It’s the kind of place you’d expect to stumble upon on the rural roads of Missouri or the congested byways of suburban New Jersey. It’s the kind of spot that triggers a hankering for a slice of pie or a bowl of Jell-O. It’s a landmark despite itself.
How else to explain Paul Revere Restaurant? The narrow Medford breakfast joint boasts pristine preservation of its original blueprint. Yes, that stool on which you gulp bottomless cups of joe has probably been occupied since the restaurant opened in 1938. Don’t believe us? Look at the scratches on the booths, or the old-school wainscoting. Or check out the photograph of the original owner that hangs on the back wall: if you look at it from the right angle, you can spot the shadow of the icebox that still stands in the corner (it was refitted with electrical fixings when refrigeration replaced ice as a cooling mechanism).
Perched on the fringe of a mecca of upscale bistros, cafés, and pizzerias, Paul Revere dishes out the simplest pleasures. It’s comfort food without the wink: a pair of eggs done to your liking, with toast ($3); omelets with unembellished home fries and toast ($5–$5.50); oversize fluffy pancakes priced by the flapjack ($2.15/one; $3.75/two; $6.25/five; $2.50/one with fruit; $4.25/two with fruit). The roster of sandwiches runs from grilled cheese with Swiss and cheddar ($2.60–$3.25) to a roast-beef club ($6.25) and jumbo burgers ($3.65–$5.25). A vigilant waitress is never far off with a new bottle of ketchup or a fresh pot of coffee.
During the week, co-owners Jim Wright and Joe Schanda add a lunch special here and there, but for the most part, the menu has gone unchanged. “We like to keep it like it is — the old style,” says Wright. “There’s not too many around anymore.”
Paul Revere Restaurant | 447 High Street, Medford | Mon-Fri, 7 am-2 pm; Sat-Sun, 7 am-1 pm | 781.395.9867.
Related:
What? This old thing?, Reagan gives good speech, Remembrance of things crap, More 
- What? This old thing?
Glossy guidebooks often extol Boston as one of America’s most “European” cities, a euphemism that means that we’re . . . you know, wicked old.
- Reagan gives good speech
This article originally appeared in the February 3, 1987 issue of the Boston Phoenix.
- Remembrance of things crap
Boston’s historic Freedom Trail gift shops are, clearly, the manifestation of our confusing, conflicted, amusing past.
- Sticking it to the man
In 1969, Harvard University students rallied to support the creation of a black-studies program and protest the Vietnam War, the presence of ROTC on campus, and the university’s expansion into surrounding communities.
- Salty Oats cookies
Quick! Before you make your New Year’s resolutions, run out and buy Terri Horn’s Salty Oats cookies.
- January 14, 2007
Waning moon in Scorpio/Sagittarius. VOC 10:49 am to 1:11 pm. Those who attend church may find the sermon gets a little rambly (except for those possessing laudable “cut-to-the-chase” instincts). Scorpio may want to bid-a-wee in beddy-bye, but Sagittarius has very intriguing ideas as to what constitutes leisure. (And we love ’em for it — truly!) Taurus and Gemini should be cautious about “big decisions” today. You're not seeing the whole picture.
- House in the House
Belgium’s Kobbe, a tall towhead, and Miami’s Austin Leeds, a stubby brunette, have become one of house music’s most prolific and eloquent and best-liked production teams.
- Bodies: Yury Yanowsky
- Cheap cheer
Why bother caroling when you can spike your eggnog and sing karaoke? Heck, why venture into the windy streets when you can snuggle next to the radiator with a six-pack of cheep beer?
- The Last Mimzy
An eclectic mix of family drama, aliens from the future, and Tibetan mysticism, The Last Mimzy never coheres.
- Crossword: 'You've been caught'
Be careful out there
- Less
Topics:
On The Cheap
, Culture and Lifestyle, Beverages, Food and Cooking, More
, Culture and Lifestyle, Beverages, Food and Cooking, Coffee, Jim Wright, Paul Revere, Less
