Delgado does his best to make the transition from dinner to party a smooth one. “We try not to get our guests running out of here right after their dinner, because they came here to experience all of Mantra,” he says. “And sometimes that experience turns a little sour when all of a sudden you blast the music, the lights are flashing, and they’re like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ ” Instead, Delgado chooses a gradual transition of carefully chosen, lounge-y tunes, often played straight from his iPod. “It gets people in the mood, but at the same time they feel like they’re in the restaurant, and it’s not very clubby,” he says. “It gives them the lounge-back, laissez faire type of attitude that we’re trying to bring to Mantra.”
From there, they introduce the evening’s events. On Monday evenings, wine tastings are on the docket; the week progresses with “Martini Tuesdays” and “Mojito Wednesdays” — both interactive classes that can be booked by groups. On Thursday evenings, expect stockbroker industry nights, catering to those in the Financial District, and on Fridays and Saturdays, enjoy DJs both upstairs and in the downstairs OmBar.
Back Bay duo Domani (51 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.424.8500) and Saint (90 Exeter Street, Boston, 617.236.1134) pack a one-two punch thanks to Brian Lesser, who owns both properties. The two also share a single building and the talents of executive chef Rene Michelena. Lesser tells us that, especially on weekends, he sees customers making dinner reservations upstairs at Domani — indulging in dishes like tagliatelle ai frutti di mare ($24), rabbit leg stewed in Valpolicella ($21), and chicken casserole ($21) — and then, later, heading downstairs to Saint for some post-meal partying. Saint also serves small, lighter plates, including both chilled and warm appetizers, plus pizzettes ($10 to $12) and communal dishes like a pu-pu platter ($24) for six and a South of the Border plate ($18). From there, imbibers prep themselves for the dance floor with martinis like the Scarlet Letter ($10) and cocktails such as the Storyville ($10) and the Ketel of Bull ($12). DJs spin on Sundays and Mondays for industry nights, for the Latin-flavored “Sutra Thursdays,” and on Fridays and Saturdays.
Over at District (180 Lincoln Street, Boston, 617.426.0180), managing partner Frankie Stavrianopoulos sees the stick-around crowd most often on Friday evenings. “You get a lot of [customers] coming in for drinks and then transferring to a table for dinner,” he says. Since its opening last summer District has garnered a reputation as more of a scenester hot spot than as an eatery, but many of the dishes created by executive chef Andrew Brown, formally of Pigalle, are worth noting. Brown puts together an excellent shrimp tempura ($12) and snackable chicken-cheese spring rolls ($9) to start, along with entrées like roast chicken ($24) served with truffled mac and cheese, and a Kobe-beef burger ($15). It’s easy to cozy up in a white banquette with a group of friends and find the hours rolling past — especially when accompanied by a few Starstruck martinis ($12), created recently by head bartender Kevin Durgin exclusively forStuff@night. Grab a booth early on Wednesdays, District’s best-known evening; Thursdays, with their international flair, are also destination-worthy, as are Fridays, soon to be a salsa and merengue night, and “Status Saturdays,” with their slightly retro feel.
