By Garrett Finn

Multimedia Editor

Filled with excitement for what the afternoon had in store, I headed toward Manhattan pub with my roommate to grab lunch and watch the Patriots game last Sunday. A rumor floating around Burlington asserts that Manhattan Pizza and Pub, popularly known as Hatty’s, has a good deal on mimosas. This sounded like the perfect way to ease the Sunday scaries while watching the Pats game, so we waltzed down Church Street and headed for the pub.

I had been here once before, on a recent Friday to see some friends who graduated St. Michael’s last year. I knew what kind of food they served here; standard bar food, options off the grill, and pizza. The crowd that night collectively sounded like one big sigh of relief from the long stressful work week, loud, in a good mood, taking a load off.

At this point, Hatty’s gave me the vibe that recent college graduates escape there mainly to drink and socialize. People go to enjoy their pool tables, music, and the 20 beers that they have on tap, not necessarily to eat high quality food, but the restaurant provides a good variety of food options, and people take advantage of that.

 

Prior to arriving on Sunday, I expected a quieter crowd than I saw on Friday, but assumed there would still be some life because of the football game. I walked in through the two front doors and to my pleasant surprise I saw no line. On Friday night, the line pushes back to the door creating some congestion in the entrance area.

The cashier welcomed us and started to take our orders. The wooden bar wraps around to the front door to make a seating area with high tops. I walked in behind my friend and watched as he leaned against the bar to inquire about the mimosa deal. The bartender explained that a pitcher of mimosa costs 15 dollars.

We decided we’d split a pitcher of the mixture of champagne and orange juice. He paid for that, and ordered us pulled pork sandwiches. Once he finished, I ordered the same sandwich. As soon as we sat down I saw one of the bartenders fixing up our serving of mimosas. She placed the plastic pitcher on the bar, poured a full bottle of champagne into it, and topped it off with a sip of orange juice. The perfect ratio to make the 15 dollar pitcher worth it. She brought it out with two glasses, I picked up the pitcher and began pouring, the fizzly concoction hissed as it ran down the side of the cup.

My pulled pork dish came out shortly after, I held up a fry and the flop warned me that I might be dealing with a soggy situation. I dipped it, hoping that the ketchup would mask the sogginess. I moved on to the pulled pork. My first bite caused a cracking across the surface of the crunchy bread. The soft, stringy pulled pork burst with barbeque flavor. The pork packed together with a perfect consistency, but the barbecueflavor dominated the assortment to compliment the texture well. I looked down at the bubbly mixture in my glass and took my first sip. Low quality pub champagne crystallized on my palate as it overpowered the orange juice. It washed down the first bite effectively, and every bite following that one.

That Sunday, the combination of my pulled pork sandwich and the mimosas provided me with the blockade I needed to forget about the Sunday scaries and hold onto the final hours of carefree weekend enjoyment. Hatty’s provides its patrons escapism no matter who they are. The friendly staff, lively crowd, and positive vibe creates a stress free fun environment where people can go to eat, drink, and socialize.