Recapture the spirit and flavor of childhood with a grown-up version of a root beer float. The Met Back Bay offers a twist on the traditional ice cream parlor drink with its inventive Met Root Float, made with Root spirit, house-made Cracker Jack ice cream, orange vodka, house-made vanilla syrup, and rimmed with crushed, salted peanuts.

Root, which is made in California by Philadelphia-based artists collective Art in the Age and just recently became available in Boston, is a certified organic, 80-proof dark spirit based on the recipe that became root beer. Its retro flavor comes from 13 different spices and herbs, including birch bark, cinnamon, cardamom, and anise.

"I reinvent a lot of the classics at our restaurants, and since root beer floats were a childhood tradition of mine, it only made sense to put one on our menu with the warmer weather approaching," says Todd Winer, the culinary director at The Met Back Bay. "Root has a beautiful earthy and herbal flavor to it, and I wanted to balance that with some other nostalgic novelties like the sweetness of house-made Cracker Jack ice cream and the savory salted peanut rim." So indulge a little this spring and enjoy this refreshing salty-sweet cocktail while basking in the sun on the restaurant's patio. 279 Dartmouth St., 617-267-0451

The days when seedy watering holes like the Rathskeller (aka The Rat) dominated Kenmore Square become even more distant with Hotel Commonwealth’s newest addition. Cocktail czar Jackson Cannon, bar director of Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar, has opened his own intimate watering hole, The Hawthorne. “When I travel the world for cocktails I am often stuck in uncomfortable bars,” says Cannon, who named his new boîte after the cocktail strainer of the same name. “I knew I wanted The Hawthorne to be friendly to the process of drink making.”

In addition to renovating the space, Cannon worked with interior designers Alison and Stephen Sheffield to create an atmosphere that feels like a stylish dinner party. The Sheffields complemented a palette of rich neutrals with high-back chairs in an elegant navy blue, tasteful zebra-print sofas, and more than 50 pieces of artwork. A hostess leads you to your seat, whether it is at the 18-seat marble-topped bar or in the stone room for drinks and small bites. Service is paramount at The Hawthorne, and instead of being squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder at a busy bar, you’ll have time to take in the comprehensive cocktail menu and even discuss it with the bartenders.

Enjoy a Dutch Oven (made with Bols Genever gin, absinthe, and bitters) or a Hanky Panky (with gin, fernet, and vermouth) while snacking on fresh-baked soft pretzels or a steak salad with Stilton. And when the weather gets warmer, take your drinks outside as The Hawthorne opens its patio. 500A Commonwealth Ave., 617-532-9150.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID KATZ

The Cheese Shop of Concord proprietor Peter Lovis

For the past 45 years, The Cheese Shop of Concord has been a haven for Boston area cheese-lovers, and a leading purveyor of rare and imported cheeses. (Last year the shop made headlines when it wheeled a 400-pound Northern Italian cheese through its doors.) As such, it comes as no surprise that the shop was first in line to become the exclusive New England merchant for French cheese exporter Xavier David Fromages Affines.

Cheeses recently arrived from the Xavier David include a pungent Roquefort, camembert from Normandy, creamy Fourme d’Ambert (one the oldest cheeses in France), the Alsatian Tomme Fermiere, a superb Comté, and a stinky, runny Époisses cheese from the Cote d’Or.

To find the perfect wine to pair with your French cheese, make use of the shop’s free wine consultations. Pick a wine, or describe one you have at home, and a wine expert will help you choose a cheese. You can also start by choosing a cheese (150 types are available) and then get a recommended wine, beer or cider to pair with it.

In addition to cheeses from Xavier David, shop owner Peter Lovis also recommends a Tasmanian Roaring Forties Blue cheese and Moliterno al Tartufo, an aged black truffle oil-injected Sardinian cheese. If that doesn’t get you to the shop’s doorstep, nothing will. 29 Walden St., Concord, 978-369-5778

Back in the days when beer was safer to quaff than water, the British quenched their thirst in what were called “sessions.” Considered appropriate for a long day of drinking, the beers consumed during a session were long on flavor but short on alcohol, allowing tipplers to walk a straight line out of the pub door.

Fast-forward to modern-day brewing culture, and we see many brands pushing the limits with beers ranging from 7 to 15 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Most of us don’t even notice the ABV on our bottles, and by law brewers don’t have to disclose it.

This isn’t necessarily a good thing, says Chris Lohring, founder of Notch Brewing, which makes Notch American Session Beer. While well-known domestic and imported beers like Samuel Adams and Stella Artois hover around 5 percent ABV, most craft beers run closer to 6 percent and some are getting higher.

Lohring explains the difference with an analogy to the popularity of hot sauce in the 1990s, when each new brand had to be hotter than the previous one. “It’s been a natural progression with craft beer over the past five to seven years for brewers to play around with hops and flavor, but they may be sacrificing the beer’s everyday drinkability.” He decided to create a line of beer with less alcohol and market it specifically as a session beer, with less than 4.5 percent ABV.

The science of flavorful, lower-ABV beers requires innovation, both with ingredients and the brewing process, which Lohring has mastered over 19 years as a brewer in New England.

He launched the brand in March 2011 and quickly amassed thousands of Twitter followers and bartender support at places like Deuxave, The Salty Pig, Forum, Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale, Firebrand Saints, and Deep Ellum.

The session beer category is a seed of an idea in the rapidly growing field of craft brews, with Lohring leading the way. “People understand that session beer is not only for multiple pints, but great for times when you want a beer but not the effects of alcohol,” he explains. Notch is available year-round in several styles: Notch Session Ale (a pale ale), Notch Session Pils (a Czech lager), and Notch Saison (a Belgian-style pale ale). Limited releases rotate seasonally. Now you know you can be in for a long session, and that’s a good thing.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACQUELYN ALLEN (GLASS)

Molasses trade from the British West Indies to colonial New England created the second most important manufacturing industry after shipbuilding—distilling rum. By 1750, Boston alone had around 25 distilleries producing several hundred thousand gallons of rum annually. At the time, rum was a bit harsher than we’re used to drinking these days, so it was often mixed with other liquids (water, beer, cider) and spices to make it more palatable.

Thus came about toddies, grogs, nogs and, finally, hot buttered rum, a concoction suited to the cold, harsh winters. Several recipes exist, but all contain butter, rum, brown sugar, boiling water and spices. The best use dark aged rums with a deep caramel flavor and a pre-made butter batter to allow the flavors to mingle.

This seafaring drink is best enjoyed in historic Marblehead, where the Landing (81 Front St., 781-639-1266) serves up The Grogger—hot buttered rum and three Joe Frogger cookies, which are also made with a little rum. The cookies date back to colonial times to a tavern on Gingerbread Hill in Marblehead run by a man they called Old Black Joe Brown. Fisherman used to take barrels of Joe Frogger cookies with them since they kept well on long journeys.

Hot buttered rum is best enjoyed in front of a fire or by candlelight on a snowy day. It’s also a perfect party pleaser for the holidays. Try these recipes:

Hot Buttered Rum
SERVES ONE

1 tbsp. softened, unsalted butter
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 pinch each allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg
2 ounces dark rum
2-3 ounces boiling water

Cream together butter, sugar and spices in a mug. Add rum and boiling water and stir well to combine. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Hot Buttered Rum with Batter for a Crowd

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown suga
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. clove
1 pinch salt
1 750ml bottle dark rum
Boiling water

Cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a bowl. Refrigerate until almost firm. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs. Pour 2-3 ounces of rum into each mug and top with boiling water. Stir well and garnish with cinnamon stick or lemon slice if desired.

The Rose Kennedy Greenway and Boston’s burgeoning waterfront now have a unifying force, thanks to the opening of Trade restaurant in the Atlantic Wharf building. The collaboration between Rialto chef and owner Jody Adams, former Rialto general manager Sean Griffing, and restaurateur Eric Papachristos brings exotic, internationally inspired dishes across the seas and into our harbor. Look for sharable small plates such as marinated fluke with kaffir lime salt or pomegranate-glazed eggplant; warm flatbreads with spicy saffron mussels or lamb sausage; and bold main dishes, including whole roasted fish with lemongrass chutney or roasted chicken with burnt orange, dates, and quinoa.

Because of its cuisine’s global influence, “the location is ideal for Trade,” says Adams. “There is the transience of the international travelers coming to and from surrounding hotels, the ongoing development of the Seaport and Fort Point Channel, and the established community and local history.”

The enterprising trio jumped on the historic Atlantic Wharf space when it became available last year, retaining the original steel columns and vaulted brick ceiling while adding an open kitchen overlooking the 119-seat dining room. Both the sleek, industrial bar area and the main dining room feature communal tables, so don’t be shy about getting to know your neighbors. In a nod to sturdy New England craftsmanship, other custom tables were made by a Rhode Island artisan, and private banquettes and cozy booths were hand-built by a Chelsea furniture maker. Sidle up to the 24-seat marbletopped bar to sip one of Trade’s specialty cocktails, such as the Boston Hooch, made with local Bully Boy white whiskey, yellow chartreuse, and lemon. It will take your taste buds globe-trotting. 540 Atlantic Ave., 617-451- 1234; trade-boston.com

For Ian Calhoun and Vincent Vela, the restaurant 80 Thoreau in Concord is the realization of a dream that began at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in 2001.

Sudbury-raised Calhoun and California-born Vela met during a sophomore cooking class. “We did a French-inspired menu for the final exam,” Calhoun remembers. “I did the fish course, which was very well received, and Vincent was in charge of the mashed potatoes with the steak au poivre. He undercooked them so badly that it was like potato purée with pea-size chunks of raw potato.” Perhaps it was then that Vela discovered his talents lie in the front of the house, rather than in the kitchen.

Despite the mashed mistake, within a year the two were discussing opening a restaurant of their own. They kept the idea alive when, after graduation, Calhoun went to New York City and worked for The Cipriani Group at the Rainbow Room and at Bar Martignetti brasserie in New York City’s Little Italy, then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Vela, meanwhile, took a job at The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach.

When he moved to Manhattan to work at Thomas Keller’s famed restaurant Per Se and Tom Colicchio’s Craft, he would crash on Calhoun’s couch between apartments.

When they opened 80 Thoreau this past April, the two 30-year-olds drew not only on their combined knowledge of food and wine, but also on their post-college experiences. Vela’s timing—how to pace courses, keep tables clean during the meal, and knowing when and how to interact with guests—and Calhoun’s skills coordinating the output of the kitchen with the activity in the dining room all proved essential.

Working side-by-side 12 hours a day, six days a week hasn’t harmed their relationship. Calhoun (who is married) and Vela (a single guy) remain as great friends as ever. “The only thing we don’t do anymore, because we work so much together, is that on our days off, we don’t hang out as much as we would like to,” Vela says. “We used to cook and drink good bottles of wine.” Their loss is Concord’s gain. 80 Thoreau St., Concord, 978-318-0008

Room with The chef’s table at Asana

Asana
Watch Asana’s chefs work while you dine on contemporary New England cuisine in the tuckedaway room overlooking the kitchen. Guests at the chef’s table can even opt to help finish and plate their desserts. Mandarin Oriental, 776 Boylston St., 617-535-8800; mandarinoriental.com/boston

L’Espalier
A leader of luxury dining in Boston, L’Espalier doesn’t disappoint with private dining in its posh, wood-paneled Library. Host a party for 20 at small tables scattered throughout the room or a more romantic affair for two. 774 Boylston St., 617-262-3023; lespalier.com

Menton
Enjoy artful French cuisine in the private chef’s table room looking into the kitchen. The long table creates a convivial setting for up to 12 guests, and the far wall is mirrored so guests with their back to the kitchen can still watch executive chef Colin Lynch and his team craft each plate. 354 Congress St., 617-737-0099; mentonboston.com

Miel
Feast on chef de cuisine David Chinta’s brasserie-style food at a nine-foot-wide, 1,000-year-old olive tree turned into a table while sitting under the soft light of a chandelier fashioned from 486 olive oil bottles in the glassenclosed private dining room. InterContinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Ave., 617-747-1000; intercontinentalboston.com

Mooo…
Dine in the spacious, streamlined wine cellar under double-vaulted ceilings and alongside a reconstructed Italian mosaic from 700 ad. Indulge in executive chef David Hutton’s five-course menu paired with a selection of the restaurant’s magnificent wines, some bottled at the turn of the 18th century. XV Beacon, 15 Beacon St., 617-670-2515; mooorestaurant.com

Noche
Indulge in Latin-inspired dishes at a custom-made mahogany table with seating for 12. Diners can customize the ambience by playing their own music from an iPod docking station, and the large mirror on the far wall even turns into a television. 3 Appleton St., 617-482-0117; noche-boston.com

Oishii
Take a trip to Japan in the secluded private dining room at Oishii, where fresh orchids and candles set the tone for a special evening. Honoring the chef’s affinity for the moon, one of the gray walls extends out and takes the sensual shape of a crescent. 1166 Washington St., 617-482-8868; oishiiboston.com

Restaurant Verterra
Enjoy a farm-to-table meal crafted with seasonal ingredients at Restaurant Verterra. Up to 12 guests can indulge in a five- to 10-course tasting menu in the working wine cellar, surrounded by 2,500 bottles. The cherry paneling and shelves lends a cozy feeling to the space while you enjoy the “According to Our Fantasy” menu. The Inn at Weathersfield, 1342 Route 106, Perkinsville, VT, 802-263-9217; weathersfieldinn.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House
You’ll be in the money in the private Vault Room of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, located in the old City Hall. The space, formerly used as the vault for important city documents and valuables, still has its original brick floor and heavy vault door. 45 School St., 617-742-8401; ruthschris.com

Via Matta
Get up close and personal with the culinary team at Via Matta when you dine at the chef’s table. Six to 12 guests will be surprised by a multicourse Italian meal featuring the regional flavors of Piedmont, Tuscany and Emilia- Romagna. A glass partition allows guests to watch the cooking line, and diners can even assist with one of their courses. 79 Park Plaza, 617-422-0008; viamattarestaurant.com

Mix 104.1 radio host Gregg Daniels guides listeners from the mid-afternoon slump through rush hour and— happily—to happy hour. So it comes as no surprise that when he’s off the air, Daniels kicks back with a cocktail born from island-loving leisure: the Dark and Stormy.

The drink, which originated in Bermuda, is traditionally made with Gosling’s Black Seal rum (the island’s largest export), and it gained popularity with sailors up and down the East Coast who frequented the island on seafaring jaunts. Daniels discovered the spicy dark rum and ginger beer concoction just a year ago, not on sea but on land, amid the grassy knolls of the Deustche Bank Championship PGA golf tournament in Norton. He was smitten at first sip. “I’m all in now,” he says. “It’s the perfect drink year-round.” Its rich rum base, coupled with the heat of ginger and crisp tang of lime make the drink refreshing in summer and warming in a stiff winter wind.

Daniels’ Dark and Stormy recipe brims with his on-air wit: “The main ingredient is love. Fill a tall glass with love, rum, ice, ginger beer and a lime, and enjoy! I’ve made them before without the right amount of love, and it doesn’t taste the same.”

He continues, “It’s ironic that such a gloomy-sounding drink can make me so happy.” No wonder his recommended soundtrack for sipping one is Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” or the Black Eyed Peas’ “Just Can’t Get Enough.”

Gregg Daniels’ Dark and Stormy

2 oz. dark rum (Gosling’s Black Seal or Brugal Añejo)
6 oz. Gosling’s ginger beer
Lime wedge
A dash of love (optional, but recommended)

Pour rum over ice in a tall glass and top with ginger beer. Squeeze a wedge of lime and stir.

My very first car was an Audi TT, so I’ve long been a fan of the brand. That TT was very cool when it came out. Ferrari owners would stop me to ask about it. I bought that car with truffle money, back when I was just making cooks’ wages. I sold truffles on the side to afford the down payment.

To me, sporty is luxurious, and no car that I’ve driven recently embodies that better than the Audi R8 Spyder. I drove it from the North End, shooting out of the Tip O’Neill Tunnel going 120 mph, and it performed just as I’d hoped—going from zero to 60 in just under four seconds, about a second faster than my own Audi S4.

I took the car up 128 north to Annisquam, where it hugged the rugged coastline, reminding me of my earliest experiences behind the wheel: learning to drive along the Amalfi coast in Italy with my cousins. Through the crazy curves and learning to drive rally style, with up- and downshifting, they taught me control. The R8 is a lot of power to direct—it’s a supercharged V-10—but it’s built so well that it holds tight at every curve; there’s no tug in the steering, no sway in the tail. The mid-body engine placement (just behind the two seats) helps weight it properly for taking turns with speed. It actually reminds me of the car I convinced my father to buy when I came back from Italy that year: a 1978 Maserati Khamsin, which was big for an Italian car. It had a similar purr and power behind it. The R8 is obviously quicker and better, but there is a familiar feel to driving it.

At a spit of sand, I pulled over to take down the top—I loved the breeze through the retractable back window, but it wasn’t enough. For a small car, the R8 gets a lot of attention. It’s a sexy machine. This one came with a leather interior and a sweet Bang & Olufsen sound system. I loved the steering wheel in this model, too—it’s smaller than in my S4, which felt huge by comparison when I got into my car the next day. I like that you can feel the road in the R8. The PZero Pirelli tires have been known to enhance the performance of amazing cars, and this was no exception—they’re ultra-sticky and designed for extreme cornering.

Despite the power, my favorite thing about the R8 might be listening to the music of the engine, both the roar of it and the bit of gurgle you hear when you slow after a burst of speed. Each gear has a distinct purr. The car was especially responsive in second and third gears, and second gear had the power of a catapult to it.

It’s funny, my dad loved my S4 so much, he went out recently and bought the new 2011 A6, which is such a high-tech step into the future that at first I was a little envious. But after driving the R8, I’m starting to save for the trade-in. Audi Burlington, 62 Cambridge St., Burlington, 866- 314-3827; herbchambers.com