Seasoned With Sydney

Wednesday I went out with my old pal Melyssa, who I've known since pretty much the beginning of Sophomore year. She's the person I turn to when I want to check out a new restaurant, so when she sent me an article announcing the opening of a new Southern eatery in Fenway, I was beyond stoked! I had yet to find an authentic Country experience in Boston, and I'd all but given up hope. Enter: Loretta's Last Call, the only place in Boston that tempted me to pull on my cowboy boots in 90 degree weather.

The whole restaurant is a tribute to Honky-Tonk, right down to the giant jukebox with Country classics, and the hundreds of records and pictures on the walls. There's even a stage all lit up for live music. We picked a night where there was no fellow in a ten gallon hat serenading us with a twang, but it just gives us an excuse to come back!

I was impressed with the menu even before we got there. Along with mouth-watering dishes, the drink menu was off the charts! If you're a fan of whiskey, Loretta's is your place. But Melyssa and I were in the mood for a good cocktail, and after much deliberation, we decided on The Dogwood: grapefruit juice, moonshine, elderflower liqueur, and garnished with a lemon. And of course it wouldn't be appropriate for a good home country restaurant to not serve their specialty drinks in Mason Jars! The Dogwood was perfect, refreshing, and exactly what you need on a hot summer's evening.

Now, let's get down to the food. No one makes good Southern food better than my grandmothers, let's just be honest. They're the reason I believe in whole milk and butter in everything that I make. But since my Grammy and Grandmama both reside in Nashville, Loretta's is where I'll be going when I need a good buttermilk fried chicken fix. Generally, Melyssa and I are big chatterboxes, but once our food was served, all you could hear was the music. It was crispy, it was a little spicy, the meat so tender, and utterly satisfying. And I have to say, I'm very impressed. I can be a bit critical when it comes to food I grew up with, so I don't give my compliments lightly. Out of all the Southern establishments I've patronized in Boston, I'm only wiling to make the trek to Fenway from now on. And if you're in the mood for some good biscuits, might I suggest the Fried Buttermilk Biscuits with Maple Butter for dessert? Share it with a friend. You won't regret it.

One thing I would like to note very quickly though: once our food was taken away, it really seemed like they were trying to hurry us out, even though the restaurant was pretty empty. Sure, there was a home Red Sox game that day, but it wasn't over yet, so there was no rush from hungry baseball fans. We came to relax and take it all in, so in the future, let us sit for a bit, eh? We paid, and we liked it there!

Now, if you'll excuse me, talking about the South for so long has made me miss Nashville, and so I'm going to go cry in a corner listening to some Patsy Cline for a while.

How was your weekend??