Hands down, Downtown Wine & Spirits boasts the best beer and wine selection in Somerville with over 11,000 brands in stock. You can taste brews from all over the world—from Alesmith to Drie Fonteinen to the Trappists. The staff, who have an affinity for punk and lo-fi music ranging from the Pixies to Guided By Voices, are also knowledgeable in their hops and barley. Sign up for their e-mail list and get an invite to one of their festive wine tasting events held every Tuesday night. And, for those die-hard drinkers looking for an open package store on Sunday, Downtown Wine & Spirits is one of the few Davis Square liquor stores open until 11 pm.

Located in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge, the Spirit Bar is a friendly, local sports bar with a nice menu and fun staff. The Spirit bar is replete with 6 PLASMAS and the 10 Foot BIG SCREEN for any game you want to see. Regularly showing the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots, the Spirit Bar is the sports bar to head to in Cambridge. The Spirit Bar prides itself on being a downtown sports bar without the downtown prices. The food is delicious and their full menu is served during the week until 10:30pm and Thursday thru Sunday a late night menu is available until midnight. From the traditional pub grub of wings, beer, and burgers, to more upscale Surf and Turf and pasta dishes, you will get a delicious and affordable meal at the Spirit bar. A Recent Review of the Spirit Bar from the Boston Globe: Back in my day, by which I mean a completely invented past, a sports bar was an indecent place where dentally challenged townies stacked rows of dead soldiers on the bar noon to night. But now, with the Manifest Destiny-like march of sports culture across the Boston dining landscape, things have changed considerably. We're not ordering $15 Randy Mossijtos in novelty mugs just yet, but it can't be far off, can it? Fortunately, those polar opposites of style leave room for a middle ground, and The Spirit Bar (2046 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617-868-1555 thespiritbars.com), fills the gap ably. Despite its unassuming take on Irish pub-style bric-a-brac, with tucked-away dining tables and high-top banquettes along the wall, the smallish space still manages to assault the senses with its seven flat-screen televisions dominating the interior. Good news if you're there for a game, not so much for peace and quiet. A recent Saturday afternoon found a group of boisterous UMass basketball fans barking along with their team. Fifteen beers on tap ranging from PBR ($2.75) to 20-oz. Guinness ($5), as well a decent specialty cocktails list, leave plenty of room for decision. The Bailey's Mint (Stoli Vanilla, Three Olives Chocolate, Baileys Mint, $8.50), was a deliciously frothy and creamy drink served in a chocolate syrup-laced glass, while the Razberri Latte (Stoli Raz, Kahlua French Vanilla, Godiva Liquer, $8.50), was a less inspired alcoholic milkshake of sorts. Next time I'll be sure to try the bar special: five bottles and a pound of buffalo wings ($19.95) (Note to self, wear loose pants). Aside from the expected finger food it's obvious Spirit takes pride in its menu - something you can't take for granted at pubs like this. Dishes like the crusty and fluffy arancinis stuffed with beef, carrots, and peas ($9.95) and a 10-oz., center-cut sirloin steak ($16.95) reflect well on the bar's ambition and affordability, proving that there's plenty of room for people interested in both decent drink and food and a gluttonous sports onslaught at once.

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