An eclectic mixture of art and cuisine, Boston's South End eatery "The Beehive" is a funky conglomerate of culture. Most Bostonians will recognize the outside of the restaurant as the old "Cyclorama" and immediately feel a wave of nostalgia standing outside the restaurant, checking out the artists who cross the path. But once you're in The Beehive it's an entirely other world.
The designers did a great job of putting this place together. Red velvet drapes swoon the eating areas and larger-than-life murals hang in the shadow of antique chandeliers and sky lights. The bar area (where we were seated as a table of six) was open and easy to maneuver. The other seating areas were slightly more intimate, but no matter where you were seated you were not seated on top of the table next to you. (Of course, it's not always a bad things to sit so close to strangers, but when you're eating it can get a little messy.)
And speaking of the food...
Portions, people, portions! If you're on a diet, immediately ask for a take-home bag when your order arrives and put half of your meal away. The chef's don't skimp at this eatery. The menu items range from burgers and pastas to plates of pate, so there's something for everyone. Check out our friend The Missus' pork chop. We ordered the grilled artichokes to start and they were grilled to near perfection -- not too charred, not too soggy. For an entree I chose the baked pollenta, spinach, rataouille and ricotta and the only disappointing thing about it was that I couldn't finish. The pollenta was perfectly grilled and the rataouille was pure chunks of vegetables (and not a puree). Others at the table ordered paella, pasta and burgers, and one of my dining companions even went so far as to proclaim, "This is the best burger I've ever had in my life."
The only unfortunate part of our dining experience was the odd man who kept walking past our table and eyeing us as if we were about to take off with the silverware. We're not sure who he was (at best guess he was a manager), or why we might have looked suspicious, but if enjoying yourself at dinner is a crime then consider me guilty. (p.s. if the strange man is reading this, please note that it's not polite to stare at people when they eat).
Overall, the hive is a great place to hang.
2 comments:
Whoa! You are a victim of the dreaded Newport Creamery Syndrome! For those who didn't grow up in southern New England, Newport Creamery was (is?) a chain of ice-cream shops. There was one in my hometown (Dartmouth, Mass.) and whenever my friends and I went in there, everyone stared at us like they'd never seen three teenagers order ice cream before. Apparently some of those people have made their way to Southie!
South End. Not Southie. I've been away from the city too long.
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