Monthly Archives: August 2010

Lineage

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3rd stop: Lineage on Harvard Street in Brookline.

This was my first time at Lineage, and it won’t be my last. The menu, which is printed daily inspired by local fresh ingredients, boasts modern American cuisine. Behind the bar, which over looks a large wood burning stove, are tables & booths separate from the main dining area where we were seated. I must make a note that I loved the sea shells on the table that held the loose salt & pepper.

Bread: We were each given 1 roll on our bread plates and a tiny ramekin of soften butter for the table. Topped with a sprinkle of sea salt, the roll was soft & I believe a type of egg bread which I really enjoyed.
 
Menu: Ugh, decisions, decisions. I could not for the life of me decide between the 4 entrees. Well, I could easily rule out the Pork Loin since I had a similar meal at Clink (even though I wanted the polenta!). I originally asked for the Chipotle Marinated Flank Steak, but then my friend ordered it, and my other friend ordered the Seared Atlantic Salmon that I was eyeing… so I had no choice but to order the pasta! My final decision:
  • Summer Tomato Gazpacho, avocado, cilantro
  • Vermont Goat Cheese Pasta, ratatouille, pesto
  • Chocolate Pot de Creme, chantilly cream, toasted almonds
gazpacho

gazpacho

 Presentation: The gazpacho was a generous portion, served in a large bowl topped with a spoonful of avocado. We all ordered it, and all enjoyed it (this was Angela’s 1st time trying the soup and Ariane was pleased that it tasted similar to the way her mother makes it – always a plus!). The pasta dish was a gnocci/cavatelli type of full pasta, served with small chunks of goat cheese, drizzles of pesto, and an array of fresh vegetables. The dish was really great, gone within minutes. I appreciated the small amount of goat cheese, but was disappointed that the pasta came with a light tomato sauce & drizzles of pesto, rather than pesto pesto pesto! The chocolate dessert came in a small round ramekin, topped with whipped cream & toasted almonds. I love chocolate, and the dessert was great, but it doesn’t compare to Angela’s White Melon Sorbet (unbelievable flavor) or Ariane’s Blueberry Bread Pudding (tasted like a hearty muffin).

Vermont goat cheese pasta

Vermont goat cheese pasta

Bathroom: A one stall/one room bathroom with a nice home-y feel. There were frames on the shelves that held pictures of a family & a couple which made me feel like I was visiting a friend. Just switch out that ‘public restroom’ looking sink and it’s the complete package.
 
Wait Staff: Our waiter was a delight, even after dealing with my indecisiveness! He was able to describe each meal, how it was prepared, and what it came with, which made it a bit easier for me to make up my mind. It was a lovely surprise to run into an old college/volleyball friend who happened to work at Lineage.
 
Overall: Really charming & comfortable atmosphere. Thank goodness we all ordered different entrees & different desserts, b/c we all got a little taste of each dish. We decided that we’d have to go back – the lobster tacos on the daily menu were calling our names!
 
The Perfect Bite: Don’t make me decide. The grilled corn & avocado salad that came with Ariane’s steak was to die for. The white melon sorbet was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. You’ll have to head to Lineage, try both, then decide for yourself 🙂
dessert!

dessert!

 

Tresca

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Restaurant Week Adventure #2

I have never been to Tresca before & I’m always excited to try a new restaurant. I told the hostess I was here for the Raffa party of 4, for a 7pm reservation. She was having trouble finding me in their system, so I told her (with a bit of annoyance in my voice) that I could certainly find the email confirmation if necessary. I’m beginning to panic, but she eventually found my cell # somewhere and lead us to our table right by the open windows looking out onto Hanover Street. I make a comment about how I like the hard cover brass menu and our friend Mike looks down at it only to notice the name on the front: “Bricco” – umm, this is awkward… we all look at each other in shock/amusement that we’re complete idiots 🙂 We slowly get up, I tell the hostess how embarrassed I am, and we slip out and over to Tresca, the next door over. Best part is, I’ve been to Bricco before and my first thought upon entering “Tresca” was that it looked an awful lot like Bricco, which seemed strange to me. We were so focused on food we apparently didn’t care which restaurant we went to! Yeah.. so.. anyways…
 
Bread: Three different types came in the iron basket: a flaky thin piece, a long bread stick, and a sliced white Italian loaf, all accompanied by a small dish of EVOO. The Italian white bread was one of the best I’ve tasted – doughy, with a little sprinkle of salt on the top crust.
bread

bread

Menu: This Restaurant Week menu was different in the fact that the 3 courses it offered was an Antipasti, Pasta Fatta a Mano (a primi size of handmade pasta), and a Piatti Principali (main entree). I was a little disappointed that there was no dessert, but with Mike’s Pastry right down the street I knew I’d get my sweets by the end of the night. I had no trouble choosing my 3 courses:
  • Caesar con Tartufi
  • Gnocci Bolognese – traditional style veal & pork ragout enriched with pancetta & tomatoes
  • Pollo Romano – grilled, marinated chicken breast cutlet topped with arugula & grilled vegetables, served with creamy corn & sage polenta
Presentation: The Caesar came with chucks of shaved parm, my favorite! A white truffle (or mushroom) replaced the typical anchovie based Caesar dressing. I’m not a huge fan of ‘shrooms, but I was a fan of this salad – perfect amount of dressing, not too creamy or heavy, just enough so you get that Caesar taste. The gnocci was excellent, topped with shaved parm (perfect!). The word that came to mind after my 1st bite was “delicate” – the sauce was light but hearty at the same time, which was perfect. The chicken, topped with the arugula and sweet grilled onions, came next to a generous portion of polenta. I hardly ever order chicken at a restaurant b/c I cook it often – I have the same sentiments towards chicken as I do towards vanilla ice cream: a) it’s a waste of time, b) there’s always a better option. The dish was good, loved the corn in the polenta (my motivatoin to order the dish), but I was too full to clean the plate.
 
Bathroom: A one stall bathroom with a rustic yet modern decor. An old school faucet poured into a beautiful brass bowl. The two styles mixed well.
bathroom

bathroom

Wait Staff: I found it a bit odd that we had to ask for the Restaurant Week menu. No big deal, but hello, that’s why I’m here! 🙂 Our waiter was animated & friendly, and urged us to return to try Tresca’s daily menu. Also, our water glasses were never less than 1/2 full – points to the bus boys for water attentiveness!
 
Overall: The bread was faaaantastic and I really enjoyed the pasta. The waiter was engaging, encouraged us to return, and I think I’ll do just that! Next time I hope to sit downstairs in one of their whimsical booths looking out onto Hanover, rather than in the quieter upstairs dining room.
 
The Perfect Bite: The bolognese sauce had such great balance with the amount of meat & tomatoes, and the gnocci was light despite being a full pasta. Another bolognese well done!
gnocci bolognese

gnocci bolognese

Clink

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Stop #1 for Summer Restaurant Week 2010! 

Located on the Lobby Level of The Liberty Hotel, Clink takes on the persona of the old Charles Street Jail, the base which the hotel was build around. Bars from original jail cells are seen throughout the L-shaped restaurant, separating diners from the open kitchen. We were seated at the first table/booth, up against the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the hotel entrance.
  
Bread: The multi-grain sourdough was served on a rectangular flat plate with a circle of butter. Points for the pre-sliced bread, and double points for the softened butter. It also helped that the bread was scrumptious!
bread

bread

Menu: I of course paid no attention to the actual menu, and instead focused on my Restaurant Week options. My decision: 

  • Heirloom Tomatoes with mozzarella pearls (Eva’s Garden) & opal basil
  • Bershire Pork Loin with stone ground grits (Anson Mills), cipppolinis, & dijon mustard
  • Stone Fruit & Blueberry Cobbler with brown butter ice cream
heirloom tomatoes

heirloom tomatoes

Presentation: The tomatoes & salad were served on a small square flat plate. I personally would have preferred the “Heirloom Tomato” dish have more tomatoes than greens, but salads usually skimp on the cheese & there were enough mozzarella balls to go around. The pork & onions were drizzled with a syrupy type of dijon – I love mustard and wish the dijon had a bit more of a bite, but the pork was cooked well, so no complaints. The grits were topped with grilled corn which added something different to the textured polenta-esque side dish. I was so excited once the warm cobbler was placed in front of me in its ramekin that I forgot all about trying to actually taste the brown butter ice cream. It could have been vanilla for all I knew, I was too delighted with light doughy crust & the fresh fruit!
stone fruit & blueberry cobbler

stone fruit & blueberry cobbler

Bathroom: The bathroom was located down the hall, past the ballroom, rather than in the actual restaurant (which gives easy access to the bar patrons). Stainless steel, sleek, and clean. Multiple stalls & a full length mirror. There was even a table set up with individual cloth napkins for drying your hands. Well done for going green!
 
Wait Staff: This was the disappointment of the evening as our waiter was not personable at all. When I asked him how the pork was prepared he responded with “In the oven.” Are you kidding me?! My parents, bf, and & I were so taken aback but laughed it off. Most waiters/waitresses would have understood what I was asking, and would have answered in more detail with an education response.
 
Overall: Besides our odd waiter, we all had a great time. The wine (Malbec), while expensive, was smooth & just what I wanted. Our 1/2 booth had a great location with a view out of the grand windows. I do recommend Clink, more for the food & location in The Liberty rather than the “jail cell” appeal, which there could have been more of.
 
The Perfect Bite: Pork loin. Slice of cippolini. Ground grits. Those creamy gritty grits!!
bershire pork loin

bershire pork loin