Lou's

Lou’s, a 289-Seat Restaurant, Cocktail Bar, and Live Music Venue, Opens in Harvard Square | Eater Boston

"Opening Saturday, July 26 in the former Beat Brasserie/Beat Hotel space at 13 Brattle Street, this new restaurant, lounge, and live-music venue aims to continue Harvard Square’s rich live-music tradition with nightly live music and DJs. “We’ll host local DJs who all have different styles, but also showcasing newer artists, whether that’s someone from Berklee (College of Music) or someone that just moved to Boston, that’s our goal to kind of get a little bit of everything, and long term, you can expect to probably see some surprises too,” says general manager Allison Finney, who previously managed the high-profile Brighton music venue Roadrunner. Executive chef Jason Bond (Bondir) has researched local favorites and is doing his take on the historic former Boston restaurant Locke Ober’s Baked Oysters a la Gino, which has bacon, crab, and bread crumbs; the oysters will be available by the half-dozen and also raw, and Finney notes, “That’s really cool to me that he’s just doing the research and really getting that classic, classic feel.” Starters include a Milwaukee shrimp cocktail (where the shrimp is cooked in beer and onions like a bratwurst), locally fished ceviche with pickled shallots (the fish will change with the tides), and beef tartare served with salt and malt vinegar potato chips. Mains range from a burger on a potato roll with Vermont cheddar (also available with a veggie patty), a flatiron steak with fries and a watercress salad, roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, linguine with clams, to a rutabaga steak with rye berries. Bond will make bread in-house from a 20-year-old starter named Schmutzy, and desserts include baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies served with warm malted milk. Service plans: a midday menu of snacks and sandwiches from 4 to 5 p.m. and dinner until 10 p.m. The cocktail program is seasonal and heavy on housemade syrups and fresh juices — for example, the Run Rabbit (carrot juice, lime, coffee, and pineapple rum) — and the venue will offer a full martini service, including the Born to Lou’s, made with an olive oil–washed gin that incorporates leftover parmesan rinds and “lots of pepper.” The operation is co-owned by John DiGiovanni (who named the project after his late father, Louis “Lou” DiGiovanni), Tom Keane, and Harry DiLeo (owners of American Flatbread). With 289 seats, a full-service restaurant, and a cocktail bar, the space is positioned as a substantial new addition alongside existing neighborhood music rooms such as The Sinclair and Club Passim (and hotel spaces like the Charles Hotel’s Regattabar). Reflecting the family-oriented approach behind the project, Finney says, “We want everyone to come here, and we’re gonna offer everything. Drinks, food, entertainment, you’ll always find something new going on at [the venue].”" - Tanya Edwards