Maverick Marketplace Cafe, East Boston

East Boston might be compared to South London - a part of the city you are aware of but might never visit unless you live there or have friends there.

View from Maverick St, Rast Boston towards Charlestown

'Eastie' was neglected and with cheaper rents it housed a relatively high proportion of immigrants. Many residents are now from Central or South America and speak Spanish.

Recently, apartments have been built on the waterfront and LoPresti Park provides harbour views and recreational facilities.

On the afternoon of Sunday 8 October, 2017, the last day of my New England trip, I caught the Blue Line subway / T train towards Wonderland from State to Maverick.

An information board at Maverick station includes a photo of a streetcar emerging from the original tunnel, opened in 1904, which is now used by the MBTA Blue Line.

Above ground, from Maverick Square, an elevated mural shows the same scene.

At La Sultana Bakery, a Colombian bakery situated at the far corner of Maverick Square, I resisted the temptation of a cake or pastry but enjoyed a cup of coffee in a Spanish speaking environment.

Maverick Marketplace lies about 100 metres east along Maverick Street (No. 154). The historic building once housed the Overseers of the Public Welfare. It is now an incubator space for small businesses with retail and office space. It also houses Maverick Marketplace Cafe on the Ground Floor.

John Tyler served me a (16oz) pint of Aeronaut Brewing Co Sanctuary (4.6% ABV), a gluten-reduced saison style beer with minimal sourness, brewed in nearby Somerville. (In an effort to spread awareness of fresh cask ales at Maverick Marketplace Cafe, John and Dan (General Manager) upload YouTube video reviews.)
Lia Olsborg, an Aeronaut brewer and New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX) supporter, had kindly suggested this visit to me as Aeronaut's cask ale had all been sold on my brewery taproom visit the previous evening.

John also passed me the cafe's menu and I chose an omelette with home fries from the All Day Breakfast menu on page 2. The kitchen is just behind the cafe's bar which is open for breakfast from 8am (Sundays 9am).

My second pint was a wheat beer brewed by Night Shift Brewing in nearby Everett. Also visible in the photo above are tap handles from previously served beers decorating a high shelf on an inner wall of the cafe.

Looking in the opposite direction, there is a view of ivy covered walls through the window by the bar. At a quiet moment, John had time to chat with me and revealed that he is originally from Norwich and that his father was a CAMRA member.

With a few dollars in my wallet left to spend, and still some time before needing to check in for my flight, it was time for a third and final pint and John recommended nearby Malden's Idle Hands Craft Ales Four Seam (6.6% ABV). This cloudy New England IPA with tropical fruit flavours was one of my favourite beers on this trip and a best seller at the Maverick Marketplace Cafe. Also visible in the photo is the TV behind the bar showing a live baseball match from Boston's Fenway Park between Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

It was time to pay my bill and luckily there were enough dollars to include a tip for John and to reduce my luggage by giving him my Original Gravity% magazine. Boston's Logan airport is only a mile from here and easily reached by one stop on the Blue line to Airport station where free Massport shuttle buses link to the five airport terminals.

Maverick Marketplace Cafe - Not your usual bar
154 Maverick Street, East Boston, MA
Tel +1 617-455-6232
Website - www.maverickmarketplacecafe.com
Facebook - Maverick Marketplace Cafe
Opening hours (October 2017)
Mon - Sat  8am - 11pm
Sun            9am - 10.30pm