Sonsie Restaurant   

Wear your chic shopping clothes to Sonsie, a fun, Newbury Street restaurant that attracts a young, trendy crowd more interested in people-watching and schmoozing than actually eating. The Parisian-style marble cafe tables and open French windows encourage the scenesters, who nibble on eggs and coffee in the mornings, munch on salads and brick-oven pizzas in the afternoons and sip martinis in the evenings.Despite its reputation as a place to see and be seen, Sonsie is a good place to eat as well. The eclectic nouveau American menu features great appetizers, such as flash-fried calamari served with white pepper and chilled avocado soup, plus intriguing gourmet salads (spinach salad with tempura Nori rolls) and sandwiches. It's perfect after a long day of Newbury Street boutique-hopping. The moderately priced dinner entrees are more hit-and-miss, but carefully prepared dishes like charcoal duck breast with ginger plum coulis prove that Sonsie is still a step above most of Boston's buzzy, supper club spots.Be warned: On weekend evenings, the Prada-clad crowds and celebrity spotters flock to Sonsie, hoping to catch a glimpse of a visiting movie star. Prepare to wait for a table. -- Michael Endelman