Next to arrive at the table, lobster and avocado tacos. As the first dish of the night, Tico showed heir ability to bring not only a well prepared dish, but their ability to incorporate heat in a pleasant way. The cucumbers, a pleasant addition, added their own heat from their marinade with chili pepper flakes, brought a refreshing contrast to the dense fish. Luxurious in its natural flavor but enhanced with spicy notes from the pepper and lime. We began with the tuna tartar, diced raw tuna gently mixed with Serrano peppers and xxx served with marinated spiced cucumbers and large taco chips. My friend and I set out to find the standouts on the list. In the true Tapas style, Tico's menu has a long list of small plates to choose from, encouraging diners to sample many dishes rather than being regulated to one or two. Last night was my first opportunity to check out Tico, and it didn't surprise me at all that each dish was unique and well thought out. His other ventures, notably Radius and Via Matta have been garnering acclaim for years.

It comes as no surprise really, Michael Schlow is no novice in te kitchen. It opened around the same time as several other Mexican style restaurants but has been standing over many of those since opening. Hot cocktail boite The Townshend in Quincy Center pairs its Sunday brunch with The Granite Trust, a mix of locally roasted cold-brew coffee and the bitter liqueur Amaro Averna.ДЄlso savor the Stamos Gin Fizz (gin, raspberries, lemon, Greek yogurt, egg white), a riff on the Ramos Gin Fizz, at Committee in the Seaport the Spicy Basil Paloma (tequila, orange liqueur, cayenne, lime juice) at City Tap House, also in the Seaport or, for a morning out trading stories with the girlfriends, the Walk of Shame apple cider mimosa with pear brandy and maple sugar rim at Back Bay HarryвЂ™s in the Back Bay.Michael Schlow opened Tico, a Mexican themed tapas spot (in its basest description) just about a year ago.

Michael SchlowвЂ™s Latin American-inspired Tico in Back Bay has made the margarita breakfast-friendly with options that include cranberry basil, spiced pear and cucumber-lime-and-lemon versions. Pretty much everything youвЂ™d find in brunch - with a whiskey kick.Д¬reative new eye-opener cocktails can be found all around Greater Boston this weekend. вЂњWe wanted to create a brunch cocktail that has a little more flavor and fortification to it,вЂќ said Bully Boy co-founder David Willis.Д«ully BoyвЂ™s Brekky Old Fashioned features bacon-fat washed whiskey with orange juice, house-made coffee bitters and maple syrup for sweetness. The cocktail menu at this вЂњstill-to-glassвЂќ spirits maker is highlighted by the Brekky Old Fashioned, a traditional old fashioned reinvented for a.m. But Bully Boy Distillers of Roxbury bucks the trend at its brand-new tasting room, which opened in April. The MotherвЂ™s Little Helper, unique for MotherвЂ™s Day, is a contemporary version of the classic French 75, with Pinnacle Gin, lemon juice, sparkling wine and a maraschino cherry garnish the Norman Invasion features Normandy-made Calvados, an apple brandy, and Benedictine herbal liqueur with apple juice and sparkling wine.Д«oth cocktails are served in addition to Bistro du MidiвЂ™s normal stable of eye-openers such as the bouillabaisse bloody mary, topped by a seared prawn, or the LвЂ™Italienne, a mix of gin, Aperol, orange juice and ginger ale.Д«right, easy-drinking cocktails may be the norm for morning drinking.

drinking options are far more varied and interesting.Д«istro du Midi highlights two bubbly morning cocktails for its MotherвЂ™s Day brunch. The spritzy old mimosa, its peach-flavored counterpart the Bellini and the venerable old bloody mary are still ubiquitous. Generally speaking, morning cocktails are more colorful, cleaner, fruitier and lower in alcohol than the dinnertime aperitif. ThereвЂ™s a greater attention to detail and to ingredients, and more trust in the creativity of the bar program.вЂќ вЂњGuests are willing to step outside the old comfort zone of just ordering a mimosa. вЂњMorning cocktails are definitely a trend, definitely here,вЂќ said Todd Lipman, the head sommelier at posh Bistro du Midi, overlooking Boston Public Garden.

Day drinking has long held a sort of seedy connotation: an eye-opener or a little hair of the dog meant to stave off the morning hangover.Д«ut the morning cocktail, so prevalent during all those MotherвЂ™s Day brunches that fill the dining calendar on Sunday, has grown more respectable over the years, boosted dramatically by the local-spirits-meets-mixology revolution of the past decade or so.

Tico back bay