The end of the year is a time for sitting back and remembering what made it great. Around town, manic boozy brunches were created. Seafood and dessert became one. And, of course, UD Boston burst onto the scene, revolutionizing your life forever. Here now, the best of 2009…
Spring may be a time of renewal on our planet, but summer saw the birth of a new breed of maritime dessert, one fusing mango, fresh lobster, butterscotch and about a pound of butter into one furious new form of gelato. Next up: caviar brownies.
Call 2009 the year of the cougar. And with so much overpopulation of this special breed of animal in Boston, a new club was formed, aimed specifically at hunting them down in their natural habitat. Which turned out to be Abe & Louie's in the Back Bay.
After a drought in new nightclub openings, Splash finally arrived and offered you a new leathery lounge with killer burgers, Miami-ish vibes, and a rooftop bar with cabanas and a fountain. The only drawback was that it all happened in fall. Here's to next summer.
With the economy about to force us back to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, Savenor's expanded its dealings with game reserves, making you privy to exotic meats like bear cutlets, python filets and the occasional piece of lion. And your inner caveman rejoiced.
Before Brian Poe came along, you had to get your alcohol and your breakfast in separate bites. Now, vodka, eggs, bourbon and bacon come together in one glorious creation: Bloody Mary Eggs Benedict With Bourbon Bacon. A great new way to soak up Saturday night.
Because everyone loves a secret underground speakeasy, the new bar and restaurant Symphony 8 opted to transform its subterranean lair into something right out of "Smooth Criminal." A set of rules and a secret entrance through a sliding bookcase solidified the clandestine feel…until a Facebook listing immediately killed it.
Lord Hobo opened to the promise of being the next great Cambridge beer bar, with over 40 beers on tap and some cask-ale pumps for good measure. While the interior of the former B-Side Lounge was overhauled, the famously funky exterior remained untouched, resulting in a great sigh of relief from Cambridge hipsters.
Good Life Bar launched a series of secret parties, where they literally tossed you the keys to the place and encouraged you to invite your friends. Inside, you found ladies in skimpy Puma gear, epic DJ battles and plenty of wild drinks. Here's hoping for more of this in 2010.
Rumors swirled all summer that a new Italian tapas bar from the guys behind Toro was on the way, and after plenty of false openings, it finally—finally—opened. The fried risotto balls and house-cured meats began to flow soon after…in a pub no bigger than your first apartment.
