You know when people say, "Good things come in small packages?" This is true of Neptune Oyster, a small restaurant with a handsome bar that looks and feels like it gets more action than some of the bigger restaurants in the same neighborhood.

It is one of my favorite spots to meet old friends in Boston. I like drinking my red Irish ale at the bar while waiting for them to show up. The leather seating and marble tables are a great match to their well-stocked raw bar.

Some of my favorites are the briny Potter's Pond and the Onset oysters. If you're not familiar with your oysters, the bartenders are more than happy to tell you where each selection comes from and will help you select from the salty to the sweet. They have the usual raw bar fare if you're not into the mollusk: crab claws, lobster platters and shrimps.