Andanh.com

It is no secret that the subterranean, industrial gallery-like space of the Beehive [541 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.423.0069. beehiveboston.com] is awash with the unique jazzy sounds of live local musicians seven nights of the week. Innovative photos and paintings may grace the walls, but what many people don't realize is that the wine cellar is stocked with a different form of creative expression. Bertil Jean-Chronberg, general manager and wine director, maintains a selection of vino—a curated assortment he refers to as ""art"—designed to gently nudge people out of their comfort zone of California Cabernet or Italian Pinot Grigio.

His hip glasses, distinctive accent and intense-yet-casual conversation style screams French National. Born on a vineyard in Southwest France's Madiran region, Jean-Chronberg has fermented grape juice flowing through his veins. His formative years were spent sampling the world's finest wines, which eventually led him to a career in hospitality. In 1996, after being egged on by friends, Jean-Chronberg competed in the Sommelier World Contest and, after a "five-day nightmare," he found himself in third place. Jean-Chronberg eventually made his way to Boston to help start the Beehive.

The Beehive's wine list is meant to accompany the music, art and food of the establishment. Jean-Chronberg's first order of business is to popularize a style of wine everyone knows, but rarely drinks, in Boston. "Sparkling needs to be seen and enjoyed as a wine," Jean-Chronberg states. His list of 27 sparklers starts in the low $30s and scales into the hundreds, making him the largest buyer of Champagne and sparkling wine in the city. Since his goal is to make the stuff accessible, the value is high and the markup is minimal.

The sparkling wines are very impressive, but what truly draws us to the Beehive is the eclectic still wine list. Jean-Chronberg has all of the elements of a standard list: 10 reds and 10 whites with familiar grapes like Cabernet, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc gracing the menu. After a closer look, however, you realize this isn't your typical list. "We need to be extremely curious," Jean-Chronberg insists, and this is why his wines are a bit unusual. His Chardonnay from Belle Pente ($48) is from Oregon, not California, and his Sauvignon Blanc hails the little known winery of Bodegas Carrau in Uruguay ($36).

By placing the Lebanese Chateau Kefraya ($49) right next to the Israeli Galil Mountain "Yiron" ($53) on the menu, he renders his own version of art-as-politics. Jean-Chronberg also peppers in selections only super wine dorks would recognize, like the Oremus Mandolás from Hungary ($42) (a dry Tokaji instead of the traditional sweet), the Cambiata Tannat from California ($65) and the Kourtakis "Retsina Kourtaki" made from Savatiano grapes in Greece ($29). Trust us, these are all pretty weird.

"French, Spanish and Italian are boring," Jean-Chronberg declares. If you're going to branch out and try something different, this is the place.

DRINK MORE WINE! FOR MORE INFORMATION: THESECONDGLASS.COM

At the risk of preaching to the choir, it doesn't hurt to rattle off some of the myriad ways that biking helps the environment and city culture: Significant savings of fuel, energy and emissions. Healthy, built-in aerobic exercise. A closer connection with the local community. Your awesome handlebars. Sweet calves. Speed.

Already it sounds like frickin' bliss on wheels, which—with safe road etiquette and, unless you like the sound of crispy human, a healthy slather of SPF—may not be too far off of a description. However, a nascent program has launched in the Boston area that gives even more incentive to ride. With Bicycle Benefits, you receive a discount or freebie at local participating businesses when you ride there and show a BB sticker ($5) on your helmet. You've certainly been leg-pumping long enough to enjoy free ice cream at Picco or 10 percent off at Burritos on Fire. There's also practical niceties ranging from $18 Wednesday haircuts at Barbershop Deluxe to 50 percent off all "cash & pedal" printing at Copy Cop.

Bicycle Benefits evangelist Ian Klepetar, who literally rode to Dig HQ to give all the BB info in person, is currently en route, riding across the country to launch the program in every city he hits. Color us impressed. The official Boston kickoff week runs 5.19-5.23 with plenty of freebies—pizza, Hawaiian shaved ice, PBR, bagels with tofu spread ... get excited.

[Various participating establishments in Boston, Allston/Brighton, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville. bicyclebenefits.org]

Chances are you probably don't consider Jackson Square (hint: it's on the orange line) a prime destination. Yet the ballyhoo about a few special establishments from folks on Yelp.com inspired us to rethink the area's offerings and brave the trek. And it was amazing.

A jaunt to a class at Diablo Glass and Metal [123 Terrace St., Boston. 617.442.7444. diabloglassandmetal.com] easily scores cool points with that intensely jaded but highly wooable beauty by your side. As Jessica K enthuses, "It's easy to be impressed when you're dipping a pipe into a 2200 degree Fahrenheit kiln and pulling it back out with molten glass that drips like honey." But if you prefer to hang by the sidelines, demonstrations include vino tastings and viewing access to the smoldering glory hole! (No, dirty bird. That's the name of the furnace.)

Round out the excursion down the block at Mississippi's [103 Terrace St., Boston. 617.541.4411. mississippis.com], whose soul food has won the praises of Adrienne T. If the munching mood continues to seize you, Vanessa C leads us to sublime fulfillment of even the worst "cardiac-arrest craving" at Yely's [284 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.2204], where the chicharones, tostones and other Latin delights are so phenomenal they're often cleared out by mid-afternoon.

Belly full, check. Now the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute [3035 Washington St., Boston. 617.442.5400. 826boston.org] calls. Created by 826, a Dave Eggers-founded organization aimed to stimulate and cultivate the writing skills of youth, here visitors can partake in a simulated Yeti hunt while peeping unicorn tears, leeches and other oddities that left Kabir H "jaw agape, wild-eyed and fully engorged." Giant crab wrestling makes tutoring much more fun, don't you think?

ADD YOUR TWO CENTS! YELP.COM

Although it was not entirely obvious the point at which I fell in love with this little restaurant, I think a choice moment was when I got home after my meal and a burp tasted reassuringly like bacon. Perhaps not the most poignant reminder of what was a delicious repast of France-meets-the-deep-South comfort, but certainly in line with the evening's sentiment: honest and deeply satisfying eating.

The graces of this six-week old restaurant sharing the name of a Virginian state park—its eclectically welcoming graphic identity marked with letterpress filigree, tiny stars and a fearless red cardinal—owe everything to the collective experience of its four owners: John Kessen (L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre), Chef Barry Maiden (Lumière), Rachel Miller Munzer and Alon Munzer (founders of Rachel's Kitchen). It's very clear they all know what they're doing, and the result is a fine place feeding an underserved residential area—not to mention Boston as a whole—with first-rate food and drink minus stratospheric prices.

The entrance is a cozy one, with a seven-seat wooden bar, two tables for grazing and the bustling kitchen in view. A painted wall lists names of those who contributed money to facilitate the restaurant's opening, a charming neighborly way to say thanks. There's plenty of fine bottles of wine under $30 and many available by the glass, plus brews for every occasion—a half-pint of Ruination IPA on draft ($3), New Grist gluten-free lager ($5), a 40-ouncer of the "Champagne of Beers" ($8). A fearsome assemblage, the cocktails are labeled by number (a bit sterile, but efficient). Trust that the no. 10 ($9), a Mason jarful of Ezra Brooks bourbon, sweet tea and Luxardo limoncello, delivers a swift, hair-sprouting, drawl-tinged kick to the system.

Before long you'll be escorted back into the main dining room, a warm humble space with pale walls, cut-crystal (are those upside-down tumblers?) sconces and paned windows overlooking the quiet street. "This is like being in my kitchen," remarks one of my companions, settling deeper into his seat. Service is relaxed and friendly, with generously crumbed slabs of bread from Framingham's B&R artisan bakery distributed from an arm-slung basket. Pages from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Virginia Housewife plaster the walls of the unisex bathrooms, teaching most intimately the finer points of lobster bisque or "how to make yellow pickle."

Despite the modestly sized menu, choosing remains a delightfully agonizing task, but even blind picking can certainly do you no wrong. The warm beef tongue canapé ($3) is the stuff intensely carnivorous dreams are made of, a plump unctuous bite sized to share (you won't, though), cut with savory Gruyère and Dijon. Boiled Virginia peanuts sprinkled with gray sea salt ($3) are a subtly addictive snack ("like Southern edamame," suggests our waitress) and a trio of Chip-In Farm deviled eggs ($4) boasting tiny bacon masts instantly brings me back to summer potlucks growing up in Maryland. Five fried oysters ($13), cornmeal-dusted nuggets bursting with fat briny creatures from the Virginia Chesapeake ("like fresh-oyster balloons," our table concurs), rest upon lightly dressed Tabasco-laced greens. As if completing the pleasure triangulation between mac & cheese and gumbo, shrimp & grits ($9) is a luscious bowlful of saucy, fleshy, creamy pleasure.

The bourbon-braised pork shoulder ($19), impressively smoked in-house, is rightfully the most popular entrée. The achingly tender chunks melt on the tongue, porky juices mingling in a bed of grits, with one perfect rib to complete the spectacle. Weightless French-style gnocchi ($17) is like spring incarnate, mixed with mushrooms, spring peas and Parmigiano. Impeccable roasted chicken ($18) may claim the best sides of velvety jalapeño-green garlic spoonbread and pleasantly bitter young beet greens, closely besting the unabashedly savory and crisped fingerlings alongside the flavorful Painted Hills flatiron steak ($25).

As hard as one could try, I really couldn't find anything amiss at this place. Food good enough to stop conversation and sincere, gracious service—even kindly making up for a sold-out rhubarb sorbet dessert ($6) with a rewarding off-the-menu beer float layered with Ellie's Brown Ale and sorghum ice cream. It's no surprise I recognized both local denizens and industry professionals alike on my visits. A feast at Hungry Mother is one that everyone deserves to partake in.

Rating: ' ' ' ' '

' ' ' ' ' lifetime membership to the Virginia ham club

' ' ' ' ritualistic whole-pig roast

' ' ' nudge of extra cheese in the grits

' ' tepid fried chicken

' porkless collard greens

HUNGRY MOTHER

233 CARDINAL MEDEIROS AVE., KENDALL SQ., CAMBRIDGE

617.499.0090

HUNGRYMOTHERCAMBRIDGE.COM

DINNER: TUE-SUN 5PM-10PM (BAR UNTIL 1AM)

Welcome to the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) Boston's corner of the Dig, where our goal is to turn you on to a totally different breed of cocktail.

LUPEC Boston is a classic cocktail society dedicated to breeding, raising and releasing nearly extinct drinks into the wild (aka Greater Boston bars and restaurants). We are 11 cocktail enthusiasts who meet once a month to sample delicious cocktail creations from a bygone era and educate ourselves about the important and virtually forgotten forebroads who sipped them.

In addition to preserving our own personal joie de vivre at monthly meetings, we strive to enhance and improve the lives of Boston-area women through fundraising events for local women's charities. We do this by throwing coed cocktail parties (damn good ones) all over town. Read about them here first.

This column has been conceived as a weekly dispatch designed to educate Bostonians about drinks invented before chemical preservatives made Sour Apple Pucker possible—when every ounce of juice in your cocktail shaker was fresh; when whiskey and gin ruled and cocktails enhanced the natural flavors of spirits, rather than overriding them—drinks that are on the fast track to extinction in this modern era of drinking.

Our mission: to help a new generation of modern drinkers put down their Chocolate Martini and pick up a Pink Lady.

Cin-cin!

PINK LADY COCKTAIL

1.5 ounces gin

0.5 ounces applejack

0.5 ounces fresh lemon juice

0.5 ounces grenadine (preferably homemade)

1 egg white

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously without ice. Add ice; continue vigorous shaking. Strain into your favorite vintage cocktail glass.

LEARN HOW TO MAKE GRENADINE AND WHAT WE MEAN BY "SHAKE VIGOROUSLY" AT LUPECBOSTON.BLOGSPOT.COM

Nefertiti Moore's first design was a skirt made from Beverly Hills, 90210 curtains. "Jason Priestley's face was on the front and Luke Perry was on the back," she says. "It was a big hit."

Moore has since graduated to more complicated designs for Vixious Clothing, her women's "urban couture" line. Vixious threads are one of a kind vintage-inspired pieces. There's a new collection every fall, spring and summer.

Moore has a penchant for '80s flicks, '50s style and '70s disco, but her clothes are always an ode to the classic pinup. "When creating my designs, I think to myself, 'Would Bettie Page wear that?'" she says.

Each collection of Vixious Clothing is different, yet most are a cohesive fusion of two disparate vintage fashion trends. A past collection consisted of pieces inspired by roller skate boogie, with short-shorts and tight tops, but made from punk-rock fabrics. "It would be as if Donna Summer and Debbie Harry were friends. It's what they would wear to CBGB or Studio 54 together," says Moore.

In October of 2006, Moore went to London and created "Native American in London," a fall line. This fusion involved mod shapes made from leather and other "Native American-type fabrics."

To prep for the upcoming summer season, Moore has been sewing nonstop and listening to Van Halen. "I love listening to Van Halen while I sew," she says. "You don't hear the machine after a while, you just hear Eddie and Diamond Dave."

The Vixious 2008 summer collection has two parts. The first consists of showgirl costumes with electric pastel fabrics. The second, which Moore labeled "Hillbilly Harlots," will be a combination of pretty pieces in plaids and denims that are short and risqué. "It will be like Daisy Duke meets June Carter," claims Moore. Both parts will feature playsuits, a staple of every Vixious summer collection.

Currently Vixious designs are available online and in select locations, but Moore has bigger plans. "I definitely want to have my own website, then a store in Boston and then worldwide domination," she says. "I want to have boutiques in Milan, San Francisco ... places I really like and that could use more fun clothes."

[Available at the Garment District, 200 Broadway, Kendall Sq., Cambridge. 617.876.5230. garmentdistrict.com, myspace.com/vixiousclothing]

What did you think of Cut Copy?

I've never heard of Cut Copy before. But based on what I heard tonight I'll probably see them again. I listened to their MySpace before coming because I figured I might as well know something about it. I kind of liked it. I wouldn't buy it or anything, but I would listen to it alone in my bed with my headphones on.

You're wearing a nice coat.

This is a vintage 1960s coat from Chanel.

It's a Chanel coat?!?

No, I'm just fucking bullshitting you.

It's like a jaguar.

It's more like a cheetah.

Is it a cougar?

No, a cougar and a cheetah are very separate animals, if you looked at them and analyzed them you'd see that.

You look a bit like a move star.

I am a movie star. I am in the movie 666: The Beast. It's a love/comedy about a disaster with a cake. You can find it at Blockbuster.

You must be the cutest puppy I've ever seen. What kind of puppy are you?

I am a St. Bernard Puppy.

How old are you?

I am nine weeks and one day old.

How big are you going to get?

I am hoping to hit 180 pounds. I have to keep up with my owner.

What are you going to do when you get older?

I am going to carry my owner up her four flights of stairs. I am totally abusing her. She does everything I say. I manipulate her. And sleep.

What's your favorite thing to do?

Sleep.

What is your favorite place to sleep?

Underneath the spiral staircase on the top floor.

What do you plan to do with your life?

Sleep every day. Twenty-four hours a day.

What are you doing after this?

Sleeping.

Anything else you'd like to tell Boston?

ZZZZzzzzzzzz