For dinner and a show (or drinks and some shopping), these three restaurants-slash-boutiques-slash-clubs offer multiple spaces under one roof.
1. Achilles/Persephone opened in the seaport district in February 2008. The front of the space, Achilles, is a boutique filled with high-end men’s and women’s clothing on movable racks suspended from the ceiling. (The racks can be pushed aside for events.) The back of the space houses Persephone, a sleek lounge and restaurant featuring chef Michael Leviton’s hearty, rustic dishes like roasted bone marrow and duck egg en cocotte. For events, the 65-seat dining space and the boutique can be bought out separately or together, with a combined capacity of 200.
2. A law-themed restaurant near the Quincy Courthouse, the Jury Room opened in June 2008, offering two distinct spaces. The 50-seat bar has bold black-and-orange decor and a full menu loaded with courthouse references. (Drinks include the Caveat Emptor, and sandwiches include Double Jeopardy and Beyond Reasonable Doubt.) The adjoining 99-seat dining room has a more sophisticated vibe, with a separate Scotch bar and a menu that includes dry-aged steaks.
3. Open since October 2007 near Fenway Park, Church combines a bistro and a rock club, both of which can be rented out for events. The 80-seat restaurant refers to its name with stained-glass windows, velvet drapes, and a “Seven Deadly Sins” cocktail list. The seasonal New American menu features dishes like crispy chicken and baked local cod. The adjoining music venue holds 250 and has two pool tables, four plasma TVs, a stage, and a hand-painted bar that seats 25.
This information was previously published in the 2009 BizBash National Venue Guide.