There aren’t a lot of rock clubs out there where eating sounds immediately like a great idea. Music venues are generally known for their germy surfaces, sticky floors, and stale and sundry effluvia. Not the types of places where you’d linger over oysters—if those are, indeed, oysters.
So: Let us not take Boston’s ample sampling of food-friendly venues for granted, and don’t underestimate the hedonistic one-two punch of dinner and a show. What follows is a slew of spots that spotlight local music while serving up serious grub. Allow a half hour of digestion time before attempting to dance.
THE BEEHIVE
Within the capacious underbelly of the Boston Center for the Arts, the Beehive has captured much buzz as the snazziest spot on the block. Local and regional acts of all jazz genres set up on a great oriental rug (the “stage”), while diners chillax in the cozy brick-and-wood, crystal-chandeliered space. With its woodblock-print aesthetic, the joint radiates a breezy classiness, and the menu offerings follow suit: Munch on a bunch of bacon ($6), sample some rum-braised duck salad ($13), or let it go with the Bohemian platter of chef’s picks ($21). Lest bottles be counter to the whole casual-swank vibe, wine is available by the glass or the carafe; for the thirsties, a healthy lineup of Brooklyn beer is on tap. For those shy of the bitter Italian spirit, the house Negroni ($10) pits Plymouth gin and sweet vermouth with a less-harsh-than-Campari Aperol. And as the evening creeps through the syrupy swelter of Boston’s summer, seek refreshment in the Beehive Julep ($10): an elixir that mixes honey, citrus juice and two different types of rum. Smooth. [CL]
[541 Tremont St., Boston. 617.423.0069. beehiveboston.com]
CANTAB LOUNGE
At the Cantab, manager chef Frank Thomas (formerly of beloved Tim’s Tavern) keeps things lip-smackin’ while the stage is, uh, bass-slappin’. An old-school façade tucked amidst an increasingly spiffy Central Square, the lounge is a haven for bluegrass, soul, jazz and singer-songerwriter acts. The menu hosts a smattering of suppers and snacks—the mozzarella sticks ($5.95) and onion rings ($3.95) are happy-greasy starters—but the burgers ($5.50-$7.95) are undoubtedly the standout. Oozing with beefaliciousness, the hand-formed half-pound patty (dare for medium-rare) proves flavorful, juicy and irresistibly succulent. Chef Thomas knows his meat: This is how a burger should be. Despite its cozy atmosphere and legendary rep, Cantab remains inarguably a dive. Draped with strings of twinkly lights, the lounge clusters seats near the modest stage while a lottery machine, Golden Tee and ATM (cash only, folks) nestle in the rear. You can count on the familiar characters puttering about, nursing their pints, watching the game. Here, everyone is welcome, a no-frills holdover where Cantabrigians—for once—can let down their hair. [CL]
[738 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.354.2685. cantab-lounge.com]
MATT MURPHY’S PUB
Dark, intimate Matt Murphy’s has built a reputation on advancing traditional Irish pub fare. Though the dishes sound like the usual done-to-death standards—shepherd’s pie, fish and chips—the execution is heaps more ingenious than the usual seissun snack. Highlights at the Brookline Village jazz nook include a crock of shepherd’s pie ($18) that is a formidable feat to finish, heaped with tender braised marinated lamb, a medley of root vegetables and a crisped mashed potato pillow on top. “Steak and Spuds” ($20) features a juicy, bone-on pub-style steak in stout sauce with beer-soaked onion rings. Murphy’s hits a high note with their fish and chips ($14), among the area’s absolute best, paired with the pub’s chutney-like homemade ketchup. Greg Guerman, found behind the bar or tending to tables, points to the oxtail, beef and barley soup ($8), and the endive salad with candied walnuts and grain mustard ($8) as popular picks. The soundtrack to your meal in these cozy quarters ranges from drum & bass, classic jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat and beyond. But hit the ATM first—Matt Murphy’s is cash-only. [LC]
[14 Harvard St., Brookline Village. 617.232.0188. mattmurphyspub.com]
MIDDLESEX
Because of its understated signage, during the day, you could easily pass by Middlesex with complete oblivion. However, come nighttime, you can’t miss the place: the superslick electronic beats—like Heartthrob’s electro-dance nights and Sosolimited’s video and turntable performances—and throngs of hipsters pooling onto the sidewalk are a dead giveaway. If you’re peckish, plunk yourself down on a velvety bench-on-wheels (whee!) and get to work. Since you’re probably rockin’ with your posse, the Formaggio cheese plate ($12) is ace for sharing, with french bread, chunks o’ cheese and a slab of sweet-sticky walnut honey paste. The kitchen triumphs with pan-international bite-sized chow: “Ten Tiny Tacos” ($8), shrimp shumai ($5), jerk chicken sticks ($6.50) and porcini ravioli ($9) all play nicely together. Pop a Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale, guzzle an Illy coffee, and get your buzzed ass back on the dancefloor. [CL]
[315 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.868.6739. middlesexlounge.com]
MILKY WAY LOUNGE & LANES
When you upgrade your bowling style from “bumper” to “candlepin,” it’s also time to trade in your Teddy Grahams for chipotle crab cakes. The Milky Way Lounge & Lanes, via the kitchen of sister restaurant Bella Luna, aims to deliver a new league of bar food. Italianesque comfort chow fuels sweaty dancefloor action in this underground neighborhood clubhouse; spot Le Tigre, Township and Project Move onstage. Check the mini-meatball subs ($3), spinach-and-garlic ravioli ($8) and trademark thin-crust pizza. Ben Sisto, Milky Way’s newly minted booking and promo guy, says the menu caters easily to his vegetarian persuasions and boasts “the best pizza I have ever had” (in reference to the Dierdre Deluxe, a white pizza with sweetened cranberries, gorgonzola and caramelized onions). “People freaking love the pulled pork sandwich,” he adds, which is (at $11) a bundle of cola-braised pork, red onions and herbed mayonnaise on grilled ciabatta with hand-cut fries. Note the new tapas menu at the bar, with offerings from chili-cheddar hot dogs ($4) to black pepper pommes frites with curry aioli ($3). [LC]
[403-405 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.3740. milkywayjp.com]
RYLES JAZZ CLUB
With lamps aglow upon a multitude of framed jazz photographs, Ryles exudes class. Mellow sophisticates flock to this Inman Square institution for the prominent lineup of blues, jazz and world music, while feisty young thangs queue up for Latin dance nights. To fuel the energy needs of all this action, Mitch’s Traditional BBQ steps in with a fiery Southern-inspired menu. For a proper dose of Southern snackage, pair the sweet potato french fries ($4.95)—a salty profusion served in an upright paper cone—with a bottle of Louisiana-brewed Abita Turbodog Dark Brown Ale. The Maryland crab cakes ($8.95), formed in-house, are bursting with sweet crabmeat and go down easy with a simple spritz of lemon (the accompanying chipotle sauce is a tad overkill). And since we know you like it messy, the slew of barbecue platters, sandwiches, shrimp and ribs come sassily sauced, and thankfully supplemented with a stack of extra napkins. And should your need to unwind arise over the weekend, there’s nothing that a snappy Bloody Mary over jazz brunch can’t cure. [CL]
[212 Hampshire St., Inman Sq., Cambridge. 617.876.9330. rylesjazz.com]
ZUZU
Tucked inconspicuously between the two main rooms of the venerable Middle East (the granddaddy of eat-in music venues), ZuZu has maintained its role as the artsy cousin to the main club. The menu takes the stronger points of the Middle East’s largely Lebanese fare and boldly ushers them into Latin territory—and it’s more than just plantains and hummus: Moroccan garden couscous ($13) sits comfortably next to a Latin grilled pork loin ($13); spicy pita chips are as naturally suited to pico de gallo as to baba ganooj; and familiar tapas meet their lesser-known mazza counterparts. Of course, the appearance of ZuZu on the block didn’t just supply local musicians another stage to drag their gear onto—in fact, it didn’t even supply them a stage. The greatest of ZuZu’s accomplishments (momentarily putting aside their $15 ZuZu PuPu Platter of chicken brik, spinach dumplings, kibbeh and more) is the way their simple, festive space opened the scene’s ears to free-form programming—whether we’re talking the Friday night DJ grab bag of SOLID!, the sweaty Saturday throwdown that is Soul-le-lu-jah or the frequent scaled-down performances from local and national DJs and bands. [MB]
