Stuff Boston

ALL THE THINGS we love about the holidays - the expensive bottles of wine, the multi-course meals, the fancy soirées that end with breakfast - are also the things that leave us bleary-eyed, pudgy, and hating ourselves come the season's proverbial "morning after." As much as it pains us to admit it, even we find ourselves craving a few nights in, a simple salad ... in a word, a little detox. So here's a roundup of nightspots, spa treatments, classes, and cultural activities that give our puffy lids time to shrink and our livers a chance to regenerate. Trust us, after a few calm days and quiet nights, you'll be yanking your Louboutins out of the back of your closet rejuvenated and ready to make your re-entry onto the social scene.

raising the bar on relaxing
Yes, we said we wanted to chill out - but we never purported to swear off drinking entirely. Instead of heading to the city's latest hotspot only to endure long lines, cramped bars, and far too many air kisses, we recommend a low-key hangout where you can disappear into a corner with a well-mixed drink and - if you're feeling social - a chatty friend. We love the way the low-lit, bookish Washington Square Tavern (714 Washington Street, Brookline, 617.232.8989) quiets us upon entering; once the bartender slides us a glass of wine from a well-chosen list, we've all but melted into our stool. There aren't many bars in this city where we'd hang solo, but this is one of them. A quick cab or T ride down Beacon Street is Audubon Circle (838 Beacon Street, Boston, 617.421.1910), where we can't help but feel as relaxed and casual as the clientele - no buttoned-up business types here. Cambridge Common (1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.547.1228) has always been a comforting spot to grab a post-work beer without the nuisance of eager, chatty singles, and we've always felt at home at Clery's cousin Brownstone (111 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.867.4142), with its slightly older, slightly more sober crowd. Another option? Hit your favorite nightspots when it's - the horror! - still light out. Alibi (Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles Street, Boston, 617.224.4000), still new and hot enough to be mobbed at peak hours, envelops us in its basement calm on off nights, and 28 Degrees (One Appleton Street, Boston, 617.728.0728) is an early-evening treat.

lose the booze
If your holiday revelries have left you unable look at another alcoholic beverage without needing to hightail it to the restroom, plenty of local bartenders have created mocktails with you - and your hard-drinking reputation - in mind. Want to enjoy Sushi Teq (InterContinental, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 617.747.1000) without indulging in the latter half of the restaurant's moniker? Pair your spicy tuna rolls and salmon sashimi with booze-free margaritas offered in lush, fruity flavors, including Blackberry Mango ($6) and Blood Orange Strawberry ($6). Meanwhile, the doting bartenders at Eastern Standard (528 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.532.9100) have devoted a whole section of their cocktail list to non-alcoholic tipples. The Stormy Monday ($5), a ginger-beer-based beverage, can assuage even the queasiest of stomachs, and the Sophisticated Lady ($5), which melds cranberry and cucumber, is just that. And we love the connotations of the Lemmy Tum Tum ($5), described as a "cure for what ails you." If even those are too close to the real stuff for comfort, find solace in a pot of peppermint tea - or another of more than 25 varieties - offered at the 1369 Coffee House (1369 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617.576.1369; 757 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.576.4600), with locations in Inman and Central squares. They're open later than most coffee shops, too, boasting hours until 10 or 11 p.m. nightly.

weighty issues
If it's sustenance you desire, we can only assume that it's the light, low-fat stuff you're looking for after the gluttony that is December. Forgo rich, creamy dishes for tastes from the raw bar at Neptune Oyster (63 Salem Street, Boston, 617.742.3474) or East Coast Grill (1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617.491.6568), and sate your sweet tooth with the super-fresh Watermelon and Feta Tidbit appetizer ($7.95) at Vlora (545 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.638.9699). Eateries like Harvest (44 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.868.2255), Garden at the Cellar (991 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.230.5880), and Craigie Street Bistrot (5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge, 617.497.5511) are known for their natural, wholesome takes on fresh, simple foods with big flavors, and we've long admired the merits of the salad selection at the Metropolitan Club (1210 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, 617.731.0600). And as we reported earlier in this issue, keep an eye out for the ultimate in detoxifying dishes with the opening of Alissa Cohen's new raw restaurant, Grezzo (69 Prince Street, Boston).

gym dandies
We've always subscribed to the idea that the best way to cure a hangover (no matter that this one has lasted weeks) is to sweat it out. We all have our favorite trainer - or the neighborhood gym to which we've vowed to devote our lives come January 1 - but there are other ways to supplement those hours on the elliptical machine. To get the booze oozing out of your pores quickly, turn up the heat, literally, with a Bikram yoga class. With the average temperature cranked up to 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity, you won't leave the class dry - but you will emerge incredibly clear-headed and cleansed. A number of classes are offered daily at Bikram Yoga Boston (108 Lincoln Street, Loft 1A, Boston, 617.556.9926) and Bikram Yoga Harvard Square (30 JFK Street, Second Floor, Cambridge, 617.54.SWEAT). If you're in need of a little extra oomph (i.e., you'll talk yourself out of that workout with the slightest provocation), we suggest plunging in headfirst with a session at Ultimate Bootcamp (www.ultimatebootcamp.com; 617.787.1224). The program kicks off '08 with a six-week class held outdoors on Boston Common Monday through Thursday mornings beginning on January 7. For less hardy folk, indoor sessions begin on January 7 and February 25. After a few workouts, you won't even think about sleeping through that early-morning wake-up call. Finally, mixing things up with your gym's group fitness classes is always beneficial. Not only will you work muscles you likely never knew you had, you'll also be less inclined to allow yourself an out when the going gets tough - especially when the post-menopausal woman with Madonna arms next to you is crunching her abs double-time. Each gym has its own roster of offerings, some more creative than others (think stripper-pole workouts, samba dancing, ass-class); one of the more innovative and imaginative of the bunch is Equinox (131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, 617.578.8918), which debuts new classes including "Hardbody Meltdown" (exaggerated step-training), "Red Carpet Ready" (covering cardio and toning, plus confidence, poise, and grace), and "Temple Dance" (sexy, exotic moves to world music) in January.

spaaah!
If your definition of "sweating it out" involves a stint in the steam room after a spa treatment, we have some less active (yet still rejuvenating) options worth exploring. Heat up with a 75-minute Hot Stone Massage ($100) at Inman Oasis (243 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, 617.491.0176) - the rocks work wonders on a fatigued body - followed by a soothing soak in one of the wellness center's hot tubs. If you'd rather scrub away your demons, try the Urban Renewal Exfoliating Facial ($125) at G Spa (35 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.267.4772), which incorporates cleansing enzymes; exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids; and hydrating cranberry, pomegranate, and green-tea moisturizers. If your eyelids are puffy from too many carbs, too much booze, and too little sleep, head to Pyara (104 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, 617.497.9300) for the Revitalizing Eye Treatment ($35; $25 as a spa enhancement), while people looking for a full-body experience might do well to invest in the Sea Foam Head-to-Toe Body Ritual ($265) at Bella Santé (38 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.424.9930), featuring two hours of re-mineralizing, oxygenizing masques, scrubs, and creams.

it's academic
Don't be afraid to get studious about your detoxing. The Cambridge Center for Adult Education (42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.547.6789) offers evening and weekend classes in subjects as diverse as "Introduction to Decoupage" (beginning January 15) and "Greek Philosophy" (beginning January 16); visit www.ccae.org to browse the winter course catalog. If you've been itching to put pen to paper and engage in more literary pursuits, enliven your prose with one of the themed writing workshops at Grub Street (160 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.695.0075). Updated listings are posted at www.grubstreet.org. Food and wine education more your speed? The latest addition to the Barbara Lynch empire, Stir (102 Waltham Street, Boston, 617.423.STIR), offers classes with a sophisticated take on both, including an introduction to chenin blanc on January 7 and, on January 8 and 9, instruction on how to assemble Lynch's "No. 9 Classics" such as prune-stuffed gnocchi and steak tartare. And the Boston Wine School (1354 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.784.7150) leaves no bottle uncorked in its quest for vino wisdom.

art attack
If you crave culture's more social side, Boston has a wealth of opportunities. The ICA (100 Northern Avenue, Boston, 617.478.3100) offers date-worthy programming that swaps late nights at the bar for lectures, films, and performance pieces that inspire discussion. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (280 The Fenway, Boston, 617.566.1401) appeals to a young, savvy crowd with its "Gardner After Hours" events every third Thursday of the month; on January 17, attend "People and Portraits," which includes a drawing session, tours of the museum's portrait collection, and, for an additional fee, the Boston debut performance of the International Contemporary Ensemble in "Composer Portraits: Music of Magnus Lindberg." And cultural veterans like the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.267.9300) and the Museum of Science (Science Park, Boston, 617.723.2500) have also stepped it up in an attempt to appeal to more than just big-name donors and grade-school field trippers. The MFA has made a name for itself as an edgy live music venue, and it also sponsors mfafirstfridays cocktail events and "Winesday" wine tastings on the last Wednesday of every month; the scientifically minded can find romance in the Museum of Science's planetarium or rock out to Zeppelin, U2, the Beatles, and Metallica at a laser show. And there's always the cool, dark, hangover-dulling sanctuary of a movie theater: the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617.625.5700), the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2500), the Harvard Film Archive (24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, 617.495.4700), and the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.876.6838) all have eclectic offerings. @