Filled with award-winning restaurants, wine shops, and culture, Boston’s South End has long been one of our favorite neighborhoods.
2012 brought many exciting new additions to the neighborhood, including; Cinquecento Restaurant, the Urban Grape Wine Shop, and Zocalo Mexican Restaurant, among others. With all of the new additions, it became clear that we couldn’t limit our South End Tours to only three stops. Starting this January, you can now choose between two separate South End Tours!
Saturday tours bring guests to –
Gaslight Brasserie
Gaslight, Brasserie du Coin is a classic neighborhood Parisian brasserie. We find Gaslight’s decor is warm and inviting. Our Ambassadors lead a tasting at its hand crafted Parisian zinc bar surrounded by reclaimed wood floors, mosaic tiles, beamed wood ceilings, nicotine stained walls and antique mirror. What a fun way to kick off the tour!
Cinquecento
Say Festeggiamo for: Cinquecento, this bold new Romanesque incarnation of the old Rocca space on Harrison Avenue, will be the 2nd stop on your South End wine tour. This much anticipated. 250 seat restaurant with a 100 bottle wine list features provincial roman cuisine from Chef Chris Robins (Gaslight Alum). How big of a deal is Cinquecento? So big that the Globe Magazine devoted ten pages to the restaurant’s backstory almost a year ago. With exposed red brick, reclaimed wood tables, an Italian onyx marble bar, and endless bottles of Campari, the space has a subtle Italian feel and an upscale coziness. Saluti!
Masa
Our tour concludes at Masa. Masa offers an award winning menu of “new Southwest” cuisine, pairing flavors and cooking styles of the South Western kitchen with local New England ingredients. We will taste two savory red wines paired with Yucca Fries, Steak Tostada, Queso Fundido Empandas, and Grilled Chorizo. We highly recommend booking reservations for dinner after the tour!
Sunday tours wind their way through the South End with stops at –
Forum
Forum is a modern interpretation of a city dining experience. Located on Bolyston Street, Forum boasts two distinct floors, two bars, an outdoor patio and cafe space, and a 1300 bottle wine cellar! Designed to provide a romantic atmosphere, the dining room offers unobstructed views of Boylston Street. This is your first stop on your tour. You’ll start off with savory small bites as your Wine Ambassador shares the nuances of wine tasting.
Zocalo
Zocalo Mexican Grill spices up our South End tour as the 2nd stop on your wine tour. Zozalo’s contemporary Mexican cuisine based on traditional culinary recipes utilizing high quality, authentic, and fresh ingredients. Executive Chef Ricardo Ramos expands on his growing restaurant group with bigger and bolder wines from South of the border. Enjoy a rare glimpse into authentic Mexican cooking while we taste exotic and bold wines to pair!
Urban Grape
The brainchild of TJ Douglas, “The Urban Grape” recently welcomed its 2nd location in the South End, and boasts wine for every palate. We’ll use their simple, yet spot-on “Progressive Shelving” system, as well as their Enomatic tasting machine, to find you exactly what you like. A moment of zen for wine lovers everywhere. Join us at our final location, in this elegantly designed contemporary space, where they focus on community, and the simple pleasures of drinking great wine!
Tours are offered each Saturday and Sunday at 3:00pm and last approximately two hours.
Tickets are $56 per person can be purchased online at www.citywinetours.com or by calling 855-455-8747.
