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.

www.ceresbistro.com

The Beehive

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Dena Raffa

I’ve been to Beehive a couple times in the past and knew it’d be a great spot to take my parents when mom asked to go to a “fun and different” restaurant for our Valentine’s Day date. This South End hot spot has 2 floors: the 1^st level consisting of a bar with seating and a small dining area, the basement level with another bar and larger dining space. The band of the night plays downstairs in front of a few small tables, but worry not, they can be heard throughout the restaurant and are actually projected onto a brick wall on the 1^st floor for the upstairs patrons… neat!

Bread: Served in an actual basket, the bread itself was wrapped in paper next to a container of soft butter. Not sure why it was covered up; it certainly wasn’t to keep it warm. Not that the bread was served cold, but we were disappointed in the small loaf/pieces. I think it took about 4 minutes for us to consume it and then ask for another basket.

bread

Menu: Plates (consisting of apps and flatbread pizzas), Raw Bar, Mains, Sandwiches & Dinner Salads, Sides. It may not sound like there are a lot of sections/categories, but each one had intriguing and unique dishes. Before we were seated Matt & I had a drink at the bar while waiting for my parents – the bar tender encouraged us to order the Shortrib Sandwich as an app as that was one of the few things (including himself and the GM) that “have been here since day one”. Sold.

Food/Presentation:
Shortrib, Farmhouse Cheddar & Fontina Grilled Cheese:
Served as an app, sliced into 4 pieces to share, the sandwich came with coleslaw and homemade pickles. This would have been overwhelming (for me) to have as an entrée; the bread was thick and doughy with the cheese melted on either side of the tender meat. Incredible as an appetizer!

shortrib sandwich

Moroccan Cigars, lamb-filled phyllo spring rolls:
Two ‘cigars’ came side by side on a wooden cutting/serving board, with a sweet pepper sauce condiment. The phyllo was perfectly flakey, so good! Sometimes spring rolls can be greasy but that was not the case here.

moroccan cigars

Beet Salad, goat cheese crostini:
This was a special on the V-Day menu. Topped with the goat cheese crostini, the greens were tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette mixed with pine nuts, fennel, & peach colored beets. I’ve never seen beets that color (I thought they were grapefruit at first) and they were delicious as ever, although I wish there were a few more. The salad was light and refreshing.

beet salad

Honey Ice Cream:
Straight from Christina’s (www.christinasicecream.com) in Cambridge’s Inman Square, famous for its incredible ice cream and 50 flavors. We ordered 2 for the table – each came with 2 scoops topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and was almost ½ melted! The ice cream was soft which is fine, but definitely too soupy. I can’t deny that it was delicious though.

honey ice cream

Bathroom: Yay! Something bright, fun, and eccentric! The waitress informed us that her friend actually painted the bathroom, which is impressive since every stall and almost every wall is covered in intricate flower designs (perhaps she used stencils?). There were 3 old fashion mirrors hanging on a brick wall above the trough of a sink. Very impressed!

bathroom stalls

bathroom mirrors

Wait Staff: Jodi was a blast. She was fun, positive, and full of energy. And thankfully was not offended after my dad asked how she created and maintains her dread locks (good grief old man!). She was able to educate us on the menu and it seemed like she genuinely enjoyed her job, which made me genuinely enjoy her.

Overall: I highly suggest you try Beehive, not only for the great food and service, but it’s a great change of pace and provides live music almost every night of the week. It’s perfect for a night out with your girlfriends, a casual dinner date, or grabbing a drink and enjoying a live show.

The Perfect Bite: This is really tough, but I think I’ll go with the Moroccan Cigar topped with sweet pepper sauce.

www.beehiveboston.com

Rustic Kitchen

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Dena Raffa

I found Rustic Kitchen on OpenTable.com when looking for a 7pm reservation on the Saturday night before Valentine’s Day. I had never heard of this restaurant so I checked out the website and learned that not only do they have an impressive menu, but they film a live cooking show in a studio in the restaurant – very cool. Located in Back Bay’s Park Square, I originally thought it was associated with the Park Plaza Hotel which led me to believe this was more of an upscale establishment. Upon entering I realized it’s actually attached to the Radisson, which is a notch or two below the Park Plaza’s status. This made no difference, I was still excited for the evening ahead!

Bread: 4 slices were served on a square plated with olives and a white bean dip. The bread was soft and doughy, not bad. The bean dip was a little too watery for my liking, lacking texture/substance.

bread

Menu: The options were endless: Italian and Seafood Starters, Pizza, Salads, Rustic Comfort Classics, Hand Crafted Pasta, Fresh From the Docks, Rustic Italian Steakhouse. I was of course eyeing the Tagliatelle Bolognese and after the waiter confirmed it was exceptional I just had to order it. This special occasion called for an appetizer as well, so I went with the Tuna Tartar.

tuna tartar

Food/Presentation:
Tuna Tartar with spicy chile sauce, avocado & pistachio crackers:
The tuna app came in a massive mound with the 2 crackers sticking out of the middle, linked together by circles of thinly sliced red onion. This was unlike any tuna tartar I’ve had in the past. First of all, it was huge and could have easily fed 2-3 people; second, the consistency was mushier than I’m used to. Most tartars consist of finely cubed pieces of raw tuna but this one had all different shapes and sizes which made for an odd texture. I did appreciate the chunks of avocado though!

Tagliatelle Bolognese with an authentic creamy meat sauce served over rich egg noodle with grated Grana Padano cheese:
The pasta came in one of the coolest bowls I’ve ever seen. Not only did it have a place holder for my fork, but also a small circular indentation in place of a spoon, to use for twirling the noodles around the fork – brilliant! I wish I could say the same for the entrée. It was good, but the pasta was too thin and over cooked for my liking. I have no complaints about the meat or sauce, it’s just that I’ve have many a Bolognese in my day and I have high expectations. It’s my favorite dish of all time, after all! 🙂

bolognese

Mango Sorbet with chocolate chip biscotti:
Topped with berries and 2 biscottis – and our waiter had already brought us 2 additional biscottis for Matt’s coffee (slash Dena’s enjoyment). The sorbet was refreshing and the biscotti was thin, crunchy, and paired perfectly when dipped in Matt’s coffee!

mango sorbet

Bathroom: Located outside (down the hall) of the actual restaurant. Since it’s shared with the Radisson patrons there wasn’t much décor etc to connect it with Rustic Kitchen, but it was clean, modern, and had plenty of space.

bathroom

Wait Staff: Gustavo was fantastic! One of the best waiters I’ve ever had. I honestly felt like a VIP. At the beginning of our night we were looking over the wine list and Gustavo immediately offered to bring us a tasting of two wine types that we knew we enjoyed (Malbec, Merlot). Usually I take a shot in the dark (not much of a wine connoisseur) but with his help we were able to choose a bottle we knew we’d love. He was just as helpful the rest of the evening, being honest with his recommendations of certain dishes/drinks. If it wasn’t creepy I would have given him a hug on the way out.

Kaikin Malbec

Overall: The décor was quite “rustic” with stone columns and brick walls, and the overall atmosphere was quite casual. The lighting was interesting – above each booth looked like an upside down lily. Gustavo absolutely made the night! The prices matched the portions (above average prices = large amount of food), but the dishes themselves were average. I’d give it another shot and return for the Cooking Show, no doubt about it.

lighting

The Perfect Bite/Sip: Biscotti dipped in coffee. Also, my Chocolate Covered Strawberry Martini. I don’t handle straight liquor very well, but this literally tasted like a liquid chocolate strawberry (which is one of my favorite foods). And judge me if you like, but dipping the biscotti in my martini wasn’t too shabby either.

chocolate strawberry martini

www.rustickitchen.biz

Panza

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Dena Raffa

Panza’s unassuming entry way can easily be overlooked on Hanover Street, especially when it’s surrounded by the neon lights of Cantina Italiana and the usual long lines that pour out of Giacomo’s. I choose Panza for its substantial menu, attractive prices, and the fact that I never been there before!

Bread: A bread basket, with enough slices to go around at least twice for the 4 of us, was accompanied by a giant bowl of parmesan cheese! Luckily there was already EVOO on the table to mix it with. Bread was soft with a crunchy crust.

bread

Menu: Appetizers, Salads, Pasta, Entrees, Sides. It may seem like a small menu but with 14 pastas and 9 entrees to choose from – on top of the tempting daily specials – deciding on a main course was not easy. More than anything I wanted the Butternut Squash Tortelloni, but I needed to branch out! Since I had pasta the night before I decided to compromise with the Grilled Maple Mustard Salmon with Butternut Squash Risotto 🙂 We started with the Fried Calamari for the table.

Food/Presentation: The calamari was drizzled with cherry pepper aioli which had a nice bite to it. Nothing too out of the ordinary here – a classic fried calamari! My butternut squash risotto was topped with a generous piece of salmon. I’m a huge mustard fan and was appreciative of the flavorful glaze. The pieces of actual butternut squash were a great addition to the creamy side.

salmon w BNS risotto

Bathroom: One stall / one room. The outside of the door is covered in newspaper clippings. I was impressed that they had a modern bowl sink in such a casual establishment.

bathroom

Wait Staff: Our waiter was really pleasant, made me smile, and the service of our app and entrées were in a timely fashion. It was a bit strange when clearing our plates he mentioned: “We don’t have coffee or dessert, so I’ll bring your check right over.” That’s a first! Granted we are in the North End and surrounded by dozens of pastry shops and cafés, but still, you’d think they’d want to boost revenue with a post-dinner drink…

Overall: A small, casual, quiet, and cozy spot. Perfect for an intimate date or a night out with a group of friends. Prices were reasonable, with pastas topping out at $18 (not including the lobster tails for $24) and entrées hitting a maximum price of $21. If I can get a delicious meal in a popular Boston neighborhood for under $20 then I’m beyond delighted!

wall decor

The Perfect Bite: Butternut Squash anything will win my heart every time – that risotto was delicious!

www.panzarestaurant.com

Antico Forno

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Dena Raffa

I had dinner plans with my friends, 2 of which live in the North End, so we decided it was time we dine there! We wanted to try a restaurant that was new to all of us and we landed on Antico Forno on Salem Street. I hadn’t heard much about it, but the menu looked reasonable and it’s brick oven pizzas won me over.

brick oven (background)

Bread: Thick, soft and doughy. We were a party of 4 and were given at least 8 pieces in a metal basket. Accompanied by a small dish of EVOO with crushed red pepper and olives.

bread and EVOO

Menu: Antipasti consisting of salads and 1 soup, a variety of Pizzas, Primi Pastas, Secondi, and Contorni (sides). The website boasts they have “the most traditional Italian pizza” – I wasn’t going to argue, so I went with the Margherita with artichokes.

Food/Presentation: The pizzas are generous in size with 8 slices that could have easily fed 2 people. The artichokes were plentiful which is a major plus. The pizza was good, with a crust between a thin and thick Sicilian (I prefer thin crust). Nothing extraordinary or over the top fantastic.

artichoke pizza

Bathroom: Standard one room/stall restroom. I did like the Xelertor hand dryer. The door had the most character.

bathroom door

Wait Staff: I sat alone at our table for about 25 minutes waiting for the rest of my party (I was early), and a waitress and another lady (manager? owner?) each greeted me to see if I wanted a beverage. Our waitress I could barely hear or understand, not because it was loud, but because she was soft-spoken and kind of unfriendly. She wasn’t rude but she certainly wasn’t overly helpful or welcoming.

Overall: For the North End, the prices were moderate. For the quality of the food, the prices were a bit high. The atmosphere and décor had a lot of character – exposed brick ovens, brick walls throughout, with small fires burning within the brick columns. The food was not bad by any means – everyone pretty much finished their meals – but there are much better places to visit in the North End.

brick columns / fire decor

The Perfect Bite: This may be the first time I’ve ever said this… but I’m going with the BREAD! The pizza wasn’t bad, but I don’t think it’s deserving of the perfect bite.

www.anticofornoboston.com

Giacomo’s

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Dena Raffa

This was my second time visiting Giacomo’s on Columbus Ave in the South End and yet again it did not disappoint. I feel I should have given their North End location a shot instead of trying the South End spot for a second time, but they don’t take reservations. There have been many times (mainly in the warmer months) where I’ve seen a line out the door spilling onto Hanover Street of people waiting to get a table. Luckily the South End restaurant does take reservations (I get cranky if I’m waiting too long for my food!)

Bread: A ¼ piece of a fresh Italian loaf was left for us to tear apart with our hands (which I always have trouble with). No butter, but small EVOO bottles were on the table which was all I needed.

Italian bread

Menu: Appetizers, Salads, Pasta, Vegetarian, Entrees, Sides … their House Seafood Specialty section offered linguini with your choice of sauce and type of seafood. Too many options to choose from! I’ve previously ordered their Butternut Squash Ravioli which was amazing; this evening I tried to be different and chose the Pumpkin Tortellini. These dishes can basically be considered cousins, but I want what I want!

Food/Presentation: My tortellini was spread across an oblong dish, covered with a fresh sage mascarpone cream sauce. Flagrant in flavor with a creamy rich sauce. I certainly wasn’t watching my calories this evening. I couldn’t not finish this dish – each bite was unbelievable!

pumpkin tortellini

Bathroom: The restaurant is small so I expected the bathroom to be the same. Spacious enough, with dark red walls, a large framed mirror, and a few old photographs of the neighborhood/Columbus Street back in the day.

bathroom

Wait Staff: The first time I ate at Giacomo’s was during restaurant week a year or two ago and the waiter was quick with his words, barely made eye contact, and service was speedy. This is not the type of restaurant where the wait staff coddles you. The menu is pretty much self explanatory and they are not there to entertain you. Usually I enjoy a waiter who chats you up, but in this type of environment there’s no need for small talk. This visit we had a nice waiter who refilled our water glasses when necessary and attentively poured my wine when my glass was running low. He was pleasant, and we didn’t feel like we were being rushed out.

Overall: A small, casual Italian restaurant without the bells & whistles city restaurants usually flaunt. The tables are back to back with each other, and the noise can be overwhelming if there’s a large/loud party. Very reasonable prices, with entrée and pasta dishes $20 and under! This is a MUST-eat-at. I doubt you can go wrong with any dish you order.

The Perfect Bite: The pumpkin tortellini was honestly to die for.

http://giacomosblog-boston.blogspot.com/

Umami

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Dena Raffa

Located at 1704 Beacon Street in Brookline, Umami serves “Asian inspired global cuisine with a creative twist”. A smaller restaurant, the dining room can sit maybe 35 people not including seats at the bar. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, perfect for a week night meal. Thank you to BuyWithMe.com for providing us with the 4 coupons (pay $20, receive $40) – and thank you to Umami for allowing us to use all 4 in one sitting!

Bread: Instead of bread we were served crudités of red peppers, carrots, and zucchini with a dipping sauce. Not so much “Asian inspired”, but I’ll take it!

Menu: There are 2 sections: Starters and Entrées. The in-house menu varied slightly from the online version with a couple exciting additions, including a “1,000 year old egg” fettuccini dish. The couple we were with had been before and recommended a few starters that I couldn’t choose from, so we all split 4 apps. Each entrée has its own America base with a splash of Asian cuisine, whether it be edamame, soba noodles, bok choy, or sake etc. The list isn’t too extensive but I found a couple of items to ponder over and eventually went with the Seabass for my main course.

Food/Presentation:
Honey, Ginger Glazed Chicken Wings, lyche / pineapple / chili puree: On the bone, so not my favorite, but the puree added a nice kick.
Hand cut Sweet Potato Fries, house made spicy ketchup: Standard sweet pot fries, could have had a bit more crisp/crunch to them.

honey chicken, sweet pot fries

Asian Black Tiger Shrimp, garlic butter / smoked cayenne / lemon thyme: Not a huge shrimp fan but I tried one and was pleasantly surprised. I mostly ate the veggies out of this dish – the sauce was delicious!

black tiger shrimp

Pan Roasted Mussels, sauce of pomodoro / sake / fresh bay leaves / grilled crostini: I do like mussels but their texture can be creepy and I truly think I just like the sauces they come in. This dish is no exception – the mussels/sauce tasted of a light tomato sauce. A couple tasted like the ocean but that tends to happen with mussels.

mussels

Chilean Sea Bass, simmered with sake / shiro miso / sweet potato “pomme puree” / Asian greens: The sea bass, topped with crunchy noodles, was placed on top of the sweet potato puree and bok choy. I usually have problems with bones in sea bass but that was not the case with this dish. Really excellent meal – I liked having the smooth texture of the puree with the crunchy noodles!

chilean seabass

Bathroom: One room/stall. Besides the wall ornaments, nothing special. But clean and polished, so no complaints.

bathroom decor

Wait Staff: Our waitress was really cute/nice and patient as we studied the menu. She was also able to answer all of our questions about the dishes with odd ingredients.

Overall: You can’t beat the prices, with entrées topping out at $21! The menu is a bit limited, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate. A nice quiet spot outside the city.

The Perfect Bite: Sea bass with sweet potato puree. I cleaned the plate!

www.umamiboston.com

Rocca

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Dena Raffa

Rocca’s dishes are inspired by “New England’s bounty [and] driven by Italian sensibility”. This South End spot is a bit off the beaten path, a couple streets away from the more popular Washington and Tremont, but Chef Tiffany Faison does not disappoint!

Bread: An oblong shaped loaf was served in the middle of the table on a ‘brown paper bag’ sheet of paper, left for us to rip apart with our hands. The EVOO was dramatically poured at the table into a square dish; I must say, watching the long perfect stream of olive oil flow from the spout to the dish was kind of mesmerizing.

Menu: Divided into 5 sections – Pesce Crudo (raw fish), Pesce Cotto (cooked fish), Vegetables Leaves & Grains, Housemade Pastas, Mostly From The Sea With A Little Farm. I could have chosen 1 item from each part of the menu (crispy artichokes, yellowfin tuna tartare, smoked & braised pork)! I was hoping for the Spicy Tomato “Lasagne”, but it was made with tripe and once I found out that tripe is the lining of a cow’s stomach I went with the following:

Spicy Squash Soup: roasted pistachios / black pepper / foie gras whipped ricotta / anise hyssop
Ricotta Cavatelli: foie gras vinegrette / chopped walnuts / cherry mosto

ricotta cavatelli

Presentation/Food: All of our apps (crispy artichokes, soup, little gem salad) were served on a mini wooden cutting board.

grilled little gem

Spicy Squash Soup: The soup bowl came empty except for the foie gras whipped ricotta and pistachios. Next to the bowl was a small Mason-type jar filled with the squash soup, ½ of which was poured into my bowl by the server. The soup was incredibly smooth and rich in flavor. There were enough pistachios to go with each spoonful which was a plus.

spicy squash soup

Ricotta Cavatelli: Some may have seen this dinner as a small serving, but it was truly the perfect size for me. The pasta, mixed with chopped walnuts, covered the cherries & the dollop of ricotta. The cherries were halved and strong in flavor-a different accessory used in a pasta dish-but mixed well with the ricotta cheese creating a light but rich sauce. Really interesting dish!

Bathroom: The stalls have a backsplash of tiny earth toned tiles. The same can be found near the brass bowl sinks… very pretty. And the full length mirror was a plus!

stall

sinks

Wait Staff: Our waiter did a great job – he knew which red wine was the driest (and actually steered me towards my favorite Tuscan red!), he anticipated their lack of the Tuna Tartare (based on a private party that ordered it all 😦 ), and he was able to describe all the rare menu items (tripe, anise hyssop, etc).

Overall: I thought for sure they’d have a “flatbreads” section on the menu, but overall a successful dining experience! Great food and even better wine (’07 Rosso di Montepeluciano Poliziano). The prices aren’t outrageous, with the pasta dishes running in the $teens and the main courses topping out at $29 (for the lobster). Beware of the smaller portions… unless you eat like me!

The Perfect Bite: Cavatelli. Walnuts. Cherry. I’ve never seen or tasted a pasta dish like it!

http://www.roccaboston.com

Flavors of the Fall

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Dena Raffa

As soon as I saw the BostonChefs.com e-newsletter about the “Flavors of the Fall” food fest, I knew I’d somehow sucker myself into attending, despite the $65 charge; hey, it’s for a good cause! The proceeds went towards the Cambridge Community Art Center, so I felt less guilty 😉 Below is the menu/vendor list for the evening, featuring seasonal tastings from Cambridge & Somerville chefs/restaurants.

Hungry Mother
duck prosciutto & sweet potato aioli on dark rye
(the best table presentation!)

Hungry Mother table

EVOO
albacore tuna with pumpkin kimchee and gingered Concord grape glaze

EVOO

Harvest
ginger braised pork slider with root vegetable slaw
peanut butter chocolate semifreddo
Jack & Arnie, minted tea & bouron

Harvest - pork slider & cocktail

Bergamot
braised shortrib dumpling with porcini aioli

Bergamot, Garden, The Blue Room

Garden at The Cellar
Macallan 12 cured salmon, cigar smoke and orange crème fraiche on rye toast
(see above)

The Blue Room
rabbit rillette on Iggy’s ficelle with pickled cape cranberries
(see above)

Russell House
smoked duck rillette on toasted raisin baguette with pickled pears & micro celery
(forgot to take a pic!)

UpStairs on the Square
afternoon tea treats – tea sandwiches, savory bites and sweets

UpStairs on the Square

Sandrine’s Bistro
pumpkin crème brulee

pumpkin creme brulee & pumpkin cheesecake ice cream

J.P. Licks Homemade Ice Cream Café
Carrot Cake, Wild Turkey Bourbon, and Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream

wild turkey bourbon & carrot cake ice cream

Drinks / Cocktails
Noir, sample signature cocktails: Drunken Angel, Body Heat Cider
Brooklyn Brewery / Jacob’s Creek Wines
The Macallan

Passed Hors D’oevres
Rialto Restaurant
chestnut coup with parmesan cream
Henrietta’s Table
heirloom pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds

: Henrietta’s Table and Hungry Mother

My favorite, by far, was the pumpkin soup! A close second was the rabbit rillette with pickled cape cranberries – I may have had upwards of 10 pieces! Best dessert hands down was JP Licks’ Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream. A close second had to be Harvest’s PB & chocolate semifreddo.
My only issue is that I wish there were more vendors; and I wish the vendors who were there were more prepared (some ran out of their tastings after 1 hour!). Overall my friend & I had a great time, enjoying the food, wine, and jazz band 🙂

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

Lumiere

Ceres Bistro

The Beehive

Rustic Kitchen

Panza

Antico Forno

Giacomo’s

Umami

Rocca

Flavors of the Fall