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by MC Slim JB |
April 04, 2009
 If
you want to find a good bookstore, talk to a writer. If you want
exceptional late-night dining and drinks, follow the industry crowd.
Any place you find servers, line cooks, and bartenders chilling after a
long shift is bound to be tasty and value priced. The South End’s
Franklin Café has long been an industry after-work haunt, serving food
till 1:30 a.m. and cocktails till 2 a.m. Its new sibling, the Franklin Café South Boston
(152 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, 617.269.1003), follows the same formula
in a spacious, spanking-new location: solid bartending and a carefully
executed menu of simple, eclectic American cuisine with no entrée over
$20.
One fine example of how this kitchen outclasses many pricier
restaurants is the café chicken with smoked bacon, new potatoes,
shallots, and cider ($17). A big boneless breast is skillfully roasted
so it remains juicy, then turned into something heavenly with chunks of
superbly smoky bacon and a thick pan sauce of cider, sherry, and fresh
thyme. A crunchy crust elevates the roasted potatoes beyond the
pedestrian, making this dish even more substantial and comforting. Add
a golden, slightly peppery glass of Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner ($8), a
lemony Austrian white, and you have a dinner that even a discriminating
local chef might savor, especially after 15 hours of preparing food for
other folks. It’s little wonder that the Franklin Southie has quickly
garnered an industry following of its own. ...
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