Phenomenal brick-lined atmosphere with rustic chic industrial accents, and excellent food, drink, and service to round it out. Creative, book-themed cocktails here at the gem of a library's hidden gem. This is the Map Room Bar, which does not have reservations (as opposed to the neighboring high-tea reservations Courtyard Tea Room). Get here when it opens or you will be lining up for a first-come, first-served table in no time. And rightfully so. A terrific experience in the heart of Boston's Back Bay. read more

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We stopped in and originally planned to have afternoon tea but after looking at the menu decided to order a few things instead. We both ordered cocktails that were tea infused, one tasted tea infused the other did not, still great though! The food was phenomenal, we ordered scones, the soup of the day, and the pretzel bites, all were out of this world. The room itself was very interesting and pretty cool, stone ceilings, maps on the walls, very fitting for the activity. Our server was great, she frequently came to check on us and was over all very nice. We did have a small problem when ordering our drinks, we could see our server returning to the bar several times to see if our drinks were ready but the bartender had not made them yet. We did take note at this time that he was spending quite a large amount of time with another party at the bar and had all his focus on them. The service was still great and I would highly recommend coming here if this is something that interests you. read more

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The only thing I could say that I dislike about this place is the fact that IT CLOSES SO EARLY. This tea lounge and bar in the Boston Public Library offers some amazing cocktails and a stellar selection of teas from all over the world. When I came I only tried their cocktails, but I'll have to come back sometime to try their teas. The interior is great and you can grab a spot here before or after your visit at the library. Service here is great and drinks are amazing, Great ambiance, and I highly recommend. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Love a cocktail in a library. They have some good food pairings intermittently. The bar tenders could be a little friendlier but overall attentive! read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The room is amazing. I was transported to old time Boston with historic and architectural opulence. I was greeted immediately and felt very welcomed. The service is friendly and impeccable. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Vaulted ceiling with beautiful chandelier - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Really loved the map room tea lounge. It's tucked into a corner of the Boston public library and is in the room before the afternoon tea area. Despite being in an odd spot, ambience was awesome and the food was fantastic. read more

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Tucked inside the historic walls of the Boston Public Library--the first large free municipal library in America--is a hidden gem I never saw coming. The Courtyard Tearoom and Map Room Tea Lounge blends elegance and charm with a warm, welcoming energy that makes locals and newcomers alike feel right at home. It's professional and polished, styled to reflect the grandeur of the library itself, but never feels stuffy or exclusive. The white tearoom feels like a dream, perfect for celebrations or just soaking in something refined. But the real magic happened at the bar, thanks to Roger--our bartender for the evening. Personable, polite, and with a level of professionalism I've only experienced in Michelin-star restaurants. He was the kind of host who not only makes you feel welcome but makes you want to come back. Let's talk drinks: * Carajillo - Tito's Vodka, Licor 43, and a shot of espresso, served over a flower-logo-stamped cube of ice. Hands down, the best version I've ever had. Clean, bold, unforgettable. * Windfall - Elderberry-infused Old Forester, vanilla, cinnamon, blackberry, and lime. Fun fact: fresh elderberry + whiskey = dangerous. This version? Exceptionally smooth, flavorful, and totally safe. Delicious. * Stolen Moments - A surprise sample Roger generously let us try. Just as well-crafted and balanced as the rest. Not a single miss on the menu. Our group also grazed through a massive chess board-style charcuterie spread--plenty to share, and we still took leftovers home. The only thing I passed on was the pâté, but that's just personal taste. This bar genuinely lands in my Top 5 in America. I never thought I'd say that about a bar in a library--but here we are. Beautiful space, exceptional drinks, and service that sets the standard. read more

STUNNING location, great drinks, and yummy food! Walking through the absolutely beautiful library and landed in the Map Room. We were between meals, so we only wanted a drink and a snack. We both orders the spiked apple cider, and shared the goat cheese dip. The hot apple cider was so comforting after walking around in the cold weather, and the goat cheese was fantastic! Only downside (if you would call it that) is that they give so much goat cheese, and only a small amount of bread. We asked for more, and had to wait 30+ minutes for it. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Bar - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Who wants to mix alcohol and books?? ME!!! I never would have thought that a public library should have a bar, until I tried a cocktail in the library in Boston. Fantastic idea. Loved the bartender. The atmosphere. the mixology, It's a real bar! Forget Cheers!! Go to the library!! Check out the books and the booze!! read more

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Lovely space with good food and drinks - service was ok -- they forgot an item but gave us free 2nd drink instead

This lovely tea room in the Boston Public Library is great. You can order a full English tea for around $60 per person or you can get a drink and a smaller snack for less money. I had a pot of the Ras Chai. It was a very generously-sized pot and I only finished half of it. We also had the fig a d prosciutto pizza which was tasty. Nice service and a fun thing to do in this beautiful building. read more

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I came here with my girlfriend one morning for some breakfast before checking out the library. We were very impressed to say the least. The lox board was incredible. I was hesitant after receiving my order worrying that my appetite would not be fulfilled but I was very wrong. The board was very filling, the service was incredible, our waitress was very nice and fun! And the ambiance was great nice and quiet classy establishment and we would be happy to come back here soon! read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Whenever we dine at a fancy place or come to high tea it's true treating yourself. Top class pampering. The room is elegant. The man reiterated that reservations only as they were full. So happy that they had a table for us due to a cancellation. When we came back and stood in line the same gentleman escorted us to our table saying he did his best and gave us the best table. We had a conversation earlier and he and his family want to visit Hawaii. Impeccable service, high tea the day after Thanksgiving on a lucky whim had me in 7th heaven. read more

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Okay, as a library lover, I love the idea of this tea and bar inside the Boston public library! The service was pretty good, our waitress was very kind. The cocktails were phenomenal, I'd go back just for them! The tea was okay. I'm somewhat of a tea connoisseur and I was a tad disappointed the tea was brewed incorrectly. They have a separate tea room for just tea service, so I'd want to go back and try there for a better review on it. No food this time but maybe next! read more

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Such a little gem inside the Boston Public library! We actually made a reservation just for the tea cocktails but they informed me that all reservations are for tea time only (cocktails are just at the bar) so we dived in to tea time We were so stuffed just from the sandwiches and dessert, we didn't even get to the scones! ---finger sandwiches: all surprisingly really tasty!! ---mini desserts: not as good as the sandwiches I much preferred the tea over the tea based cocktails read more

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The ambiance here is incredible. We sat at the bar because there was no wait for bar seating (but there would have been for a table). The tart were got from the bites menu was delicious! The tea was underwhelming though, the flavor was rather weak. I ordered the apple herbal tea and just wished it had tasted stronger. Still worth visiting for the vibes though read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Tart and herbal tea - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came across this bar by chance just visiting the library and walking around. We did have to wait a bit to be seated at the bar, but it was definitely worth the wait. Only had the drinks but all of them were amazing! I had the sriracha one that had a bit of a kick to it. Bartenders were super apologetic for the long wait for service, but we definitely didn't mind that since the drinks they made were yummy. Great & relaxing spot to grab a drink and snack if you're around. read more

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Cute little spot located inside the beautiful Boston Public Library. The tea, cocktails, and food were all delicious. I would love to visit this spot again. It had a real cozy vibe and the service was so helpful and friendly. read more

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While exploring the Boston Public Library, we discovered the tea lounge and decided to make this an impromptu dinner spot because how often do you get to have a lovely dinner in a library? The charcuterie was wonderful, my lobster in my lobster roll was fresh and light (the roll itself however was stale and sad), and my cocktail was equal parts beautiful and delicious. Definitely recommend for a unique dining option. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I took my parents to the Map Room Tea Lounge when they came to visit me in Boston. It was their first time going to an afternoon tea spot and the decorations within the room were absolutely gorgeous, so it was a treat for us all :) I was extremely surprised that the small bites filled us up - we left feeling STUFFED. I especially loved the Maine Lobster and Smoked Salmon tea sandwiches. Don't forget to ask for refills of hot water for your tea & you can ask for some cream or steamed milk on the side if you prefer to drink it that way. read more

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Food was flavored perfectly-- balanced, tasty, and just the right amount of unexpected flavor. Server was fantastic! Ordered: flatbread (muhammara 5/5 and a decent portion), a sunday sipper cocktail (3/5, sour and very herbal), the lemon panna cotta (4/5, earl grey cookie cool but underwhelming) and a pot of white peony tea (5/5). read more

After checking out the library my MiL decided to grab a drink and snack at the Map room bar area that's connected to the Tea Lounge. Very cute space and would recommend if you're already in the library. We both ordered a drink and split their charcuterie which had an awesome selection and was very delicious. The service was a tad slow but they were busy. The staff however was very friendly! read more

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Had such an amazing time!!! Great service great atmosphere Yes it's pricey but worth the money just for the experience read more

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nice service. nice atmosphere. ordered the tea service. only a single serving of each item was provided and for that price it should have been WAY more food. the food was tasty but way too expensive! read more

This is a great place to take someone or a group for a special occasion! The food was great, the service was amazing, and the ambiance was excellent. We did the prix fixe afternoon tea menu which had a great offering of finger foods. There's very little chance you'll be left hungry after you finish. read more

VEGANS BEWARE! My wife and I came here to celebrate something special, and it turned out to be the worst fine dining experience we've ever had due to the absolute negligence of the crooked Catered Affair. Being vegan, we contacted them in advance of our reservation, so they have no excuse. Our total for two was $145, and it's not an exaggeration to say this wasn't even worth $20. The attached photos show the savory and the dessert plates. Your eyes aren't deceiving you -- more than half of the sweet plate was just plain fruit, and the savory plate was just as insulting with a couple pieces of mushrooms thrown on top of some bread. The cherry on top was that they notified us in the middle of the service that an entire course (the scones plate) will just be completely omitted for us (and yet they charged us the same). The attached email shows our correspondence where they misrepresented that they offered a vegan option. This email included multiple representatives of the business, including the general manager, which confirms their ineptitude goes all the way up to the top. This makes them guilty of fraudulent advertising, as they misled a customer into believing they had a vegan option of the full tea service they market on their website. As if things couldn't get any worse, the service was equally egregious. The service folks had no idea what vegan even meant when we told them we had arranged a vegan option ahead of time -- they even brought us a salmon dish, and when we sent it back they became rude and visibly irritated and never came back to check on us. All in all, the difference in food and service between us and the non-vegan customers was like night and day. The Boston Public Library is a gorgeous historic place, and they should really consider hiring a different catering company. I reached out to the several contacts I had from our prior communications demanding our money back, and they are unresponsive now that they swindled us -- a classic telltale sign of a crooked business. read more

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The Cozy Copley tea latte is delicious, and the chocolate bread pudding was perfect, not too sweet. Would have been good with just the tea, doesn't even need ice cream tbh. The tables are not crowded and it's not too loud to talk even when it's busy. The library is gorgeous as well so the tea lounge was the perfect place to relax after wandering. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Cozy Copley - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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When you get diagnosed with cancer, you start attempting to check off bucket list items. Afternoon tea at the Boston Public Library was one of those items for me and my wife since we moved to Boston 3 years ago. It may seem silly and like low hanging fruit, but it was something we just kept putting off because "we live here" and "we have so much time" and the list of excuses goes on. Well, no more! I will say, before I get into any formal analysis of the meal/ambiance/theater of the experience - it blew us both away. For those that will mock the price/value proposition of the venue - it is far more about the experience and what it in fact represents than the actual amount of food or tea that you in fact receive. It offered my wife and I a spectacular afternoon with each other in a perfect venue, and that is something that I will cherish and remember for a long, long, time (assuming the disease allows that). However, you're here for analysis - so here it is, as I hate to disappoint! Teas - you will have your choice of approximately 20 varieties of tea ranging from the traditional English Breakfast to the Far East Oolong to the new age herbal offerings. Each will pair differently with the food and while that should be taken into consideration, the patron should err more on their preference as the food is particularly neutral and will work with any of the teas. Food - you get a 3-tiered offering of scones, finger sandwiches, and cookies/pastries. The scones were perfect - crumbly and moist, and worked well with the three spreads offered by the chef. The sandwiches were crafted with a deft hand both in terms of ornateness and also pairing flavors that work extremely well together. They are similar to other tea room offerings we have seem but used more "luxurious" ingredients and that was something I appreciated. The cookie and pastry plate was the perfect finish for the meal. It wasn't too much, or too sweet, or single-noted. I'm not a macaron guy, and the chef didn't change my mind here. It didn't have the distinct "crunch" in the outer shell, but the taste was definitely there. Maybe a bad batch, but I wasn't there for the macaron so it is easy to overlook a small error like that. The ambiance and experience is really what you are paying for in this particular instance (in my opinion). Come for the venue and experience and let the tea and food elevate it that much more. To get to the Map Room you must first traverse through the halls of the storied BPL, taking in all the architecture and history that comes with the building. Upon arriving, you enter a dark, wood-laden room that feels more like a ship's hull or English Tavern than library or even tea room. After you take all the surroundings in and check in with the hostess, a few books are selected off a shelf (with menus inside) and you are led through a doorway into a bright, sunlight laden, vaulted-ceiling room. Scattered about the room are tables and booths that bear crisp white linens, polished silverware, and luxurious glassware. This is how the upper class in England enjoyed their tea in my eyes. It transports you away from your daily problems and the hustle/bustle of city that sits just beyond the walls you are staring at in amazement. As you sit, you melt into the comfort of the plush chair and pick up your book to begin what is going to be a very relaxing (and long) experience that used to be reserved for only the select few historically... and THAT is what makes the Map Room worth the price of admission. Would I recommend this experience for everyone? I think it takes the right frame of mind to truly enjoy the Map Room. BUT, if you are in the right frame of mind it could make for a truly magical afternoon that you (and your guests) won't soon forget! read more

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The Map Room is a gorgeous display of bar fare and high tea. I had a delightful glass of champagne and a Mediterranean pastry. I hope to return for the cocktails and eventually a high tea reservation! The location is extraordinary. I was thrown off by the reservation only option for high tea, but was quite impressed with my experience at the bar. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Cocktail menu - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Have yourself a lovely, literary evening at The Map Room Tea Lounge! On a Thursday night around 7:30 PM, our group of 3 were seated after waiting about 15 minutes. The map-lined room is dimly lit with a large bar on one side. All of the cocktails have some kind of tea element as well as a fun literature-inspired name! I loved my 1984 cocktail which featured green tea-infused bourbon and pineapple. Winner of best name goes to the Tequila Mockingbird. And don't worry if you're hungry -- in fact, even better! The tartines are tasty and a great portion for the price. The dry-aged sirloin tartine filled me up and paired perfectly with my cocktail. Our server was attentive without being pushy and was kind enough to take a nice photo for us. We enjoyed leisurely catching up -- until about 8:45 PM when the manager warned us that it was last call since the library would soon be closing. A few minutes later, an alarm started going off, signalling the library's closure and bringing us back to reality. read more

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At the time I visited (Spring 2022), reservations for two at the tea room in the Boston Public Library ran us about $100. That's actually relatively affordable for the incredible food and service we received. I couldn't possibly list the ingredients of all the items on the menu that day, but essentially, we had three tiers; scones, sweets, and savory treats. Most notable, in our case, was a chocolate Happy Birthday sign that was included as a surprise! My friend and I had brought gifts for one another because we hadn't seen each other in a while and the staff thought it must be one of our birthdays, hence the addition. It was an absolutely precious interaction. read more

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I had a really good drink here and the layout is very cute. There was a weird amount of time between my drink being served and my friend's drink being served. The hostess wasn't the friendliest and the server spilled water across the table and never cleaned it up. Neither of those things are a huge deal, but for the price I'd like better service. My drink was great, my friend said hers was just ok. read more

Beautiful cafe within the Boston library. It's the perfect spot for refueling when you're studying here. However be aware that you can only bring your beverages around the first floor so you can't take it up to Bates Hall for example. The beverages are fairly priced. I got a small coffee. It is self serve, which is perfect because you can fill to your desired coffee/milk ratio. The coffee was strong and had a smooth flavor. The cafe was pretty dimly-lit so I don't recommend bringing a book to read in there. read more

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After a pleasant time sipping coffee and listening to Boston Public Radio live, we stopped in tot eh Map room for the first time. it was after 1 so no crowds, and the experience was great. fascinating room with great architecture, warm lighting and intriguing ancient Boston map renderings on the walls. we had a fine craft beer and a water, and then ordered a flatbread (fig and prosciutto, Yum!) and crispy Cauliflower - delicious! Service was excellent, prices reasonable, we'll be making this a regular stop ;) read more

You come here for the ambiance! And it's chock full. Oh and to drink in the Boston Public Library in the middle of the day! Love this space. The food is just okay. Don't get the pizza, you'll just be sad. The drinks are great! Get the Tequila Mockingbird! Haven't had the tea yet. The bartenders are marvelous. Go get yourself a barstool now! read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Map Room Bar - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Ahhh - what a respite from the real world. Tucked in a cozy corner of the courtyard, one sneaks into a stone room with vaulted ceilings. The decorations include tea, candles and exposed bulbs. On to the menu - small bites (cheese, soups, tartines). Not typically my scene, but my friends and I ordered the white bean, avocado and steak tartines and each one was more beautiful than the next. The avocado included fresh, colorful tomatoes and pickled jalapeños (the best type!). At around $8-10, this is a good deal. Each cocktail is inspired by tea - again, each one is gorgeous. Topped with a flower, the cocktail is almost too pretty to drink! My Dorian Grey, a vodka based drink with grapefruit, limes and earl grey tea. Emphasis on the grapefruit - this was a bright and tasty drink. I had a basil flower in my drink and it smelled so good! The service left a lot to be desired (my space was never cleaned from the person who sat there before me, even though I piled all the plates, glasses and napkins and pushed them towards the bar) but I would be happy to go again, and soon! read more

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SUPER expensive with lovely people and in a beautiful setting. The teas are superb. The savory offerings are lovely, except for the sweet potato sandwich on stale "Shaws" whole wheat bread. The sweet section was nothing to write about - very disappointing, particularly the very very VERY VERY (did I say VERY) dry. Not impressed. The scones are delightful. Wonderful. But the cost for the spread, given the quality, leaves a lot to hope for. read more

We had the pleasure of a high holiday tea at the Boston Public Library! There are limited seatings around the weekends, with a required complimentary coat check. I don't think I've ever had a required coat check before. I suppose it adds to the aesthetic since there aren't any winter coats dangling off of the backs of chairs, and maybe keeps the paths clear for the servers with their liquid-laden trays. It is an eclectic crowd. You had some people dressed up in business or holiday cocktail attire, and then what seemed like tourists or scholars who had bopped in from the library in jeans and sneakers. The Map Room appears less formal than the Courtyard Lounge, but offers the same menu and service team. They did have charming holiday decor with pine garlands and flickering LED candles along the bookshelf and bar. The room itself has vaulted arched ceilings and looks like it could have been a former train station (maybe this was the original Copley entrance?). Very cool architecture, and the historic maps of Boston lend a distinct sense of place. The menu is best suited for omnivores. The tea service itself was $69 pp and included a pot of tea of your choice (including refills), finger sandwiches (some deluxe - lobster, duck; some classic - cucumber, chicken salad, smoked salmon; some seasonal - sweet potato/cranberry), scones (raisin & plain with raspberry jam, lemon curd and clotted cream), and assorted desserts (blueberry cheesecake, apple pie, fabulous macarons & gingerbread cookie & peppermint mousse, a meh red velvet mini-Bundt). Everything is individually tiny, but we ended up needing to take our dessert to go because we were full! The tea tin favors were a classy touch. Our head server was great. Some very minor tea spillage with tea service with the other waitstaff. Overall, I am so glad that we got to have this experience. It was a lovely example of a classic tea service, which I haven't experienced since the Lake District in England. I would love to bring my parents back and sit in the more formal Courtyard Lounge in the future, and to come back to the Map Room to sample the tea-inspired/infused cocktails. With a couple of service tweaks, I think they could make this experience even more exceptional, but I think given the location and crowd, it is hard to balance accessibility with fine dining! read more

So I came here on a Saturday with my husband around 1 PM. Before I start my review, let me say that we love afternoon tea and have visited Fortnum & Mason in London (a royal grocer approved by Queen Elizabeth). The room in the back where they have afternoon tea is light and airy, with tablecloth tables and nice chairs. We had the Copley menu, because that's the only option on Saturdays. The green pea soup is ok, with the first taste being a bit grassy, but it grows on you with its freshness. Wedge salad is not bad. As for the food, the bottom tier of savory food was ok. Smoked salmon was a little salty, chicken salad was a bit bland, shrimp was ok, cucumber is meh. Portabello was good, but the red bell peppers were a bit too sweet so it didn't meld well. Middle layer was also meh. The orange cookie tastes like fruit loops, so I couldn't finish it. Red velvet cake had too much red food coloring in it, and not enough cocoa powder. Macarons are not bad, salted caramel is better than the earl grey. Chocolate cake was not bad. On thé top fier, the scones were fantastic with clotted cream, orange marmalade. Lemon curd is a bit strong though. The service was extremely slow and we had to try multiple times to catch their attention for hot water, cream & sugar, and the bill. So for the price of the afternoon tea, the quality of the food, and the service, the experience is not really worth it, I think it could be better for what you pay for. read more

Map Room Tea Lounge - Copley tea service - Lounges Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Such a cool addition to the library! I did feel weird asking for the bar upon entry and walking through the library to get to and from the bar. Hopefully they consider opening another entrance. The Map Room Bar is "smart". The drinks are all based off of literary works. The room is made of wood like book shelves. I had the cheese and charcuterie board as well as a couple drinks: The Catcher in the Rye & 1984. The drinks were strong. Check it out on your next trip to the library! read more

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