Match is Lit on a Friday Night

Bostonist has frequented The Blue Cat Cafe on Mass Ave. a few times and was surprised to hear of its closing this past summer. Sure, it was never packed in there when we went for a drink, but it certainly is now that the space has been reopened as Match, a sleeker and more sophisticated spot than the old Blue Cat. With the tagline "burgers and martinis", Match sounds like a place where every patron would be chowing down on a juicy burger with a martini sloshing around in the other hand. Yet, when we walked in at 9p.m. on Friday, it was packed with people who seemed more interested in cocktails than food. (How could we forget that when a new place opens in Boston, it instantly becomes the place to be seen?) The restaurant was filled with mostly twenty to thirtysomethings in the U-shaped bar area, with all the tables on the dining side occupied. After fighting our way through a sea of black tanktops, we were able to order an $8 vodka tonic and take in the full scene of Match. The space itself is nice, decorated in dark wood with the back wall actually a row of fire. (Bostonist isn't sure if it was the heat from the open flame or the vodka, but we were seriously burning up in this place.)

While we opted not to munch on anything, Bostonist has heard about their mini hamburgers, which were constantly streaming out of the kitchen by the plateful. They looked quite good and we will definitely be back to sample them. The mini-burgers come in a slew of different kinds, such as lamb, lobster, tuna steak, veggie and the classic cheeseburger. The prices aren't necessarily a bargin, but Match seems like a more approachable place than some other new restaurants/lounges that have recently opened in the city. Just give it a few weeks and stop by when the crowds have cleared out.

Match is located at 94 Mass Ave.; open daily 5p.m. to 1a.m.