Luck be a lady
Free food, free pool, and music mixes especially for women — who says it's a man's world?
Ladies' night? Apparently in Boston, the feeling is still right.
Despite the fact that ladies' nights have been charged with discrimination (in court, in some cases) in states such as Ohio, Hawaii, and Colorado, special nights for women at Boston-area bars and restaurants are still acceptable.
In fact, we now have two new ones.
A few weeks ago, Red Sky (16-18 North St., Boston. 617-742-3333. redskyboston.com) kicked off a "Ladies' 80s Night" on Tuesdays that offers women a nostalgic evening of music and a free three-course dinner - as long as they spend $10 on drinks. Meals on the freebie menu, which is served from 5 to 8:30 p.m., have included pasta primavera and chicken ziti, with chocolate cake for dessert.
Owner Russ deMariano said he started his ladies' night last month because he desperately wanted to host an '80s night and figured women wouldn't be ashamed to admit they still love the music. He's rewarding the gender's love of Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson with free food.
"It's kind of corny but me and [Red Sky partner Ed Brooks] were born in the 1970s and we love the '80s music," deMariano said.
Despite the DJ on the turntables pumping out '80s hits at the front of the restaurant, the night is usually relaxed. Women sit in the restaurant's dining area choosing from the Ladies' Night menu as the regular after-work Financial District crowd mingles by the bar.
Another treat for women at Red Sky? It's not officially gender-specific, but tonight and tomorrow, the restaurant is serving up a cake and martini combo for $8 to honor tomorrow's opening of the "Sex and the City" movie.
The other new ladies' night in the area is on Thursdays at My House (609 Washington St., Quincy. 617-323-6060. myspace.com/myhousequincy), an under-the-radar club in Quincy that's inside a former residence (there's still a traditional front yard and driveway). The club is a hideaway with tiny tables, an intimate bar, and a late-night menu with American-Chinese-food treats such as crab rangoon. There's no special deal for women - men are welcome, and women have to pay for drinks (which, by the way, include cotton candy martinis) - but the music is all for them.
DJ Kid Style/Wayne B., an actor who had bit parts in "Good Will Hunting" and "Southie" and has hosted a Top 40 and hip-hop ladies' night program on cyberstationusa.com, says he plays dance tracks that appeal to a female clientele on a girls' night out.
"Men are welcome, but it's designed for ladies," Kid said, nodding his head as a mash-up of Jay-Z and 50 Cent pulsed through the club. "It's all good.
There are also several ladies' nights in town that have had followings for years. On Wednesday nights at News (150 Kneeland St., Boston. 617-426-6397. newsboston.com), near South Station, women get a free three-course dinner (a recent menu included comfort foods such as meat loaf) from 5 to 10 p.m. There's no drink minimum, but women are asked to wait at the bar for a bit before they're seated. Patrons say that buying a drink or two at the bar in exchange for a free dinner is more than fair. Lami Ferreira, 29, of Randolph, who sipped a pina colada with her sister and cousin while she waited last week, said she loves the vibe.
"Have you ever seen 'Sex and the City'? It's like that," she said.
Like Tuesdays at Red Sky, the News ladies' night isn't designed for men looking for a predominately female club crowd. In fact most of the time, there's not a man in the house. "It's usually just ladies, and occasionally a couple comes in," said hostess Jill Macone.
A ladies' night that does attract the opposite sex takes place at the Kells (161 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-782-9082. thekells.com) on Friday nights. This one's simple: Women get in for free before midnight, and men come for the view.
"We're sort of known for that," manager Nick Bracy said of the pick-up scene.
New additions to the Kells ladies' night include an '80s music room and free chocolate-covered strawberries served to groups of women at tables. Like the owner of Red Sky, the Kells manager also believes '80s hits draw women.
"That room is on the way to the bathroom," Bracy said. "They hear it and they're like, 'Ooooh.' They usually [stop in] for a few songs."
Over at Boston Billiard Club (126 Brookline Ave., Boston. 617-536-7665. bostonbilliardclub.com), an old ladies' night special is back. It used to be that women could play pool for free on Wednesday nights if they came in groups of four. A few years ago, the deal was changed to 50 percent off the $10-an-hour charge, but the women didn't like it. So general manager Nick Daponde brought back the old deal a few months ago. Come in a group of four, and the pool is free.
The night does draw a number of men, but it's not a pick-up scene, says Daponde. Sometimes it's restaurant industry types. Sometimes it's a crowd that doesn't even know it's ladies night until they arrive. "It's not too bad here," he said.
A long-running ladies' night where women truly don't have to worry about being hit on by men is Dyke Night, which is without a regular home but still up and running thanks to committed host Kristen Porter.
This month, there's the Back Seat Pride Kick-Off Party on June 6 at the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes (10 p.m. $8. 403 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-3740. milkywayjp.com) and the Ballroom Blitz on June 13, which includes a DJ set and a book signing by lesbian mystery author Lynn Gravbelle. (9 p.m. $12. Holiday Inn Ballroom, 30 Washington St., Somerville. dykenight.com). Both nights celebrate Pride Week.
Dyke Night regular Christine Thomas, who is a member of madfemmepride (madfemmepride.org), which also hosts female-friendly events, said that although there are a few lesbian nights at trendy clubs in Boston (including Tribe at Felt), Porter's events are cheap, comfortable, and always benefit a good cause. Thomas says it's a cozier experience than what you'd find at a big club. "There's just no comparison," Thomas said. "She's been doing this for 10 years."
Meredith Goldstein can be reached at mgoldstein@globe .com.
