9/23/2014 In Waltham, another brew pub, with yuppies, good suds and grub - The Boston Globe Archives

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston-sub/doc/290778206.html?FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30%2C+1996&author=Cobb%2C+Nathan&pub 1/2
In Waltham, another brew pub, with yuppies, good suds and grub
[City Edition]
Boston Globe (pre-1997 Fulltext) - Boston, Mass.
Author: Cobb, Nathan
Date: May 30, 1996
Start Page: 6
Section: CALENDAR
Document Text
CHEAP EATS
WATCH CITY BREWING CO. Where: 256 Moody St., Waltham. Telephone: 647-4000. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-
midnight; Sun., 3-11 p.m. Good Choices: The four house brews, calamari, fish and chips, meatloaf with mashed
potatoes. Credit Cards: Amex, Diners' Club, MasterCard, Visa. Access: Street-level entrance, all facilities on one floor.
Friday night in the Watch City, aka Waltham. The young and the restless suburbanites are two-deep around the U-
shaped bar at the WCBC, the tables and booths are packed, and there's a line leading to the harried host.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: brew pubs are a license to print money. There are no packaging, shipping or
marketing costs. You make your beer, pump it a few yards, draw it into glasses, and collect around $3 for 12 ounces of
the stuff. Anheuser-Busch should have it so good.
Small wonder, then, that the last time we counted there were seven we-make-it-ourselves saloons in the Boston area,
with more on the way. Now comes the $1.4 million Watch City Brewing Co., built where a J. C. Penney store once
stood. Open for two months, it's a large and noisy 180-seat room with 20-foot ceilings, lots of cherrywood, four regular
house brews and an uncluttered menu.
Don't expect the baseball-cap-and-ripped-jeans crowd here. "Everyone asks, `Why Waltham?' " says general manager
Frank McLaughlin. "But this isn't necessarily for people in Waltham. It's for people who come to Waltham. A very
professional crowd."
Indeed. The beer they're drinking is quite good, and you should order it based on what you're eating. The light-bodied
but malty Tick Tock Ale, for example, goes well with salads. The slightly bitter and hoppy Orient Ale is about right for
giving a slight kick to, say, the mild three-sausage sampler. The full-bodied, well-balanced Titan Ale is good with
substantial dishes like the homespun meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. And the coffee-flavored Moody Street
Stout is the one to have for the road.
Beer prices range from $2.25 to $2.75 for a 10-ounce glass, $3 to $3.50 for a pint, and $10.95 to $12.95 for a 64-ounce
pitcher. You can also get a sampler of all four beers -- four ounces each -- for $4.95.)
Although the menu is predictable, WCBC has occasional surprises, such as pan-seared crabcakes and a fried oyster
po-boy. There are 10 appetizers ($2.50-$6.95), a quartet of salads ($5.25-$7.95), seven sandwiches ($4.95-$6.50), and
seven entrees ($7.95-$12.95). A trio of daily specials and a seasonal brew are also available.
Like many new restaurants, WCBC still makes small mistakes: meatloaf that's not quite hot enough, chicken wings that
are a bit dry, and that oyster po-boy, which arrives without its roasted red pepper mayonnaise.
But we liked a number of dishes, especially the chewy but not tough calamari tossed with balsamic vinegar and
pepperoncini ($5.95), the fresh tuna salad with lemon herb vinaigrette ($7.95), the lightly spicy fish and chips ($7.95),
and even the basic burger-on-a-bulkie with fries ($4.95). And that meatloaf ($7.95) would have been downright perfect if
it had been hotter.
The service is friendly and smooth at WCBC, which is not always the case with a new restaurant. You'll have to speak
up, however, so your waiter or waitress can hear you above the din. The young and the restless have already
discovered this place, particularly on weekends, and they all seem to be talking at full volume.
TIDBITS
IRISH POTATO PANCAKES
Finnegans Wake, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 576-2240.
Asked what distinquishes potato pancakes made in "the traditional Irish manner," the two fellows behind the bar at
Finnegans Wake looked a tad puzzled. "They're whipped," one finally offered. "They're nice," chirped the other. Correct
9/23/2014 In Waltham, another brew pub, with yuppies, good suds and grub - The Boston Globe Archives
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston-sub/doc/290778206.html?FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+30%2C+1996&author=Cobb%2C+Nathan&pub 2/2
on both counts. These creamy, burger-sized pancakes -- sprinkled with parsley and served with sour cream -- will have
you calling for more. They're available at lunch and dinner for $3.95, or for Sunday brunch with eggs and toast for
$4.95.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Abstract (Document Summary)
WATCH CITY BREWING CO. Where: 256 Moody St., Waltham. Telephone: 647-4000. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-
midnight; Sun., 3-11 p.m. Good Choices: The four house brews, calamari, fish and chips, meatloaf with mashed
potatoes. Credit Cards: Amex, Diners' Club, MasterCard, Visa. Access: Street-level entrance, all facilities on one floor.
Friday night in the Watch City, aka Waltham. The young and the restless suburbanites are two-deep around the U-
shaped bar at the WCBC, the tables and booths are packed, and there's a line leading to the harried host.
Indeed. The beer they're drinking is quite good, and you should order it based on what you're eating. The light-bodied
but malty Tick Tock Ale, for example, goes well with salads. The slightly bitter and hoppy Orient Ale is about right for
giving a slight kick to, say, the mild three-sausage sampler. The full-bodied, well-balanced Titan Ale is good with
substantial dishes like the homespun meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. And the coffee-flavored Moody Street
Stout is the one to have for the road.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.