Hanging out in Boston working for a few weeks and little did I know I should've made reservations on a freaking Monday night of all nights!
Atmosphere/Appearance: This place is ducked off in like an alleyway of sorts right downtown Boston. It's such a cool vibe because it feels like you've found something secret that nobody knows about, but in fact... everyone knew. Lol. It was so busy in here and they were sold out of reservations for the evening so we popped a squat at the main dining room bar. There are actually two. Once you come in the door you're corralled into a small room where you're greeted by the hostess, but once you turn the corner the place opens up! To your right there's seating, to your left is the first bar and more seating. Then if you go straight you go into the main dining room which has an even bigger bar and plenty of places to sit. This place was dimly lit, chill, intimate and almost felt gothic a lil' bit. Like, real 1600s type stuff. I dug it.
Service: Carrie & Darwin took excellent care of us. They were both friendly, fun, quick, attentive, knowledgeable and made sure we had everything that we needed.
Food: I started off with a What's Up Doc. It's a cocktail consisting of blended scotch, drambuie, carrot, turmeric, ginger, honey and lemon. It was mixed VERY well. Tangy, sweet, balanced and didn't taste a lot like carrot at all.
My first social plate of the evening was the Lazy Lobster Dumplings which are ricotta dumplings cooked in black truffle butter with an onion crunch and lemon crema. This was HEAVEN. It was my favorite dish of the night. I could've eaten 2 or even 3 of these! It was out of this world. Savory, creamy, hearty. Delicious. Soft. Tender. Cheesy. They're like, deconstructed dumplings. They aren't stuffed. Mild, yet very clear truffle taste.
For my next drink I went with the Icarus. It's blanco tequila, strawberry balsamic, martini fiero, suze, apricot, lime and served with a spicy tincture. It was a bit spicy, a bit bitter with natural fruity sweetness. Both delicious and different.
My next social plate was the Bavette Steak "Mirabeau". There was a slight, slight fishy taste from the anchovy butter. Cooked excellently. Seasoned well. Tender. VERY buttery. The toast underneath it was a great addition to soak up all the extra juices and flavor that you could've missed out on!
My final cocktail of the night was the Circus Charlie. It's brownie infused bourbon, coffee infused punt e mes and served with toasted marshmallows. There was a light coffee flavor with a spiced sweetness. Not quite an espresso martini, but lighter, not as thick.
My final social plate of the evening was the Coconut Rock Shrimp which is served with a key lime yum-yum sauce, pickled fresno peppers and spicy peanuts. I didn't taste a lot of coconut, but the breading is really soft, really tender. Great snap to the shrimp. Sauce is a little on the light side. It was my least favorite dish of the night. Breading was too thick, fell off in the "Yum Yum" sauce.
Now the desserts... I got to try the La Bête Noire which is Valrhona chocolate crémeux, coconut yogurt, mango sorbet, candied cashews, chamoy strawberries and a hibiscus meringue. THIS WAS FANTASTIC. The lightest, airiest, fudge ever and the fruit balanced it all out.
Lastly was the Cinnamon Babka Bites. They're served with dulcey chocolate-chunk ice cream, orange blossom, red currant jam, candied pecans and a chocolate dipping sauce. They were soft, sweet, rich, decadent with a great cinnamon-sugar balance. The chocolate dipping sauce was an excellent complement.
Value: Each drink was $17.00. It's Boston, it's downtown and this is a NICE place. Be prepared to pay. It is what it is. The lobster dumplings were $32.00. The steak was $19.00. The shrimp was $20.00. Both desserts were $12.00. Like I said, this place isn't cheap so be prepared to spend if you visit.
I love this place SO MUCH. I would come back here again and again to try out different drinks, different menu items and of course, repeat that chocolate dessert!
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