Aragosta | Battery Wharf Hotel

I have been to Aragosta a number of times since they opened in 2011; for media and blogger sponsored events, a ladies night at the chefs counter, and with out of town family to dine on the picturesque waterfront terrace. Located off the North End tourist path on Battery Wharf, I think they struggle to keep themselves on the radar year after year. The Battery Wharf Hotel is no longer a Fairmont Property and I am not sure if this changes anything. I know the chefs experienced a turnover since last time I was here.

The terrace is the real draw but it was not open on this particular visit, so we're seated in a cozy both in the back corner of the near empty hotel restaurant. I still feel like the interior might be in need of a facelift, especially compared to the sleekly attractive bar and lounge area which draws more clientele at this (7pm) hour. Our waiter is genuine and offers polished, prompt service throughout. 

We each start with a Bacon Old Fashioned ($13) - smokey and sweet, it is an admirable rendition. The only thing missing is a bacon garnish! 

The Buratta ($12) appetizer comes alongside delicate orange slices, golden beets and fig jam. The unexpected yet welcome pairings with the small pouch of cool, creamy cheese is a nice start to the meal. 

Aragosta is Italian for lobster and doing the namesake proud is the Lobster Bisque ($14). The show stopping broth is velvety, balanced and brilliantly flavored, poured tableside over a cluster of tender shucked meat with a dollop of crème fresh and cracked pepper. 

What doesn't entirely work is my Lobster Ravioli ($42). Hefty claws and large tails of butter poached Maine lobster are overwhelmed by a chunky fra diavolo-esque red sauce. Completely coating all that gorgeous lobster meat seems like a mistake. 

The Short Rib ($34) was outshined by the accompanying Lobster Smashed Potatoes (a side is $14) and nicely cooked spinach and asparagus. It wasn't a memorable dish otherwise. 

New restaurant openings in Boston are frequent and the competition is steep. I am not sure the entire menu is focused and compelling enough to keep locals coming back, but Aragosta is certainly a major draw for hotel guests. Strolling along the harborwalk with my Mom and sister a couple weeks later the patio is back in business, a busy scene during the late lunch hour; I'm happy to see them doing well!

Aragosta Bar & Bistro
3 Battery Wharf

Boston, MA 02109

 *this meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own*

Bokx 109

The classy and sophisticated Newton steakhouse, Bokx 109 has once again provided me with an exceptional meal. Last fall I enjoyed dinner here at the chefs counter with a large convivial group, while this time around it was a relaxing slow paced date for two. 

Shortly after settling into a spacious and comfy tufted leather booth our server selects a bottle of Optima Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and starts us with some items off the extensive snakx portion of the menu: sesame tuna nachos with sriracha sour cream, pear and mascarpone sacchetti with orange and balsamic and local oysters with cucumber and Hendricks gin mingionette. 

Each bite was creative and inspired. Sriracha sour cream is a fun pairing with the fresh tuna. The sacchetti are plump, slightly sweet, tangy and creamy, easily one of the best bites of the evening. And of all the oysters I've slurped, I can't recall one ever being paired with gin, it was fantastic.  

Chef outdoes himself with a warm calamari salad and I'm thankful our waiter steered us in this direction. Tender, buttery rings and tentacles mingle with wheat berries, arugula, and cherry tomatoes in a bright citrus nage.

Hearty steak entrees are named for the box the cuts are delivered in. The Deacon 3 - 109 (Prime Rib) comes three ways with shortrib, ribeye heart and spinellis. The 103 (Ribeye) Cowboy is one serious cut of meat, and provides leftover for two days. The steaks are perfectly cooked, with the exception of the short rib that end up being somewhat dry. Sides are delicious and include thick cut and heavily battered tempura onion rings, an ultimate Baked Potato and wild mushrooms dusted in fresh herbs and sea salt.

Dessert presented us with a variety of treats, a pretty fruit plate with a refreshing lemon sabayon and a rich chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse and dark chocolate ganache.  

And for a grand finale, a tower of fluffy pink cotton candy!

 

Bokx 109 @ Hotel Indigo

399 Grove Street

 Newton, MA 02462

 this meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own

No. 9 Park

2013 has brought some change. I have not been photographing as many meals or spending time here nearly as much. So many things still inspire but the shift in mindset, focus, dedication - it happened. For now, a recent (birthday!) dinner at No. 9 Park.
Should you need a reason to splurge or an excuse to visit one who sets the precedence for fine dining in Boston, No. 9 Park in an intimate Beacon Hill townhouse displays timeless elegance under sparkling antique chandeliers, with a celebrated bar and wine program, gracious hospitality, and the best of Barbara Lynch's flavorful and inspired dishes.
 

The Air Mail ($10) made with Neisson rhum agricole blanc, honey, lime and sparkling wine proves a lovely aperitif and the Conquistador ($14) garners high praise with an exotic spiciness and a hint of smoke, it blends Soberano brandy de jerez, Del Marguay Vida mezcal, Carpano Antica vermouth, cacao and thai chili. The old world meets artisan wine list is pricey but the good news is, they offer half bottles. The sommelier described quite a few in beautiful detail and we chose from Bandol, Provence, a Chateau de Pibarnon.

We started with six oysters on the half ($21), which were tiny, but of unique character; Fin De La Baie from New Brunswick, Sun Hallow from Washington and Bagaduce from Maine. The appetizers to kick off the three course prix fix ($69) were the chef's special of Seared Yellowfin Tuna with torgarashi, foie gras vinaigrette and Periguex truffle and the unphotographed but ironically favorite dish of the entire evening, the dish I would go back right now for, a rich and velvety Autumn Vegetable Potage with poached pear, seared bay scallops and sage brown butter. (It wasn't even my dish, but man, it somehow blew my sashimi away! It was more of a soup night anyways.)

The entrees of Glazed Beef Shortribs with potato mille-feiulle, baby vegetables and macomber turnip and Prime Flatiron Steak alternating with a bone marrow bread pudding and a swiss chard and spinach parcel were flawless; perfectly plated, refined, balanced, solid. (But they still did not outshine that soup!) Then there were desserts in abundance, beacons of goodness and at times otherworldly, a Tres Leches Cake with Earl Gray ice cream, grapefruit and lemon, and Fried Carnaroli Rice Pudding with pineapple, cardamon and basil. Lastly, a surprise Happy Birthday treat with the beloved chocolate and peanut butter combo was a nice touch!

The restaurant that began an empire is exquisite; it is classy and expensive, but by no means pretentious or stuffy. Our waitress was a gem. Her cheerful, easygoing, and informed nature truly added to the experience.

No. 9 Park
9 Park Street
Boston, MA 02108

P.S. If I'm not here, I'm still here, here and now here....

The Gallows | South End Favorite

A spontaneous double date night brought Adam and I and our friends to The Gallows where between the four of us we made quite a dent in the cocktail (and beer) menu, I finally got to try the Scotch Egg, our entrees were top notch, and I completely fell in love with their signature dessert. It was one of those meals that kept making its way back into our conversations all weekend long (how good everything was, how much fun we had) and not unlike the last time we were there, left us eagerly anticipating our next visit. 

The waitress recommended a couple great cocktails; I let her favorites dictate my choices and started out with The Healer ($10) which is one of their original originals with rye, mead, bitters and lemon. Also pictured is the Fortune's Find ($10) made with kumquat, gin, lemon and simple syrup. I adore the cocktail names - where they spark intrigue, they also make sense when you think about it! The Healer was soothing and comforting, yet strong, and the Fortune's Find felt like just that, a real gem. 

We shared a number of snack plates beginning with the remarkable Scotch Egg ($6). It is soft boiled with a just-runny-enough yolk, cradled by a gentle layer of sausage, enveloped in a crispy fried breading. Still something of a novelty to me, this dish impressively captures the essence of breakfast in a neatly packaged bite. The Pulled Pork Corn Muffins ($6) have me convinced that all corn muffins should come stuffed with flavorful, meaty hunks of pulled pork and topped with perfectly ripe slices of avocado. The Fava and Soppressata Crostini ($6) layered thin strands of the dry Italian salami over a mash up of fava beans meets fava puree. This was an interesting pair, it didn't have me swooning quite as much as the pulled pork meets corn muffin, but it was a bite that honored the bright, springy fava bean and one worth ordering of you are a fan of either ingredient. 

The "Brontosaurus" Short Rib  is literally a bone the size of the quoted prehistoric dinosaur. Adam and Derek remark that it is difficult to cut off the bone, which isn't to say there's anything wrong with the meat, there's just a lot of it. As short ribs often imply fall off the bone, The Gallows version strays from that notion but still delivers tender, tasty meat. Both agreed it was very good. I tasted a bite which permeated with Asian flavors, a sweet and sour glaze and nuoc cham. Served alongside is a spicy green papaya salad.

My Udon Primavera ($25) comes with the plumpest, freshest, most vibrantly colored green peas, asparagus spears and fava beans, as well sharp radishes, beckoning from within slippery coils of Japanese noodles. Bathing in a deep earthy mushroom dashi, the cream of the primavera (in Italian, that means springtime!) crop of vegetables are simply radiant. The poached egg on top absolutely seals the deal.

We were stuffed, but I'm so glad we ordered dessert. Rum soaked bananas come buried among the smoothest, creamiest peanut butter and chocolate in the Bananas Foster Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluffernutter Brulee ($7). Enhancing the decadence is a perfectly torched layer of thick, gooey marshmallow fluff. My friend (who has had this before) still thinks that it needs something else, something crispy or crunchy, something to offset the creamy texture, but, I think it is just perfect. It swiftly joins the ranks as one of my favorite desserts in Boston, right up there with Oleana's Baked Alaska.
And same goes for The Gallows overall. I can't get enough of this place!

*Special thanks to Gretchen and Derek for their iPhone lighting skills. My pictures in the dark space would have been nothing without their efforts!*

The Gallows

1395 Washington St

Boston, MA 02118

Lucia | from humble origins

Food from old country Italy that is a robust cornmeal mush. Hulled, crushed and coarse to fine grains are boiled to a paste with lots of butter, water, a pinch of salt and stirred gently with intention. Peasant food that is cooked to a soft, creamy consistency. Yes, I'm talking about Polenta, a versatile starch which is a satisfying meal on its own, a base to layer sauces over and an excellent companion to roasted or grilled meats and poultry. Typically heaped onto a bread board and served family style, the polenta stiffens as it cools and takes on a slightly firmer texture, though mushy still, a cross between fluffy mashed potatoes with gritty flecks and a soft gooey cornbread. It has since become a star on highly regarded menus, found on fancy dining room tables about town. A refined American take on an Italian classic that never hesitates to comfort, especially during the lingering mid-winter chill. Ristorante Lucia is one of the oldest and among the first restaurants to open in the North End in 1977. They hosted a private dinner in honor of this rustic dish as it is prepared in the Abruzzo region of Italy and in the interest of getting to know some of the local food community bloggers and writers.

The Polenta Party was held in the upstairs dining room, a clean brick walled space with painted ceilings where a large central table is flanked by smaller ones dressed in white linens. The Sangiovese flowed from the moment we sat down, I appreciated that the professional waitstaff were sure to top off our glasses frequently. Prefacing the polenta were antipasto plates layered with sliced prosciutto and sopressato, thick squares of Auricchio provolone, roasted red peppers and spicy marinated eggplant. I adore a good antipasto to kick off an Italian meal, and this one was exceptional. So were the bruschettas that followed, where large slices of rustic country bread were grilled and brushed with olive oil, topped with truffle oil laced funghi and bitter broccoli rabe which had been sauteed with fresh garlic. This is incredibly simple food; the chef, owner and manager who dined with us were sure to point out. Modest as they were, I thought it was some of the most delicious and flavorful that I've tasted in the North End. Then it was time for overflowing plates of creamy golden yellow polenta. The first came topped with gamey rabbit meat still on the bone that had a sweet almost nutty flavor to it. While eating rabbit might seem unusual or exotic, it is a staple cuisine where Donato (the owner) comes from in Italy (Abruzzo) and there is nothing strange about it! The second plate was piled with a hearty pork chop and homemade sausage and the final plate (my favorite) a braised shortrib smothered in a smooth tomato sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Dessert saw fresh brewed coffee, hazelnut cake that we drizzled in creme anglaise, and a duo of brisk, refreshing lemon and coconut sorbettos.

I like that they offered us something entirely different than the typical tiramisu and cannoli! I had never had hazelnut cake, it was excellent. The presentation of the sorbetto was charming. By keeping it simple and allowing the high quality ingredients to shine, Lucia succeeds in impressing the majority of us, just as they have their regulars and newcomers alike for 35 years. I was so impressed in fact, that I plan to return this weekend with friends! An equally honest review as a paying customer is sure to follow. In the meantime, thanks to all who were instrumental in organizing this memorable dinner party. Besides the food and wine, I especially loved hearing about what my beloved neighborhood was like back-in-the-day from folks who have lived and worked here since the beginning. The North End has come so far since 1977 and nights like this make me incredibly proud to call it home. Updated 3/11/12 to add: I didn't photograph my meal this past Saturday night, instead relishing the company of my college roommates and friends. We were a party of 12 and our meals and service were nearly flawless. (I am always especially impressed when restaurants succeed at accommodating a large group.) Our waitress was not only knowledgeable and efficient, she was wonderful at her job and consistently on the ball. The food was comforting, traditional and reasonably priced. Definitely consider Lucia for your next North End meal!

Ristorante Lucia

415 Hanover St

Boston, MA 02113