1. In July, Boston slugger David Ortiz, a.k.a. “Big Papi,” opened casual restaurant Big Papi’s Grille in Framingham. The 45-foot bar is lined with flat-screen TVs and memorabilia chronicling Ortiz’s years with the Red Sox. A private dining room seats 60 and a semiprivate space seats 20.
2. In May, quirky independent venue Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way Lounge moved to a new space in Jamaica Plain. The high-ceilinged venue features sci-fi wall murals, 3-D stars over red leather booths, and video games along the U-shaped quartz bar. A private room holds 40 and is available for events Sunday through Wednesday.
3. Casual eatery Blue Ox opened in Lynn in April and quickly drew a following for chef Matt O’Neil’s menu of fresh pastas and American-Mediterranean entrées. A private dining room seats 50. On Sundays and Mondays, the 125-seat main dining room is available for buyouts.
4. Contemporary Cuban art gallery Galeria Cubana has operated in Provincetown for the past three summers and expanded to a year-round Boston branch in March 2009. Set in the South End’s rapidly developing “SoWa” (South of Washington) district, the 700-square-foot venue is a simple, white-walled space that holds 60 for receptions.
