Earlier in February, chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, of the Maine restaurants Arrows and MC Perkins Cove, opened M.C. Spiedo Ristorante & Bar at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, a unique 4960 square foot concept that incorporates ‘spit’ or ‘skewer’ rotisserie-type cooking that was a popular technique during the Italian Renaissance period. A 40-inch steel spit is used to roast locally sourced duck, chicken and suckling pig, among other restaurant classics along with a menu divided into antipasti, Small Plates from the Hearth, pizza and calzone, hand-crafted pastas and entrees. The beverage menu features La Colombe Torrefaction coffee, a full bar, and an all-Italian wine list, highlighting famous varietals from each region. The beer selection includes Italian classics such as Baladin, Lurisia and Peroni, as well as local brews on tap including Harpoon, Sam Adams and Cape Ann Fisherman's. The cocktail menu will focus on local ingredients and Italian inspiration. The 80-seat fine dining restaurant invokes the opulent spirit of the Italian Renaissance period when cuisine and fine dining started to emerge as important elements in the fabric of Italian society. The restaurant is in the former 606 Congress restaurant in the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel on Congress St. in Boston’s Seaport District.

M.C. Spiedo Ristorante & Bar – 617/476-5606 www.mcspiedoboston.com