By Gail Waterhouse, News Staff
On a late rainy November weeknight, two former co-op colleagues and I decided to catch up by getting drinks and a bite to eat. One of my friends who lives in the Fenway suggested a new restaurant she had tried recently for brunch. Sweet Caroline’s, the restaurant presumably named after the popular Neil Diamond song played in Fenway Park after the top of the eighth inning, opened at the beginning of October.
Almost exactly across the street from Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill, Sweet Caroline’s was still in its “soft opening” stage when we went. The sign outside wasn’t permanent, and a drinks menu hadn’t been printed yet – we received the beer list handwritten on receipt paper from our waitress. Presentation aside, the list was fairly extensive. We were able to sample a raspberry-flavored beer that was delicious, but a tad too summery for a cold night, before we each settled on our respective beer.
We sat at a high booth in the bar section at the back of the restaurant. Only a few other tables were filled in the same section, and the large, more formal sitting area was completely empty the entire time we were there. Painted on a wall towards the front was a big mural made to look like Fenway’s famous Green Monster, livening up the décor and reminding patrons that this is, after all, a sports bar.
My table ordered Caroline’s skillet nachos ($10.99) to share as an appetizer and they came out piping hot. Piled high with cheese, the nachos were a great combination of gooey and crunchy, and also featured tomatoes and jalapeno slices on them. While I might have also preferred some beans on the nachos, the generous helping of guacamole, in addition to the standard sour cream and salsa, was a definite plus. Other intriguing appetizers stood out, including the Philly cheese steak egg rolls and the fresh sesame crusted ahi tuna.
For dinner, I settled on the Caesar “dinner” salad, which can be found on the menu under the “big salads” section. The portion size was definitely large, and I was only able to eat about half, especially after eating a fair amount of those nachos. It would’ve been nice to add some meat to the salad, but the prices seemed a little steep for my budget – $4.99 for chicken, $5.99 for shrimp and $6.99 for marinated steak tips.
One of my companions ordered the Buffalo chicken sandwich ($10.99), which comes with red onions and provolone cheese and health-conscious patrons have the option of making their buffalo chicken grilled instead of fried. Unfortunately, the chicken was dry and there was no blue cheese for dipping. Since we came so soon after the restaurant’s establishment, this issue may have been a result of the kitchen still working the kinks out; it would definitely be worth it to go back and try again.
The third person in the party ordered the California chicken sandwich ($10.99) and enjoyed how the Monterey jack cheese and avocado complemented each other. At the suggestion of the waitress, she also tried the sweet potato fries for her side instead of regular, at no additional cost. These fries avoided the trap of being too soft or mushy, and were actually quite flavorful. They’re also available as a side for the table for $3.99.
We didn’t have room for dessert, though the fresh baked cookie dough pie ($8.99) and vanilla bean crème brulee ($6.99) were tempting.
If the restaurant is able to work out the kinks, they have the chance to be a serious competitor for Jerry Remy’s – especially because Remy’s has slipped in food quality recently. While the prices are oddly steep for some items, Sweet Caroline’s is worth a try for some upscale pub food.
