Tonight I had dinner with one of my favorite girls at American Craft on Beacon Street in Brookline. American Craft is in the space formally occupied by the Roadhouse. The Roadhouse had a tumultuous tenure in the space, so I was hoping American Craft could overcome the bad karma of the location.
We arrived and had a short wait for a table on the outdoor patio. We were eventually seated at an adorable, two person, wooden, picnic table in the corner of the patio. Our waiter brought us menus and two ice cold waters right away.
The beer list is twice as long as the food menu. There are over forty beers on draft. The menu has a wide variety of appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and entrees.
We started with the zucchini fritters. I've had fried zucchini as an appetizer many times, but this was not quite the same. It was more like a zucchini risotto ball. They were lightly fried, hot on the inside, and came served with a buttermilk dipping sauce.
For dinner, my dining companion ordered the steak frites. The steak came served with sauteed spinach on top and a side of crispy, salted french fries.
I ordered the make-your-own veggie burger. I topped it with tomato, avocado, sprouts, cheddar cheese and herb mayo. It was fantastic! The burger came served with an absolutely enormous pile of french fries. I barely made a dent.
The build-your-own burger is the most popular item on the menu. All around us different varieties were being delivered to over half the patrons. The toppings list is quite impressive including everything from foie gras to a fried egg.
Through out the meal we enjoyed a few glasses of white wine sangria. While poorly made sangria can be overly sweet, this was refreshing and anchored by a variety of fresh fruits.
American Craft has definitely overcome the 1700 Beacon Street curse. The outdoor patio is sublime, the drink menu would make any beer enthusiast grin ear to ear, and the food is delicious.
Enjoy the outdoor dining while you can!
