At the Living Room (101 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.723.5101), general manager John Hauck laughs when asked if patrons tend to stick around for drinks, dinner, and all sorts of revelry. “I would say more people do that than anything,” Hauck says. “If they’re having dinner [in the dining room], they intend to spend the night.” Patrons often get stuck on the kitchen’s appetizers, which include comfortable, homey favorites like spinach and artichoke dip ($9), mini pulled-pork sandwiches ($8), and chicken satay ($10). If people do make it to entrées, the kitchen has been churning out an excellent wood-grilled pork chop ($21), along with a four-way filet steak dinner ($26) of four medallions prepared four different ways: blackened, grilled, peppercorn, and herb gorgonzola. And yes, the Living Room’s diners do linger — not that Hauck minds. “[With] the later seating, we figure that we’re not going to get another turn on the table, because they’re there to have fun and maybe move out of the lounge and then come back.” After dinner, it’s into the main room to sample the bar’s extensive (and everchanging) martini list and to schmooze with the party crowd that’s just arriving.
Other spots where we’ve enjoyed an all-inclusive evening include 33 Restaurant & Lounge (33 Stanhope Street, Boston, 617.572.3311), where executive chef Anthony Dawodu serves up plenty of fabulous entrées; diners then linger over 33Tinis ($12) and pitchers of White Passion sangria ($45) while waiting for 33’s pulse-pounding DJs to heat up. Across the river, a meal at Diva Indian Bistro (246 Elm Street, Somerville, 617.629.4963) moves seamlessly into a stellar evening in the adjoining Diva Lounge. We’ve even found an unlikely dining destination in upscale pool hall, live-music venue, and party place Felt (533 Washington Street, Boston, 617.350.5555), where notable entrées include a bourbon-glazed pork chop ($19), lobsterstuffed chicken ($19), and Tuscan-braised lamb shank ($20). The moral of the story? You can spend all night at any venue you love. But the places mentioned above, well, they’ve truly got it all. Check that coat and stay awhile.
