Nightlife: Parla
North End speakeasy offers up inventive craft cocktails
Parla, the North End bar and eatery that opened last April, draws on Prohibition-era speakeasies for inspiration, but it does so with a decidedly Italian twist, an homage to the neighborhood’s ethnic heritage. Many of the cocktail and menu items pay tribute to famous Italian Americans (one cocktail is named Sacco & Vanzetti) and the bar’s name is Italian for “speak.”
Unlike the speakeasies of yore, Parla is easy to find, no password required. Located on the North End’s leading commercial thoroughfare, Hanover Street, its large glass storefront beckons with an inviting peek of the bar. Upon entering, you’re directly transported to the past. A mural depicting a shushing, turquoise-clad flapper greets patrons with the word “omerta”—the traditional Italian code of silence upheld by generations of Mafiosi—painted underneath.
The small, intimate space (and we do mean small) mixes industrial style chic—think coiled lamps and a copper bar—with elements like the intricately molded ceiling and artfully constructed displays of bowler hats. Mason jar lights and wooden barrels marked “ale,” “wine,” “whiskey,” and “moonshine” above the postage stamp–sized bar are among the objects that serve as visual reminders of Prohibition, when alcohol was outlawed and people resorted to bathtub gin and illicit distilleries. A framed 1919 newspaper front page heralding “U.S. Is Voted Dry” also pays homage to the era.
Eager to check out Parla’s craft cocktails and to soak up the ambience of the ’20s and ’30s, we stopped by on a recent evening. We sat down in one of the tufted black leather booths and opened the drink menu, a crumpled, unmarked booklet printed on well-worn parchment (be careful not to mistake it for your napkin). The front page announced “the point of no return,” no doubt a warning to some and an enticing challenge to others.
Parla does not have a full bar in the traditional sense. Alcohol is divided into cordials, wine, and beer, with an emphasis on whiskey and rye. But what it does offer are wonderfully inventive combinations. The aptly named Tell Tale Heart ($13) features an enticing concoction of orange juice, Drambuie, grapefruit bitters, cherry liqueur, and Cinzano Rosso. It’s something you can easily imagine a glamorous flapper once ordering.
After much consideration, we settled on the Bee Sting Julep ($12), a fiery combination of house-made habanero honey–infused whiskey, mint, and sugar. It arrived in an elegant copper beaker, and we eagerly took a gulp, which proved to be a big mistake. Although warned by the waitress that the drink was spicy, we were unprepared for its initial bite. The flavor of habanero peppers was not only unmistakable but also overwhelming, at least until melting ice diluted its intensity. While visitors with delicate palates would be smart to forego this updated twist on a classic mint julep, it’s well worth it for anyone confident enough to handle some heat. (Also, patrons can ask for a milder version of the drink.)
The beverage menu is as much fun to read as the libations are to drink. Decorated with quirky images of cats in top hats, Salvador Dali–style clocks, and crows perched on delicate chandeliers, the visual oddities offer a fun surprise with each turn of the page. The menu also includes testimonials from a wide range of famous intellects and writers—Galileo and Hunter S. Thompson among them—in praise of liquor.
Having made it through our Bee Sting Julep, we decided to try something that packed a little less heat. We ordered the Hearts on Fire ($14). Made with jalapeno tequila, prickly pear juice, rosemary agave, and Patrón Citrónge, the drink got the full margarita treatment with lime juice and a salt rim. And despite its name, the drink’s sweetness proved a soothing change after the Bee Sting’s burn.
While Parla offers impressive (albeit expensive) dinner fare, visitors stopping by just for drinks are wise to take advantage of the restaurant’s bites, or mini-appetizers. We started with the wild boar meatballs ($8). They arrived sizzling in a small cast iron pan, resting in a pool of homemade tomato sauce, topped with shaved parmesan and torn basil. These weren’t our grandmother’s meatballs. While the succulent meat was the main ingredient, the brothy tomato sauce was the star. Thankfully, the dish comes with accompanying slices of fresh Italian bread, guaranteeing that you won’t miss out on a single, delicious drop.
Just as good was the pork belly ($7). Tender, slightly seared chunks of meat arrived on a wave of creamy black pepper aioli. A sprinkling of lime rocks and smoked salt cut through the mayonnaise-like sauce, offering a tangy acidity that left us eager for more.
We’d make another visit to Parla for the unique atmosphere alone, but their creative cocktails and savory bites are sure to draw us back again and again, along with the rumors of a secret menu. But shh. You didn’t hear about that from us.
Parla is located at 230 Hanover St. in Boston’s North End. To get there via public transportation, take an inbound Green Line trolley to Haymarket Station. From there, it’s a five-minute walk to Hanover Street.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner is served from 4 p.m. to midnight. Sundays, Parla offers a brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 11 p.m. Phone: 617-367-2824. The restaurant accepts all major credit cards, and reservations are strongly recommended.
Paula Sokolska can be reached at ps5642@bu.edu.
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