Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is a sumptuary law which prohibits alcohol. Typically, the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the prohibition of alcohol was enforced. Use of the term as applicable to a historical period is typically applied to countries of European culture.

In some countries of the Muslim world, consumption of alcoholic beverages is forbidden according to Islamic Law — though the strictness by which this prohibition was and is enforced varies considerably between various Islamic countries and various periods in their history. In the early twentieth century, much of the impetus for the prohibition movement in the Nordic countries and North America came from Protestant wariness of alcohol.

“Anyone out there know if there’s a good college class on Prohibition? I would sign up for it. There is so much interesting stuff about big-P Prohibition (1919-1933) and various small-P prohibitions that just isn’t part of Americans’ knowledge of history (OK, there’s a lot lacking in Americans’ knowledge of history, but I’ll let another blogger tackle that). I did not know, for instance, until I read The Chemist’s War in Slate that there was a federal program to poison alcohol.

“Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people,” writes Deborah Blum. If it’s even close to being accurate, that number’s astonishing.

Prohibition-era President Calvin Coolidge, who had already, as governor of Massachusetts, made a name for himself by cracking down on striking Boston cops, showed his characteristic zeal for maintaining law and order by turning to “chemistry as an enforcement tool.” Wow, way to go, Silent Cal. Imagine if that sort of zeal was ever applied to enforcing regulations governing high finance… Ah, well. Then as now.

Equally as fascinating as the dark episode above: We think of Massachusetts as a pioneer in everything from establishing the New World to declaring independence from the Old World to letting gay people marry to mandating universal health insurance. But few people know that the Bay State was also a pioneer in prohibition. According to Perry R. Duis’ study The Saloon: Public Drinking in Chicago and Boston, 1880-1920, Massachusetts was the first to enact statewide prohibition, which, except for the years 1868 and 1871-3, lasted from 1852 to 1875. Of course, we had about as much success with our own noble experiment as the entire nation did some decades later. Duis writes:

“The wets claimed that arrests for drunkenness had not really declined as dramatically as citizens had earlier believed. Alcohol was obviously being produced or imported, and a secret distribution system placed it in the hands of thousands of drinkers… Charity workers and city missionaries worried aloud about the social problems that came from… secret consumption. Tenement doors concealed drunkenness, wife beating, and child abuse… Under license, the quality and purity of liquor could be regulated; now, inspection was virtually impossible. And on and on. See you in class.”

Story submitted by Lauren Clark with Drink Boston. [1]

Few major cities in the United States have more in the way of history than Boston does. Indeed, there are countless historic landmarks and structures throughout the city and its suburbs, including some that are known throughout the country. Similarly, a number of restaurants in and around the city are famous in part for being located in historic structures (The Chart House at Long Wharf, for example), but there are plenty of other dining spots that either reside in beautifully restored old buildings or have been in business for a long, long time–in some cases, for more than a century. What are some of these restaurants? Well, we could list pages and pages of such spots, but have limited it to five of the more interesting ones in the Greater Boston area.

MARLIAVE, BOSTON: One of Boston’s oldest restaurants (though not continuously running, as they closed for a time awhile back before being reopened by new owners), Marliave in the Downtown Crossing section of the city first started out in 1885. The three-story Bosworth Street space is wonderful for history lovers, especially the middle floor, which includes a cozy bar, a pressed tin ceiling, a cracked black and white mosaic floor, and old-fashioned pendant lamps. The eclectic menu features mostly continental cuisine, including a delicious Welsh rarebit.

“Henry Marliave, a French immigrant from Paris, arrived in Boston with a collection of recipes and the dream of finding success in the United States. Henry Marliave achieved his American dream by opening his namesake: Restaurant Marliave at 10 Bosworth Street in 1885. The Boston dining landmark has been reopened by Grotto chef/owner, Scott Herrit.”

Address: Marliave, 10 Bosworth Street, Boston, MA, 02113.

MORSE FISH, SOUTH END: One of the oldest continuously running restaurants in Boston happens to be a relatively little-known one, and even for those who know about the place, they may not realize that it has been in business since the start of the 20th century. But Morse Fish on Washington Street just happens to be the oldest fish market in the entire city, dating back to 1901. The little spot is also a restaurant, with all kinds of fried and broiled seafood available to customers for dining in or for takeout. Address: Morse Fish, 1401 Washington Street, Boston MA, 02118.

“Morse Fish, located in the historic South End of Boston is the oldest fish market in Boston, MA. We are located directly across the street from the well known Holy Cross Cathedral Church on historic Washington Street. Since 1903, Morse Fish has had only 3 owners, which goes to show the quality in their seafood and customer service. Morse Fish offers a great menu of broiled or fried seafood ranging from haddock and chips, battered shrimp, and scallops.

Any meal can be ordered to go, and each dinner comes with coleslaw, French fries, onion rings, or rice. All our fried food is made with 100% vegetable oil with zero tran’s fat. Morse Fish also offer a fresh assortment of seafood ranging from wild Salmon to live Lobsters and everything in between. Morse Fish is nationally recognized and people from all over the world come to try our fresh seafood every day. Please come by and see for yourself.”

AMRHEINS RESTAURANT, SOUTH BOSTON: Formerly a classic old-Boston spot that politicians and families from the neighborhood called their home, Amrheins Restaurant near the Broadway T stop in Southie has become a bit trendy and upscale since the dining spot was renovated several years back, but it still has a ton of character. The restaurant, which has been in operation since 1890, features what may be the oldest hand-carved bar in the entire country, and the cozy side room to the left continues to give a taste of the history of the building. Address: 80 West Broadway, South Boston, MA, 02127.

“Amrheins has been a Boston tradition since 1890. For over a century diners throughout the city of Boston have been welcomed into Amrheins to enjoy quality meals amongst friends and neighbors. Today that tradition continues in our updated facility. Despite the renovations in 2005, Amrheins is still full of history.

Amrheins is the proud home of the oldest hand carved bar in America and still has the first Draft Beer pump in Boston on display. But what really makes Amrheins special is its dedication to quality cuisine and superior service. We hope that you join us again soon.”

THE LYCEUM, SALEM: Housed in a building that dates back to 1843, The Lyceum resides in what used to be a lecture hall visited by such historic figures as Henry David Thoreau and Alexander Graham Bell. Recently renovated and reopened, The Lyceum is an attractive, casual spot with exposed brick walls, working fireplaces, and a menu that features Mediterranean cuisine. Address: The Lyceum, 43 Church Street, Salem, MA, 01970.

“George Harrington established the original Lyceum Bar & Grill in 1989 in an historic former lecture hall made famous by the likes of Thoreau, Hawthorne, Emerson, and Alexander Graham Bell. Twenty years later, together with a new generation of partners and a new vision, another chapter of the Lyceum’s storied past begins: a classic bistro in historic Salem serving Mediterranean-inspired favorites in a contemporary yet casual atmosphere.”

DALYA’S, BEDFORD: A rustic old spot in a section of the Boston area filled with history, Dalya’s has the feel of a rural farmhouse (the structure dates back to 1850), with chandeliers, a working fireplace, and antiques giving its dining area a special charm. The menu at Dalya’s features mostly Mediterreanan and New American fare, including beef sirloin carpaccio, pappardelle with lobster, seafood stew, and lamb chops. Address: Dalya’s, 20 North Road, Bedford, MA, 01730.

The above restaurants give just a taste of what the Boston area has to offer in the way of restaurants with some history behind them. If you have any favorite historic restaurants in the Boston area, please feel free to comment on them here, thanks!

Dining review by Hidden Boston.

Roslindale and neighboring Jamaica Plain have some rather eclectic restaurants, including Geoffrey’s in the former and the Centre Street Cafe in the latter, and with the recent opening of the Jazz Cafe and Bar, you can now add one more offbeat place to Roslindale Village.

This unusual restaurant is interesting in a number of ways, from its wide array of foods to its maze-like atmosphere to its hidden back bar to its all-over-the-map music selection. But is the food good? Well, if our recent visit to the Jazz Cafe is any indication, the answer is a solid “yes.”

The Jazz Cafe and Bar is located just off of Roslindale Square in a space formerly occupied by NuVo, and before that, Gusto. The surprisingly large restaurant has several dining sections, including a couple of brightly lit areas in the front, a cozy and private-feeling room around the corner and further back, and a little bar still further back in the place which feels almost like someone’s living room. All kinds of music are piped into the Jazz Cafe, from top 40 to Creole to soft jazz and more. The menu is as varied and eclectic as the music selection, with Creole, Cajun, Haitian, American, and even Italian cuisine included.

On our recent visit to the Jazz Cafe, we were seated in the cozy room toward the back and started out by ordering, or I should say we tried to order a couple of beers–they were out of three options that we had picked from the menu, finally settling on beers that we weren’t all that crazy about having.

Along with our drinks, we started with a couple of fresh-tasting Caesar salads and were also given what can only be described as deep-fried red snapper turnovers. The turnovers were, to put it simply, outstanding, with a delicate, slightly nutty flavor coming from the fish and a crunchy exterior that had almost no grease even though they had been deep-fried.

Our entrees and sides, which soon came to us, were every bit as good as the red snapper turnovers. The fried pork, for instance, was heavenly, as the browned pieces of meat had a lot of fat attached (which imparted a ton of flavor), and the tomato-based dipping sauce added even more goodness to each chunk of pork. The fried shrimp (no batter, by the way) was also very satisfying, with tender and moist pieces of shrimp that came with the same tomato-based sauce. Our side order of rice and beans was impressive, though there were relatively few beans and the dark color of the rice made it look suspiciously like the fried rice you might order at a Chinese-American restaurant.

We had also ordered some onion rings, and they were pretty greasy, but these thickly-cut rings were so tasty that they were gone in seconds. One rather humorous side note–a group of people were seated next to us just as our dinners arrived, and they were so impressed by how our food looked that they more or less ordered exactly what we had, even pointing to some of the dishes and asking what they were.

The Jazz Cafe and Bar is like no other restaurant we have been to in the Boston area; between its quirky atmosphere and oddly put-together menu, this is perhaps not a restaurant for everybody. But I found it to be quite endearing, and on the way out I found myself wondering when I might be able to get back there again.

Well, hopefully it will be soon, as I do want to try some of the other interesting items on the menu (fried goat, stewed chicken, etc.). When we do return, we will be sure to post an update on the site, and who knows? If our next meal is as good as our last one, you may indeed see the Jazz Cafe and Bar being featured as a “hidden gem” at some point in the future.

Boston Restaurant Talk had this to say about Jazz Cafe, “The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, appears to feature mostly a mix of Haitian cuisine, American dishes, comfort food, pasta dishes, and Cajun/Creole fare. Thrillist mentions that the Jazz Cafe and Bar has seating for 90 in its five rooms, and it also has a patio.

The Washington Street spot where the Jazz Cafe and Bar now resides has been home to a couple of restaurants over the past few years, including the aforementioned NuVo restaurant and wine bar and the Northern Italian dining spot Gusto.”

For those who want the address for the Jazz Cafe, here it is: Jazz Cafe and Bar, 4174 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA 02131. The phone number is (617) 363-0202.

Dining Review Contributed by Hidden Boston.

Join DrinkBoston.com and four of the Boston bar scene’s rising talents at a cocktail party at Green Street on Sunday, March 14. Boston Bartenders on the Rise will showcase some of the men and women around town who are making a name for themselves with a combination of drink-mixing prowess, hospitality and character.

Each bartender will mix a favorite cocktail and spend some time mingling with the crowd, talking cocktails, spirits, bartending and matters of similar importance. Recipes are still under development, but there will be a range of ingredients and flavors to satisfy the discerning drinker. Call Green Street today to make your reservation. Here’s the lowdown:

Green Street, Sunday, March 14, 7:00 p.m.
Four cocktails, plus a special welcome punch
Passed appetizers
Tickets: $40
Reservations strongly suggested. Call 617-876-1655.

Carrie Cole of Craigie on Main started working in Boston restaurants when she moved to the Hub from Portland, Oregon, to attend Boston University. She started as a bartender, moved to cooking, became a pastry chef, then returned to the bar. After a stint at Sibling Rivalry, she was scooped up by Craigie on Main, where she is now senior bartender.

Evan Harrison of Deep Ellum hails from Sherman, Texas. While studying literature and philosophy at UMASS, he began learning classic cocktails and craft beer as principle bartender at the Independent in Somerville. Late last year, he crossed the river to join the staff at the cocktail/beer bar Deep Ellum in Allston.

Bob McCoy of Eastern Standard grew up in Middleton and started cooking in his uncle’s Malden restaurant when he was in high school. In college, he spent summers tending bar on Block Island, then moved to the Wild Horse Cafe in Beverly. After six years there, Bob was “looking for another opportunity, one that would take my profession to another level, and found it at Eastern Standard.”

Emily Stanley of Green Street entered the industry as soon as she turned 18 and left her hometown of Westford to study briefly at Suffolk University. She worked at Fire and Ice, Bukowski Tavern in Cambridge, Deep Ellum and Trina’s Starlite Lounge before nabbing her current position as bar manager of Green Street. Along the way, she went to school for esthetics and to be a personal trainer.

This is gonna be fun. Hope to see you there!

It is no secret that I am a big fan of gastropubs. They are often dark and moody (which I like in a place), but not overly dive-y, and typically have above average food and excellent beer lists. And for the most part, this could be an apt description of The Local, a casual restaurant and pub in West Newton that opened in late 2008, and one that we finally were able to check out for the first time recently.

The Local sits on the edge of the center of West Newton in a space that used to be home to a local bar called RJ Crowley’s. You can still sense the feel of the old neighborhood bar here, as it is dimly lit and made even darker by the black walls and wood paneling throughout (and the recessed lighting doesn’t seem to help a whole lot).

But The Local also has a clean, modern vibe, with an airy bar to the left, a fairly roomy dining area immediately to the right of the bar, and a quieter dining room further to the right that sits slightly below the rest of the place.

On our recent trip to The Local, we were seated in the middle area by the front windows and settled in, taking a look at the drink menu. I was actually a bit disappointed in the beer options available, as I had expected a more extensive list (the cocktail list actually seemed more interesting).

We ended up with a couple of very nice beers, however, including a light-tasting Ipswich Apricot Wheat and a somewhat heavier (and hoppier) Cisco Whale’s Tale. For starters, we ordered a bucket of fried pickles and another bucket of homemade potato chips. The pickles had a pleasantly sharp bite to them, and the spicy mayo further added a kick, but they weren’t quite up to the level of the outstanding fried pickles I have had at the Fat Cat in Quincy (one of my favorite gastropubs).

The chips were better, with many of them being slightly browned and especially crunchy, and all of them being nicely salted and seasoned–and the French onion dip was the perfect companion to them.

Our main entrees soon came, and with mostly positive results. The steak tips were delicious, with a slightly tangy marinade and little fat or gristle, but they had been ordered medium and they came out somewhere between rare and medium rare. The handcut fries were also a bit undercooked, though they were absolutely delicious and had just the right amount of salt.

The other dish–the macaroni and cheese with chives and truffle oil–was out of this world, with short, stubby pieces of macaroni (ditali, really) mixed with a thick, creamy sauce that had that wonderfully earthy and woody truffle taste (though it probably would have been even better with truffle butter, which is admittedly tough to find).

Alas, we had no room for dessert or even a cup of coffee or a tea. Prices were very reasonable, with the bill totaling less than $50, and service was about as perfect as can be, with our server being friendly, personable, knowledgeable, and efficient.

Our first visit to The Local was a pleasant and satisfying one (even with a few blips here and there), and it is certainly a place I want to try at least a few more times. I’m not sure if The Local is up to the level of the Fat Cat or the Highland Kitchen in Somerville (perhaps my favorite gastropub), but even if it isn’t, it seems mighty close.

For those who want the address for The Local, here it is: The Local, 1391 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02465. The phone number is (617) 340-2160.

Dining Review Contributed by Hidden Boston.

All the health experts say that 1 drink a day keeps the doctor away. However, too much drinking can make you fat. Alcohol does have calories, but if you know how to pick and choose you can stay fit and happily tipsy. Lauren Clark, founder of Drink Boston summed up the whole topic quite well:

“A fellow drinker said recently, “I just discovered you should never input your drinks into a calorie-counter app. No wonder I look like Santa Claus.”

Boozing makes you fat, right? Yes. No. Maybe. When it comes to alcohol and body weight, things get weird. That’s according to the scientific and medical literature out there on the web — a confusing hodgepodge of sites looking at alcohol consumption mostly from fitness, diet or addiction perspectives, or sites representing incompatible agendas, i.e. MADD vs the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, or the NIH vs the BATF.

Of course, there are plenty of dense scientific articles on PubMed, but making sense of those and coming to any useful, real-world conclusions is a task I would only undertake for a lot of money.

In a way, it seems simple: alcohol has calories, and if you consume too many calories without burning them, you’ll gain weight. It’s funny how many people don’t realize that alcohol itself, aside from sugary mixers or carbs in beer, is calorie-rich.

In fact, pure ethanol has 7 calories per gram compared to 4 for carbs and protein and 9 for fat. Of course, we don’t drink pure ethanol; we drink drinks. So here are some more relevant numbers based on the caloric content of various alcoholic beverages (according to CalorieKing) and recipes that represent the sort of cocktails that drinkbostonians are likely to consume.

Fort Point (among the many “Manhattan variations” out there): 2 oz rye whiskey, 1/2 oz Punt E Mes, 1/4 oz Benedictine: 174 calories.
Margarita: 2 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, 3/4 oz lime juice: 223 calories.
Martini: 2 oz gin, 1 oz vermouth: 173 calories.
Gin and tonic: 143 calories.
Now, for comparison’s sake …

Coca Cola (12 oz): 143 calories.
Narragansett (12 oz): 152 calories.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine (12 oz, 10% abv): 330 calories.
Red or white Wine (5 oz): roughly 120-130 calories.

So, if you take the generic, 2,000-calorie daily intake on which standard nutrition labels are based, and you add up the two Fort Points, three glasses of wine, and beer nightcap you might consume on a night off — roughly 875 calories — you have 1125 calories left for food if you want to avoid gaining weight. Which means eating like a supermodel without any of the financial benefits. Depressed yet?

But wait. “Scientists have not been able to tie alcohol consumption consistently to weight gain,” according to this article on ShapeFit. Huh? It continues, “Researchers have also found that heavy drinking reduces body fat, but still others point to evidence that it raises the risk of becoming overweight or obese. There may never be a simple answer, since there are so many variables.”

Oh, those pesky variables. You’ve got to, for instance, stack up your eating patterns against your drinking patterns. Do you tend to eat — and eat a little more than you normally would — whenever you go out drinking? Or does your boozing often replace food and other types of caloric beverages?

Also: Are you genetically programmed to be an alcohol-metabolizing machine? And perhaps the peskiest variable of all explaining why there “may never be a simple answer” to what role alcohol plays in weight gain: “People in studies are prone to under-report how much they drink, rendering many findings unreliable.”

Ah, yes. Under-reporting one’s booze intake is a rich, American tradition. It’s not surprising, given that our official definition of “drinking in moderation” is one drink per day for women, two for men. That’s not moderate, that’s puritanical.

It’s like when nutritionists say that a serving of meat should be no bigger than a deck of cards. Oh, I guess that means I’m splitting this porterhouse steak with my date, plus the family of four sitting next to us.

My advice? Ditch the calorie-counting app, get some exercise, and pick up the recently reissued Drinking Man’s Diet, originally published in 1964. The guy who wrote it, Robert Cameron, died slender last year at age 98.”

If the Greater Boston area could only be known for one type of meal it would be pizza! Perhaps nowhere on earth are there more colleges, more slices devoured, and more pizza dough tossed than in the Greater Boston area.

“I have been to Town Spa Pizza in Stoughton several times over the years, and like more than a few people, I felt like their bar pizza started going downhill after being considered one of the best south of Boston for a long time.

Well, the quality may actually be back, as a few of us did a takeout order of several of their pizzas about a week ago, and it was some of the best bar pizza that I’ve had in a long time.

With our recent order of Town Spa bar pies, we mostly stuck to simple toppings (which is a good thing to do when you’re talking about bar pizza).

Both the plain pizza and the pepperoni pizza were nearly perfect, with a greasy mix of golden brown cheese on top that extended all the way to the edge of the slightly oily and bendable crust, and a zesty, rich sauce that wasn’t loaded too heavily on the pizza as to overwhelm the taste of the cheese or crust.

As is the case with typical bar pies, the pizzas were small, making it easy to finish a whole one (and then some) individually.

It is possible that we just hit Town Spa on a good night, but I’ll go with the benefit of the doubt and say that this probably isn’t the case, especially since I have heard from a few people that their pizza does seem to be up there in quality once again.

I’m not sure it’s quite at the level of the Lynwood Cafe in Randolph (often considered the best of the best for bar pizza), but the pies we had the other night really didn’t seem all that far behind.

If you would like the address for Town Spa Pizza, here it is: Town Spa Pizza, 1119 Washington Street (Route 138), Stoughton, MA 02072. The phone number is (781) 344-2030.”

Review contributed by Hidden Boston.

It’s Super Bowl time again and Kerry Saretsky at French Revolution has given us some great recipes that combines the best of fine dining, home cooking, and ‘Super Bowl Grub’.

“I admit it. I’m not a football fan. But I am an eater, and so that makes Super Bowl Sunday one of the best days of the year. Did you know that today is the number one avocado consumption day of the year?

Instead of guacamole, or last year’s avocado chevre dip (which I still make regularly), this year I am frying avocado and zucchini in a seltzer batter and serving it with tarragon-laden green goddess dressing. And to go with my garden of fries, traditional old chicken wings–except they’ve gone French. I fry chicken drummettes (you could bake as well) and toss them with a sticky glaze of honey and Dijon and old-fashioned grain mustards.

They are sweet and spicy and sticky but a bit more soigne than regular buffalo wings. And I hope your team wins. Because, as usual, I’m bringing the food. But I don’t know who’s playing!”

Click here for the Honey Dijon Chicken Drummettes recipe.
Click here for the Avocado and Zucchini Fries with Green Goddess Dip recipe.

Recipes Contributed by French Revolution Founder Kerry Saretsky

If anyone knows the Boston area Restaurant scene it has to be the folks over at Boston’s Hidden Restaurants. One of the site’s founders recently spoke about life over the last 6 years.

“The Boston’s Hidden Restaurants site is nearly six years old now, but there are still a number of restaurants that I haven’t been back to since the site first got going. And one of those places is a family-friendly spot in Wrentham called Nicky’s, which I had probably last been to about ten years ago.

Before returning last weekend, what I had recalled of Nicky’s was a comfortable, low-key restaurant with cheap and hearty comfort food, and my recent visit to the place surely didn’t do anything to change that memory.

Nicky’s is located a short distance west of Wrentham Center on Route 140 (across from Lake Archer). It feels like it is in the middle of nowhere, giving it the overall vibe of a classic roadside restaurant. The interior of Nicky’s has a counter section (with seats) by the front entrance and two partitioned dining areas with the one furthest to the left being more bright and cheery, thanks to light coming in from the windows. An outdoor patio that is used during the warmer months sits off to the left of the restaurant.

A number of us went to Nicky’s on my most recent trip, with all kinds of items being ordered. Some highlights included a clam chowder that was not overly rich (thanks to the thin broth) and had a lot of clams; a turkey dinner that had all white meat (on request) and came with a deliciously clumpy stuffing and creamy mashed potatoes; an outstanding baked haddock that was flaky and had no waste to it; a classic raspberry lime rickey that had a perfect mix of sweet and tangy flavors; and a homemade blueberry pie that was substantial enough to be a meal in itself.

There were a few low points, however, including an overly salty and thin beef vegetable soup that had rather mushy veggies, and a grapenut pudding that was perhaps a tad too sweet and much too watery (the bottom half of the serving bowl was all water). Prices were more than reasonable, and service was prompt, efficient, and friendly.

Overall, our visit to Nicky’s was a satisfying one; if the restaurant were closer to Boston, I would probably go there more often, but ten years between visits does seem a bit excessive. My guess is, I’ll be back well before the year 2020, and with a little luck, maybe even sometime this year.

For those who want the address for Nicky’s, here it is: Nicky’s, 460 Franklin Street, Wrentham, MA 02093. The phone number is (508) 384-8283.”

Dining Reviews Contributed by Hidden Boston

Rigatoni, Horseradish Crusted Salmon, Hanger Steak Bordelaise. These are all mouth watering terms that make Metropolis one of Boston’s finest restaurant establishments. With such a wide variety of fine dining Metropolis is sure satisfy all appetites.

“The South End of Boston has been known as a real hot spot for dining over the years, with a mix of trendy places, high-end restaurants, and ethnic spots offering all kinds of options for diners.

I have been to a number of places in the neighborhood, but for some reason I never got over to the Metropolis Cafe on Tremont Street even though I have probably walked by it more than 100 times. Well, we finally did check out this casual, upscale eatery (which is part of the Aquitaine Group) a couple of weeks ago, and were greatly impressed by the food there.

Located on one of the main thoroughfares of the South End, the Metropolis Cafe is a small place (like so many other restaurants in the neighborhood), with dining areas to the left and right of the door and a wine bar in the middle with a few seats. The feel of Metropolis is generally cozy and seductive, though the romantic ambiance is offset a bit by the relatively high noise level and tight seating.

Candlelit tables, deep red walls, large windows looking out over the street, and an ancient-looking mosaic tile floor add a lot of character to the space. The menu focuses on Mediterranean cuisine (including French and Italian dishes), with perhaps a bit of a lean toward New American fare.

After munching on some fresh bread with roasted garlic and sipping on some hefeweizen beer, we ordered a couple of soups and our entrees. The soups were wonderful, with the hearty butternut squash bisque bursting flavor and the roasted chestnut soup having a mix of sweet and earthy tastes. Our meals arrived a few minutes after we finished our soups, and one of the entrees turned out to be perhaps one of the five best dishes I’ve in the past year or so.

It is difficult to describe how good the bucatini carbonara was, with its delightfully chewy hollowed-out pasta combining with egg, cheese, and pork to produce an almost impossibly rich-tasting dish.

The creamy chicken and mushroom risotto was also an impressive entree, though the chicken had a little too much gristle for my liking. Service was businesslike but efficient, while prices really weren’t all that bad for the kind of food we had (nothing on the menu is more than $20).

The year is young, but the bucatini carbonara that we tried at the Metropolis Cafe will likely be among the best dishes of 2010 for me, with the soups being not too far behind. This will definitely be a place I’ll be returning to soon, perhaps trying the weekend brunch the next time around.

For those who want the address for the Metropolis Cafe, here it is: Metropolis Cafe, 584 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02118. The phone number is (617) 247-2931.

Of course anyone just has to do a quick Google search and read a few of the raving reviews to know that this restaurant is a must visit.”

Reviewer
“Love Metropolis. Love the food. There’s a real heart beating at that restaurant.”

Reviewer
“We had a 6:30pm reservation and the restaurant was quiet. The hostess was warm and welcoming and the wait staff was really helpful. The prixe fix menu offered a great selection as well and the food was delicious. Perfect for a cold winter night.”

Reviewer
“This was a wonderful experience- casual but romantic…& the maitre d’e honored my request for a quiet table !!! The food was great…& pleasant service!!”

Story contributed by Boston area restaurant guide Hidden Boston.