North End Progressive Dinner Part 5 | Bricco

Post-Dessert Cocktail

Last Stop! This wouldn't be my first glass of Prosecco to end an evening at Bricco's bar, and it certainly won't be my last. For a lively scene long after dinner, neighborhood locals tend to flock here. Bricco is no slouch in the creative Italian cuisine department either. Read my other posts featuring the Hanover Street big shot here (dinner), here (restaurant week dinner) and here (bar).

I was infinitely pleased with the hospitality at each restaurant on our crawl. Not only did our single course meals flow without any qualms; our various hosts, servers and bartenders throughout the evening nailed every element of service. And they did so with a warm, genuine embrace; only reinforcing why my North End favorites are who they are. A progressive dinner is a great way to get to know a neighborhood, and I can't wait until Michelle, Megan, Meghan and I embark on another one!

North End Progressive Dinner Part 4 | Prezza

Dessert

At this point in the evening, my picture taking is getting progressively blurrier, heck I probably shouldn't even be using a nice camera. The four of us were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Despite all that food, this was a serious booze infested dinner crawl, as I went from perhaps the strongest gin martini ever at Fiore, to a bottle of sparking wine at Mare, a bottle of red wine at Mamma Maria, and now a Bailey's on the rocks at Prezza. They don't skimp on pours, three of us were the recipients of glasses loaded with the stuff. Given the fact that most restaurants in the North End don't serve dessert (kindly leaving it to the pastry shops and caffes) either that or they give you two options (tiramisu and cannolis) Prezza's menu is certainly a rarity and branches out from the neighborhood norms. The grand finale began with White Chocolate Bread Pudding ($10) with vanilla bean ice cream and creme anglaise. It was thick, moist and bursting with balanced sweet flavors. We also shared the Fig and Cocoa Turnover ($10) with a lovely pistachio gelato and port wine sauce. The turnovers were crisp and flaky, beholding rich warm fig with hints of cocoa. The gelato in both instances was perfectly creamy and a thoughtful addition to the desserts

The staff at Prezza were a delight. Despite the restaurant being busy at peak Saturday night dining time, and the fact that we did not have a reservation, the hostess didn't hesitate to seat us at a four top in the crowded dining room, simply to indulge in dessert.

Read my full review of dinner at Prezza here.

North End Progressive Dinner Part 3 | Mamma Maria

Entree

For the third stop on our progressive dinner crawl, Mamma Maria warmly welcomed us into her 19th century brick row house and provided us with exceptional homemade pasta entrees. My Tagliolini ai Funghi Porcini was creamy, earthy and comforting, and paired well with a bottle of Umani Ronchi Cumaro Reserva, a smooth and spicy montepulciano.

Read a detailed review of Mamma Maria here.

P.S. Indulge Inspire Imbibe turns two today!

North End Progressive Dinner Part 2 | Mare Oyster Bar

Appetizers

This evening marked my inaugural visit to the revamped Mare, a favorite restaurant of mine in its former life and now an even better asset to the neighborhood as an oyster bar. It feels less formal than it once was, and with this casual approach I am much more inclined to pop in for some cocktails and raw bar fare on a whim. We made a reservation for the four of us this evening, to keep our progressive dinner on schedule. Thankfully, our fantastic waiter had no qualms about our appetizers only meal. We sat in a corner table dressed in crisp white linens set with flickering tea lights. Through the gaping windows as the sun dipped behind the city scape in the distance we sipped from a bottle of Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut ($45) and noshed on seafood apps from the redesigned clipboard menu. We started with some beautiful, briny Cape Cod Oysters ($1.95) from Wellfleet and Pleasant Bay, Orleans and followed those up with a bowl of Steamed Wellfleet Mussels ($12.99) prepared in a lemony white wine garlic sauce. I relished the zesty citrus flavor in this dish, which was heightened by shaved lemon peels. Rounding out the shellfish offerings was a bowl of Native Clams ($12.99) which were served roasted with soppressata and herbs over smooth, creamy polenta. Everything was excellent, though these appetizers are merely a teaser of what Mare has to offer. Tonight it was all about progress. We swiftly paid our bill and were off to destination number three for the entrée course!

Read my review of Mare (during restaurant week) in its former life here.

P.S. I turn 28 today!

North End Progressive Dinner Part 1 | Fiore

Pre Dinner Cocktail

Girlfriends and I kicked off a 5 stop Saturday night tour-de-north-end at Ristorante Fiore. We caught up over martinis at the sparkling granite bar where I sipped one of their specialties made with a sturdy amount of gin, fresh muddled basil and lime. It was equal parts herbal and refreshing, but mostly it was strong. Really strong. As we progressed to the next location, I was already feeling buzzed, not to mention ready to fill my empty stomach with some of the North Ends finest cuisine. And especially to be spending time with some of my favorite ladies.

Stay tuned this week for a new post on the progressive dinner each day!

Read about a previous visit to Fiore (the roof deck) here.

Deuxave | Back Bay

In September of 2010 Chef Christopher Coombs opened Deuxave, named creatively for the two avenues - Commonwealth and Massachusetts - that intersect the location. The 26 year old chef's goal was fill a niche for less expensive high end dining in the Back Bay.We began our evening at the polished marble bar lined with flameless candles, the space was dimly lit and exuded a romantic elegance. From an admirable craft cocktail menu I chose the Red Charlotte ($11) a blend of vodka, red wine reduction, allspice, double citrus and champagne. The red wine and allspice were doubly fitting for the holiday and the wintry weather, balanced by bright citrus flavors and bubbles. I adored this drink.

Shortly after ordering drinks we were lead down a narrow hallway bordered by plush booths into the sophisticated gray toned dining room. A fire crackles in an exposed stone fireplace. Sharp nooks lined with dark wood tables are offset by creamy gauze curtains. Bulbs glow from behind white rectangular panels of a funky oversized chandelier. Through large arched windows offset with brick we gazed at the fancy residences on Mass Ave. With three fantastic sounding options for each course, we had some tough decisions on our hands. We never felt rushed though and took our time deciding while mingling with the friendly couple next to us. They were fishing up dessert and eager to offer recommendations. (And quick to comment the second I whipped out my camera, they seemed excited about the fact that I was photographing the meal.) I started with the Coeur a la Foie Gras Torchon (Coeur means heart in French! loving this) which came with equally adorable crispy toast hearts. The smooth buttery foie was nicely accented by a persimmon and pistachio chutney, perfect swirls of pomegranate pepper syrup as well the juicy airils and tangy hearts of fire. This course was so pretty and creative, not to mention the perfect portion. (Not too filling, but not too measly, either.) The meal was off to a great start. The "Night Moves" Scituate Lobster Gnocchi is both quizzical and typical on paper; what is with the night moves?! / lobster gnocchi - been there, done that. Our nice neighbors recommended this first and without hesitation so I decided to go for it. Turns out "Night Moves" is the name of the ship that brings in the catch! And you would be hard pressed to find it used in such extraordinary fashion, so been there done that this dish is certainly not. Unexpected ingredients from green grapes and pearl onions to curried walnuts and foraged mushrooms mingle with plenty of lobster chunks and a whole claw. The potato gnocchi is browned just so to offer a wisp of crispiness with every bite. The six components are bathed in a complex citrus fricassee. I loved creating different bites with each of them. I loved this dish. For my main course I feasted on the Lamb Trio including a Colorado Rack Persillade, Merguez Sausage and a Pave of Milk Braised Shoulder. The rack was served rare, bright pink and tender, encrusted by a crispy persillade which added a nice garlicky flavor. This was my first time ever having Merguez, a fresh lamb sausage, it was soft in texture and heavily spiced, complimented by green flageolets (a type of kidney beans). Finally, the shoulder was a small rectangular cube which was braised until crispy on the outside with strands of shredded meat on the inside. Everything was served over the natural jus, a bright fennel-parsley puree and crispy escarole. This was another dynamic plate of food, and once again I truly enjoyed everything about it. I was also impressed at how swiftly and evenly paced this meal was. The wait time in between each course was spot on, never rushed but never too long.

Ending the evening on another high note A Chocolate Love Affair was a whimsical plate of what I crave most on Valentines day. A brushstroke of sticky sweet raspberry was a necessary contrast to the rich dark chocolate torte, a dense chocolate cake, and white chocolate bombes.

A plump quinelle of homemade milk chocolate glace over oreo-esque crumbles was my favorite element of the bunch. A close second was that shot of creamy chocolate milkshake to wash it all down.

The prix fix menu this evening was $99. Regardless of the high priced holiday, a meal here can certainly add up. If you were to indulge in four courses of a similar nature here on any other day your food would be about $90. (But then, you would not get foie gras shaped hearts!) Adam generously spent more because he knows I love to celebrate Valentine's day. However, assuming your average meal is not going to be four courses to yourself, the good news is it can only get more affordable from there.

Deuxave is at once an establishment that caters to its wealthy neighbors and a destination worthy of a splurge. At the forefront are charismatic plates of exemplary food and cocktails. Add this Back Bay restaurant to your Boston must visit list for sure!

Deuxave

371 Commonwealth Ave

Boston, MA 02115

february fourteenth.

Ours went a little something like - cupcakes from Modern Pastry, a bouquet of red roses and a dinner at Deuxave for her, tickets to the symphony for him. I love giving and getting gifts that are things we can do together! (Cupcakes and roses never hurt.)

The vanilla cupcakes were delicious. The roses were lovely. Dinner was incredible. The symphony happens later this week. Can't wait to recap the details!

How was your Valentine's Day? 

cozy friday night

Beginning with Stella Artois and scallops wrapped in bacon and ending with board games and Guinness, Leah and Tray hosted a delicious evening, it was a perfect way to wind down from a long work week.

There was so much good food! The springy scallops which had been marinated in mustard and maple syrup and coiled with smokey bacon to begin the evening were fantastic. A salad of lightly dressed greens in balsamic and olive oil was the perfect transition course, featuring crasins, almonds, avocado and tomato. For the main course we feasted on a juicy herb encrusted roast pork loin in mushroom gravy with baked red russet potatoes and baby carrots. We drank a firm, fruit forward red wine with dinner, a bottle of Carchelo C from Jumilla, Spain. After a few rounds of Cranium and Apples to Apples, we dug into a box of Modern Pastries including cannoli, crème brulee and tiramisu. We played Guesstures well into the evening, it's a hilarious game, especially when lots of wine and beer are involved.

Many thanks to our gracious hosts!