1. Boston is buzzing about Beehive, an arty, two-level restaurant inside the Boston Center for the Arts. Chef Adam Halberg serves what he calls a "bohemian rustic" menu, and a live jazz band performs nightly. The space, which opened in May 2007, features three semiprivate rooms and can hold as many as 300 guests for a private event.
2. Just down the block from Beehive, the intimate Pops Restaurant serves upscale comfort food in a casual, neighborhood setting. Open since February 2007, the airy greenhouse dining room overlooks a private garden and seats 20 guests for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Larger groups can book the entire 48-seat restaurant.
3. Chef Tom Fosnot crafted a menu inspired by cuisine from the Italian Riviera for Rocca Kitchen and Bar, which opened in April 2007 in a spacious former factory. Rocca's private event room seats 50 guests alongside luminous floor-to-ceiling windows, while the private dining room setas 12 and features a 57-inch flat-screen television for presentations or viewings.
4. Not getting left behind in the rush to the South End is popular modern Italian restaurant Sage. The bustling dining room relocated from the North End in May 2007; its brand-new 50-plus-seat space is decked with chandeliers and tapestry-covered banquettes. Sage also caters events outside of the restaurant for as many as 80 people.
This information was previously published in the 2008 BizBash National Venue Guide.
