By Julia Morlino By Julia Morlino | April 25, 2023 | Food & Drink, Feature, Art,
Celebrate the warm weather with new restaurants, art gallery openings and festivities all month long.
Check out “Bernadette Bowing in Red Dress, Snedens Landing” (2002) at the Rodney Smith exhibit.
BROWSE
Explore the elegance of American fashion and editorial photographer Rodney Smith in his exhibition at Robert Klein Gallery (robertkleingallery.com), opening May 6 in celebration of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s newly published book Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith. The gallery will display 20 color and black-and-white photographs of Smith’s—the first opportunity for collectors to experience this retrospective book alongside original photographs. “Smith transforms our chaotic world into a place of tranquility and ordered elegance while occasionally eliciting a smile by creating a world in which to recognize our shared humanity,” says gallery owner Robert Klein, who first introduced Smith’s work to Boston in 2000.
Hotel Commonwealth’s Fenway King guest room offers prime views of the ballpark.
CELEBRATE
Say happy 20th birthday to Hotel Commonwealth (hotelcommonwealth.com) as it celebrates with exclusive guest experiences and offers. “We are looking to celebrate all that has happened in the neighborhood and at the hotel in the past 20 years and thank all the guests who have been part of our story with special offers and exclusive experiences,” says general manager Adam Sperling. Rates on a select number of rooms will be offered at their original 2003 price on surprise dates throughout the year, encouraging guests to visit the hotel’s website as often as possible. But the surprises don’t stop there—book the birthday package for a room filled with festive balloons, a complimentary bottle of wine, party hats and a personalized handmade cake from the hotel’s pastry chef Stephanie LaSpina.
Medium Rare Lounge’s smoky Wildwood Cocktail
SAVOR
Why have one steakhouse at Encore when you can have two? Medium Rare Lounge, a new steakhouse adjacent and complementary to its sister restaurant Rare Steakhouse, makes its way to the luxury Encore Boston Harbor (encorebostonharbor.com) this month. “The tasteful ambiance will encourage seamless transitions between predinner drinks, enticing bites and afterdinner beverages,” says Medium Rare Lounge executive chef Megan Vaughan, formerly of CUT Beverly Hills and Michael Mina’s Restaurant Group. Guests can expect enticing bites at the locally sourced raw bar and flavorful crafty cocktails like the Wildwood: a Maker’s Mark cask-strength bourbon with lemon, simple syrup and egg white.Explore pieces from Betye Saar’s travels in Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Hostetter Gallery.
IMMERSE
Dive into the wonders of travel and explore diverse global cultures through companion exhibitions Betye Saar: Heart of a Wanderer and Fellow Wanderer: Isabella’s Travel Albums at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (gardnermuseum.org). Contemporary artist and a prominent figure of the Black arts movement, Betye Saar’s vibrant watercolor sketchbooks of her international travels will be on display alongside museum founder Isabella Stewart’s collaged photo albums from her corresponding journey around the world through May 21. Their shared passion for travel links these exhibitions together in a compelling gallery of cultural encounters and global histories. “It is productive to put the work of a radical artist like Betye Saar in conversation with a Gilded Age figure like Isabella Stewart Gardner. They may seem like an odd pairing, but I think it is a really revealing one,” says museum curator Diana Greenwald.Coolidge Corner Theatre’s newly remodeled building is the perfect place to catch flicks on rainy spring days
ENTERTAIN
Grab a seat at the Coolidge Corner Theatre (coolidge.org) this summer to enjoy your favorite films in a grander, modernized space, following a 14,000-square-foot expansion. Award-winning architecture firm Höweler + Yoon designed the expansion to complement the existing historic art deco building, adding two new state-of-the-art theaters; a 688-square foot Community Education and Engagement Center for educational film classes and after-school programs with a multipurpose space for community gatherings, catering kitchen and outdoor roof deck and media library; and a new entrance and lobby. “We have long been constrained by our current space and look forward to being able to accommodate more films, events, curated programming and community partnerships,” says Deputy Director Beth Gilligan. “In brief, it will be the Coolidge that everyone knows and loves—only bigger and even better.”Spend your whole weekend at Surfside Beach instead of on the road, thanks to Tailwind Air’s new Nantucket destination
SOAR
Want a bird’s-eye view of your favorite city? Tailwind Air (flytailwind.com) is offering a ticketed seaplane service from Boston Harbor to the new destination of Nantucket, along with Provincetown, Manhattan and Plymouth, this summer—giving passengers the opportunity to see an incredible view of Boston’s most iconic spots on their way. “It’s so surreal to see a city you dwell in every day from the air; it’s the closest thing to real magic I’ve ever encountered,” says chief pilot Maria Maas Pettit. Passengers can be picked up at Fan Pier in the Seaport or from the back deck of the St. Regis Boston (exclusive to residents).
DINE
Eat well and enjoy every day with SAVR (savrtm.com), a modern-spirited American bistro opening at The St. Regis Residences, Boston this month. While overlooking the Seaport waterfront, start your meal off with wood-grilled octopus or a fontina spinach dip before enjoying rich lemon ricotta ravioli. “Our mission is to offer great food that is not complicated, but quality and consistency will be showcased in every dish,” says managing partner David Doyle.
Before indulging in a bowl of pasta, try the asparagus with Parmigiano-Regg iano and a crispy poached egg .
TASTE
Twirl a fork of spaghetti on the Pasta Beach (pastabeach.com) patio in celebration of the restaurant’s new seasonal happenings. Bringing simple, authentic Italian dishes to the waterfront is a new duo of chefs—Andrea Congiusta (who was awarded one of the “Top 10 Chefs Under 35” in Italy) and Massimo Cascone, previously the lead chef of renowned eatery La Capannina in Torino, Italy. “We wanted to capture the ‘evolution’ of Italian cuisine as it is evolving today in Italy,” says Director of Operations J. Eldredge Ropolo. “We knew we needed Italian chefs that could help us achieve this goal and bring us into the new era of Italian cuisine.” Order pinsa, a healthier and airy Roman-style pizza crust that will bring the admirations of Italy right to your plate.
Photography by: COURTESY OF RODNEY SMITH ESTATE/ROBERT KLEIN GALLERY; COURTESY OF HOTEL COMMONWEALTH; MICHAEL BLANCHARD; COURTESY OF: ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM; COURTESY OF HÖWELER YOON; COURTESY OF TAILWIND; BEN GEBO