 |
Spinach dip and chocolate-coveredpretzels, Noir
(Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, 617.661.8010)
Noir comes dangerously close to being too cool for non-business school, packed as its patio often seems to be with HBS beauties frittering away inheritances by the hour. But then, danger has got to be the middle name of a place called Noir. Certainly it looks the part: dark and slick, yet lowkey. The bar fits the description, too, pouring potent concoctions with handles like the Dirty Harry and the Gin and Sin. That said, the eats are definitely not only safe but thoroughly satisfying. Rialto’s Jody Adams designed the menu with her signature Mediterranean touch, and it’s laden with grilled flatbreads, panini, and skewers. Yet among tidbits that do the trick when you’re tipsy, chips and dip take the cake, and Noir’s spinach, bacon, and Gruyère dip ($7) — served hot with toasted pita — is one of the better versions I’ve had, chunky and gooey and tasting as though no corners were cut in its creation. There’s also a nifty selection of sweets; I hear the warm chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies are dandy, but the chocolate-covered pretzel, though not made in-house, is too charming an option to resist. Of course, at the jaw-dropping price of a buck apiece, you can hardly go wrong with either. Speaking of cheap tabs, Noir earns extra points for its 5-4-3-2-1-0 special: from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, it serves up everything on its menu for a Lincoln or less. Er, that’s the food menu I’m referring to, folks. You want cheap booze, Charlie’s Kitchen is just across the way.
Cake “blocks,” Bova’s
(134 Salem Street, Boston, 617.523.5601)
 |
Bova’s gets a bit of a bum rap for harboring closing-time wastoids who wouldn’t know what they were buying by the sackful and snarfing down if you told them twice and gave them the recipe. But when you’re looking to build on your buzz with a towering sugar high, there’s no place like Bova’s. That’s partly because of its accessibility: the North End bakery is open 24/7. But it’s also because of the awesome blocks ($5). “Blocks” are what the clerks call the (I swear) half-foot-by-half-foot cubes of cake available in several flavors: strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse, chocolate buttercream, and Oreo. The latter three all contain thick layers of surprisingly moist chocolate cake slathered with wonderfully textured frosting. The mousse- and buttercream-filled versions are cute to boot, topped with ganache and strawberries or roses, but the Oreo slice can’t be beat for its whopping inch-plus of cookie-crumbed icing. Best of all, there’ll be plenty left for when you're sober.
Related:
Suvarnabhumi Kiri, Smoken’ Joe’s Authentic Southern Barbeque, Sipping style, More 
- Suvarnabhumi Kiri
Suvarnabhumi means “golden kingdom” and Kiri, “mountain,” meant to evoke a pastoral Xanadu, not a stale sandwich scarfed between security and boarding. That’s a relief.
- Smoken’ Joe’s Authentic Southern Barbeque
You wouldn’t have told Otis Redding to sing faster, so take a hint from him and slow down the cooking.
- Sipping style
This is the stuff of millionaires and toothpicks, celebutantes and Vogue .
- Turning Japanese
On what will probably be a chilly day a little more than two months from now, Red Sox fans will be waiting for Daisuke Matsuzaka to bring the heat.
- Uburger
From a distance, it’s hard to tell if Uburger — the new hamburger joint in Kenmore Square — is even open yet.
- Eastern Standard’s pistachio sorbet
If you’re anything other than a chocolate-and-vanilla-only ice cream amateur, you’ve probably licked a few cones of the pistachio variety.
- Greek Corner Restaurant
What arrived wrapped in a parchment sleeve hardly resembled the wannabe souvlakis found in greasy sub shops around town.
- Narragansett Beer
Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a couple of days.
- Brick Alley Pub
Restaurants on well-touristed streets can thrive on location alone
- Personal touch
When we walk into a new place we remember what came before.
- Fresh start
Great books and films about contemporary Iraq uncover admirable and encouraging details but ultimately leave you with a sense of foreboding about the country's future.
- Less
Topics:
Features
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Cheese, More
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Cheese, Foods, Fruits and Vegetables, Desserts, Chocolate, Health and Fitness, Addiction and Recovery, Mental Health, Less
