[The Second Glass] 
The mysterious man behind the Beehive's bottles
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.
[Eats] 
Open wide for an uncanny spunk du Sud
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.
[LUPEC] 
Cocktail endangerment no more!
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.
[The Second Glass] 
She gave you life; buy her a drink
This Mother's Day, while you're imbibing over eggs benedict at an elegant restaurant (you did make reservations, right?), we suggest opting for some bubbly. It's a subtle and classy way to say, "Thanks for raising me, Mom; now let's get drunk—I mean, celebrate—in the middle of the day." There are many options to choose from, including Champagne, sparkling wine and the vitamin C-laced mimosa. Below, we cover the brunchy basics. You're on your own (with some alcoholic fortitude) for the inevitable "ugh, can we not talk about that, Mom?" conversations.
[Drinks] 
Toasting the broads of LUPEC
With the proper mix of wit, invention and charity with plenty of sass to spare, Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (otherwise known as LUPEC, Boston's first and only female-oriented cocktail society), want nothing more than for others to enjoy and appreciate the storied history of drink. Through writings and events, they work steadfast for the cause.
[Eats] 
The masterminds behind the stinky and sublime
NO. 9 PARK | JESSICA KINNEY
No. 9 Park house manager Jessica Kinney holds the reins of the cheese programs at No. 9 Park and The Butcher Shop. Kinney meets weekly with waitstaff to review the current offerings and explain the complexities involved in choosing and serving each cheese. Working with Great Barrington cheesemonger Matt Rubiner and the affineurs at Formaggio Kitchen, Kinney also coordinates her selections with wine director Cat Silirie. Kinney notes that it's not just the varieties of milk types and cheesemaking styles that make cheese a perfect and interesting end to the meal: "Cheese is about history, geography, people."
[The Second Glass] 
To the winer goes the spoils
Every month at Gordon's Fine Wine and Culinary Center in Waltham, two wine heavyweights from the biggest restaurants in Boston do battle. Louis DiBiccari and Ian Grossman from Sel de la Terre prepare a four-course feast of curveball dishes, and the sommeliers have only four minutes to pick a wine from Gordon's inventory to best match the food. Votes cast by a crowd of paying, tasting spectators ultimately declare the winner. Sandy Block, master of wine and VP of Beverage Operations at Legal Sea Foods, was in attendance at the most recent Smackdown.
[Eats] 
Katy Childs
Josh and Katy Childs opened their restaurant and bar, Silvertone, in 1997 during downtown Boston's relative era of sketch. Housed underground on a dark side street, the place could have been tsked away as wrong place, wrong time. Despite all odds, it has evolved to be one of the city's finest hidden gems, home to celebrated bartenders (including legendary Cedric Adams), a handy bevy of wine half-bottles and dim-lit conviviality among cushy booths. I spoke with co-owner Katy Childs.
[Eats] 
Edition: South Boston
CAFÉ ARPEGGIO
It would be a shame to miss Southie's Café Arpeggio, nestled quietly in a green wooden storefront and marked by an unobtrusive hand-painted sign. Arpeggio makes a full range of coffee and espresso drinks, all the while brewing gourmet teas and tempting with pastries, muffins and a tres-leches cake that redefines milky goodness.
[Eats] 
Hunger. I has it.
TEH DIG'S GUIDE 4 GUD SPRIN DININ
CHEESE BURGER | RIVER GODS | $10
The décor at River Gods rules, and so does their cheezburger.
