"Five of Clubs, the European-style lobby bar within the new 48-room handsome Longfellow Hotel should be on the menu. Parked on the wraparound mustard couch, at the long locally crafted wooden table, or the handful of other intimate tables scattered around the bar, meals here are choose your own adventures. The lobby of the Longfellow — the first independent, locally owned boutique hotel to open in the city in about twenty years — is like a big living room on Congress Street for locals and tourists alike. Stay for a supper of small plates and snacks, or let craft cocktails and a few bites in the cushy spot serve as a launch pad for the night’s jaunts. Find crispy chickpeas tossed with shawarma spices, plus whipped ricotta, toasted pine nuts, and hot honey on crostini, and Spanish chorizo topped with pickled Basque peppers in the snack section of the menu. Among the larger offerings, salsa verde sings alongside glistening oysters, and pork sliders with guava barbeque sauce and a zippy pepper slaw are a must-try." - Nathan Tavares
