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A most unprecedented pretzel index
We love you … knot!
By KIRSTEN AMANN
del.ico.us
reddit!
Philadelphians consume 12 times more pretzels than the average American. Without that kind of demand, can a good pretzel be found in Boston? The' Dig trusted my culinary acumen (and German ancestry) enough to set me on the trail. The results prove that a good pretzel can surely be found in the city—provided you know where to look.
LTK
Warm soft pretzel and deep-fried pickles, $6.95
Consistency: Thick, dark crust and a dense, chewy center. As the pretzel cools, it dries out.
Flavor: Sparsely salted crust does this bland dough no favors.
Condiments: Ancho chile mustard is strong, tasting mostly of palate-pummeling mustard seed. This and the salty-crunchy fried pickles provide a nice foil to the bland, dry pretzel.
Size: 7" x 4". Big, boring.
Overall rating: 2.3 knot. The drunk girl beside us loved it. Failing intoxication, order oysters.
[225 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston. 617.330.7430. ltkbarandkitchen.com]
Persephone
Baked-to-order bacon and sea salt pretzel, $8
Consistency: Masterfully-worked dough absorbs juicy flavor from the bacon-flecked crust.
Flavor: Bacon makes everything better.
Condiments: Spicy-sweet apple mustard is satisfactorily complex.
Size: 4" x 3". Think quality over quantity.
Overall rating: 4.4 knot. Pretzel perfection comes at a significantly higher price point. Get one anyway.
[283 Summer St., Fort Point, Boston. 617.695.2257. achilles-project.com]
Jacob Wirth
Bucket of pretzels (five per order), $7.95
Consistency: A perfect, cushy knot lies at the center of each pretzel, kept warm and moist by the steamy wax paper-lined basket.
Flavor: Slightly sweet dough and an amply (but inconsistently) salted crust make each bite an adventure.
Condiments: Tasty, but watery, spicy-ale honey mustard gets everywhere: my hands, forearms, my date and the table.
Size: 4" x 3" each. Good bang for your buck.
Overall rating: 3.8 knot. Classic interpretation.
[31-37 Stuart St., Theatre District, Boston. 617.338.8586. jacobwirth.com]
Boston Pretzel Bakery
Pretzel, $3
Consistency: Stiff crust and a disappointingly dry center.
Flavor: Lackluster dough suffers from insufficient amounts of salt.
Condiments: Even with a healthy squirt of Gulden's, it couldn't hold my attention.
Size: 7" x 6". Massive, mediocre.
Overall rating: 1.2 knot. Only if desperate.
[Pushcarts at Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, Downtown Crossing; retail store at Quincy Market. 617.522.9494. bostonpretzel.com]
AMC Loews Boston Common
Basket of pretzel bites (20 per order), $5
Consistency: Like eating styrofoam packing peanuts.
Flavor: See consistency.
Condiments: Guiltily yummy sauce, probably a few ingredients shy of plastic.
Size: 1.5" x 0.75". Phenomenal value—for lovers of styrofoam dipped in plastic.
Overall score: 1.5 knot, mostly for the disgustingly good cheese. I really shouldn't confess to eating this in print.
[175 Tremont St., Boston. 617.423.3499. amctheatres.com]
The Lower Depths Tap Room
Homemade sourdough pretzel, $2.50
Consistency: Crusty and doughy blur in this buttery-as-a-croque-Monsieur pretzel.
Flavor: Sweet dough and butter-for-days make it delicious, yet suspect. Is it fried? The staff assures that real butter and love are what make it magical.
Condiments: Spicy ale mustard is solid, but I'd eat it plain.
Size: 5" x 5". An artery-hardening steal.
Overall score: 4.95 knot. For flavor and value, this pretzel wins.
[476 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.266.6662]
Deep Ellum
Steamed pretzel, $3 (add beer cheese for $2)
Consistency: Thin, light brown crust and fluffy interior. It's what the pushcart pretzel wants to be.
Flavor: Slightly sweet dough bespeckled with fine salt crystals make each bite yummy and consistent.
Condiments: Mustard is good, but spring for the beer cheese: a bewitching mixture of American cheese and Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout.
Size: 6" x 6". Great value decreases when the cost of cheese is factored in.
Overall score: 4 knot. I would order this pretzel again.
[477 Cambridge St., Allston. 617.787.2337. deepellum-boston.com]
