Mamma Maria

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Dena Raffa

: menu cover

Final stop for Restaurant Week is Mamma Maria in the North End’s North Square. I read some good reviews and knew it was a little pricey which made it perfect for R.W.’s $33.11 deal. The dining room is small with about 9 tables. Floor to ceiling windows provide a view of the peaceful North Square. We were seated at a table of 4 and I immediately noticed the chair covers (suggests a fancier environment) and the napkin rings (a home-y accent piece). There seemed to be a mix of casual and formal decorations which made me feel alright about wearing jeans.

tabletop

Bread: About 7 slices were served in a long basket with a side of pesto and olives. I love seeing a change of pace with bread accompaniments – I could put pesto on anything! Great start to the meal.

bread

Menu: Their entire menu was available to choose from, with *asterisks next to the dishes that were part of Restaurant Week. They hadn’t posted their R.W. menu on the web so I was quite anxious to see what they were offering, and I was pleasantly surprised! Jess & I couldn’t choose what antipasti we wanted to start with, so she ordered the Squash Pasta while I got the Salumi – we split them in half to share.

Food/Presentation:
Squash Pasta: plump homemade squash ravioli with fresh safe and toasted walnuts
Two raviolis side by side were topped with grated cheese. Thank goodness this was an app because I’m not sure how many of these I could have eaten. They were good but very full and rich, which made it perfect for a small first course.

squash ravioli

Salumi: all-imported salumi sampler with panzanella, spiced oil, and aged Parmigiano
I really only ordered this because Jess was dying to taste it 🙂 My favorite of the meat was the salami as I found the others a bit too salty. Placed in the middle of the meats was the panzanella (which I had to Google and figured out it is “a salad of bread and tomatoes”). All in all not bad, but I couldn’t finish my 1/2 portion.

salumi

Bolognese Pasta: mountain-style Bolognese with homemade taglierini pasta
All my dreams came true with this entrée. The taglierini was presented in a tight round mound topped with greens (and parmesan once they grated it over my pasta). I have never tasted a pasta cooked this al dente and I couldn’t have been more pleased. The taglierini had great consistency and the meat/sauce was nicely proportioned. I can’t wait to dig into those leftovers!

bolognese pasta

Apple Tart: whipped cream, apple reduction
2 Restaurant Week meals in 2 nights with 2 Apple Tarts – but I’m not mad (I had the same dessert at Lumiere the night before)! Dough was flakey, whipped cream was heavy almost to the point of a softened ice cream, and the apple reduction made for a sweet and pretty sauce/decoration.

apple tart

Bathroom: A single room/stall unisex restroom. Similar to the dining room décor, the bathroom’s colors were muted and soothing, with decorative wall paper that made you feel as if you were in someone’s home.

bathroom

Wait Staff: Very kind and professional. At one point Ben’s cocktail slipped from his hand and landed on the table, somehow cracking in two clean pieces. Needless to say, the table and his pants were soaked and within 10 seconds our waiter and the manager came rushing over to help with the broken glass. They laid a few cloth napkins on the table in front of Ben and gave him extra to dry off with. We were well taken care of!

Overall: I get both a feeling of comfort and class from the dining room – large oversized mirrors hang on opposite walls, a chandelier dangles in the center of the room, the wall decorations could be something you’d find in your home. I really enjoyed my entrée and would love to try Mamma Maria again if the prices weren’t so high (entrees range from $26-$36, with some pasta options offered as small plates for almost ½ the price). They have 5 private dining areas upstairs and can accommodate up to 50 people. Perhaps a nice b-day dinner is in store…!

dining room decor

The Perfect Bite: Taglierini Bolognese. This may have climbed its way to my Top 5 Bolognese Pastas in Boston!

www.mammamaria.com

Lumiere

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Dena Raffa

My winter Restaurant Week season began in Worcester with Ceres – I then repeated Sorellina because it was just too damn good last year, and my 3^rd stop last night was Lumiere on Washington Street in Newton. I’ve heard great things, but I don’t venture towards Newton very often. This restaurant can easily be overlooked with its simple exterior and drawn curtains – after finding the location I realized I’ve passed by a few times in the past without noticing it. One of the first sites upon entering is a window behind the bar allowing diners to peer into their kitchen. I was hoping to be seated in a booth, but we were led up the ramp to the third room and sat at a table in the back corner.

Bread: 4 square rolls were served in a metal basket with a full ramekin of butter. Warm bread + softened butter = perfection.

bread

Menu: If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know I’m one for studying the menu pre-dinner. I like to be mentally prepared, but I’ve been bamboozled once again! For weeks I looked at the Lumiere menu, deciding back and forth between a few items – none of that mattered last night as the menu was completely different from the one posted online. I guess it’s more exciting this way anyways 🙂

Food/Presentation:
Arugula Salad: pink radish / almonds
I’m 95% certain the menu said this salad came with watermelon. Since it’s not online I cannot confirm the contents of the salad, but I’m almost positive the thin red strips are radishes, not watermelon. Either way, I enjoyed the first course – perfect salad size, light dressing mixed in, and the accompaniments weren’t overwhelming.

arugula salad

Pork Shoulder: carrots / kidney beans
I don’t order pork often, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but what I can tell you is that I cleaned my plate (what else is new though?). The meat was cooked well, not too tough or dry. The vegetables were tasty but I sure was jealous of Sophie’s polenta – a small side of some starch would have perfected the entrée.

pork shoulder

Apple Tart: sour cream sorbet / cider sauce
The Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse almost swayed my decision, but I’m thankful I settled on this dessert. The tart was warm, surrounded by cider sauce and topped with a scoop of sorbet which was sweet and tasted more like creamy frozen yogurt.

apple tart

Bathroom: The door to the women’s room is marked “LADIES” with wooden letter blocks you might find in a pre-school. The inside is narrow and small but I liked the painted walls and tiled mirror.

bathroom

Wait Staff: The service was great – water glasses were refilled regularly, each course came in a reasonable amount of time, and while the waitress wasn’t overly excited or peppy, she still did a fine job.

Overall: I always say it’s hard to judge a restaurant solely on a Restaurant Week visit so I would definitely head back to Lumiere. I enjoyed everything I ordered but I’d like to see what else they offer. The décor was minimal but crisp (white walls, white table cloths). I did like the design on the booth fabric and the chandeliers hanging in the bar area. Points for the 4 bite sized chocolate chip cookies that came with the bill!

post-dinner cookies

The Perfect Bite: Apple Tart, Sour Cream Sorbet. I’m not a sour cream girl, but this is a flavor worth trying.

www.lumiererestaurant.com

Ceres Bistro

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Dena Raffa

A kick-off to Restaurant Week in my pseudo-home town with 5 girlfriends from high school! Ceres Bistro, a faily new addition to the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester, serves modern American farm-to-table meals inspired by local fresh ingredients. The dining room décor is warm and welcoming with comfortable booths and tables that sit beneath a beautiful stained glass ceiling, illuminating the diners below. This was my first real meal at Ceres (not including a post-wedding slightly hung-over brunch), so I was excited to experience their dinner menu.

Bread: We were all so busy catching up that it wasn’t until our first course was served that I realized bread had not been delivered! And it wasn’t served for the remainder of the dinner. I hate asking for bread – I feel it’s an unnecessary request since it’s 95% of the time complimentary – so we were breadless the entire evening and not happy about it.

Menu: The Restaurant Menu offered an option of 2 first courses, 4 second courses, and 2 desserts. I started with the Petite Bistro Salad (the goat cheese and beets persuaded me), went with the Butternut Squash Risotto for my entrée, and the Pumpkin Bread Pudding for dessert! The only difficult decision I had was between the risotto and the Native Haddock which offered “lobster home fries” as a side. Thank goodness a couple other friends ordered this meal because I needed to see/try this phenomenon!

Food/Presentation:
Petite Bistro Salad: beets / tomato / cucumber / roasted peppers / local goat cheese / champagne vinaigrette
A small side of greens sat opposite a few thinly sliced beets, a golf ball sized goat cheese mound atop the remaining vegetables. Everything was delicious, I just wished for more greens and beets, and less cheese.

: petite bistro salad

Tsougas Farm’s Butternut Squash Risotto: shaved parmesan / seared spinach / black truffle / warm spiced crème fraiche
I do love these plates! Perhaps because it makes you feel as though you’re eating less than you actually are? It may seem like a small serving of risotto but it was a perfect size for me. Topped with the crème fraiche and spinach, the risotto was absolutely delicious – rich but not overwhelming, with the just the right amount of crème.

butternut squash risotto

Late Harvest Pumpkin Bread Pudding: candied spiced walnuts / “rummed raisins” / double cream
Served in a white ramekin on a plate surrounded by haphazardly tossed walnuts and raisins. The middle was piping hot and I don’t particularly remember the ‘pumpkin’ aspect, but that may have been a result of the 4^th round of drinks… Fully enjoyed this dessert though!

pumpkin bread pudding

Note: lobster home fries were in fact tiny pieces of potatoes and separate tiny pieces of lobster. Quoting “lobster home fries” on the menu is very tricky and deceiving.

Bathroom: Located just outside the restaurant in a hotel hallway. I love the privacy of each stall – there’s no gap in between the top/bottom of the stall door for an at-home fully isolated effect. The sinks were clean and sleek, the Xelertor hand dryer is a plus, and I appreciated the mirror lighting.

bathroom

Wait Staff: Well, our waiter never brought us bread, and I’m still not sure if this was his mistake or if Ceres just doesn’t offer bread (which I find hard to believe). 2^nd mishap: Angela was the only one out of the 6 of us not to order off of the Restaurant Week menu. After everyone’s 1^st course was finished and cleared, Angela’s entrée was immediately brought to the table. We proceeded to sit for 15 minutes before everyone else’s entrée was served. Isn’t this Restaurant 101?! I was shocked and disappointed – the kitchen/waiter should have anticipated this potential issue and shouldn’t have served Angela until all of the main courses were ready.

Overall: The food was undeniably delicious, and there were clearly a few services issues but they weren’t major enough to ruin the meal/evening. Definitely a contender among all of the near by established Shrewsbury Street classics. And the bar is fantastic! Not only is there bar seating along with bar booths, but there’s what I’ll call an ‘island bar’ in the middle of the room which provides additional seating on all sides (a picture on their website can explain further). The illuminated bar top makes it modern and fun.

Bubbling Pear on bar top

The Perfect Bite: Butternut Squash Risotto, black truffle, crème fraiche. Spinach or no spinach, this meal is a winner.

The Perfect Bite, Boston

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. " Luciano Pavarotti

Monthly Archives: March 2011

Mamma Maria

Lumiere

Ceres Bistro