what to do U where to go U what to see August 24–September 6, 2009 NORTH END GUIDE PLUS: Boston Comedy Festival Cirque du Soleil PGA Golf at TPC Boston NEW WEB bostonguide.com now iPhone and Windows® smartphone compatible! Johanna Baruch G:8:EI>DC L>I= I=: 6GI>HI H:E EB 6GI :M=>7>I H:E ID D8I oyster perpetual gmt-master ii CJB>CDJH D>A DC E6C:A 60" M 44" European Fine Arts Furnishings, Murano Glass, Sculptures, Paintings, Leather, Chess Sets, Capodimonte Porcelain OFFICIALROLEXJEWELER ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL AND GMT-MASTER II ARE TRADEMARKS. H:K:CIN C>C: C:L7JGN HIG::I s 7DHIDC B6HH68=JH:IIH telephone s LLL <6AA:G>6;ADG:CI>6 8DB DAVID YURMAN JOHN HARDY MIKIMOTO PATEK PHILIPPE STEUBEN PANERAI TOBY POMEROY CARTIER IPPOLITA ALEX SEPKUS BUCCELLAITI BAUME & MERCIER HERMES MIKIMOTO contents l Jew icia e ff le r O COVER STORY 10 The North End CAFFE ITALIANO: Alahna savors a leisurely cappuccino at Our guide to Boston’s beloved Caffe Pompei in the North End. Italian neighborhood Refer to story, page 10. PHOTOBY J O N AT H A N D AISY DEPARTMENTS 8 hubbub St. Anthony’s Feast 18 calendar of events 20 exploring boston 20 SIGHTSEEING 31 FREEDOM TRAIL 33 NEIGHBORHOODS 47 MAPS 54 around the hub 54 CURRENT EVENTS 62 ON EXHIBIT 66 SHOPPING 73 NIGHTLIFE 76 DINING on the cover: Alahna of Model Club Inc. enjoys some seafood, Italian-style, at Ristorante Saraceno in the North End. Photo: Jonathan Daisy. Hair and make-up: Paula Tierney of A Matter of Face, 425 Hanover St., 617-742-5874. PANERAI TTAG HEUER CARTIER ALEX SEPKUS BUCCELLAITI HARRY KOTLAR HEREND HERMES MIKIMOTO IPPOLITA PENNY PREVILLE ROBERTO COIN MARCO BICEGO IPPOLITA HEREND ___ BOSTONGUIDE.COM 5 The Official Guide to BOSTON www.bostonguide.com August 24–September 6, 2009 Volume 59 • Number 7 Tim Montgomery • PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Josh B. Wardrop • EDITOR Scott Roberto • ART DIRECTOR Sharon Hudak Miller • PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jonathan Daisy, Kate Fraiman, Della Huff, Christopher Weigl • CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kristen Berke, Amelia Mason, Emma Snider • EDITORIAL INTERNS Jacolyn Ann Firestone • VICE PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING Nancy O’Rourke • ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Rita A. Fucillo • DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Heidi Chung, Nicole Moy, Laura A. Norton, Ian Randall • SALES AND MARKETING INTERNS Paul Hurst • NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES HURST & ASSOCIATES, INC. 800-397-8908 • [email protected] Peter Ng • INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Melissa J. O’Reilly • BUSINESS MANAGER Tyler J. Montgomery • OPERATIONS MANAGER Jerome Rosenfeld • CHAIRMAN EMERITUS PANORAMA is published bi-weekly by New Venture Media Group LLC. Editorial and advertising offices at 332 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210. Telephone (617) 423-3400. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission of the publisher. PANORAMA is a member of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, The Back Bay Association, The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Boston Concierge Association, the Harvard Square Business Association, the Newbury Street League, the South End Business Alliance, the North End Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Crossing Association. a magazine affiliate ___ ___ 6 PANORAMA BOSTONGUIDE.COM 7 HUB BUBby Josh B. Wardrop 4HE SHOPPING 4HE DINING 4HE BEST OF IT ALL A Feast for the Senses nearly century-old tradition returns to the neighborhood of the North End from &2%% &AMILY -OVIES A August 28–30, as Boston’s Italian-Catholic community welcomes guests to crowd s 3UMMER 3ATURDAYS THROUGHOUT !UGUST ON 3OUTH 'ARDEN Endicott Street for the 90th annual Saint Anthony’s Feast. s %NTERTAINMENT STARTS AT 0- &ILMS START AT SUNDOWN This jubilant celebration of San Antonio di Padova da Montefalcione—beloved around the world as the patron saint of travelers, seekers of lost articles, expectant mothers and s &OR MOVIE LISTINGS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE the poor—is one of the most famous of the traditional feasts and processions that fill the streets of the North End all summer long (refer to listing, page 59). Beginning Friday evening, the Feast draws revelers in for two full days of musical performances, dancing, cooking demonstrations, food vendors (selling everything from sausage to calamari to handmade Italian pastries and candy), games and amusements, and religious observations. The centerpiece of the event comes Sunday beginning at noon, when a statue of Saint Anthony—generally adorned with strings of donated dollar bills attached to it—begins a long procession through the streets of the North End. For 10 hours, volunteers carry St. Anthony through the streets, accompanied by Italian street bands, drum and bugle corps, school marching bands, a color guard and sponsor floats as confetti, streamers and balloons cascade over the procession from windows and rooftops above. Each year, thousands of visitors attend Saint Anthony’s Feast, making it not only the largest of the North End feasts, but one of Boston’s biggest summer events. Celebrated DESTINATION EXTRAORDINARY much the same today as it was in the beginning, the Feast offers not only a vibrant oppor- tunity to enjoy food, family and faith, but is a living testament to the history and culture "ACK"AY\3(/0025\WWWPRUDENTIALCENTERCOM of Boston’s oldest neighborhood. For a closer look at Boston’s “Little Italy,” refer to the feature story on page 10. ___ "OSTON $UCK 4OURS \ (ARU \ 6INEYARD 6INES \ 3EPHORA \ ,EGAL 3EA &OODS 8 PANORAMA ABOVEPHOTOCOURTESYOF E AST C OAST A S S O C I AT E S The North End Our guide to Boston’s beloved Italian neighborhood by Josh B. Wardrop HISTORY House (the narrowest house in Boston, As the oldest neighborhood in one of the just 10.4 feet wide at its widest point). nation’s oldest cities (residential develop- ment began in earnest in the early 1700s), DINING Boston’s North End carries with it quite a After a stretch of 60 years during which the bit of history—a key attraction for the North End was primarily Irish (1840–1870) throngs of visitors that fill up the neigh- and then Jewish (1870–1900), Italian immi- borhood all year round. The grants began flowing into the neighborhood Freedom Trail (refer to listings, at the turn of the 20th century. From that pages 31 & 32)—the Hub’s popular attrac- point onward, the neighborhood has tion comprised of the most notable archi- remained predominantly Italian, with that tectural landmarks from Boston’s Colonial culture informing days—makes three stops in the North End. every part of daily life The Paul Revere House (where in the North End— A WELCOMING GLOW: Many iconic neon signs, such the famous patriot lived from 1770–1800), most noticeably, to as the one at Regina Pizza on the Old North Church (where the casual visitor, Thacher Street (opposite), beckon the renowned “one if by land, two if by from a culinary diners to sample the delicious Italian fare available throughout sea” lanterns hung the night of Revere’s perspective. the North End. Midnight Ride) and Copp’s Hill Virtually all of the Burying Ground (the second restaurants in the North End—and there are cemetery built in Boston) all draw crowds close to 100 of them in the borough’s less than of history buffs, while some of the North two-square-mile radius—are Italian. While End’s less explored, but no less fascinat- that would seem to make choosing between ing, historical landmarks and stories are them difficult, there is actually a stunning revealed to those who take local historian amount of diversity among these eateries: Guild Nichols’ North End man, after all, cannot live on red sauce alone. Secret Tours (refer to listing, page Taranta (210 Hanover St., 617-720- 26). Nichols shows visitors the birthplace 0052) melds traditional Italian flavors with of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, takes them to the Peruvian food that Chef Jose Duarte grew the Mariners’ House (still active up with; Mare (135 Richmond St., 617- to this day as a boarding house for former 723-MARE) uses only all-natural and organic and current-day sailors) and tells the story ingredients to craft a healthy Italian menu of the quirky and delightful Skinny focusing on seafood dishes; Grezzo (69 ___ OPPOSITEPHOTOBY D ELLA H UFF BOSTONGUIDE.COM 11 Prince St., 857-362-7288) is perhaps the Those in need of a laugh after a long, rare vantage point for enjoying Boston. Or most radical concept this distinctly Old hard day have the North End’s resident take a trip even further back in the North World neighborhood has seen yet—a masters of mirth and merriment, End’s history, to its 19th-century days as vegan, raw food take on Italian cuisine. Improv Asylum (refer to listing, an Irish neighborhood at Goody These new variations on the genre flourish page 55), to put smiles on their faces. These Glover’s (50 Salem St., 617-367-6444), alongside such longstanding traditionalist creative comedians offer hilarious, interac- a Celtic pub that specializes in well- venues as Mother Anna’s tive and often made-up-on-the-spot shows poured pints and good old-fashioned craic (221 Hanover St., 617-523-8496) and La that are never the same twice, and always (festive conversation and celebration). Famiglia Giorgio (112 Salem St., guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles. Since 2003, smoking has been banned 617-367-6711) and modern upscale Italian If you’re the type who prefers to make in most Boston nightspots, but those eateries like Tresca (refer to listing, your own laughs with friends, then there’s who love cigars have a few places where page 90), Artu (refer to listing, page 89), no better way to do that than in a local they can seek asylum.