Being a sister to The Franklin in the South End and Tasty Burger, I knew Citizen Public House wouldn’t disappoint. With daily specials, a whiskey list that goes on for days, creative cocktails and raw bar items, this upscale bar/tavern has a little something for everyone’s palate.
Bread: We ordered a couple of appetizers so I think this was the reason we were not served bread. I noticed the bread basket when walking back from the restroom and it appeared to be small slices of white bread with butter; didn’t look like we missed out on anything that great.
Menu: Plenty to choose from with: Snacks (all $5), Shellfish, Clams/Oysters, Salads, Starters, and Mains. They also provided a Specials sheets with a salad, 2 entrées, and a few oysters. I would have been satisfied having a bunch of snacks and starters, but we decided to split 2 apps and each get an entrée.
July 25th specials
Food/Presentation:
Grilled Apricot & Arugula Salad – chevre and crispy chickpeas
This special salad was light & refreshing, perfect for al fresco summer dining! There were enough apricots and chickpeas to go around, I just wish the cheese was more evenly distributed.
Hand-Made Burrata – duck prosciutto, fig & pepper relish
For me it’s hard to go wrong with burrata, especially when it’s paired with these accompaniments. The bread had a crunchy crust and was soft on the inside; the fig & pepper relish has a consistency of ground up dried fig which I loved; I’ve had creamier burrata but this was still a great starter!
Fresh Tuna Burger – soy-mustard glaze, pickled ginger, brioche bun, coleslaw, grilled red onion
The tuna burger was served rare and came on a perfectly rounded brioche bun. Both Alana and I both ordered the tuna burger and both appeared to be missing the soy-mustard glaze. Perhaps it was applied prior to cooking the burger, rather than added as a condiment? Either way, the bun/burger was dry which is a big no-no for me with any type of sandwich situation. I added the coleslaw and onions to each bite but had to ask for Dijon mustard to make up for the lack of “soy-mustard glaze” which I barely tasted.
Bathroom: There are 3 private restrooms labeled “His”, “WC, “Hers”. Each has black & white paisley wallpaper with a bold accent of a red framed mirror. Doesn’t necessarily coincide with the tavern style restaurant but I appreciated the alternative statement!
Service: Our server was cheery, friendly, and able to suggest the most popular cocktails when we were indecisive about the many tempting options. We noticed that all of the female hostesses, waitresses etc were all wearing the same bright pink lipstick. Not sure if that was part of the uniform…?
Overall: I didn’t spend much time inside since we sat on the patio, but Citizen Public House appears to be dressed as a sophisticated tavern; the interior is somewhat dark, complete with a large bar and banquette seating. Each cocktail we tried was excellent; my Mai Tai was served over crushed ice and was certainly strong, but in a tasty way 🙂 Citizen is also known for their extensive whiskey list, if you’re into that kind of thing. The food was good and while the entrees didn’t thrill me I’d definitely go back for their Starters, Snacks and cocktails. I’m not sure how popular this is but Citizen also offers a pig roast – complete with a “whole roasted suckling pig” – that serves 10 or more people and is complete with raw bar apps and sides. Not something you see everyday!
Mai Tai
The Perfect Bite: Crunchy bread, fig relish, duck prosciutto, burrata.
For more photos & descriptions of what everyone in my party ate, visit my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ThePerfectBiteBoston
The Perfect Bite, Boston 