Bogie's Place - Boston
It's a secluded nook behind the wildly popular JM Curley, a boisterous gastropub that's garnered a number of accolades for its burgers. Bogie's Place, however, aims to be low key, and that's quite a feat for a steakhouse.
Named in honor of Hollywood legend Humphrey Bogart, the restaurant is 1920s inspired with 20 seats for dining. Reservations, of course, are required and they're hard to come by. The tiny venue used to host private parties as well as served as a space for JM Curley's overflow, but this concept was born out of one of the partner's childhood fascination with Bogart.
There's no signage outdoors. Instead, the owners decided to indicate that this place exists with a tiny gold-plated sign with an arrow pointing in the direction of the dining room. That's capped off by additional signage proclaiming “Adults only. Please no cell phone use.”
Inside, guests will find a dimly lit setting that includes studded-leather booths, diminutive private bar and classic jazz providing the soundtrack. It's the ideal atmosphere to appreciate the menu, which is limited, yet many of the classic dishes have been re-imagined with local ingredients.
For example, the iconic Waldorf salad is composed of Boston leaf lettuce, apple slices and raisins. A Wedge consists of a generous chunk of iceberg lettuce dressed with Maine cherry tomatoes, scallions, North Country Smokehouse bacon and a house-made blue cheese dressing. And the filet mignon is grassfed and originates from Maine family farms.
Speaking of steaks, there's also a Tomahawk, bone-in Porterhouse and bone-in New York strip on the menu. There's also a pre-theater menu, which is prix-fixe. For Bogie's, the offering makes sense because the restaurant is located in the heart of Boston's theater district.
