Taken from Eater.com [Photos: Jack Bardy (upper left); Mike Diskin (the other three)]
While it’s hard to picture now, Beat Hotel is actually located in the skeleton of the old Tannery shoe store in Harvard Square. “Inspired by the hippie and beat movements of the mid-twentieth century,” fluorescent peace signs and painted mermaids contrast the deep wood and minimal lighting of the space. The sporadic neon accents in this otherwise dark dining room have a similar effect to sprucing up a hipster’s grungy basement with a lava lamp: seemingly strange at first, but somehow it works. An odd analogy perhaps, but you just have to see it to believe it. Just when you thought the vibe couldn’t get more eclectic, cue the live jazz music! While during my experience it was a bit loud at times, the music was a nice touch to the functionally hectic ambience.
Boasting a relatively exotic drink menu, Beat Hotel has libations to please the masses. In addition to a reasonable selection of beers, they serve house cocktails, champagne, champagne cocktails, and a large variety of wines… on tap. Wine can be ordered in three sizes: half glass (2.5 oz), glass (5 oz), and carafe (12.5 oz). Having multiple sizes allows everyone from the vino connoisseur to the newly legal wine experimenter to sample a wine of their choice without having to commit. While this was a tempting and unique feature of the restaurant, I decided to try some of their cocktail options instead. First up was the “Purple Door,” a martini glass of vodka, blueberry puree, and real maple syrup. Reminiscent of a grown-up blueberry pancake, the $11 purple concoction was more appealing to me in color than in flavor. A little sweet for my taste, this was something I would prefer a sip of, rather than a full glass. I felt the same way about the second drink I tried, which was recommended to me by my waiter: the “Dharma Cocktail.” A less syrupy version of a melted green freeze pop, this $12 combo of kaffir lime vodka and aloe juice was fascinating, but not something I’d order again. I can see it being a go-to for someone with a different taste for drinks than myself, but it wasn’t for me. The drink menu is extensive enough that I’m sure upon returning I could find a cocktail that I adore.
As a vegetarian, I am always a bit hesitant to try new restaurants. Luckily, recently, it is much more common to find veggie-centric dishes that surpass your basic salad. The “Earth Bowl” (ranging from $20-$27) was what initially caught my eye here. This bowl consisted of a mix of 5-grain pilaf, seasonal vegetables, and pumpkin tahini sauce. Suitable for any diet, the bowl can be served with a variety of meats/fish or with tofu and seitan as a vegan option. While the presentation wasn’t fabulous (it was sort of a big pile of food thrown into a bowl), the overall meal was delicious! With enough food to feed a small army, the large variety of colorful veggies (mushrooms, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, chickpeas, beets, edamame, and more) was paired wonderfully with the nutty pilaf. The advertised pumpkin tahini sauce, along with what I believe was a soy vinaigrette, allows the individual to choose what direction the rest of the flavor will go. Presenting a vast variety of taste and texture, the Earth Bowl is definitely something I would order again. My fellow diner ordered the Eggplant Parmesan ($21), which I would rename “Brick of Cheese with a Sprinkle of Eggplant and Tomato Sauce.” My singular bite of the seemingly five-pound mound of dense Italian-inspired fare was more than enough. A few other items that I sampled included:
- Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, peanut butter frosting, salted caramel ice cream, and toffee crumble.
- Banana crème brulee bread pudding with vanilla ice cream (not pictured).
- A salad of lettuce, carrots, sprouts, mushrooms, crispy chickpeas, with sesame dressing.
Although the different orders may have been completely unalike, I would describe them all the same: successful in taste, but far too rich. While my review has been seemingly negative at times, I would still recommend dining at Beat Hotel. A few hidden treasures amongst both the bub and grub, in combination with the unique vibe, make it definitely worthwhile to at least try. Unlike anywhere else I’ve been in the Boston area, Beat Hotel was a fun change of pace, and a possible frequent for this booze-savvy vegetarian.
Beat Hotel
Harvard Square
13 Brattle Street
Cambridge MA 02138