Press

“Pool tables in the back and an upper level tier of seating made me think that Scholars is transformed after the sun sets. I could imagine the spot filling up with Boston students, businesspeople, single minglers, or a combination of all three. Scholars does about pretty much everything….”

“LIQUID”

“”I think that people like to share things,” agrees Kathleen Semanski, GM at the recently opened Scholars American Bistro and Cocktail Lounge (25 School Street, Boston, 617.248.0025). At Scholars, they’re doing 68-ounce pitchers ($40) of cocktails like Kati’s Weissen-gria, a sort of rum punch made with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, peach liqueur, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, and fresh peaches and oranges, all topped with Allagash White. Then there’s the Tequila Smash, made with José Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila, limoncello, fresh watermelon, basil leaves, ginger ale, and fresh fruit juices.”

“FEED”

“So while chef Mark Deane Jr. is instructing our palates from a spot named Scholars, he readily admits he never went to culinary school. The young gun doesn’t come armed with an extensive CV: he’s a tattooed 20-something who learned on the job…..But an experiential education seems to have served him well. His gastropub-style menu complements Scholars’ extensive cocktail program (read more on that in Liquid on page 44), offering plates that put clever little twists on classics. Take the Boston baked beans that pop up in the Mackin’ Cheese Al Forno ($14), a mammoth casserole with mozzarella and Swiss cheese, topped with spicy linguiça and roasted cherry tomatoes.”

“The owners of the nearby 6B Lounge have turned the old two-story Talbot’s retail space into a multi-purpose entertainment destination. Up front, bistro-style seating flows into a long, 24-seat, acrylic bar serving up craft and classic cocktails and a well-selected beer list.”

“Kati Semanski, General Manager at Scholars American Bistro & Cocktail Lounge in Boston, explains her take on beer cocktails.  “What makes a beer unique are the same characteristics that make a cocktail unique: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, acidity, and especially flavor originality….”

“…the dudes behind 6B & Emmet’s have turned the two-floor former Talbots into Scholars American Bistro & Cocktail Lounge, a spacious 300-seat restaurant/bar/billiard lounge hybrid decorated w/ slate stone walls, leather shoeshine chairs, a gas fireplace, and a ballroom-esque staircase that leads up to a 12-seat Martini bar and four-table pool room.”
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“Mayor Thomas M. Menino welcomed more than 40 new businesses to Downtown Crossing at the second event in the city’s New Business Appreciation Series.  The series of welcome events highlights new businesses and retailers in three of Boston’s hottest neighborhoods: the Innovation District, Downtown Crossing, and Back Bay.”

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“Mayor Thomas M. Menino visited a sleek new downtown bistro on Wednesday to promote business growth in the neighborhood.The mayor’s visit to Scholars American Bistro and Cocktail Lounge on School Street was the second in his Business Appreciation Series welcoming new retailers to city neighborhoods, following an appearance last week at Boston Technologies to celebrate growth in the South Boston Waterfront’s Innovation District.”

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“The expansive two-story space uses light from backlit alabaster and a glowing bar to brighten up the shadowy atmosphere. Guests can cue up in the upstairs billiards lounge, smartly sectioned off so as not to detract from the casually refined ambience. But pub regulars can rest assured: Scholars’ late-night menu and live music will carry party-seekers long past the dinner hour.”

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“Diners can wash down their New England favorites with a flute of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne, chase their entrées with a Dogfish 90-minute IPA, or select an imaginative cocktail from Scholars’ craft cocktail menu. Throw in live music, an interactive raw bar, a kitchen that stays open until one in the morning, and a new billiards room, and it would appear that Scholars has all the right ingredients to impress James Franco and educated epicures everywhere.”

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“Presenting Scholars, your new, leathery 5pm destination for reckless oyster-ing and billiards, tentatively opening this Tuesday in Downtown Crossing.Think of this as your new after-work ace card for bivalves and parlor games, located in a former Talbots department store (yes, there may still be a few desperate housewives milling about… if you’re lucky).”
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“A new restaurant and lounge is getting ready to open on the edge of Boston’s Downtown Crossing, and the people behind it also happen to run three other spots in the city.According to the restaurant’s website, Scholars American Bistro and Lounge is planning on opening on School Street (between Tremont Street and Washington Street), with the address indicating that it will be moving into the space where Talbots used to be.”