Notwithstanding the culinary ambiguity that Scorpion Bar’s
name may evoke (“We thought this was an Asian-themed restaurant,” laughed
several dining companions, who had mistakenly correlated the popular, shareable
booze-filled Asian cocktail with this location), there’s nothing all that
confusing about the latest addition to restaurant row, located at the epicenter
of Patriots Place. Scorpion Bar is the newest endeavor from Big Night Entertainment
(Empire, Red Lantern) and reputable chef Kevin Long (Empire, Red Lantern,
Tosca), and it is an unabashedly Mexican-themed restaurant that doubles as an
exotic tequila/sports bar (the restaurant stocks 100 premium tequilas), perfect
for post-Patriots game crowds. Creative takes on Mexican standards include
tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
The
restaurant’s ambience, much like a Pats game, is energetic, if not perhaps
raucous (the restaurant transforms into a nightclub around 10 PM). The mammoth
7,800 square foot space that seats 300 patrons – formerly occupied by a
high-end department store – has been impressively revamped to make one feel as
if they’ve been transported to Mexico itself. You half-expect Johnny Depp to
join the festivities as Pirates of the
Caribbean’s Captain Jack Sparrow given the wood-planked windows adorned with
skulls and sangrias playfully served in glass skulls. Wrought-iron chandeliers
hang from high, mirrored walls while imported Mexican crosses are in full view.
There’s no sign of Toby Keith here (his restaurant looms nearby), as rock and
roll music is loud and abundant (be warned: acoustics make for incredibly
challenging conversation, particularly with large groups). A giant LED TV rests
against one wall while several other hi-def monitors blare at the large bar
directly across the room. Security guards monitor the entrance and oddly
enough, the hallway to the bathrooms. Scantily clad, seductive waitresses in
black tank tops politely – and frequently – ask if you’d like a refill on your
cocktail. That aforementioned scorpion bowl actually does make an appearance
here, and several tables delightfully sip from their straws on the
Patriots-inspired monster-truck of a drink, the Gronkerita (at $44, a homage to
the menacing tight end). Even people dressed in dog and unicorn costumes show
up (I was expecting Scott Zolak to subsequently appear in a ‘Unicorn and
Showponies shirt).
The
menu is laced with items that include an appealing variety of appetizers, such
as nicely chili-powder dusted tortilla chips (although the accompanying salsa
was disappointingly bland and loose in texture), jalapeno fried ravioli, and a
memorable Mexican riff on traditional French fries that was a hit with our
table – papas fritas, served with an addictively spicy garlic sauce. Also
noteworthy were flaky, meat and potato filled empanadas and carne asada Philly
rolls, featuring steak, peppers, balsamic ranch and cream cheese. My one
complaint is that the menu, particularly its entrée selections, needs more
focus and consolidation. A whole host of steak, chicken and pork offerings
exist across taco, burritos, and enchiladas sections, and the menu can be
redundant, confusing, and perhaps overwhelming to customers, especially when
one is interpreting the difference between street tacos and regular tacos while
portion sizes differ by one or two tacos. My personal favorite?: ‘barbacoa’
style pork tacos laced with thinly diced green and red jalapenos, the perfect
balance between sweet and spicy flavors that mesh with the succulent meat.
The list
of tequila-filled cocktails, while inventive and tasty enough, are somewhat
watered down and not nearly as potent as one would have hoped. Margarita
selections range from excessively sweet (coconut) and smooth (the Cadillac
blended with Grand Marnier) to spicy (my personal favorite, the Jalapeno
blended with pineapple tequila).
The
first iteration of Scorpion Bar took shape at Foxwoods Casino, while plans for
a third location are already underway for the Seaport District in late
spring/early fall of this year. The connecting theme here? It’s fiesta time.
And while Scorpion Bar is far from culinary perfection, the restaurant serves
up perfectly enjoyable, reasonably-priced Mexican fare with decent enough
cocktails in a relaxed, suburban location. Now if only we could have NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell loosen up and imbibe on that grand Gronkerita.
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