Saturday, July 01, 2006
Jacob Wirth
Jacob Wirth has received ample attention in the past few weeks, in part because of the Metro article detailing its rambunctious Wold Cup match parties. Indeed, when I called to make a reservation (completely unnecessary, I realized later) on early Friday afternoon for that evening, an Irish waitress shouted into the phone over the jubilant din that she'd have to put me on hold for a few minutes. Five minutes turned into ten, and I eventually hung up and called back after the game was over.
Jacob Wirth is so proud of their fine selection of domestic and imported brews that they offer many of them in the form of large, frosty pitchers ($6-22), which I think are best method of serving and consuming beer in the summertime or with a large group. Sometimes, however, it's just you and the boyfriend, but even then sharing a pitcher of Narragansett Lager ($16) works out pretty well too.
Three pint glasses of that and I felt little trepidation about trying Jacob Wirth's German fare. After slurring some greetings to a friend joining us for dinner, we moved from the tremendously long mahagony bar to the adjacent main dining area, where thick wooden tables are laid out in orderly cafeteria style. (More details on Jacob Wirth's storied interior can be found here. )
Those looking for standard pub grub, salads, and sandwiches are easily accommodated at Jacob Wirth, which offers Crispy Fried Chicken Fingers ($8), Bake Bried ($12), the standard burgers ($8.95-9.75) and salads ($6-13). Dinner entrees like Fish and Chips ($14) and Roasted ($16) are aslo available. The more expensive and more intriguing German specialities are worth trying although presentation tends to trump taste. My Wiener Schnitzel ($18) with Dill Spaetzle was fine, just fine, but nothing to knock your socks off. The lean veal cutlet had obviously been carefully pounded before it was breaded and pan fried, for the meat was extraordinarily tender. Unfortunately, the spaetzle failed to take on any real flavor from the dill, and the crinkly egg noodles remained soft and bland even when doused with a bit of thin lemon butter sauce. There's a reason why traditionally spaetzle are covered with melted sharply flavored cheese.
Bunches was a bit more enthusiastic about his German Mixed Grill ($16) with smoked bratwurst and weisswurst, sourkraut, and potato salad, which I'm supposing was the colorless mass supporting the plump lacerated sausages. (Weisswurst, in case you're wondering, is a Bavarian sausage with a thin casing that houses the calf meat and herbs, and is cooked by boiling in hot water.)
I'm sure many of you will disregard my lackluster review of Jacob Wirth and maybe you should. I certainly scoffed at other online reviewers whose criticism of Jack Wirth is extremely similar to my own. I wouldn't discount Jacob Wirth's potential as a top-notch spot to enjoy a lager while watching the game, but I question whether they're doing anything to dispel the stereotypes about German food.
The Info
Jacob Wirth
31-37 Stuart St., Boston
The Rating: 6.7
Jacob Wirth is so proud of their fine selection of domestic and imported brews that they offer many of them in the form of large, frosty pitchers ($6-22), which I think are best method of serving and consuming beer in the summertime or with a large group. Sometimes, however, it's just you and the boyfriend, but even then sharing a pitcher of Narragansett Lager ($16) works out pretty well too.
Three pint glasses of that and I felt little trepidation about trying Jacob Wirth's German fare. After slurring some greetings to a friend joining us for dinner, we moved from the tremendously long mahagony bar to the adjacent main dining area, where thick wooden tables are laid out in orderly cafeteria style. (More details on Jacob Wirth's storied interior can be found here. )
Those looking for standard pub grub, salads, and sandwiches are easily accommodated at Jacob Wirth, which offers Crispy Fried Chicken Fingers ($8), Bake Bried ($12), the standard burgers ($8.95-9.75) and salads ($6-13). Dinner entrees like Fish and Chips ($14) and Roasted ($16) are aslo available. The more expensive and more intriguing German specialities are worth trying although presentation tends to trump taste. My Wiener Schnitzel ($18) with Dill Spaetzle was fine, just fine, but nothing to knock your socks off. The lean veal cutlet had obviously been carefully pounded before it was breaded and pan fried, for the meat was extraordinarily tender. Unfortunately, the spaetzle failed to take on any real flavor from the dill, and the crinkly egg noodles remained soft and bland even when doused with a bit of thin lemon butter sauce. There's a reason why traditionally spaetzle are covered with melted sharply flavored cheese.
Bunches was a bit more enthusiastic about his German Mixed Grill ($16) with smoked bratwurst and weisswurst, sourkraut, and potato salad, which I'm supposing was the colorless mass supporting the plump lacerated sausages. (Weisswurst, in case you're wondering, is a Bavarian sausage with a thin casing that houses the calf meat and herbs, and is cooked by boiling in hot water.)
I'm sure many of you will disregard my lackluster review of Jacob Wirth and maybe you should. I certainly scoffed at other online reviewers whose criticism of Jack Wirth is extremely similar to my own. I wouldn't discount Jacob Wirth's potential as a top-notch spot to enjoy a lager while watching the game, but I question whether they're doing anything to dispel the stereotypes about German food.
The Info
Jacob Wirth
31-37 Stuart St., Boston
