that we found out about the place through a friend that had eaten there a few times. She asked me who it was and gave her your name. Here response was "oh, he was just here last night!" lol.

It struck me as a place that could easily host an off-line. There was a party of 14-15 that they easily accommodated. Only downside would be they're tight on space.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Glad you enjoyed it Gerry!

[jhemming]

How does Sam’s compare to Sweet Basil in Needham?

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

How does Sam’s compare to Sweet Basil in Needham?

Steve C and I went to Sam's a few weeks ago, which was the first time in years for me. It was awesome!

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

How does Sam’s compare to Sweet Basil in Needham?

Steve C and I went to Sam's a few weeks ago, which was the first time in years for me. It was awesome!

I meant to say we went to Sweet Basil.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

If you didn't just receive an email from me, that means you are not on my newly updated Boston-area BYOB email list, which as Cartman would say is TOTALY NOT COOL (you not being on it I mean, because the email list is totally cool).

If you object one way or another, PM me...

[JFertitta]

Hey guys - I'm moving to Boston in a month. Is there an official city guide that I'm missing here? I'll be living in Seaport with a car if that helps? Thanks for the help!

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Hey guys - I'm moving to Boston in a month. Is there an official city guide that I'm missing here? I'll be living in Seaport with a car if that helps? Thanks for the help!

Welcome to Boston!

What do you mean by "official city guide"?

The long and short of BYOB in the Boston area is this:
1) In MA, if a restaurant has a liquor license, BYOB is illegal
2) If the restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, BYOB is permissible only if the city in question permits it, and if the restaurant has any necessary approvals from the city (there are a few such cities, such as Needham, Withrop, Woburn, Watertown, etc.)
3) In Boston, BYOB is only permitted in a few of the outlying neighborhoods, and then only if the restaurant has a license, which to my knowledge only 1 restaurant currently has (I believe ~3 other restaurants have applied and may get a license)
4) If you buy wine at a restaurant and want to take leftovers home, the restaurant has to seal it in an approved bag with the bill stapled to it
5) Wineries (not retailers) can ship wine to MA but need a MA license to do so
6) If you know the restaurant owner, you may be able to arrange something under the table. But if you do, please don't post about it by name online (yes, I know this thread runs contrary to that). I've been told by several restaurant owners in Boston and nearby towns that inspectors are cracking down and even calling up pretending to be customers
7) Occasionally events are organized on WB or other boards, so feel free to do so. That's a good way to meet people. I maintain a large email list, but most events are organized by email and the organizers use their own lists and usually don't post anything on WB

[JFertitta]

Hey guys - I'm moving to Boston in a month. Is there an official city guide that I'm missing here? I'll be living in Seaport with a car if that helps? Thanks for the help!

Welcome to Boston!

What do you mean by "official city guide"?

The long and short of BYOB in the Boston area is this:
1) In MA, if a restaurant has a liquor license, BYOB is illegal
2) If the restaurant doesn't have a liquor license, BYOB is permissible only if the city in question permits it, and if the restaurant has any necessary approvals from the city (there are a few such cities, such as Needham, Withrop, Woburn, Watertown, etc.)
3) In Boston, BYOB is only permitted in a few of the outlying neighborhoods, and then only if the restaurant has a license, which to my knowledge only 1 restaurant currently has (I believe ~3 other restaurants have applied and may get a license)
4) If you buy wine at a restaurant and want to take leftovers home, the restaurant has to seal it in an approved bag with the bill stapled to it
5) Wineries (not retailers) can ship wine to MA but need a MA license to do so
6) If you know the restaurant owner, you may be able to arrange something under the table. But if you do, please don't post about it by name online (yes, I know this thread runs contrary to that). I've been told by several restaurant owners in Boston and nearby towns that inspectors are cracking down and even calling up pretending to be customers
7) Occasionally events are organized on WB or other boards, so feel free to do so. That's a good way to meet people. I maintain a large email list, but most events are organized by email and the organizers use their own lists and usually don't post anything on WB

I kind of just meant official city guide in terms of wine shops, events, meetups, restaurants, etc. I literally just visited the city for the first time last weekend, was here for 36 hours, and had to find an apartment...any help I can get is appreciated.

PMed you Kevin my email address for your list

Side note, bonus points if any of you are in IT and want to meet up and share some wine =)

Looking at Gordon's for offsite storage potentially...anybody use them or have any experience?

(I feel like I kinda hijacked this thread so apologies)

[jhemming]

How does Sam’s compare to Sweet Basil in Needham?

Steve C and I went to Sam's a few weeks ago, which was the first time in years for me. It was awesome!

I meant to say we went to Sweet Basil.

Let me know next time you are headed back to Needham. I'll try to sneak out of the house for a glass or two.