First Bite: The Haven
Boston’s first-ever Scottish pub invites you to come for the chips and pints, stay for the haggis.
So, how to explain the haggis? The traditional Scottish sausage stuffed with heart, kidney, oats, and the like is flying out the kitchen door at the Haven, a new Scottish pub in Jamaica Plain. Owner Jason Waddleton, an expat Scot and one of the friendliest hosts in town, says the warm reception has exceeded even his expectations, and he’s an optimist.
Granted, the Haven’s version, created by house chef Wax (he’s mononymous, like Cher) is more modestly sized than the Highlands original; plus, it’s flavored with thyme and toasted allspice, and stuffed in beef sausage casing rather than sheep’s stomach. Absent the usual chopped lungs and topped with a Drambuie butter sauce, it goes down easy.
Perhaps we’re more open to novelty when the price is right, and the Haven’s prices are a marvel — just $8 for the haggis and $17 for a beef and ale pie rich with barley flavor and nearly big enough for two.
