Puritan & Company

Name: Puritan & Company
Location: Boston, MA
Design: Ask Design/Build

One of the newest spots in Boston is Puritan & Company. With an 'urban farmhouse' aesthetic, the space is rich with worn woods, bright light, and classic details.

Drink

Name: Drink
Location: Boston, MA

What might be the best part of Sportello, is the complete contrast that awaits you just below. Drink, the sister restaurant, features the same great bar layout but contrasts the upstairs modern interior with a rich, warm experience.

Sportello

Name: Sportello
Location: Boston, MA

Designed as a modern diner concept, this counter service restaurant serves up fresh italian dishes in a modern and vibrant interior. 

Neptune Oyster

Name: Neptune Oyster
Location: Boston, MA



Located in Boston's North End, Neptune Oyster is a classically detailed oyster bar filled with character.

West Bridge

Name: West Bridge
Location: Cambridge, MA
Design: Creme Design

The newest spot to open up in the Boston area, West Bridge, fuses modern simplicity with industrial charm. 

More images and information after the jump!

Coppa

Name: Coppa
Location: Boston

While walking through Boston's South End, we happened by Coppa, an enoteca focusing on nose-to-tail cooking and charcuterie. Set amongst rich, exposed brick walls with a wood slat bench running along the length of the space, the space feels lively and comfortable. Metal tolix-esq cafe chairs and metal/wood bar stools add a touch of industrial into the mix, a perfect environment for the up and coming neighborhood and chef.

Image 2 © boston.com

Image 3 © Moebiwan flickr

Image 4 © entrepreneur

The Gallows

 Name: The Gallows
Location: Boston, MA
Design: Sousa Design


While exploring Boston, we happened to pass The Gallows in the South End and couldn't help but stop and peak in. The narrow space was rich with details and laid out well, providing multiple seating groups in two distinct zones, one for dining and one for the bar. Considering the restaurant is located in the area of Boston where hangings took place, the Gallows creates a nod to this haunted past while keeping the space polished and open. With a material palate of wood, brick, and metal, the design is truly in the details. The slat ceiling, industrial metal-made pendants, and wall lights peering out from what appears as peeling wood, the design achieves a historical and aged feel while keeping true to the polished and emerging dining scene.

            

Images 2,3,5 © Creative soul in motion

Image 4 © Tripping over my shadow

Image 5 © Sousa Design

South End Buttery

Name: South End Buttery
Location: Boston

Our most recent trip East allowed us to venture out to a few restaurants and cafes that have been high on our lists for quite a while. One of these, the South End Buttery was the perfect spot for a drizzly Monday morning. We grabbed a few pastries and a coffee to go and after a few quick snapshots, were off to explore the streets of the South End. The Buttery was the quintessential neighborhood spot, great attention to detail, creamy whites, rich wood floors and incredible woodwork made the space charming and warm. If we hadn't had more spots to explore, we could have easily spent the day here!

Image 1 © Hope in High Heels
Image 2 © Kaper Design

Trade

Name: Trade
Location: Boston

In the restaurant industry, you really can't beat a location with great bones. Having a structure that already has so much going for, is a pretty sure fire bet that even with a minimal amount of creativity, the space will look great. Trade in Boston is a great example of a space with great bones. Exposed, rough-around-the-edges brick, large windows, exposed beams, and high ceilings add a rich backdrop for an eclectic mix of furnishings. Keeping the majority of the seating high, respects the scale of the space and leaves it feeling less imposing and more welcoming & comfortable.

All images © Trade

The Butcher Shop

Name: The Butcher Shop
Location: Boston, MA

Taking a cue from our post on Wednesday, I thought I would let you in on another space with a butcher shop component. The Butcher Shop, which is located in Boston, has some wonderful and highly practical details. The large  butcher block, industrial hooks, and rich wood floors give the space a rustic and historical feel. I enjoy that the center of the restaurant space is the over-sized butch block with glass sneeze guards. It helps to emphasize the purpose of the space and adds a casual, and hand crafted feel to the over all space.

Image 1 © Stay

Image 1,3,4 © The Butcher Shop

Super Bowl Sunday; Boston vs NY

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!


Around here, battles and rivalries between cities are everywhere. We thought it would be fun to give you all an inside peak into how we decide who wins.

First, the contenders;

Name: Island Creek Oyster Bar

Location: Boston, MA

VS

Name: Marlow & Sons

Location: New York, NY

For this showdown, we will be judging on four separate criteria.  All of these are key components to a successful restaurant and are far more intertwined than many realize.

1. Creativity of Materials

2. Use of Space

3. Total Concept with Menu

4. Graphic Design & Website

First up; Island Creek Oyster Bar;

Images 1-4 © Thrillist

Image 5 © The eaten path

Image 6-8 © Design Shack

Next, Marlow & Sons

Image 1 © TLC Mag

Image 2,4 © A Hungry Girl

Image 3 © New York Diners Journal

Image 5 © Immaculate Infatuation

Image 6-8 ©On the inside mag via Claudio Papapietro

Image 7 © Paper Pastries

________________________________________________________

How they stack up:

1. Creativity of Materials- Island creek Oyster Bar (The creative use of oyster shells as a wall treatment blew us away. Beautiful, textural and understated.)

2. Use of Space- Marlow & Sons (The fact that you walk into a grocer before being led into the dark, intimate dining space was a great way to create an intimate dining experience.)

3. Total Concept with Menu- Island Creek Oyster Bar (The concept and execution of this space like one complete thought, Marlow & son's felt a bit scattered and less pulled together in concept.)

4. Graphic Design & Website- Island Creek Oyster Bar (While both restaurants had great graphic design, Island Creek nudged ahead with its use of unexpected bright color and web layout.)

_________________________________________

WINNER: ISLAND CREEK OYSTER BAR 

Ames Hotel

Name: Ames Hotel

Location: Boston, MA

Designer: David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group

The Rockwell group is one of few design firms that has, to me, an almost perfect batting average. The Ames Hotel is understated, unfussy and yet completely chic and glamourous all at once. The deep rich grays and clean color palate accented with bright pops of modern color keep the entire space feeling relaxed and calming without being bland or boring. The architecture of the historic Ames building in which the hotel is located is allowed to shine and the fixtures and furniture accentuate the original character.

Check back later this week to check out Woodward, the hotels' in-house restaurant and bar.

All photos © Ameshotel.com