By Margaret Teague
Staff Writer
Church is located on 69 Kilmarnock St., a ten-minute walk from the Simmons Residential Campus.
This restaurant and music club gets three out of five stars.
Church is on the corner of Kilmarnock and Queensberry. When sitting on the outdoor patio you overlook tall, brick apartments that are charming in their old age. Two rusty, navy blue mail boxes stand just a few feet away from the tables, making you appreciate the little things in this industrialized city.
The outdoor patio features all black furniture. Plates and bowls are strictly white, creating a dramatic contrast. On the center of each table is a small candle, creating an intimate feel.
White lights are threaded in and out of the patio railing which softens the black, metal furniture. This, in addition to the colorful flower boxes surrounding the patio, helps create a warm atmosphere.
The menu is fairly small and is divided into dinner, brunch, dessert, and drink sections. The drink section includes the Four Horsemen cocktails: Death, Conquest, Famine, and Wrath; the Seven Deadly Sins: Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Vanity, Wrath, Lust, and Envy; bottled beers including lagers and ales, and nearly 30 options of red and white wines.
On the dinner menu I chose the Tuna Tartare. This included crispy tempura, ahi-citrus broth, avocado, and pickled daikon slaw. The dish was soft, creamy, and fresh. The meal was not too spicy. It seemed perfect for an appetizer, as it was not filling. With carrots on top, it had a natural sweetness to it.
When handed the bill there was a future discount included. On the back of the discount was a picture of nuns holding guns.
The inside of Church is classy but not cold. The lights created a warm feel in spite of them being dim. Away from the bar area are brown, leather sofas. People sat on the sofas and ate, allowing a comfortable, casual scene.
In the back is another, larger bar, separated from the restaurant by a wall. This room has a stage, modern day arcade, two pool tables, room to dance, and six flat screen TVs, which at the time all featured the Red Sox.
The atmosphere is very relaxed. “Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon” by the Rascals played before the band began at 9 p.m. The walls in the room are different colors: red, blue and brown. Near the stage is a large black and white photo of an old Red Sox player.
The feel is extremely casual as most of the people were college students. As the band played, a girl with dreadlocks danced in front with a glowing hula hoop.
Stuck to the windows were advertisements of future bands expected to play there, while on the walls were names of bands who had previously played.
The temperature in this room was cold.
The first thing on Church’s website says, “If your idea of heaven includes a sinful cocktail, seasonal comfort food and rock n’ roll to raise your spirit, Church is your neighborhood sanctuary.”
From the Seven Deadly Sins drink list to the violent nuns on the discount sheet, the restaurant’s slight anti-God and anti-church sentiments were less than amusing and could be offensive to any religious person.