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.
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.
