Round Up...

Recession? What recession? I've been eating out my fair share lately - you know, helping the economy and all. During my adventures in Boston's culinary landscape, I've had the opportunity to try a number of new restaurants (new to me, anyway). So many, in fact, that the prospect of writing a full review about each individual experience was simply too overwhelming. So... a round up was in order.

OM - I'd been looking forward to eating at OM for a good long while. It's been in Harvard Square for about three years and I've walking past it a number of times - always peeking in the windows and admiring the cool, zen interior. Plus, the Asian-inspired menu looked very promising. You know what they say about not judging a book by it's cover? Oh boy. It went badly right out of the gate. At OM they don't serve you bread or crackers to start, they serve you popcorn. Now, don't get me wrong, I like popcorn and this was particularly good, sprinkled with parmesan and thyme, but this is an upscale restaurant with an Asian vibe. It was just wrong - and that was just the beginning. The appetizers - a beet salad and mussels in a spicy tomato broth - were both tasty, but unremarkable. The entrees went from mediocre to terrible, including rare tuna served over bland, dry udon noodles and vegetables usually found in airline food, an underdone double-cut pork chop, and a stuffed trout that - while the best of the dishes - seemed oddly New England-y. Having been totally underwhelmed by the food, we opted out of dessert and headed to the Hong Kong for a scorpion bowl. This was undoubtedly the right choice.

I'd give OM, at 92 Winthrop Street in Cambridge, a C. Unless you are looking for more UM than OM, I'd skip it.


Estragon - I love tapas. Love, love, love. And I pretty much make it my mission to try any new tapas restaurant in Boston, so it was a no brainer that I had to get over to Estragon. Since I am fascinated with restaurant gossip, here's a little for you - Estragon is owned by Julio de Haro, the ex-husband of Deborah Hansen, the proprietor of Taberna de Haro in Brookline, which they founded together. Deborah and I are both graduates of Bates College in Maine. Wasn't that fun? Our own little six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Oh, you want to know about the food? Fine then... it was good, very good. Not the best (still Dali, in my opinion), but definitely flavorful, adventurous, and authentic. I went with a friend for Restaurant Week, during which they served each diner about five tapas - in reasonably small portions - so we were able to try quite a few things. Some of the highlights included the smokey, crunchy fried garbanzo beans seasoned with paprika, a salad of sauteed spinach sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and golden raisins (great sweet/savory balance!), crispy fried chunks of artichoke hearts served with garlicky aioli, and salt cod croquettes served with a smokey pureed tomato sauce. Some of the less impressive dishes included the cod cheeks which were too dry - though served with this mysterious amber sauce that was vaguely sweet and tangy and excellent - and the beef cheeks which were tough and chewy and served in an overly-salty beef gravy. We opted for a cheese course to end our meal and, sadly, I don't remember the particulars of what we were served. All of the cheeses were a nicely quality, but the portions were minuscule - an unfortunate side-effect of Restaurant Week, I fear.

I'd give Estragon, at 700 Harrison Avenue in the South End, a B. Definitely worth exploring, especially if you share my passion for tapas! Authentic Spanish nibbles served in a lovely Art Deco-inspired setting.


L'Andana - I did it! I made it to L'Andana! Now, this is where this blog comes in handy... after mentioning my seeming inability to actually drive to Burlington for a meal in an earlier posting, I had several suburban-dwelling friends contact me and assure me that, if I ever did get out there, they'd be happy to meet up. Apparently, that was just the inspiration I needed. The first thing I noticed about L'Andana was the size. I guess when you live in the city for too long, you just get used to things being small - real small. L'Andana has it's own huge parking lot, and the restaurant itself is roughly the size of a mall. Yikes! Luckily for L'Andana, it's beautifully appointed with dark, wood paneled walls, soft candlelight and low-lit candelabras, chic white tables and modern chairs. All of which keeps it visually in the same family as it sister restaurants in the city - and some of my favorites! - Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, and Mooo. The menu at L'Andana focuses on Italian dishes, with predominantly grilled entrees. We chose classic Italian appetizers, including a rigatoni with a Bolognese-style sauce and an insalata caprese with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and several thin slices of prosciutto. The insalata used exceptionally fresh ingredients and came together deliciously; however, the rigatoni was sublime. The meat sauce was thick and rich and the fresh pasta was dense and chewy. It would have been more than satisfactory as a meal on it's own. Our entrees, a grilled salmon with a sweet glaze and a 12 ounce ribeye served on a bed of arugula and parmesan, were both cooked to well and tasty, but a bit of a let down after the wonderful starters. Dessert, a cinnamon-apple crostada and a chocolate crema, are a nice sweet finish, but fairly predictable.

I'd give L'Andana, at 86 Cambridge Street in Burlington, a B+. For tried and true city-lovers, you get all the urban flair and high-quality eats that you need at L'Andana.


Wagamama - Last Friday evening, Paul and I found ourselves in the Prudential Center mall and starving. Being almost allergic to shopping in malls or big department stores, it had been ages since I'd been in the Pru. I had no idea what our food options were beyond the small food court, which was definitively not an option. Eventually we stumbled upon Wagamama. I heard all about Wagamama when the inaugural Boston outpost opened in Faneuil Hall, but I didn't realize that there were two others - one in Harvard Square and the one at the Pru. If you, like I did, read about Wagamama when it hit the scene a few years ago, you know it's a London noodle house and sort of a hipster scene. The Wagamama at the Pru keeps fairly true to these roots - it's a wide-open room with long tables, where everyone eats sort of cafeteria style. The multicultural, universally tattooed staff was attentive and friendly. Our waiter did a great job explaining the menu and pointing out some things coming out of the kitchen, so we got a sense for what to expect. After a reasonable amount of deliberation, we ordered edamame with chili-garlic salt (fairly standard, but with a nice kick from flavored seasoning), ebi gyoza (tasty dumplings stuffed with shrimp with a nice seared coating, but overall the wrappers were too chewy), the chili beef ramen (great flavorful broth and fresh veggies, but the beef was bland), and finally the teriyaki chicken (great, tender pieces of chicken in a sweet sauce served over soba noodles). I was sorely tempted by dessert at the end of the meal - especially the baked ginger cheesecake - but, ultimately, we were just too full.

I'd give Wagamama, at 800 Boylston Street in Boston (in the Shops at the Prudential Center), a B-. While the food isn't outstanding, the restaurant has a relaxed, metropolitan vibe and makes for a quick, fun lunch or dinner.


Union Bar and Grille - Just this past weekend, one of my favorite Boston artists - Chris Speakman - was having an opening in the South End. Since we were going to be in the area, we decided to grab a bite for dinner at the Union Bar and Grille. I have a friend who really likes Union for drinks, but to be truthful, I really hadn't heard much about the food. Turns out, there was a reason for that. First of all, it seems that we were not the only ones out there supporting the economy during these tough times - despite having an 8:15 p.m. reservation, we weren't seated until close to 8:45 p.m. We sat down with drinks that we were still half full from the bar and didn't intend to buy a bottle of wine, but our waiter easily convinced us when he let us know that we could take whatever we didn't drink home. I will give Union this - that's a great service and a terrific way to upsell. Reminiscent of "popcorn-gate" at OM, we were served cornbread in a small skillet as a starter. While cornbread is bread - sort of - it's a completely non-sensical compliment at a restaurant that isn't serving BBQ. So, another questionable start - and it didn't get a lot better. Paul ordered an appetizer of pulled short ribs over a bed of spicy coleslaw and topped with fried onions. The dense, saucy meat was nicely cut by the crisp slaw, but the onions were chewy and inedible. I ordered the gnocchi with duck confit and orange sections, which turned out to be overly salty with overcooked dumplings. For an entree, Paul ordered the hanger steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes. The meat was well-portioned and nicely cooked, but the potatoes were largely tasteless. I ate the prosciutto-wrapped cod with a side of white bean salad. The fish was dry and absorbed too much salt from the ham. Sadly, having finished an entirely passable meal, we opted to skip dessert and enjoy the remains of our wine at home.

I'd give Union Bar and Grille, at 1357 Washington Street in the South End, a C. That area is packed with great options for dinner. Union Bar and Grille is not one of them.

Phew... until next time! Though, with the current state of my bank account, the next review may feature the cuisine of Chez Scott-Howard. Not to worry, it'll get all As.

Fool Me Once...

You know that morning after you've had one too many cocktails? Naturally, I am not speaking from personal experience here, but I've been told that the first thing you think to yourself is, "I am never doing that again." But, then the girls invite you to meet them out at your favorite bar and, well... I think you know the rest.

It turns out, I have a bad Restaurant Week hangover. If you are not familiar with Boston's Restaurant Week, the basic idea is that for two two-week periods each year (usually in March and August - traditionally times that hospitality businesses are a little slower), hundreds of participating restaurants offer a three course, prix fixe lunch for $20.09 (the cents reflect the year) or dinner for $33.09. I am not entirely certain when the tradition started - possibly as much as ten years ago - but, it's been enormously successful and it grows in popularity each season.

I love the concept of Restaurant Week, but the reality of it always seems to fall flat. In my mind, Restaurant Week should be about showing the best the restaurants have to offer, for a reasonably price, enticing you to return and pay full price. This never happens. The menus always feature uninspired, limited courses made with the cheapest, most abundant ingredients possible. The staff is never short of completely annoyed and totally unhelpful. I just don't get it. Restaurants, if you can't make Restaurant Week fun, engaging, and inspiring, DON'T DO IT.

Alas, no matter how many times I swear off Restaurant Week, somehow, I always get lured back in. When I do participate, I have one simple rule - make it worth it. Use the time to explore only the highest-end restaurants and get the most value from the offer. So, when a friend emailed and invited me and Paul to No. 9 Park for the first Friday of Restaurant Week, there was no question that we were going! Getting this reservation is akin to getting tickets to game seven during an ALCS series between the Sox and the Yankees. I was beside myself. Fool.

If you've never been to No. 9 (I hadn't), it's fairly small, with a ten-or-so table dining room to the right and a somewhat more boisterous bar and bistro-like area to the left. Frankly, aside from the slight hum of noise from the bar, there's little difference between the areas - this information will be important later. A lovely, sweet hostess seats us in the dining room, where our friends have already arrived and are settling in. Not long after we sit, the waiter arrives with menus. This is where things all turn south.

They are not Restaurant Week menus. My first thought is that we've made a mistake. To my memory, No. 9 has never before participated in the dinner offering during Restaurant Week, only lunch, and, even when they offer dinner, many of the finer restaurants exclude the weekends. So, naturally, we inquire with our waiter who asks us to wait a moment and shortly returns with the hostess. She explains that they are only offering Restaurant Week in the bar-area, not the "dining room" (God forbid!), and that she attempted to call and confirm the reservation, but was never successful in getting through live (my friend who made the reservation assured all of us that she did not receive a single voicemail).

Ok, here's where the staff had the chance to shine... a mistake was made, and it was unfortunate, but we were already sitting, it was nine o'clock at night, and the kitchen was turning out the Restaurant Week menu for diners ten feet away; make an exception and serve us in the dining room. Should they have done that, I assure you, we would have paid many more visits to the restaurant and happily recommended it to anyone that asked. But, no. Couldn't do that. Being courteous and accommodating would be the kind of thing that a staff that is not disgruntled about serving the riff-raff during Restaurant Week would do. Instead, we were ushered to the bar and asked to wait another hour for our table. I will admit that they served us a complimentary cocktail and bar snack while we waited. Frankly, it was the least they could do. But in the end, the whole experience was tainted all the same.

Are you even still interested in the food? It was superb. It's No. 9 Park, for goodness sakes. Foie gras seared to perfection, served with a tiny patty of duck confit that was one of the finest things I've ever eaten. Soft, tangy house-cured salmon served with micro greens, paper-thin onions, and creme fraiche. A monstrous portion of salty, smoky pork belly served over a bed of creamy polenta and dotted with rich, meaty mushrooms. We finished by sharing one of each of the exceptional desserts - bright fruit sorbets, dense chocolate gateau, smooth citrus tart, and a selection of artisan cheeses.

I'd give No. 9 Park, at 9 Park Street in Boston, an A for the food. Avoid Restaurant Week and go for a special occasion, when you don't mind blowing the bank on a meal. The food and service is sure to outstanding all other times of the year.

A Good Sport

I started my first professional job about two weeks after I graduated from college. I was so excited to get into the world, make some money, and start my "real" life. Moron. If I'd only known then what I know now, I would have spent the entire summer at my parents' house, sleeping till noon and having my dad make me dinner every night. More than a decade later, I have a true appreciation for time off - especially when that comes in the form of playing hooky for the day.

Skipping work is just what Paul and I did last Monday. We thought that we'd make a day of it and head down to the waterfront, have a late lunch, and take in the Shepard Fairey exhibit at the ICA. When looking for a hooky-worthy lunch in the Fort Point neighborhood, there is only one destination - Sportello, one of the newest stars in Barbara Lynch's restaurant constellation. Lynch must feel that the formerly-all-but-deserted Fort Point area is pretty darn special - Sportello is only one of three establishments that she is now running there. The others include Drink, a sleek, modernist cocktail bar and 9 at Home, her catering business that she relocated.

Sportello is italian for "counter service" and, according to the restaurant's website, it's "a modern interpretation of the classic lunch counter." Well, if a lunch counter can turn out dense, handmade pastas, an exquisite, hand-picked wine list, and desserts worthy of a magazine cover, than, sure, this is a lunch counter. Sportello's design and atmosphere is pretty much just what you'd expect - a smallish room, with a white counter that snakes through the space, a long open kitchen, and a cooler in the back with takeout specialties and a case full of chocolates and dessert. Typical of Lynch's style, the restaurant is clean and bright, and almost austere. We arrived on the late side and we were able to snag stools at a corner, which made for easier conversation. While sitting at the counter was totally appropriate for lunch, I am not sure how it would translate for dinner - definitely not a good choice for a first date, that's for certain.

While we scanned the menu / paper place mat (in quintessential lunch counter style), I sipped a glass of superb Italian red whose name - regrettably - I can't recall. At lunch, there are only three varietals of red and three whites available by the glass. Though the list is concise, the server was very helpful in choosing something that matched my request. While choosing our meals, we were also treated to fresh, chewy bread served with a small pot of semi-sweet ricotta sprinkled with sea salt and a drizzle of honey, dotted with golden raisins. It was an unexpected pairing and quite tasty.

Out first was a large bowl of the spicy tomato soup with caraway grilled cheese. While I didn't find the soup remotely spicy, it was divinely creamy and smooth, with bright tomato flavor. However, the star was the sandwich served on the side - unbelievably thin slices of long Italian bread with a delicate filling of sharp cheese, grilled to crispy perfection. It was so good, I wanted to figure out how to fashion it into a spoon to scoop up the soup. For our entrees, Paul ordered a pressed sandwich with prosciutto, Gruyere, and a sweet-tangy pepper relish. The sandwich was fairly standard, but the relish gave it a unique pop of flavor. I ordered the rabbit with green olives, served over homemade strozzapreti pasta - 'cause, you know, if you're playing hooky - go big or go home. It was spectacular. The rabbit was light and meaty, nicely balanced with the briny olives. The pasta, bathed in a simple, broth-y sauce, was dense with the perfect al dente bite. And for $15, it was an absurd bargain. Did I mention that I am newly a big fan of lunch? It's a great way to go gourmet, but still watch your wallet!

Ok, the meal was great. I expected it to be great... I mean, it's Barbara Lynch, for goodness sakes. What I didn't anticipate was dessert. When you are skipping work for the day, you gotta get dessert, right? I ordered the caramel pudding cake, while Paul sampled a few chocolates from the dessert case. The chocolate was nice, but nothing remarkable. The pudding cake, however, was - hands down - one of the finest sweets that has ever met my mouth. The cake was moist and rich with an almost burnt sugar essence, topped with a drizzle of creme fraiche that kept it from being too cloyingly sweet. Sprinkled on top was salted toffee that finished the dish perfectly, balancing both the flavor and texture of the dish.

In the end, it turned out that the ICA is closed on Mondays and our day didn't quite come together the way we expected. But it didn't really matter... when you get to have lunch at Sportello, you have to consider it well-worth the vacation day.

I'd give Sportello, at 348 Congress Street in Boston, an A-. Remember, when you reach the pearly gates, you are never going to think to yourself, "I sure wish that I'd worked more." Take the day off. Treat yourself to lunch.

Truly Tasty Tacos

These days, a Boston chef with only one restaurant is practically no chef at all. Having your own gastronomic empire is all the rage… Barbara Lynch is up to a whopping eight establishments, Michael Schlow has four under his belt, Chris Douglass added a third with the opening of Tavolo last year, likewise Scott Herbert with the reemergence of Marilave, and even the now-nationally-known Todd English still maintains five Boston eateries. So, it’s really no surprise that one of the Hub’s super-chefs, Ken Oringer, operates five restaurants in town.

Oringer is best known for the uber-upscale Clio, where, not incidentally, I spent the most memorable and most lavish New Year’s Eve of my life. But his kingdom has grown to include Uni, a high-end sushi bar, Toro, a cozy tapas joint, KO Prime, a temple of all things beef, and La Verdad, a Mexican taqueria. By and large, Oringer’s restaurants feature exquisite food with prices to match, making La Verdad a bit of an anomaly.

First off, La Verdad is located on Lansdowne Street – smack dab between Tequila Rain and Jillian’s, and, consequently, along the path of many a drunk 22 year old clubber and drunk 45 year old Sox fan. To say that La Verdad’s clientele is different from the well-heeled Brahmins that frequent its cousin Clio is the understatement of the year. But finding ourselves at Jillian’s pool tables around the dinner hour – on Valentine’s Day, no less! – it was an obvious choice to head downstairs and nosh on some tacos and throw back a few cocktails laced with tequila.

La Verdad is warm and casual, with dark red walls and playful décor featuring Day of the Dead figurines and Mexican wrestlers’ masks. Requisite for the area, there is also a large, well-stocked bar in the center of the dining room, and about a dozen flat screens around the perimeter – sort of Boca Grande meets Boston Beerworks. Given the night we were there, it was a light crowd and our friendly, funny, heavily-tattooed waiter lets us linger as long as we like over margaritas and Presidentes, which was a good long time in the end.

True to its name, this taqueria is known for its tacos – offering nearly 15 varieties – but the menu also has an ample list of appetizers, and a few dishes they call “big plates.” I was overjoyed when I spotted the grilled corn on the menu – having waxed poetically over this dish at Toro. It lived up to my memory, as a smoky-sweet delight served with a slather of garlicky cream and salty cotija cheese. Delish.

We also shared a small order of chips and guacamole, which also came with a dusting of the cotija cheese and green onions. The guac was simply flavored and chunky and served as an excellent cooling agent for the spicy tacos – though it was not prepared at the table, as advertised in the menu. My only gripe with the dish was the price – ten dollars seemed a little high for what was essentially chips and dip. The waiter also brought out a small serving dish with two types of salsa and a dish of pickled peppers (save the jokes about Peter). One salsa was almost pink in color and had the consistency of crushed tomatoes – it was fairly unremarkable. The other was a tomatillo salsa that was tangy and vibrant on the tongue – the clear winner of the pair.

Everyone at my table ordered the carne asada tacos, save me – I selected the pastor traditional tacos. All of the plates come with three tacos, a small helping of refried beans, and a light sprinkle of cabbage slaw. The carne asada tacos had nice chunks of grilled steak and sweet caramelized onions. While they also had a thin drizzle of guacamole, the salsa arbol on them was so spicy, it nearly killed your taste buds with the first bite. We needed to ask for a bit of sour cream to dull the fire enough to continue eating. The pastor traditional tacos came with slices of pork smothered in an adobo sauce, giving them a warm heat from the smoked jalapeños. The menu claimed that the tacos also featured pineapple – and there was a certain citrusy-sweetness about them – but there were no discernable pieces of the fruit.

The restaurant does offer a selection of traditional Latin desserts, including flan, dulce de leche, and churros, but we opted for another round of drinks in place of a sweet finish. We left with mouths still ablaze from our spicy dinners and stomachs full of yummy Mexican treats.

I’d give La Verdad, at 1 Lansdowne Street in Boston, a B. If you are amongst the under 25 set, the tasty take-out will make for a better than average way to soak up your sins from a night out at the bars. For those of us whose club days are in the past, the flavorsome Mexican is a natural pairing for ballgame or two.

C Minus

It's probably not too much of a stretch that I use an ABC grading system to rate restaurants. I've admitted before in this blog that I am pretty much a nerd. I only received one C+ in my entire academic career; nothing less than that. Until now. Looking back at my 2008 Wish List, I only scored a 70%. The Shame. It was almost enough to abandon the blog. Almost. But, here I am - back and ready to write. After all, it's a new year and this list-lover has a whole new set of targets...

But first, I need to own up to my failures. I never did quite make it to Petit Robert Bistro (despite the fact that there's now about a dozen of them), O Ya (hellooo... who can afford $300 sushi in a recession?), or Summer Winter (I guess Burlington really was too far to go in the end). However, there were some highlights too! T.W. Food and Ten Tables both lived up to their local, organic, exquisite reputations. The classic, French-inspired cocktails at Beehive and Gaslight brought whole new game to the Boston bar scene. And new favorites were cemented in Myers + Chang and Orinoco. Also, 2008 was also the year in which Paul and I feasted on the most extravagant meal of our lives at Alex in Las Vegas. Let me just say, they gave me a footstool... for my purse. O My.

OK, now that that's behind us, on to 2009...

Sportello – First-rate restaurants have become so prolific in Boston that you could have a long healthy debate about the city’s top chef. One of the candidates would, no doubt, be Barbara Lynch. In fact, I’ll put it out there and say, if the competition was for the best female chef, there would be no need for the debate. The latest in Lynch’s empire of fabulousness include Drink, a high-end cocktail bar, and Sportello, a “modern interpretation of the classic lunch counter.” Having already spent a lovely evening sipping a custom gin concoction and some delicious nibbles at Drink, I am excited to move on to experiencing Sportello.

Marilave – Some evening, if you squint a bit at the reflection of the Pru on the Charles, you might just start to see the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. French bistros are becoming as common in Boston as rim-ending potholes. Luckily for us, most of the former are considerably more enjoyable than the latter. To say that Marilave is “new” is a bit of a misnomer – the original restaurant was opened in the 1880s, but has reemerged on the scene. The menu, however, still features some classic New England specialties along with the French classics.

L’Andana – Putting L’Andana on my 2009 list is a bit risky. After all, I totally failed at making it up to Burlington for last year’s #2 target, Summer Winter. But, what is life without a little chance? Besides, Boston Magazine rated L’Andana – another Burlington star – as the best restaurant debut of 2008, as well as one of the 50 best restaurants in greater Boston. Hopefully that’s enough to get me on 93-North this time around.

Highland Kitchen – Despite myself, after having spent the last six years working there, I developed a certain fondness for Somerville. I’ll give you a second to collect yourself before I go on. I know, Somerville is not exactly the crown jewel of metro Boston, but you’d be hard pressed to not acknowledge that it has its fair share of cool bars, restaurants, and shops – a list that grows all of the time. Highland Kitchen’s laid-back, hipster vibe, and solid southern-inspired fare has already garnered a lot of attention. Is it five o’clock yet?

Persephone – Remember when going out to eat in the Fort Point district meant overpriced stuffed clams and overcooked steak at Anthony’s Pier 4 or Jimmy’s Harborside or… er, uh, well, that was pretty much it. Boy, have times changed. Fort Point got so hot so quickly, it practically jumped the shark before most people even knew it was there. No restaurant defines the new hip-upcoming-obscure nature of the area better than Persephone. Persephone is half of what is known as the “Achilles Project” – the other half is a chic boutique, Achilles. I’m sure that I'm not nearly young or trendy enough to be their ideal clientele, but having sampled Michael Leviton’s fabulous French cuisine at West Newton’s Lumiere, they can’t keep me away.

Sofra – Ok, so this one is a little bit of a cheat. Sofra is not exactly a restaurant, but more of an upscale café and bakery. However, it’s one of my top destinations for the year. Above all, Sofra was opened by the owners of Oleana, where I enjoyed one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. Beyond that, Sofra’s opening had just slightly less press than the premiere of Twilight. All said, I can wait to try some sweet treats with Middle Eastern names that I can’t pronounce.

Estragon – It took me a few tries to get over the fact that the name of this restaurant is not Estrogen. Alright, I am not really over it, but that’s not going to stop me from trying the creative tapas at this new South End establishment. Estragon’s menu features cod cheeks to frog’s legs to pork belly, all sounding more delicious than the last. After dinner, diners can also check out Las Ventas next door, a gourmet Spanish food market.

Townsend’s – One of the most fun aspects of moving to Roslindale a few years ago has been getting to know some of Boston’s lesser known neighborhoods – Rozzie, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park. While terrific restaurants abound in Roslindale and West Roxbury, finding a good place to chow down is a bit harder in Hyde Park. With the addition of Townsend’s, launched by a husband and wife team and long-time Hyde Park residents, there’s finally a local joint that’s worth checking out. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince my British husband to tuck into an order of their fish and chips.

Via Matta – Remember that top chef debate? Another name that’s sure to be on the list is Michael Schlow. Schlow has never done me wrong at Radius or Great Bay, and I expect no less
of Via Matta. The restaurant is not new, but I’m sure that time hasn’t diminished the quality that Schlow is known for and, certainly, applies to its Northern Italian dishes.

Erbaluce – The buzz for Erbaluce was strong amongst the restaurant-obsessed on the popular website Chowhound. Mostly the discussion focused on when it would finally open. Their prayers were answered last fall when the restaurant debuted to many happy sighs. I owe a great debt to (or, perhaps was cursed by?) Erbaluce’s chef, Charles Draghi. Draghi’s last Boston gig was running the kitchen of Marcuccio’s in the North End – offering widely lauded, unconventional Italian cuisine. Paul and I spent our first Valentine’s Day at Marcuccio’s and I was hooked – both on my husband-to-be and on Boston’s exquisite fare. A foodie was born – and she can’t wait to pay a visit to her old friend.

This year, I’m going for a 4.0. Who’s with me?

An Oldie and a Goodie

I absolutely adore that Boston has become such a foodie city… I seriously never tire of reading restaurant news, plotting out my next destination, and chatting with friends about the next big thing, what’s overrated, what’s undiscovered, and where they simply must go for the best steak in the city – a topic that’s easily more controversial than anything discussed at the recent conventions.

However, Boston’s booming restaurant business poses one very serious challenge: how can one keep on top of every hot new place in the city and still make time to give due to the Hub’s most venerable institutions? Some of which – let’s face it – put the newbies to shame. I have a somewhat shameful admission to make in this regard – though I profess to be a major foodie and something of an expert in Boston restaurants, I have not been to many of the places upon which our restaurant culture was built…Pigalle, No. 9 Park, Icarus, Hamersley's Bistro… the list goes on.

That’s why, when we somewhat inadvertently ended up at Oleana last night, I considered it a blessing in disguise. I am not sure that we can yet label Oleana as an “institution,” but it’s certainly not too far off. Oleana has been lauded by both the local and national press since practically the day it opened its doors in 2001. I think that due to the incredible volatility of running a successful restaurant, we should measure their years sort of like dog’s years. By that math, Oleana is nearly 50… institution here it comes.

I’ve always wanted to go to Oleana, but it’s not at all where we set out for last night. We’d intended to go to the new spot, the Hungry Mother, which is becoming increasingly popular for its southern fare. Now, I need to make another embarrassing foodie admission – I pretty much never remember to make reservations. No reservations, no Hungry Mother. Sad. So, I quickly tried to come up with something near the Hungry Mother’s Cambridge location and, thus, remembered Oleana. Having learned my lesson, I called before we drove over and was told it would be about a 45 minute wait for the patio – given that it was a gloriously warm, dry Friday night in September, I couldn’t help but feel like the gods were smiling down on us.

Oleana’s menu has heavy Middle Eastern influence and the restaurant’s interior décor reflects that, with ochre-colored walls and distressed leather chairs and bar stools, all making for a very pleasant environment to have a pre-dinner cocktail. Seats at the bar also provide a view into the open kitchen where, I was immediately stuck by an almost all female staff. Now Boston certainly has its share of female food luminaries with the likes of Lydia Shire, Barbara Lynch, and Oleana’s own Ana Sortun – but it was still awfully refreshing to see the tradition being carried on in her kitchen. No more than 20-25 minutes after arriving, the hostess came to collect us and bring us to our table.

Oleana’s patio has been named “best alfresco dining” in Boston at least 458 or 459 times. Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but only by a little. Last night, I got the chance to fully understand why… the patio is nothing short of spectacular. A brick terrace dotted with bistro tables is softly lit with lampposts and spotlights, trimmed with tall grasses and delicate bushes, all set to the music of a small fountain. In my version of heaven, I would eat every meal in a place that resembled Oleana’s patio.

The only thing that outshined the ambiance of the patio was the menu. Now I am super biased on this front, as Middle Eastern cuisine is my absolute favorite, but there was not a single thing on the Oleana menu that I would not have eaten in a heartbeat. While generally very decisive, I must have read the menu a full five times before narrowing down my choices to two or three options. To complicate matters, there were also several specials to choose from. I ultimately ended up selecting the pork belly appetizer from the list of specials and the striped bass for my entrée; Paul opted for two “small plate” appetizers of deviled eggs and a bean-nut pate, and the restaurant’s signature lamb for his main course.

Let me be brief – every single dish was amazing. Incredible. Full of flavor, spice, and heat. Delicate plays of light herbs and scents, with more heavy-handed combinations of unexpected ingredients. It was truly fabulous. Again… this meal came within just a hair of being my first-ever A+ rating. Only a few elements of the experience fell short; unfortunately, one of them happened right out of the gate. We waited and waited and WAITED for our first course – a good twenty minutes. Considering that both of Paul’s appetizers were served cold, this seemed beyond excessive. Luckily, once they came they were sublime.

The pork belly was caramelized to sweet perfection, with a crispy coat and tender interior, served with a shot glass of yellow tomato-husk tomato gazpacho, which was smoky and smooth. It was also served with a small salad of cherry tomatoes, cilantro, green olives, sprinkled with almond slivers. The eggs were a star – with the yolks blended with tuna and a healthy dose of Moroccan spice, giving them great depth of flavor, but also brightness from the tang of the fish. The bean and walnut pate was very dense and almost sweet and made for a tasty spread for the fresh loaf of French bread we were served. Immediately I was impressed with the creativity and adventurousness of the food. I was definitely looking forward to our next course.

Happily, our entrees arrived in a much more timely fashion and were beautifully presented. My bass was served in a large pocket of parchment, artfully opened to reveal the fish. It was perfectly prepared to a moist, flakey consistency. It was served with a drizzle of tahini and topped with small pieces of salty, toasted pita, on a bed of peppers and onions, with a side of what resembled salsa fresca (the restaurant refers to it as spoon salad). While all of the elements of the dish were delicious, the peppers were simply too spicy for my liking. I have a moderately high tolerance for hot food, but this far exceeded my liking. This was the only weakness of the meal; first, I felt that the menu should have prepared me for the high heat and, secondly, I felt that the spice diminished the rest of the dish’s flavor. Paul’s entrée was excellent, with lamb cooked expertly, served with sort of a fava bean “mash” and moussaka, which was meaty and flavored with cinnamon.

When the waitress asked if we would like to see a dessert menu, I didn’t even need to. Earlier in the evening when we were being seated, I saw the baked Alaska being carried to a nearby table and knew I had to have it. Baked Alaska is a good dessert, but not one of my favorites. But it was such an unusual option the presentation of it was so impressive, we just had to go for it. Besides, for everything that’s been written about Sortun’s food, there’s been equal attention paid to the restaurant’s pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick. She’s considered one of the best in the city and recently opened her own bakery, Sofra. Yeah, dessert is a must at Oleana. And the baked Alaska didn’t fail to delight with an extra thick coating of darkly singed meringue, hiding a dollop of coconut ice cream on chewy bar of coconut and caramel, finished with pungent swirl of passion fruit sauce. It was the flavors of the Caribbean meets a dish named for the artic – fun (there might have been a moment where I was eating sticky meringue peaks off my fingertips), deeply sweet, and delicious. Paul was so full that he gave up half way through. I preserved and suffered the tummy ache. It was worth it.

I’d give Oleana at 134 Hampshire Street in Cambridge an A. Try to get there before the leaves turn and enjoy some of Boston’s freshest, hip tastes at a place pushing middle age.

dLicious

A good friend of mine has recommended dBar to me at least a dozen times... he knew there wasn't much about it that I wouldn't like - it's reasonably close to my house, it attracts an upscale eclectic crowd, it has decent parking, not to mention that it also has a great reputation for both food and drinks. Somehow, however, I'd just never made it over there - until last night.

Now, heading to a bar that is especially popular with a gay crowd was definitely a bit of a risk on the night of the Pride parade - it could have been a total mob scene. However, being out in Dorchester seemed to actually work in our favor, as it was a mellow night at the bar, with dinner seating easily available. Despite a slight chill in the air, we opted for outside seating... in a rare moment of clarity before leaving the house, I'd grabbed a sweater and was ready for the weather. While the interior of dBar is perfectly lovely - with dark wood, leather banquettes, and Italian glass pendant lighting - the outside seating is divine. The small patio has a very Asian Zen feel, with modern chaise lounges, potted bamboo and tall grasses, and minimalist table settings. We had the area nearly all to ourselves, which was great.

The service at dBar adds to it's warm, yet hip, vibe. Our young male waiter was quick to give recommendations as well as to compliment our choices. He was attentive to our table, friendly, and lightly chatty, but not over the top - he mostly left us alone to enjoy our setting, which was just the right balance. He was particularly helpful in navigating the drink menu, which was not huge, but robust and enticing. His descriptions of the drinks, as well as his suggestions were right on the money. I started with the special cocktail of the night, the watermelon martini. This is a drink that is generally sticky sweet, with an "out of the bottle" taste. But on an early summer night, I was willing to to give it a go. It's clear from the first sip that dBar serves up a different kind of cocktail - it tasted like fresh pureed watermelon, with a generous dose of high quality vodka, not at all sweet, just full of flavor. My second drink was the Blueberry Basil Gin Fizz - muddled blueberries and basil topped with gin. It was a doozy, but also excellent - all of the herbs (including the basil) are grown in a rooftop garden over the bar.

It would be easy for the drinks at dBar to overshadow the drinks, but they absolutely do not. The food is equally terrific, if not even more so. We started the night with the "Ham and Cheese" assiette, a board with a selection of thin slices of French ham, an aged bleu cheese, a semi-dry Parmesan, caper berries, tiny cornichons, and sweet marcona almonds. Everything in the dish was full of flavor, but each was just a small serving, so as not to overwhelm. It was a light, delicious tapas-style start to the meal.

For our entrees, Paul had the burger, while I went for the seared scallops. I sneaked a bite of the burger and more than my share of his fries. While the burger was a bit overdone for my taste, the fries were literally the highlight of the entire meal - handcut and dusted with sea salt and rooftop rosemary. They were crisp and fragrant... I could have eaten an entire plateful. Luckily, my own meal was enough to distract me... my three large sea scallops were seared to a caramelized brown; perfectly tender and sweet. They sat on a delicate bed of thin risotto which has a strong essence of cumin, dotted with asparagus and cubes of carrot. The only weakness of the dish was that some of the carrots are underdone. The finishing touch was a swirl of a ramp-leek sauce on the plate, which gives it a bright, fresh punch.

Eager to draw the evening out a bit longer, we decided to stay on for dessert. We were most drawn to the creme brulee and cheesecake options, but our waiter gave a strong recommendation for the chocolate semifroid - essentially frozen chocolate mousse, served with a raspberry coulis and fresh berries. Let's just say that that was some good advice. The mousse was creamy and rich, cut by the tart, incredibly fresh flavor of the coulis. It was a perfect end to a delicious night.

I'd give dBar at 1236 Dorchester Avenue in Dorchester an A. Head to Dot on a warm summer night and soak up the atmosphere on the patio. Be sure to have plenty of nibbles to balance out two or three of their killer cocktails.