Two Quick Reviews of Carrie Nation; Food Trucks; More

Named for (well, mocking) a historical temperance activist, Carrie Nation Cocktail Club opened in Beacon Hill a month ago and racked up a couple short reviews this week. In a "Quick Bite" for the Globe, Devra First spots "a plethora of man bags" and a menu that "ranks among the most random in town," with dishes such as a cheeseburger on a croissant. Overheard: "A guest telling a bartender, 'Someday I'm not going to drink anymore because I find I feel so much better.'" [BG]

Meanwhile, Luke O'Neil is a bit more enthusiastic about Carrie Nation in his "Thursty" column for the Metro. "There's a fine line between being cleverly referential and leaning on a gimmick," he writes. "Despite being one of the more theme-heavy openings of the year thus far, Carrie Nation — named for the turn of the century firebrand temperance activist — seems like it just might have nailed the former." [Metro]

Devra First also takes a look at a few different food trucks this week: A4 Truck, Clover, Fugu Truck, and Mei Mei Street Kitchen. Highlights include Clover's egg and eggplant sandwich, "a comforting combination," and the Double Awesome at Mei Mei Street Kitchen, which "might be the best hangover cure sold from a truck." But more than the food, it's the people she praises. "If any business is only as good as the people who work there, it's particularly true of food trucks, where those people are always in plain sight," she writes. "The personal element is a big part of why these trucks are so popular." [BG]

Central Square's Brick & Mortar gets featured in Catherine Smart's "Cheap Eats" column in the Globe this week as a place where you and your "husby" (cringe) might want to spend some time relaxing with a "well-made drink" and "substantial and satisfying food." The oyster po' boy is "a perfect summertime indulgence" but the seared halloumi is "salty and one-note." [BG]