Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/692580
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUSTAV HOILAND (LIQUID ART HOUSE); WAYNE E. CHINNOCK (COCKTAIL, CAFÉ ARTSCIENCE) THE ART OF DRINKING THE COCKTAIL GLASS IS A CANVAS FOR BOSTON'S MOST INSPIRED BARTENDERS. BY JORDAN GOSSELIN What could be better than soaking in Boston's best art? Enjoying it alongside a creative cocktail in Boston's most artistic restaurants. ArtBar (40 Edwin Land Blvd., Cambridge, 617-806-4122; artbar cambridge.com) has it all—an extensive art collection, including paintings from Boston's Aaron Fink and a patio with killer views of the city skyline. "During summer months, [we] focus on light, refreshing concoctions [with] seasonal fruits, because our guests need to feel refreshed after a long winter," says Executive Chef Brian Dandro. For optimum refreshment, try the Horizontal Lotus with gin and lychee syrup. Liquid Art House (100 Arlington St., 617-457-8130; liquidarthouse.com) wears many hats: restaurant, art gallery, and showroom, where every- thing from the furniture to the art on the walls is for sale. "The artwork titles and genres inspire my cocktails, whether it's the color schemes or how the title provokes me to create," says "Startender" Matt Noonan. Loose Talks, a mix of rye, lemon, and Pinot Noir, gets its inspiration from Timmy Sneaks's mural, an explosion of colorful geometrics and words currently on display. Café ArtScience (650 E. Kendall St., Cambridge, 857-999-2193; cafeartscience.com) fuses design—like a 3-D dining room dubbed "The Honeycomb"—and mixology tech- niques, like keeping ice at a cool -40 degrees, to create an ultra-modern experience. "I love the John and Leonie Circumnavigate The Globe drink," says bar director Todd Maul. "We wrap a banana leaf around the inside of our glass. It makes the drink fragrant and adds flavor." . Science fare: Before the rum-heavy Whaf-Tiki cocktail at Café ArtScience (LEFT) is poured over flavored ice cubes, guests first puncture a sugar plate stretching across the glass and indulge in the rum vapors that are released. TOP: It's not only the cocktails for sale at part-bar/ part-gallery Liquid Art House, but the décor and furniture, too. 40 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM SCENE ON THE TOWN