Jason Santos of Hell’s Kitchen brings a hip new American eatery with Asian flare to the Financial District with Blue Inc. Even before my co-worker started raving about it I knew it was a must try. Located at the end of Broad Street, it attracts the after work crowd but after building up a reputation I’m sure people will be flocking from places near & far.

Bread: Four pretzel bread rolls were wrapped in tin foil and served in a red metal basket with a side of mustard butter. The bread was warm, salted, and so excellent with that infused butter. One of the best bread baskets I’ve had in a while!

Menu: The Dinner Menu offers Apps and Mains, many of which I was interested in. I had checked out their Bar Menu online and knew I needed to order a couple of items from there, which our waiter allowed us to do. The only thing that wasn’t available to us was the bar Bucket Menu which offers small bites from $1-$7 served in a Blue Bucket! I’d also like to mention that the cocktail menu is unique and fun, with items like ‘Dinner and a Movie’ (buttery popcorn rum, pepsi, malt balls) and ‘Fizzy Lifting Drink’ (pear-cranberry infused tequila, poached cranberries, fizzy salt). The list goes on, and it’s intriguing!

I Know I Jamm Jamm

Food/Presentation:
Blue Inc. Hand Tossed White Pizza-  butternut squash, blue cheese, fresh figs
Now that I think of it, we asked for this with the prosciutto but didn’t get it! It was so delicious though that we completely forgot; I was mesmerized by the size of the fig pieces and contrasting flavor of the butternut and blue cheese. Really amazing pizza!

Pumpkin Bisque – fennel puree, porcini tortelloni, black garlic
A large shallow bowl came full of 2 tortelloni and a small cup which the waiter poured the bisque from. The soup was great, smooth and flavorful. The tortelloni was a nice touch; without that addition it may have been too simple/plain.

Spicy Tuna Tacos – chile aioli, cucmber salsa, shredded lettuce
Three tacos came side by side filled with diced tuna and cucumber, lightly tossed with spicy mayo. The shells were nice and crispy as they should be. I could have used a little more sauce but I appreciated that it wasn’t overpowering. Great portion for me!

Bathroom: The restroom isn’t exactly located in the restaurant; you have to walk through the entryway and down a long hall to the back of the building. Each door has a funky silhouette of a lady and gentleman. The interior was clean but there wasn’t any toilet paper in the lady’s room both times I went (I sure did sneak into the men’s room to steal some). They could use some more decorations but the flowers were nice.

Service: Our waiter was great and was able to get me a glass of the Strawberries Fields Forever cocktail, even though it’s a seasonal summer beverage. I also asked for the Bar Menu (knowing I wanted to Spicy Tuna Tacos) so he brought that over without hesitation. Everything was served in a timely manner and he filled our water glasses when they were low.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Overall: My parents, Matt & I all really enjoyed our evening; every bit of food we tasted was excellent from mom’s Cabernet Braised Short Ribs to dad’s Hand Rolled Sage Gnocci. I’d love to go back for their Grilled Salmon dish, and even the Pan Roasted Natural Statler Chicken Breast sounds amazing (rosemary polenta, yes please!). The prices weren’t outrageous with entrees topping out at $26, and the apps and bar menu ranging from $5-$19. Blue Inc. certainly makes a statement, esp. with its pretzel bread and blue lollipops they give out with the check. It’s a small interior but has a lot of flavor and sass; I can’t wait to go back!

The Perfect Bite: A slice of that white pizza with a giant piece of fig! Unbelievable.

www.blueincboston.com

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