Cool it

October 29, 2008

Lucky's Lounge in Fort Point Channel channels the Rat Pack and they're doing a good job on most counts. You can almost picture Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra knocking back martinis and snuggling with babes in a banquette. They might order meatloaf, or maybe fried chicken and waffles, but one thing you can't envision is Old Blue Eyes slurping up soba noodles and seared tuna with his chopsticks ($16). His loss. The sweet-sour-cool-spicy dish is delicious. It might not suit Sinatra, but it tastes great with a martini nonetheless. Lucky's Lounge, 355 Congress St., Boston, 617-357-5825, www.luckyslounge.com LEIGH BELANGER

Since May, Dahlicious Lassi of Tewksbury has been culturing organic milk into creamy, fruit-infused drinks. "We like to say it's the world's oldest smoothie," says owner JD Sethi. While lassi, a north Indian drink, isn't exactly new, Sethi, a former Microsoft engineer, and his wife, Geetu, a microbiologist, are jumping into the probiotic market. Their lassis are based on dahi, an Indian yogurt made with Evans' Farmhouse Creamery milk from Norwich, N.Y. The 20-hour yogurt process breaks down lactose with strains of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria. The lassi ($2.49 for an 8-ounce bottle) tastes sweeter than most yogurts - even with only a couple of grams of mango, peach, or wild blueberries. "It's great for someone who is looking for authentic, real-tasting, international food," Sethi says. With or without samosas. Available at Debra's Natural Gourmet, 98 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, 978-371-7573; and Cambridge Naturals, 23 White St, Cambridge, 617-492-4452. PETER SMITH