Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale in Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood is preserving historical Boston with its early American dining experience and aesthetic. Authentic 1868 clapboards line the wall and a full-service one-chair shoeshine complements the 30-foot long, 15-foot high mahogany bar. With the help of mixologist David Wondrich, the gastropub caters its cocktail menu around Jerry Thomas’ 19th century drink guide. The bar boasts 25 beers on tap, 110 beer selections and five cask ales in addition to its craft cocktails. www.stoddardsfoodandale.com.
Managed by industry veterans RMD and designed by award-winning nightlife designer Davis Krummins of Davis Ink, FLUXX is a new nightclub in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. FLUXX is constantly playing with the elements, drawing people in with its raised, recessed mini stages where DJs and go-go dancers perform to its large-scale tree house that houses a VIP table. Its signature “FLUXX Me” cocktail will reinvent itself depending on the season — this spring, the drink features Chopin Vodka, fresh lime, ginger juice, simple syrup, fresh raspberries and strawberries. www.fluxxsd.com.
The Triangle Grille in the Lexington/Downtown Hilton, overlooking Triangle Park in Lexington, Ky., features a farm-to-table American regional menu by Executive Chef Joshua Winslow. The menu features items like a 20-ounce certified Angus bone-in ribeye paired with asparagus and smoked tomato béarnaise. Designed by Atlanta firm Design Continuum Inc., Triangle Grille’s elegant interior features a vibrant color palate of greens, reds and pinks with floral fabrics and carpeting pervasive throughout the 134-seat main dining area and 32-seat private dining area. www.trianglegrille.com.
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises debuts its Las Vegas Mexican restaurant El Segundo Sol Taqueria and Margarita Bar, featuring The Taco Shack, the first ever Strip-side “on-the-go” street food. The Taco Shack offers high-quality tacos well into the night, and El Segundo Sol, led by Chef Terry Lynch, is a more refined yet playful experience. El Segundo Sol features a Tequila Tasting Room that holds up to 14 guests; tequila flights also are available at each table. The drink menu includes Mexican beers Negro Modelo and Tecate as well as signature Margaritas like Prickly Pear and Cucumber Mint. www.elsegundosol.com.
In Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Double A, an exclusive lounge located below Mercadito restaurant, offers a private collection of nearly 50 bottles of rare, premium tequilas and a new cocktail menu created by Tippling Bros.’ Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay. The drink menu focuses on big, bold and intense flavors in cocktails like the Caipisutra (Leblon Cachaça, pineapple, grapefruit, lime and garam masala) to the Kissyomama (Cazadores Reposado, mango ginger liqueur, Thai basil and habanero sauce). Double A’s focal point is a custom-designed, freestanding, open bar that allows guests to watch mixologists from all vantage points. www.facebook.com/DoubleAChicago.
Peter Garland opened casual dining restaurant The Bar Room adjacent to Porta Via, his Canon Drive restaurant in Beverly Hills. Garland’s wife, Jill, owner of jewelry boutique V Vintage, designed the Bar Room. The outdoor covered terrace features a glass-topped communal table made from old iron door seats, while the rooms inside are wallpapered in contrasting colors and patterns to keep guests interested, Jill Garland said in a statement. The nouveau pub serves classic cocktails, wine and beer along with small plates from Porta Via. www.portaviabh.com.
Converted from a historic mill in Charlotte, N.C., Butter NC is an 8,300-square-foot, two-story nightclub with world-class DJs, two oak dance floors, three main bars with multiple video projections, outside seating and a VIP area. The unique design features of the club include velvet walls, a custom-made crystal chandelier and international touches such as cowhide-upholstered front doors from Argentina, Indonesian picture frames and Chinese curtains and light fixtures. Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano, who opened up New York’s Butter location in March 2002, own Butter NC with NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. www.butternc.com.
