Anyone got recommendations for dinner + a night out with minimal gambling for this venue?

I've been 10-12 times but have only gambled, so not sure what the best restaurants are, or if there's fun nightlife to be had.

Food proclivities include seafood/sushi/meat, but open to anything that's worthwhile. Re: nightlife, curious to hear people's experiences. Not looking for anything in particular, but also not interested in purely blowing $ for the sake of blowing $.

Apologies if this has been addressed earlier ITT, have only started keeping up with the last few pages.

One guy told me the steakhouse was way overpriced, so trying to brainstorm.

Mystique has been my favorite so far. Still overpiced, but I think the best value of all the places I've been to. Especially if you like sushi, it's a good option. I haven't been to Rare, but I've also heard obscene things about how overpriced it is.

Rare isn't too bad compared to area steakhouses. Unless you go for Kobe beef which is stupid money. I like blue cheese encrusted filet and Brussel sprouts

Has the 8-16 mix been going non stop since Thursday?

You have to be careful about comparing steaks. Rare is only serving choice steaks. If you compare their NY strip to Smith and Wollensky's prime NY strip, Rare is charging considerably more for an inferior quality steak.

How do I know? If anyone is serving Prime, they are advertising it because it is a much more expensive cut of meat (about 2% of meat in the US is graded prime).

Fratelli is charging about $3 more per entree the Encore compared to their North End restaurant, Bricco. That's more in line with what I'd think was reasonable.

Yes, the 8-16 mix has been going since Thu and I have played every day/night for a few hours and then leaving only to come back and play again the next day for a few more hours, etc... I played some this morning/afternoon and it was going strong.

All the food establishments are all very good, none amazing and so great that it is a must try, and yes all definitely overpriced. The atmospheres at Rare, Sinatra, and Memoir are all very cool while the others are nice but nothing unusual or different. The night club seems to be losing some steam. I've chatted with a few people who used to work there apparently they had some layoffs and a lot of people quit because they weren't making the $ they thought they would. If you are planning an evening there you could probably get a room for under $200 after all taxes/fees and check everything out slowly over a day including the Harborwalk and back outdoor grass area.

These are some recent things that are not dealmakers for me but are minor annoyances.

Bru is only open 24 hours on the weekends and closed from 1-7am on weekdays.

The poker room no longer offers the late night menu (boxed sandwiches/salads) after the grill is closed.

Many drinks/liquor is no longer offered by drink service and even latte/espresso/cappuccino and mixed drinks are gone.

While parking is free now everyone is using it on the weekends and it is a pain to get a spot. I liked it better when it had to be validated and it wasn't overrun.

Rake went up $1.

Any things bother you guys a bit?

I’m willing to bet they have many residents using it as their personal garage during the winter

No more mixed drinks??? Are you kidding me? If this is true it is a definite "WTF" directed at the poker room management.

Drinking alchohol is the only way I can cope with the knuckleheads that sit at $1-$3

#ripwhiterussians #ripjackncoke #ripmargaritas

So the high hand promotion did not get hit twice today, and the 599 DID NOT roll over to the next period! WTF! That 599 is player funded. Every room I’ve ever been in it rolls over. Seems like a complete and total rip off. Am I wrong?

There are mixed drinks, just rumors that they cut back on certain brands. Two players at my table today were drinking mudslides

These, both.

As someone that lives in central Massachusetts I really do have options as to where to play. I’m an hour from Encore, and hour from Springfield and 35 minutes from Twin. Knowing that if I get to Encore after 4:00pm on a weekend that it might take me a while to find a parking spot really has weighed on my decision making.

Played poker for first time today at Encore. I will say, at foxwoods every high hand was a royal flush so idk if foxwoods is like rigged or something. At Encore it was much more relaxed, usually just quads or less.

Apparently I sat next to one of best 1/3 guys in room. Our table was crazy for awhile we had a 1k pot!. Asian guy called down with a gutter against an academic looking gentleman. He hit gutter and academic guy called it off with like AQ or something. Pretty sick seeing a 1k+ stack.

Was a fun day but Encore is def a little scummy. Not sure I will be back for poker. I had a guy try to steal a pot. I had straight and guy had like AJ. He says "I win" and dealer ships him the pot. I tell dealer I had a straight as guy tries to grab the chips and run. This guy was apparently a reg since every seemed to know him. Never seen anyone try that playing both at Commerce in LA a shithole and Foxwoods.

I have gone to Encore now atleast a dozen times. I come from Woburn and it usually takes me about 30 minutes from door to door. The last time I went I left my house in Woburn at 3:45 on a Saturday afternoon. I made it about a third of a mile from Encore in about 20 minutes, and it then took me about 30 minutes to get into the parking garage. I dont know if this is a weekend norm, or a one off thing but either way it was annoying.

If it didn’t roll over, then that is a new thing because it has always rolled over in the past.
Other rooms in NE didn’t roll over until recently. I know Mohegan just started it, not sure if/when Foxwoods started doing it

This is the first I've heard of it but I also have been too busy to go in a couple weeks. If true, I can think of one explanation. They clearly designed that high hand to get around the reporting requirements in MA, probably figuring that would draw certain players. If you double it, then the player's win produces a tax form that players don't like. Last time I was there for $1,000 it didn't hit and they rolled it, so I doubt it is related to the funds.

Agreed

Yeah Saturdays suck if you get there past 2ish. Unless I can get there before noon, I’m heading elsewhere on Saturdays
Have you thought of parking at Wellington and taking the shuttle?

On weekends I just drive directly to rivergreen parking lot. It’s useless trying to get a spot in the garage. The rivergreen lot is always 90% empty even at peak hours and there’s a shuttle every 15 minutes.

Is there any security at that lot or is it just a parking lot in the middle of nowhere? I’m not enthralled with the idea of getting off a bus in a deserted dark parking lot at 4am with 4K on me.

It has a security booth in the middle. I’m not sure if it’s always manned though. The lot is very well lit and there’s gates to get a parking ticket just like the garage used to.

Can you tell a bit more about reporting requirements in Boston? is there a different minimum for tournament wins vs high hand wins? etc.

I'm not certain of tournaments but I know a prize of $600 or more requires W2G and over $5,000 requires taxes withheld.

I was under the impression they do not do a W2G for any winnings under 5K$ in tournament but not sure. That would be good to know.