Where to Nebo. The Italian restaurant, run by sisters Carla and Christine Pallotta, recently moved from its original North End location to Atlantic Wharf.
What for Another loud, stylish spot with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the Greenway? You bet. This one is distinguished by a menu of antipasti, pasta, and pizza and an unusually lively after-work social scene.
The scene The patio is packed. The bar area is a collage of patterns — the woman in the aqua-and-mint
tunic, the man whose white hair is nicely set off by a lime-striped button-down and pink paisley tie. Men look like overgrown boys in their summer shorts, fresh haircuts revealing pale lines of skin the sun hasn't yet had a chance to tan. The restaurant is a neutral backdrop, off-white with black accents, wood floors, and brick ceilings. There is a marble bar the color of good cream and plenty of communal seating. At the center, an open kitchen hums. The soundtrack dwells on romance — "P.Y.T.," "Never Gonna Give You Up," "When a Man Loves a Woman." The room fills with the flicker of cellphones as people attempt to read menus in the fading light.
What you're eating Pizza ovens are temporarily out of commission. In the meantime, you'll find salumi platters, fried calamari, creamy polenta with wild mushroom ragu, and squid ink pasta (above) with salt cod confit. Or try Nebo's zucchini lasagna, made with thin slices of the vegetable rather than noodles. It was a winner on "Throwdown! With Bobby Flay."
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Care for a drink? Prosecco might be nice. Or maybe a cocktail? For those who can't decide, there's the Smoke Over Bourbon, which combines said bourbon with St. Germain, lemon, a splash of Scotch, and prosecco. Barely sweet and lightly fizzy, it works better than one might expect.
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Overheard Talk about Nantucket. Talk about real estate. "I live around the corner." "I live on Newbury Street." People complaining about work. Women obsessing about not being good enough at work: "I doubt myself every day." "Have a good night! Good luck with the Blue Line!," one friend calls to another. Two women approach two men. "Hi there," says the brunette. Big smile. "Will you buy us a drink?" Meanwhile, "Want to get in on that action?" another man asks his friend. Two silver foxes approach two blond cougars and the animal kingdom implodes.
520 Atlantic Ave., Boston.617-723-6326, www.neborestaurant.com.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst.