The Abbey

Opened in the former Dalia's Bistro and Wine Bar, The Abbey serving new American comforts, specialty cocktails, draft and bottled micro brews, domestic beers and an ample selection of Irish Whiskey and single malt scotch, finds a home in Washington Square. My girlfriends and I arrived at 1657 Beacon Street on a warm Friday evening, stepping into an extremely dim lit space roaring with conversation. The restaurant formerly occupied by intimate velvet booths, rich chocolate wood table tops, gray walls and carpeted floors, is completely redone with exposed brick walls, rows of square wooden tables and hardwood floors. Its opening no secret, The Abbey was already packed with patrons. We put our names in with the maitre'd, snagged the next available seats to open up at the glossy wood bar and ordered ourselves some wine. Once we were seated, the menu was perused in anticipation as the wine, cocktails and conversations continued to flow. I ordered a Galliano Sour ($10) Galliano, brandy, bitters, lemon juice, simple syrup and one egg white.

Unexpectedly more sweet compared to sour or bitter, I just now learned Gallliano is a sweet herbal Italian liqueur.

We were served bread with a zesty garlic hummus and started with a few small appetizer plates. The Fried Halloumi Cheese ($4) is an unusual and tasty appetizer served with a tangy yogurt dipping sauce. Halloumi is made with sheeps and goats milk and can be pan-fried without melting. This creates an incredibly unique texture where the light crispy batter breaks exposing warm, dry and salty cheese crumbles. We enjoyed side dishes including the Spicy Julienned Snow Peas ($4.50) which were sauteed and flavored with a bold kick and an unpictured plate of Hoisin BBQ Broccoli ($4.50), also excellent. Our entrees were served when we realized the waitress forgot about our Lamb Lollipops, which was disappointing only for a minute. I was certainly excited to try the dish, but it seemed a blessing in disguise as the ladies and I knew we ordered plenty of food otherwise. We also shared a beautiful plate of crispy and well seasoned with parsley and parmesan Truffle Fries ($4.50), dipped in a side of roasted garlic mayo, which we absolutely loved!And for the finale of foods - my entree the Bison Bolognese ($17) served with fresh linguine and romano cheese was the just right portion size of a really excellent dish. Not too overwhelming, a thoughtful and fun presentation, I was thoroughly satisfied by the tender pasta and the plentiful chunks of ground bison.

The Abby doesn't take reservations, but they are open for lunch, dinner, and late night eats so there is ample opportunity to check out the new digs. I used to live on Beacon and Englewood not to far up the road, so I'm impressed to see positive change and reasonably priced food in a neighborhood near and dear to my heart.