• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tiny Urban Kitchen
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » US Travel » Boston » Cambridge

    Why I love going to Bergamot

    Published: Jan 12, 2015 · Modified: Oct 12, 2017 by Jennifer Che

    _1040059
    In partnership with Epicurious, Bon Appetit, and their Out of the Kitchen Series focusing on personal service, I am writing a piece that describes my own experiences with above-and-beyond personal service. 

    “Where everybody knows your name . . .”

    I never really fully understood the draw of sitting at a bar like in the T.V. show Cheers until my husband Bryan and I started becoming regulars at Bergamot, a new American restaurant a 20-minute walk from our house.

    A typical night when we arrive goes something like this . . .

    We walk in the door. Dave is working front of the house tonight and greets us by name with hugs.

    “The bar’s wide open tonight. Pick any seat.”

    At the bar, bartender Paul is already stirring the drink that Bryan always gets – an off menu bourbon-based drink that he had crafted for Bryan the first time we had come. “Make me something bourbon-based” Bryan had requested, and the Elisabetta was born.
    Paul at the bar at Bergamot
    “Old Faithful again?” he asks, referring to the drink that Bryan always gets.

    Bryan smiles, “of course.”

    “I took the liberty of starting it since you had called saying you were coming” Paul says with a twinkle in his eye.

    Later on Bryan confesses to me that half of the fun of always getting the Elisabetta is just the fact that it’s especially made for him. It's his drink. There’s something about the personal service that makes the drink feel even more special than it would otherwise.

    “And I already have the boys working on your nine oysters.”

    Spot on. We always get nine raw oysters between us to share if it’s a Sunday or a Monday night, when oysters are only $1 at the bar. Paul also knows that we both like sparkling water, so he’s already set out two glasses for us.
    Sitting at the bar at Bergamot
    As we sip on our drinks and peruse the menu, we debate about what to get.

    “I’m kind of in the mood for something warm tonight, like a soup.”

    “How about we get the scallops and the salmon and we can share?”

    “Gosh, I can’t decide between the gnocchi, the soup, and the Brussels sprouts. They all look so good. Which two should we get as starters?”
    _DSC2171
    As it turns out, there was no need to stress about it. Like magic, the kitchen sends out the Brussels sprouts (the one item that we didn’t order), “compliments of the house.”

    The food is always fantastic at Bergamot. Chefs Keith, Dan, and Scott really know what they’re doing. I love how they change up the menu frequently enough that we are never bored even if we visit three to four times a month. The prices are also very reasonable - I personally think it's one of the best values in the entire Boston area.
    _DSC2170
    Of course, we also like going because we feel like we are visiting friends. They know us like our friends do. They remember what we like, don’t like, and what we did last week. This is the ultimate level of service and it’s why we continue to return. At the end of the day, we love visiting Bergamot because they make us feel special – just like our friends do.

    wpid15833-DSC0508.jpg

    *     *     *     *     *

    Want to meet purveyors who are making a difference with their customers? Check out BonAppetit.com’s “Out of the Kitchen”, an ongoing exploration of the relationships that build and sustain the food industry. See how hyper-local food markets operate and how their focus on quality and service keep customers coming back for more.

    More Boston

    • Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
    • Farewell Bergamot
    • Happy New Year! A look back at 2017
    • Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2017 update

    Recent Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain January 16, 2023
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars December 29, 2022
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia December 9, 2022
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia December 5, 2022
    • Llisa Negra Valencia Spain December 1, 2022
    • Central Bar by Ricard Camarena - Valencia Spain November 29, 2022
    • Casa Ripoll Valencia - Beachside Paella November 27, 2022
    • Valencia Spain Trip Report - Itinerary November 23, 2022

    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. Happy New Year! A look back at 2017 - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      February 24, 2018 at 10:29 am

      […] favorite Boston restaurants during that time. The list is long, but included frequent visits to Bergamot (our regular haunt), savoring seafood from local favorites like Row 34 and Island Creek, and […]

      Log in to Reply
    2. Reflections on a Decade of Blogging: Happy Birthday Tiny Urban Kitchen! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      October 4, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      […] became regulars at Bergamot (oh how I miss restaurants like it here in HK!), fell in love with buying cheese and other […]

      Log in to Reply
    3. Farewell Bergamot - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      August 6, 2020 at 4:13 am

      […] bar at Bergamot bar was our version of the Cheers bar, where “everybody knows your name”. We were good friends with Paul, the bartender and loved catching up with him whenever we were […]

      Log in to Reply
    4. Happy New Year 2020 - Wow a new decade! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      January 1, 2021 at 12:38 am

      […] Boston experience. I had a ton of fun eating oysters at Neptune Oyster, seeing old friends at Bergamot, enjoying Chef Lydia’s great cooking at Sycamore, and getting my fill of New England beer at […]

      Log in to Reply
    5. Happy 20th Anniversary! A look back . . . - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      September 2, 2021 at 11:43 am

      […] right before our anniversary to wrap up our move. For our anniversary, we visited our favorite hangout spot Bergamot and enjoyed a boisterous meal at the bar with close […]

      Log in to Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2022 Tiny Urban Kitchen