Time, if not life, has been kind to our favourite TV psychiatrist as we go back to the future for the reboot of his story, with Frasier bustin’ for Boston again.
And who can blame Dr Crane for returning to Boston tee-hee party after three decades?
We retraced our footsteps too in Boston last year after 35 years.
Frasier, of course, crashed onto our consciences in Cheers, and the Doc will find it is still there down the stairs.
And everyone will know his name if he walks through the bar.
With the rebranded drinking den (it was known as the Bull & Finch) a magnet for television sitcom fans who gladly pull up Norm’s stool for a beer.
The Merch of Boston
Boston, as American cities do but we here in Europe tend not to as much, was quick to see the possibility of merchandising the programme.
When we first visited, and stayed back in 1987.
It was the height of the sitcom’s popularity and my travelling pal Neilly manned one of the carts around town.
And, of course, we returned with t-shirts, tankards, you name it…
Alas, all of which have been lost to time, extended girths and moves around this and other countries.
The Bull & Finch, or Cheers, on Beacon Hill, past the Common, is, of course, one of just a host of great traditional bars around Boston.
Rose of Boston
And it was good to see that The Black Rose, State Street, Downtown, had lost none of its lustre.
In the years since I poured beer, waited tables (though no Carla me) and manned the door.
As the 24th biggest city in the US with a population of 675,647 and with land reclaimed from the harbour Boston is spacious.
But also a nice cosy hub down by the historic Old Boston, by Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.
Best bar none
And anyone who goes down there should bar hop from the Bell in Hand Tavern to the Green Dragon Tavern to the Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom.
There is naturally competition among the bars down here as to who is the oldest.
And claims too of Sam drinking down there, while the Taproom also sells the best Adams merch.
The irony may be that the modern-day Sam and Frasier’s rival/friend metamorphosed into a bar owner who doesn’t drink.
But that won’t stop you… and to bluff it as a local then you should ask for a Sam (that’s Adams, not Malone, keep up) at the bar.
Sleepless since Seattle
We’d hope that the years since Seattle for Frasier have been kind in Chicago, a blue-collar sports city which has much in common with Boston.
Because Carla, and we do hope she makes an appearance having had a cameo in Frasier is there to meet him with the old gang.
As we hear much of the Frasier cast won’t be returning.
And with Frasier bustin’ for Boston again, so are we.
And when you do then we’d recommend flying out of Dublin with Aer Lingus and a sample weekend trip in April would be €603.92.
With you avoiding pre-clearance and staying at the Envoy Hotel which looks out over the Boston Tea Party Museum.