NIGHTLIFE
348 Congress St., Boston, 617-695-1806, drinkfortpoint.com
The previous generation (Eastern Standard, the sadly defunct B-Side Lounge) may have planted the seeds for a cocktail revival, but Fort Point newcomer Drink—with its house-made liqueurs and garnishes, mid-bar herb garden, and bespoke ice cubes—presents the modern imbiber’s paradise in full flower. The brilliantly designed winding bar hides the bottles and puts the bartenders front and center as they work off of their imagination, rather than preconceived menus. Everything from the custom drinks to the linen-and-mini-water-glass setup at each seat is meant to focus the patron’s attention on the matter at hand: the serious art of cocktail making.
RUNNERS-UP: Eastern Standard, Green Street
LAST YEAR: N/A
125 River St., Cambridge, 617-576-1881, rivergodsonline.com
Rather than coming off as calculated quirkiness, the gothic furniture and gargoyle motif at this under-the-radar Central Square taproom are mere curiosities, something you notice briefly before they fade into the all-encompassing hospitable vibe. A roster of ace DJs rotates out of a loft space above the bar, spinning a bit of everything—hip-hop, roots rock, punk, techno—as dressed-down patrons gather over killer drinks and French fries dunked in house-made roasted garlic aioli. Aside from the South End’s smaller (and DJ-less) Delux Café, few other bars in this town have the confidence to aim for easygoing.
RUNNER-UP: Delux Café
LAST YEAR: N/A
.jpg)
315 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-868-6739, middlesexlounge.us
Don’t be put off by the lines for just about everything here (entry, drinks, the lav): When you’re ready to get low, there’s always room on the dance floor. This minimalist club has the feel of a house party, with front-row beats by Hearthrob, Soul Clap, DJ Kon, and other electronic mix-masters, plus strong theme nights that range from French pop to a ’90s dance jam. While the Enormous Room’s undeniably comfy couches tend to attract slouches, the Mid-sex keeps it lively with a monster video screen, benches that roll right up to (or away from) the action, and a crowd that’s bumping from open to close on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights.
RUNNER-UP: The Enormous Room
LAST YEAR: Gypsy Bar
200 Brighton Ave., Allston, 617-254-9306
If you require more than two ingredients in your cocktail (ice and booze), the Silhouette is likely not for you. True to dive décor, the walls are cheaply paneled and the floors cheaply tiled; the windows are largely covered to keep swillers insulated from school, work, the light of day, etc. The Tam may have the craziest clientele and TC’s the most Big Buck Hunter nuts, but the Silhouette reigns as the best no-frills place to be, or start becoming, hung over.
RUNNER-UP: The Model Café
LAST YEAR: TC’s Lounge
1236 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, 617-265-4490, dbarboston.com
By far the least pretentious of the Hub’s gay hot spots, this nightclub-restaurant hybrid presents a compelling case for venturing beyond the Back Bay/South End circuit. The price is right (no cover, and no cocktails over $9), the crowd is attractive and always changing, and the dance-floor fun kicked up a notch this spring with the debut of Show Tune Tuesdays and you-be-the-DJ iPod Thursdays.
RUNNERS-UP: Solid at ZuZu, Guerrilla Queer Bar
LAST YEAR: 28 Degrees
134 Smith St., Boston, 617-566-6651, squealingpigboston.com
Around these parts, the authentic Irish pub is an expectation, not a novelty. Which means there’s a full-on scrum of contenders in this category—the Sligo, the Behan, Foley’s—with none stooping to T.G. O’Friday’s flair, and all possessing the power to make you linger for one more pint. What hoists the Squealing Pig over the top is its welcoming open layout, with kitchen at one end and fireplace at the other; outsize beer selection; and very Irish puckishness (heavy metal/kung fu film fests; "toasties" made with Mars bars). All of which makes slipping inside this decade-old Mission Hill pub like a conversation with an old friend: effortless.
RUNNERS-UP: Brendan Behan Pub, J. J. Foley’s
LAST YEAR: Brendan Behan Pub
.3(2247).jpg)
Charles Hotel, One Bennett St. Cambridge, 617-661-5000, regattabarjazz.com
With all that energy and spontaneity rippling off the stage, hearing jazz live is always best. Less clear-cut is the choice between the atmospheric, loosey-goosey neighborhood haunt or the more polished concert venue, with the Hub having sterling examples of both. Inman Square’s Ryles excels at being that corner joint, and its jazz brunch and weekly salsa lessons are bona fide fun. But show for show, set for set, it’s the Charles Hotel’s upscale yet intimate Regattabar—with its unparalleled roster of talent, from young bloods like Joshua Redman to legends like Coltrane pianist McCoy Tyner—that consistently hits the high note.
RUNNER-UP: Ryles
LAST YEAR: Wally’s Café
Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St., Boston, 617-536-2100, scampoboston.com
Its serendipitous location—just a bulkie roll’s throw from where drunk-grub mecca Buzzy’s Roast Beef once stood—is one reason why Scampo gets our late-night bucks. More important, it’s also steps from fellow Liberty Hotel denizens Clink and Alibi, whose hormone-charged bar scenes can overwhelm even the most dedicated carouser. When it’s time to retreat, follow the scent of garlic down to Lydia Shire’s Italian-inspired eatery for crusty pizzas, fresh-baked flatbreads, burrata BLTs, and other starchy, cheese-laden hangover preventives, all served till 11 (and pizzas till midnight). And for those not ready to cash it in yet, Scampo’s potent cocktails will keep that buzz going.
RUNNERS-UP: Stella, Franklin Café
LAST YEAR: Stella
LESBIAN SCENE: Menage À Trois at Milky Way Lounge
284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3740, milkywayjp.com, dykenight.com
Dyke Night impresario Kristen Porter comes up a winner either way, as the only worthy contenders here are Second Saturdays (at bouncin’ Fenway nightclub Machine) and Menage à Trois, a.k.a. Fourth Fridays (at J.P.’s Milky Way), both dance events that she masterminded and that feature her stellar roster of female DJs. Though Machine’s got by far the bigger crowd and the pole dancing (oh, the hotness), the indie-cool Milky Way’s got our heart. Maybe it’s the lounge’s factory-chic new digs at the Brewery Complex. Or that the small space makes things more friendly and intimate. Or maybe it’s just the irony of having all this gynomite going off next to a towering defunct smokestack.
RUNNER-UP: Second Saturdays at Machine
LAST YEAR: Midway Café
MUSIC VENUE, LARGE: Bank Of America Pavilion
290 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-728-1600, livenation.com
Dock all the points you like for the pricey beer, seasonal setup, and occasional "Ya Mo B There" booking, and this harborside venue with the graceful sail-like tent and stunning skyline backdrop still posts the winning score. Wide aisles give the B of A’s 5,000 seats serious elbow room, while nine jumbo TVs ensure everyone gets an eyeful of the onstage action. Even if you believe the Roxy has the more intimate and interesting space, and the House of Blues (provided it sprays for tourists first) is coming on as a contender, you’d still have to concede that with the right band on the right night, the Pavilion is nothing short of a concertgoer’s nirvana.
RUNNER-UP: The Roxy
LAST YEAR: Paradise Rock Club
MUSIC VENUE, SMALL: T. T. The Bear’s Place
10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-492-0082, ttthebears.com
Somewhere between a band’s first roadie and their first rider, they play T.T.’s, a beer-soaked cranny in Central Square now in its third decade. For about 10 bucks a night, the club gets music geek nation on its feet with both established and rising acts from the East Coast (the Damnwells), the West Coast (the Thermals), and beyond (Denmark’s Efterklang), along with local favorites like the Motion Sick and Faces on Film. Although it’s true that Allston’s Great Scott is increasingly booking tomorrow’s Middle East and Paradise headliners today, for that pure ear-pounding, sweat-drenched, punch-drunk rock-club experience, the Bear remains the one to beat.
RUNNER-UP: Great Scott
LAST YEAR: T. T. the Bear’s
166 Canal St., Boston, 617-720-4455, thefours.com
The most important thing in the most important sports town in America is, aside from victory itself, finding the right place to soak up all the action. If you can’t be courtside or behind home plate, that place is the Fours, the venerable North Station sports bar that’s as classic as Fenway turf and Garden parquet. Whereas newer suds-and-scores hangouts tend to come wallpapered in TVs (leaving us feeling as if we’re trapped in a Best Buy), the Fours leaves ample room for signed jerseys, vintage game photos, and other memorabilia it’s accumulated in its 30-odd years. Adding to the ambiance: Many a sports scribe and team executive have been known to tip back a glass here after a game at next-door neighbor TD Garden.
RUNNER-UP: Cask ‘N Flagon
LAST YEAR: The Fours
552 Tremont St., Boston, 617-423-4800, thebutchershopboston.com
As the longtime wine doyenne of the Barbara Lynch empire, Cat Silirie knows her way around a corkscrew. For proof, look no further than the corner of Tremont and Waltham, where over the past six years she’s nurtured this updated boucherie into a temple of vino that effectively puts the cork in the Hub’s ersatz wine bars. The list digs deep with bottles from producers and small family farms—even grapes!—we’ve never heard of, but every server intuits precisely what will rock that plate of charcuterie or artisanal cheese. Hang out and nibble across the meat-centric menu while watching the South End go by, or have a glass while the staff packs your shopping bag with aged steaks, house-cured bacon, and Bolognese sauce.
RUNNERS-UP: Bin 26 Enoteca, Troquet
LAST YEAR: Bin 26 Enoteca
Go Back to Best of Boston 2009 Landing Page
