Boston's South End - Hot Dining Spots!

Boston's South End is the hipster, foodie part of town, a high-end residential area where the city’s architects, lawyers, artists, bankers, and designers mingle to eat, drink and be merry. It is the epicenter of Boston's thriving gay community and more recently, home to urban young professionals and married couples pushing baby buggies. The South End is filled with trendy shops, bars and galleries. Parking is almost non-existent, but many places offer valet parking. Better to take a cab or walk from the Back Bay train station. The South End is Boston’s answer to SoHo or The Village. It’s cool, hip and somewhat exclusive. Prices are on the higher side, and reservations are most definitely required. Be sure to check out The Beehive, Gaslight, Union, Stella and many more, including my personal favorites, reviewed here.


B&G Oyster – South End, Boston. If you are an oyster freak, like I am, then B&G is the place for you. My boyfriend Andrew and I always sit at the bar, which resembles a Scandinavian sauna with wooden floor and tiled walls, and watch the chefs in action. More of a date place due to it’s small size, B&G is our favorite spot to sit down and devour a gigantic tray of oysters from around the US and Canada, and sip a few glasses of Prosecco. I love the sweet and plump East Coast Wellfleet’s and Duxbury’s while my boyfriend prefers the slim and briny Pacific Coast bivalves. The zesty vinaigrette is a great alternative to the ubiquitous cocktail sauce. (I always hope to find a pearl, but no such luck.) You have to try the house favorite Maine lobster roll and for dessert, yes, fried oysters on a bed of sea salt…I just can’t get enough, they melt in your mouth.


Masa – South End, Boston. Beautiful, rustic d?cor in this Latin bar and eatery. The “especiale de la casa” is the Banderita, a trio of shots which involves taking fresh lemon juice in your mouth first, then adding the tequila, swallowing, then doing a sangrita chaser (tomato juice). Down the hatch - uno, dos, tres! Any of the house margaritas are great, including the Masarita (with apple), Mangorita and Watermelon Margarita and can be made for the table. My girlfriends and I popped into Masa for drinks on a Saturday night to toast my friend’s birthday, and it was jam packed in the small but cozy bar area. As we were waiting for a table in the bar area, we didn’t realize we were inadvertently crowding the owner and his guests. We were really friendly with them, and as he left he said, next time he saw us he owed us drinks for being so patient, yet persistent. (Let’s hope he comes through on the promise!) They have a huge tapas menu…so sky’s the limit. Taquitos, calamari, chorizo, plantains…and for dinner are upscale Mexican entrees of lamb, steak, fish, chicken and more. Thursday nights are Salsa Night from 9pm – 1am, with lessons, drinks and dancing all night. Cha Cha Cha!


Rocca – South End, Boston. A nouveau Italian hot spot - divine in design, drinks and food. Described as a “kitchen & bar,” Rocca is much, much more. A hipster restaurant with multiple floors, outside seating and a popular lounge. Stop first in the bar for one of Rocca’s signature drinks with authentic Italian flair. I recommend the Ligurian Lemonade (lemon vodka, Campari, home made Limoncello, honey & fresh lemon juice) or the White and Stormy (white rum, Cointreau, lime & ginger beer). The menu is set up so that you can get a lot of little plates to share. We enjoyed the Meatball Slider, Rigatoni Baked in a Pot (with veal, tomatoes and Parmigiano), Hand-rolled Trofie (pasta) with pesto, the Braised Lamb Shank, and Roasted Whole Fish. They are on-trend with the “late night menu” until 1am consisting of many of their most popular items. There are monthly house music dance parties which bring out all the Euro boys & girls to sashay their night away. Rocca is a happening spot…get it while it’s hot.

Meatpacking District – Manhattan, NYC

A Great Neighborhood to Meet, Greet & Eat Meat!
When visiting NYC I love to go to the Meatpacking District in Manhattan... it's got this great vibe, with remnants of cobblestone streets, refurbished warehouses, and restaurants for everyone, from high-end French cuisine to BBQ from the Dirty South. For better or for worse, many high end retail stores (Barney’s, Matthew Williamson, Hugo Boss, Ports 1961) are taking over the "MePa" area (terrible abbreviation!), and rents are growing too high for some long-time bar owners. Stay tuned as the district transforms from slightly gritty to mostly posh. Although I have to say, I love a little mix of both. Here are my favorites:

Spice Market – Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the king of East meets West cuisine. He blends classic French cooking with Asian influences so perfectly, everything he touches turns to gold. You may have seen him as a judge on this season's Top Chef...good episode! I love Spice Market for many reasons, its stunning décor, ultra cool lounge and amazing cocktails. The space is huge with lots of cavernous rooms…great for people watching! Get a reservation at 9 or 10 pm, enjoy a pineapple mojito and pan-asian delights from one of the world’s great chefs. (Fun fact: My friend Jennifer and I went here one night for mojitos and met legendary E Street Band rocker “Little Steven” Van Zandt AKA Silvio Dante from The Sopranos. He was such a trip!) Reservations required. 403 W. 13th StreetNew York, NY 10014~ (212) 675-2322

Pastis is a hip and popular French bistro, with a lively atmosphere and hearty fare. It’s a Meat Packing cornerstone, a busy place for locals, tourists, and celebrity guests alike who flock to Pastis to enjoy a glass of red wine or a Le Sazerac cocktail. Go for the traditional steak frites, sea scallops Provencal, or a hearty Croque-Monsieur. Great for people watching and feeling the vibrant energy of the City. Reservations required.
9 9th Ave, New York, NY 10014 ~ (212) 929-4844

The Hog Pit - If you are tired of the long lines, pretentious doormen and Sex and the City wannabes, head on over to The Hog Pit in the Meat Packing District. My friends and I wandered into this roadhouse and right up to the bar for some tequila shots and cheap beer. Bikers, Willie Nelson (yes, he’s a fan) and everyone in between have a great time here. The BBQ ribs, pulled pork and mini corn dogs are finger-licking good, and the low prices can’t be beat. Besides, you might catch Keanu Reeves or Johnny Knoxville playing pool, so check it out. (NOTE: Sadly, due to increased rent, The Hog Pit will be closing on Jan. 1, 2009, so go now to say goodbye.)
22 Ninth Avenue at 13th Street, New York, New York 10014 ~ (212) 604-0092

Markt – Having lived in Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to visit Belgium a few times. So, finding Markt while wandering from the Meat Packing district to Chelsea was great luck. It takes me back to the lively grand cafes of Brussels or Antwerp. I recommend sitting at the bar, ordering an icy cold Hoegaarden white beer, tomato soup, steamed mussels -- offered 6 different ways, and a side of crispy Belgian frites with mayo. Prost! (Cheers!) And, it is even open for breakfast. 676 Sixth Avenue, NY, NY ~ (212) 727-3314

Question: Has anyone been to 5 Ninth ?? I’ve heard it's a cool place that is located in an unmarked rowhouse…it's hip, serving American-Asian fusion in a rustic atmosphere. Many say it a great brunch spot. And a romantic dinner spot at night serving red snapper, chicken and short ribs in the Asian style. Many people recommend hitting the upstairs bar as it has a cool scene in the Meatpacking District, for a “Gansevoort Fizz” with Jamaican run, Drambuie, and lemon juice. In the warm weather there is a sizable garden/deck for dining. 5 Ninth Ave., New York, NY, 10014 nr. Gansevoort St. 212-929-9460

Review: POST 390 in Boston (Bar Scene Buzz)

My girlfriends have been raving about the bar scene at the newly opened POST 390 in Downtown Boston...so i had to give it a try. Rachel gathered us together for a wonderful holiday get-together and birthday celebration (for Giselle) on a Wednesday night in December. :)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
The scene was buzzing. It was 6:30 pm...Lots of energy, cool decor with lots of dark brown wood and orange themed decor. Downstairs is where the action is...Large fireplace and long-ish bar with solid wood divider and bar stools for more seating, located between the front entrance and the bar. It is a bit of tight squeeze to get to the bar area, and there is a lot of wasted space in the entry way, which could have been better utilized for guests...especially as friends have told me the line has been wrapped around the block to get in most nights. There is, however, a 2nd floor...which many people don't know about. Diners were seated at nearly every available table. Regardless, my girlfriends prefer to be on the bottom floor...where the action is. :) Besides, we got a truly "VIP" round table of 8 that night right in the corner window (thanks to Hania & Rachel). The entire facade is glass, offering great views of the city looking out onto Stuart and Clarendon Streets - across from Grill 23 and the former Jury's, now Doyle Hotel.

DEMOGRAPHIC:
I was surprised to find that the scene on Wednesday night was about 75% male (straight-laced, business-y, mid-30s to late 40s - married, divorced and/or looking) who were huddled together on business dinners or trying to chat up the few and far between attractive women (some married, some single) at the bar. I told my female colleagues in their mid-20s that the men were older than me (gasp! ha!) so it might be better to just stop by with some friends for drinks rather than plan a whole night there. It was a "school night" so perhaps on weekends the demo gets younger and more single...although as a happily married newlywed, I don't really care either way. :) Observation, there were mostly male servers and bartenders and predominantly male patrons... so, they might want to up the ante on sexy female bartenders or servers (as seen at Sonsie, FELT or Whiskey Park)? Or not!? However, towards the end of the night, as the dinner crowd began to clear, a few members of the younger set did roll in. So, I'm thinking this a great spot for 30s and 40s to mix & mingle.

BATHROOMS ('cuz the ladies need to know):
I like busy restaurants that have co-ed bathrooms. Some don't, but i do - as it speeds the process and you have your own private room for 'taking care of business.' All of the ones downstairs were filled, so I took a trip up the elevator to find another bathroom, and ended up on the 2nd floor of the restaurant, which is twice the size of the downstairs, and equally as packed. HINT: The bathrooms upstairs were huge and modern...same private "WC" stalls (water closet) which i like. So, sneak up the elevator to use them.

SERVICE:
The service was good considering it was a crowded and hectic snowy evening during holiday season. We had a nice, attentive waiter and the other servers were friendly too. He made a few suggestions, took our orders and delivered them with ease. Not sure why they have so many "Secret Service" guys with dark suits and earpieces on duty...I seriously thought Tom Cruise, The Mayor (or "Mumbles" as we call him) or Tom Brady & Gisele were about to unveil their new baby boy...but alas, they were parting the seas for an ambulance responding to a medical emergency upstairs. Hope everyone was OK.

DRINKS:
All Booze is Good Booze, in my book. So if a bartender can make a good cocktail for me and the ladies on a cold winter night, I'm in like Flynn. The specialty martinis we ordered were good, but there were only 2 vodka cocktails (my poison of choice) on the menu. The menu was heavy on gin and bourbon, so we'll have to give those a try next time. We had the Grape Excess martini, a really great Boston Ketel Martini (vodka, campari, lime juice, green tea syrup) and a straight-forward dirty vodka martini. (I prefer the cocktail menu at Mistral, Lucky's and Whiskey Park, to be honest). I really liked the bartender on duty, I'd just like to see a few more vodka-based cocktails for the list.

FOOD:
The menu is the typical "comfort food" of many Boston eateries - heavy on the seafood (which i love), a raw bar, calamari, steak frites, seared scallops, roasted chicken, and meatloaf. Dare I say, extremely similar to LTK (Legal Test Kitchen in South Boston, which is across the street from my office). Since I like LTK, steak and seafood, I liked this menu - but, since this restaurant is the "next big thing" I was slightly unimpressed by the selection, as nothing stood out as inventive or cutting edge. The concept is an “urban tavern" according to Chef Eric Brennan (Federalist, Excelsior, Harvest) who is aiming to do comfort classics in a hipster atmosphere. (A nit-picky thing: The physical menu is too big. The large scale paper format kept knocking into our drinks and covering up our table surface.)

When the food came, I really enjoyed my well-seasoned and tender Grilled 8 oz Skirt Steak with fries (gobbled it down, in fact) at $24 as did 3 other ladies at the table. My friend Hania seemed to enjoy her Native Sea Scallops with succotash ($22.50), although Dahlia said the Linguini and Shrimp pasta dish was "nothing special." To be fair, we didn't have many appetizers - just the deviled eggs at $2.50 were a steal, as were the Goat Cheese & Olive Flat Bread Pizza ($12.50), served on a rather long and protruding cutting board. Next time we will try the Meatloaf and House Smoked Ribs ...and order few more apps and sides. We didn't order dessert, just another cocktail for the birthday girl (and later a few lemon drop shots purchased for us by the the aforementioned "40-something divorcees" at the bar. haha!)

SUMMARY:
Go to Post 390 to check it out. It is worth the visit as it's new and on the map....similar to the buzz that The Liberty Hotel got when it first opened. I would go back for the bar scene on a week night with my husband, colleagues or friends, and would order some apps. I might even be inclined to try lunch for a business meeting or brunch after heavy window-shopping day. Parking is non-existent, so use the Valet, take the T or a taxi. Overall, the the decor attractive, location is ideal, and the bar scene is buzzing.

"CITY GIRL" RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars (for buzzy bar scene)

INFO:
Post 390
406 Stuart Street (corner of Clarendon Street) Boston, MA
T Stop: Back Bay (orange line), Arlington or Copley (green line)
http://www.post390restaurant.com

(Photo: Gabe Davis)