All
kinds of fun can be found in Boston’s
trendiest neighborhood by Josh B. Wardrop
Ethnic melting pot. Yuppie neighborhood. Jazz mecca. Gay neighborhood. Bohemian artists’ enclave. Trendy shopping and dining district. At one time or another, all of these labels have been attached to Boston’s South End, a neighborhood located just south of the glitzy Back Bay and north of the grittier neighborhood of Roxbury. And they’ve all been true—in fact, it could be argued that few Boston neighborhoods have undergone more changes than the South End. Today, however, the neighborhood that’s emerged is one of beautiful brick rowhouses and quiet tree-lined streets, anchored by some of the best thoroughfares in Boston—Tremont, Columbus, Harrison, Washington—for art, culture, shopping and dining.
“The South End has absolutely become one of the energetic focal points of the city,” says Darryl Settles, who’s owned and operated the restaurant/jazz club Bob’s Southern Bistro in the South End for 17 years, and has seen the neighborhood develop into a jewel in Boston’s cultural crown. “Every year, we’re seeing more and more options for dining and nightlife…we’ve grown tremendously.”
The Scrumptious South End
One of the first
developments that truly put the South End on
the map as an up-and-coming neighborhood was
the emergence of some top restaurants. The
city’s best chefs found their way here, and
led city dwellers and visitors to the South
End by their stomachs. And today, the scene
continues to explode with what seem to be
new restaurant openings each month, allowing
fresh new blood to go toe-to-toe with
established culinary players in a win-win
for Boston gourmands.
Chef Gordon Hamersley was one of the pioneers of the South End dining scene when he and his wife Fiona opened Hamersley’s Bistro (refer to restaurant listing) almost 20 years ago. The much-acclaimed eatery is notable f or providing exquisite gourmet food—such as the restaurant’s trademark roasted chicken with garlic, lemon and parsley—in a comfortable atmosphere devoid of stuffiness and pretension.
Hamersley is far from the
only “celebrity” chef that’s looked to the
South End to express his culinary talents.
The red-hot Ken Oringer, who has eateries
sprinkled around the city, chose the South
End for his Spanish tapas bar Toro
(refer to
restaurant listing) which boasts a
diverse menu of hot and cold small plates,
perfect for sharing with fellow diners. Chef
Barbara Lynch has two eateries in the
neighborhood—B&G
Oysters (refer to
restaurant listing), her collaboration
with Garrett Harker, which specializes in
fresh seafood delicacies and The Butcher Shop
(552 Tremont St., 617-423-4800), an
authentic Parisian-style charcuterie that’s
all about exploring the bold
flavors
of meat. Andy Husbands’ Tremont 647
(647 Tremont St., 617-266-4600) is a
perennial favorite for adventurous American
cuisine. And at
Sibling Rivalry (525
Tremont St., 617-338-5338), diners get two
top chefs for the price of one, with brother
Bob and David Kinkead offering dueling takes
each night on different key ingredients, a
la “Iron Chef.”
Dining in the South End isn’t just about the big names in the kitchen, however. The diversity of cuisine is really what sets the neighborhood apart as one of the best dining districts in Boston. Lovers of upscale French cuisine can find themselves in restaurant heaven at spots like Gallic bistro Aquitaine (569 Tremont St., 617-424-8577) and the swanky and sophisticated Mistral (223 Columbus Ave., 617-867-9300). Tucked away on a cozy side street, the nouveau American dishes at Icarus (3 Appleton St., 617-426-1790) are some of the best in the city. And when you’re in the mood for something more casual, but every bit as delicious, neighborhood spots like Delux Café & Lounge (refer to restaurant listing) with its standout grilled cheese sandwiches, Anchovies (433 Columbus Ave., 617-266-5088), attracting loyalists drawn to its low-key Italian-American fare, Bob’s Southern Bistro (refer to restaurant listing), home of scrumptious soul food, fried chicken and barbecue, and the affordable and diverse Franklin Café (278 Shawmut Ave., 617-350-0010) deliver every time.
South End Arts &
Culture
The number of artists
living in the South End—once a significant
population that helped to revitalize and
reinvigorate the neighborhood—is dwindling
somewhat as the neighborhood grows more
affluent, but the gallery scene in the South
End is one of the strongest in the city.
Galleries like the
Mills Gallery inside
the Boston Center for the Arts (refer to
galleries listings) are thriving, and
the SoWa Artists Guild
at 450 Harrison Ave. (home to the Bernard Toale Gallery
and Bromfield Gallery)
represents one of the largest and most
diverse artists’ collectives in the
city—with more than 15 galleries and 50
artist studios linked together—and hosts
regular events like seasonal art walks and
monthly First Friday gatherings and
exhibitions.
The South End is also home to a number of small theatres that produce some of Boston’s most challenging and exiting dramatic works, like Huntington Theatre Company, which hosts Kiki & Herb: Alive from Broadway at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Calderwood Pavilion; the Speakeasy Stage Company, presenting Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown’s Parade at the Boston Center for the Arts through June 16; and the BCA itself, a four-acre, non-profit organization that boasts four resident theatre companies and acts as a venue for productions large and small on a regular basis. Refer to theater listings.
South
End After Dark
If you’re in search of a
prime spot for lounging with a cocktail
while you listen to music, scope out the
singletons or just chill with friends, the
South End offers plenty of options. Flash’s Cocktails
(310 Stuart St., 617-574-8888) serves up
both classic libations and cutting-edge
creations. The ultra-smooth 28 Degrees
(1 Appleton St., 617-728-0728) is a sleek
and seductive hangout offering tasty
cocktails and a particularly diverse beer
selection. Clery’s
(113 Dartmouth St., 617-262-9874) has a
neighborhood pub feel that draws in big
crowds on the weekends for food, drink and
revelry. And Wally’s
Café (427
Massachusetts Ave., 617-424-1408) is one of
the city’s most venerable nightspots, opened
back in 1947, and the last survivor of the
South End’s once-impressive array of jazz
clubs. Long regarded as Jazz Central in the
city of Boston—a place where some of the
biggest names in the genre played to devoted
audiences—Wally’s proudly continues to
feature live music 365 days a year, and
manages to do so without charging a cover.
With a thriving gay community calling the South End home, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood boasts a few of the city’s most popular gay bars. The Eagle (520 Tremont St., 617-542-4494) is a friendly spot popular with singles and neighborhood regulars, while Club Café (refer to clubs and bars listing) is a usually-packed nightclub with a video bar, regular evenings devoted to ’80s music, karaoke and dance nights, and a tasty restaurant (209 Boston) serving up grub. And Fritz Lounge (26 Chandler St., 617-482-4428) bills itself as “Boston’s Gay Sports Bar,” boasting six flat screen plasma TVs, dartboards and a convivial and relaxing after-work atmosphere.
The biggest new addition to the South End nightlife scene is The Beehive (541 Tremont St., 617-423-0069), a 300-seat bar/restaurant/live music venue opened in May by Settles, local entrepreneur Jack Bardy and partners. According to Settles, the Beehive (named for an early 20th century artists’ colony in Paris) is a place where “mature audiences can come and enjoy themselves. Whatever they want to do—whether it’s eat dinner, come and see live music, just hang out and have a drink—and they can stay out late doing it.”
The Beehive is expected to
feature jazz, R&B and blues performers,
complementing a diverse
Mediterranean/European/American food menu.
The venue is one of a growing handful in the
South End that has a 2 a.m. license, it’s
located right in the center of the South
End’s arts district, housed in the BCA, and
boasts a 100-seat patio. With all the bases
seemingly covered, it’s no wonder that The
Beehive has been causing so much buzz in the
South End and beyond.
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