Browsing Tag

Date Spot

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE, RECIPES, RESTAURANTS

New Bundle of Joy: The Stork Club Boston Opens in the South End

cos'è il jazz by bastet in the sky with diamonds, Flickr

Although Bostonians are always jazzed with the prospect of a new nightlife venue, the Stork Club Boston is actually making beautiful music in the South End.  Located near the intersection of Columbus and Massachusetts Ave, the Stork Club offers live jazz, blues and moderately priced cuisine.

To view the rest of my Stork Club Boston write-up, please visit my Examiner.com page:

http://www.examiner.com/x-21772-Boston-Nightlife-Events-Examiner~y2009m8d27-A-New-Bundle-of-Joy-The-Stork-Club-Boston-Opens-in-the-South-End

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE

Bond Restaurant and Lounge, Langham Hotel, Boston

I’ll admit it, I was a bit skeptical when my friends wanted to get drinks at Bond on a Friday night at 10:30pm. While Bond was getting praise as a new nightlife spot in the local papers, I couldn’t imagine Boston’s Financial District drawing crowds post happy-hour. I couldn’t have been more mistaken!

Bond has its own entrance along the side of the Langham Hotel, near the PO Square parking garage/park. After walking up a brief flight of stairs, you enter into a grand room, marked by high ceilings and dramatic chandeliers. The lounge floor is dotted with tables and comfortable chairs, perfect for sharing with a group friends. Cocktail servers attend to these tables, but there is no requirement for bottle service. The drink menu looked great and is on par (if not slightly more expensive) than the other lounge bars in town.

Overall, I enjoyed the stylish crowd, which ranged from 20-somethings and up. They also had a great DJ who spins atop the balcony, which we were lucky to gain entry to (it’s their VIP area). Bond offers food, but I just went for drinks this time around. The only downside I would highlight for Bond is that they do not have a restroom inside the lounge – you have to walk over to the hotel lobby, and it’s a twist & turn away, which is confusing. I hope that they can add facilities inside in the future.

RESTAURANTS

Beacon Hill Bistro: Classic Breakfast With Reasonable Prices

Fresh off the Boston Common and onto the uneven brick sidewalks of Charles St., the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro is one of the first stops in this charming neighborhood.  Ranked as one of the top brunch spots in Boston, the Beacon Hill Bistro offers a fresh breakfast in a bright, cozy atmosphere.

Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro by Whiffen V. from Yelp

Decor inside the Beacon Hill Bistro is simple, with tables lining the long and narrow space.  Light fills into the restaurant from large windows, accentuated by white walls, and simple tables.  While tables are almost on top of one another, diners enjoy a relatively private meal, but still have a chance to scope out dishes from surrounding tables.

The bunch menu is french-inspired and features yogurt and house-made muesli, a variety of egg dishes, lunch staples, with something for the entire family.  Recommended dishes include the fresh salads, the massive roasted mushroom omelet with comte cheese, and grilled chicken sandwich with pesto.  For those with a serious sweet tooth, dig into the decadent vanilla pancakes with caramelized bananas, which recieved gasps from the large party next to us because it was the item many wanted to order, but deemed too rich.

Also available are great cappuccinos, and luscious cocktails- try the classic bellini, or blood red cosmo- at $10 they cost as much as most dishes on the brunch menu!

Beacon Hill Bistro, 25 Charles St

http://www.beaconhillhotel.com/bistro.html

RESTAURANTS

Tasca: Affordable Tapas Adding Flavor to Brighton

Stepping into Tasca in Brighton is like stepping into another world.  With its dark, warm interior and intimately aligned tables, this relaxing little haven took me miles away from the hustle and bustle of Washington St. and Comm Ave.

Food: Once seated, pour over the large menu jam-packed with over 30 tapas options, as well as a good selection of entrees.  Tapas plates range from $3.50-$6.50, while entrees are reasonably priced from $15-$20.

My group of 8 dove into the tapas menu, ordering two plates per person.  I had a great seafood/pasta dish in a light white wine sauce, and a petit fillet mignon, which I ordered medium but came out a little dry.  In sampling my dinner companions plates I tasted delicious goat cheese and tomato dips, crispy fried calamari, and a very generous, fresh tapas salad for about $4.

Savvy Bostonian Tips:

  • You absolutely need a reservation: Due to the smaller size of this restaurant it packs up quickly. The last time they accept reservations is for 6:30PM, and after that you are on your own.
  • Valet: Only $6! *Personally I would not recommend driving, but instead immersing youself in the Peach Sangria, which gave me a little extra warmth heading into the chilly winter night.

All in all, I found Tasca to be an ideal venue for catching up with a group of friends, or a fun, yet romantic date where you can split some vino and share generously sized, delicious tapas plates. Next time I am trying the empanadas!

For more information on Tasca, 1612 Commonwealth Ave. Brighton, http://www.tascarestaurant.com/

RESTAURANTS

Duozo: Best Sushi Spot in Boston’s Back Bay

Duozo by Marlana Y. from Yelp

Last night I caught up with a good friend, and we went to Douzo, a sushi place right next to Back Bay Station.  I am a huge fan of sushi, and Douzo did not disappoint!  We got there at 8:30PM, and the restaurant was busy, but only a short wait to get a table.   There was a good-sized crowd at the bar enjoying their delicious, yet impressively inexpensive cocktails.  I ordered a Tokyo Cosmo w/ Kettle One, and it was $8, a bargain compared to Vox’s $12 martinis- yikes!

SavvyBostonian Tip: They do not accept reservations, and will not seat your party until the entire group is there (but you can put your name in while you wait for them).

Interior: Douzo’s interior is sleek, modern, and intimate with lots of neutrals, chocolate browns, with orange and red accents.  We lucked out and sank into a cozy booth, and had a great view of both the stylish restaurant and bar above.

Food: I found the menu to contain all of the basics you would expect from a good sushi restaurant, and a few mouthwatering speciality rolls we just had to try.  We ordered three regular rolls, a spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, salmon, the crazy roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo), and the volcano roll (crab stick, tobiko, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo).  I enjoyed everything, but might hold off on the volcano roll next time, because it literally looked like a volcano erupting with spicy mayo oozing out from the top- and it was VERY spicy!

Overall, it set us back about $35 each, including tips and drinks.  I would definitely go back!

Douzo, 131 Dartmouth St, Back Bay

http://www.douzosushi.com/