We went to The James Pub and Provisions in Needham last night. It is very cute and cozy and I thought it had a nice vibe. I don’t recall the name of the cocktail I started with. It was The John James, or something like that. It was light and refreshing (read: I wouldn’t order it again.) My husband had a very tasty Aviation.
The ham and cheese platter under the “Bites” section of the menu was very nice. It included prosciutto, a hard cheese (gruyere?), a soft one, and Caperberries! I had never had one before. Nice touch.
Beef Tartare was on the menu. The best one, IMO, is the one from The Butcher Shop, but we’d love to find a contender. The waiter warned us that the beef was “shaved”, not minced, and said some people were put off by that. We wouldn’t have been. Unfortunately it was not shaved – it was not sliced thinly at all. The flavor was very good, but the texture? Not so much. Too thick and chewy. Had it indeed been shaved we would have enjoyed it much more.
The roasted clams were good, as was the oyster roll. The highlight for me was the Lamb Sausage Scotch Egg.
The fish and chips at a nearby table looked good.
