Boston- The Townsman

Friday afternoon Mr. T and I headed to the Townsman for lunch.  Their burger had made it onto quite a few "Best Burger" lists and the sprawling windows of the brasserie seemed like the perfect place to watch the continuing snow storm.

We split a few appetizers to begin, a tasty Little Gem Wedge with country ham, blue cheese, tomato and vinegar...

...and a rich velvety Squash Soup studded with toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds.  We had high hopes for the burger after such a great start but unfortunately we found it to be just strange.

The bun was hard.  It was listed on the menu as a potato roll but it had absolutely no fluffy texture and no subtle sweetness. The meat looked to be cooked a perfect medium rare yet it lacked any juiciness, any real flavor.  The only thing I tasted was the strange pepper-jack cheese schmeared on top and the odd coating of paprika and star anise on the fries.  It was a disjointed medley of ingredients we both found incredibly unsatisfying. 

Luckily the cocktails, apps and service were all great.  The Cider Shrub with vodka, cider reduction and black salt was one of the best drinks I've had so far this year and certainly something I would come back for on our next visit to Boston.

The Townsman

120 Kingston Street

Boston, MA 02111