After a lackluster performance at the 83rd annual Oscars that left critics penning emotional critiques about his unemotional delivery, co-host James Franco bailed on his own after-awards party (held at his own bar, L.A.’s The Writer’s Room, no less), jetting back to the East Coast and his doctorate classes at Yale.

While Franco couldn’t make time for the late-night bash at his own writer’s watering hole (although Kevin Spacey, Seth Rogen, and several cast members of the new “90210″ were in attendance), perhaps he’ll be inclined to check out Scholars American Bistro and Cocktail Lounge, a “coming soon” attraction that’s opening on School Street in downtown Boston on March 21. (General Manager Kati Semanski tells Haute Living Boston that a grand opening event is being planned for early April.)

According to its website, Scholars will feature a refined menu with “cuisine inspired by regional classics but original in its execution.” Diners can wash down their New England favorites with a flute of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne, chase their entrées with a Dogfish 90-minute IPA, or select an imaginative cocktail from Scholars’ craft cocktail menu. Throw in live music, an interactive raw bar, a kitchen that stays open until one in the morning, and a new billiards room, and it would appear that Scholars has all the right ingredients to impress James Franco and educated epicures everywhere.

For more information about Scholars and its opening, visit www.scholarsboston.com.

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