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RESTAURANTS

NIGHTLIFE, RESTAURANTS

Sanctuary: More Than A Great Nightlife Spot

Sanctuary Bar by vsmoothe from Flickr

Flaunting the question- Heaven, Hell or Purgatory, Sanctuary is one of my favorite nightlife destinations in Boston due to its sophisticated atmosphere and killer martinis.

Situated on State Street just around the corner from Faneuil Hall, I recently discovered that Sanctuary also offers a stylish venue for a sex & the city inspired birthday dinner.   With entrees ranging from $9-$21, my group of girlfriends was thrilled to splurge on specialty martinis and a deliciously inexpensive dinner.

Ironically, the majority of our table chowed down on cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and the turkey breast “buddah roll.”  However, for those with a more gourmet palate, Sanctuary offers entrees like an apple cranberry salad with goat cheese, ahi tuna tacos, pan seared salmon, and sirloin au poivre.

When it came to martinis, I think my group of girlfriends ordered the entire menu!  Ones to try include the creamy Lusty Latte, sweet Wild Orchid, and my personal favorite tequila infused Satan’s Vice.  Ranging from $10-12, they are not cheap, but are a good size even though none of us got the special garnishes!

Savvy Bostonian Tip:

  • Go By 8PM: When I arrived at 7PM, the restaurant was half full, but if you want one of the cosy round leather booths in Purgatory, make a reservation.  For larger groups, they will seat you upstairs in Heaven, which was awesome for my group because we had the level all to ourselves until the bar started to fill up at 9PM.

Overall, Sanctuary was a great start to a wild night of dancing with the girls!  I was personally surprised that it was not more packed for dinner, but know that once more people discover what a great value it is, we will all be fighting to get in.  Maybe I shouldn’t share such great secrets with the masses!

Sanctuary, 189 State Street, Boston

http://www.sanctuaryboston.com/menus.asp?id=y#appetizers

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/