Making A List, Checking It Twice

I am a classic type-A personality. Competitive, impatient, organized. Like any good type-A, I have a strong adoration of lists. I make lists for everything. Lists of things I need to do, lists of places I'd like to visit, lists of songs I want to download from iTunes, lists of wines I want to buy again, lists of artists that I am keeping an eye on, and, oh yes, list of restaurants I want to try. I love lists.

Happily, I am not alone in this passion. It seems like every media outlet on the planet is compelled to do their own restaurant lists. The Boston Globe Magazine, Boston Magazine, and the Phoenix (to name a few) have all recently published their lists of the "must trys" for the year. I figure that, in order to keep my blog's status amongst these fine publications, I probably need to produce my own list. So, here goes...

The Foodie's Guide to Places She is Dying to Try in the Hub in 2008 (You think these list titles should have some kind of word limit? I hope not. Oh yeah, and you know how they say, "in no particular order..."? Typical type-Bs. This list is in order.)

10) Beehive - The Globe called Beehive "the place to be (over 30)." Sigh. I guess at this point that pretty much describes the perfect destination for me. Beehive is probably better known as the South End's newest nightspot to hear a little music and, more importantly, see & be seen. But Boston Magazine promises "tasty, wallet-friendly" fare in addition to the entertainment. Sounds good to me.

9) Petit Robert Bistro - A friend of mine at work brought me a business card from Petit Robert Bistro more than a year ago. She implored me, "you have to check this place out." I never did and I have been sorry ever since. Every time you turn around some other reviewer is writing about this restaurant - and it's always favorable. The owners, who include a member of the venerable Maison Robert family, as well as a cutie-patootie young Frenchman, recently opened a second location in response to a booming business. Apparently, if you want to be mentally transported to the little Parisian bistro you discovered in your semester abroad, this is the place. Oh, and it's also affordable - what's not to like?

8) O Ya - This is the kind of place that makes me want to shut this blog down all together and simply post the following closing message: "I give up. Cool, fabulous, foodie-friendly places are opening in this city faster than Nancy Pelosi blinks. I can not possibly eat at them all, much less blog about them. Thank you for your patronage over these past five months." Ok, I know, O Ya was so June of 2007. I still haven't been! The Asian cuisine is supposed to be so good, the Globe quipped, "who needs Nobu?" Holy crap.

7) La Voile - I walked by the place destined to be La Voile on Newbury Street at least a dozen times while it was under construction. Each time, you could see a little more of this Mediterranean bistro take shape - like a tantalizing present being slowly unwrapped. Finally it's here and it's getting a lot of good buzz. Daily Candy called it "authentic" southern French fare. Having living in Aix-en-Provence, I can't wait to decide for myself.

6) Myers+Chang - I'll keep this simple. One of the owners, Christopher Myers, is also behind Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay. If this place is even a fraction as good as Radius or Great Bay, I am there+there+there.

5) Orinoco - One of my best friends spent several years living in Bolivia, so when she told me that a restaurant offering South American cuisine is one of her new favorites in the city, I paid attention. Not long after that exchange, Boston Magazine recognized Orinoco's chicken arepa one of the 52 best things to eat in Boston. Two recommendations from sources I trust, how can I go wrong?

4) T. W. Food - Oh god... maybe I have worked in Cambridge too long (about ten years, if you add up the different stints). Here's where the list starts getting all, "eat local, love your Mother." I can't help myself... if the menu sources most of its food from within 100 miles of the restaurant, I am like a bee drawn to organic honey. Daily Candy oozed that T.W. Food "emphasiz[es] biodynamic wines, house-made charcuterie, and sustainably raised meats, every meal is kind to both planet and palate." I don't even know what some of those words mean. That makes me want to go even more.

3) Gaslight, Brassarie du Coin - Unlike O Ya, Gaslight is just starting to get noticed and still needs to prove itself a bit. But the early press is promising... Gaslight offers a true French menu that will give Eastern Standard a run for its money. Both the Globe and Boston Magazine promise an atmosphere and decor that is straight from the Latin Quarter.

2) Summer Winter - Ok, now this place better be good. Because if I drive to Burlington and it's a bust, someone is going to hear about it. You gotta figure it's a pretty safe bet - the restaurateurs behind Summer Winter also own Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, considered one of the best dining establishments in the country. And forget about food sourced from a hundred mile radius, Summer Winter grows all its own produce in a greenhouse that is less than a hundred feet from the kitchen.

1) Ten Tables - Yeah, it's all local. Oh, and mostly organic. It's a small business in a grassroots community. I might as well pull out the Birkenstocks and stop shaving my legs. Listen, I like to do my part for the earth, and I like that Ten Tables does its part too, but that's not what makes it my top destination for the year. I love the idea of it... only ten tables in the dining room, making for a cozy, family-style atmosphere, where the staff encourages you to linger all night. And the chefs? Heck, they're only making food for you and nineteen of your newest pals. They can pour all the love and dedication in the world into each beautiful dish (check out the photos on the website). It doesn't hurt that Ten Tables made every list this year. I'll be lucky to get one of those ten precious tables before 2009, but I tell you what - I'm going to do my best. And I will be sure to report back.

Boy, I've got my work cut out for me this year. This is a heady list, but I know I can do it. Type-As are nothing if not committed.

Luna, yes; not much to Love or much Good

Oh boy, only halfway into January and I am already breaking resolutions. Specifically the one about keeping up with my blog... in my defense, not keeping up with my blog (or, more accurately, not eating out so much), is helping my keep another resolution which includes shedding a few pounds. However, that's barely an excuse for letting a whole week slip by before reporting on my experience at Bella Luna last weekend.

Looking for a fun, convenient place to have a bite to eat and some entertainment for a large-ish group, a friend recommended that we have dinner at Bella Luna followed by some bowling at its sister establishment, Milky Way. Given that both are located right in Jamaica Plain (and, really, how often do you get chance to knock down a few candlepins?), we readily agreed to the plan. Paul and I were the first to arrive and mistakenly headed first to the upstairs restaurant, which is clubby and cozy, with only a small handful of tables. The host, quickly recognized our reservation as the "party of eight," showed us downstairs to the bar/games/bowling area - what I assume is technically the Milky Way. While cold and a little dank downstairs, it had the funky atmosphere of a good dive bar with clientèle that was classically JP. Our friends arrived shortly and our waitress took our orders for beer & wine.

We spent some time catching up (as well as giving one couple directions over the phone - JP is such a quandary unless you live around here) and not looking much at the menu. The waitress did a few drive-bys to check on us and, while very attentive, seemed to eventually get a little frustrated with our lack of ordering. We finally decided on a few appetizers and everyone chose an entree - with selections as varied as a pulled pork sandwich, pasta, fish & chips, pizza, steak frites, and mac & cheese. For those that read this blog with any regularity, you might be sensing the red flag at this point. I always have concerns when restaurants try to do too much - offering a thousand options, to guarantee that everyone will find something they like, but then ending up with everything slightly lacking. Sadly, Bella Luna falls into this category.

We'd ordered fairly standard, pub grub appetizers, including a veggie quesadilla, fried calamari, and spinach artichoke dip, plus one friend ordered an arugula salad and another got a selection of soup. Having had a difficult time choosing between the soups, the waitress ended up bringing my friend a customized platter with a half cup of each type - totally redeeming my opinion of her service in the process. My friends indulged me in lots of tastes of their dishes. The tomato soup was thick and sweet with lots of fresh flavor and was the far superior soup, when compared with the Spanish chicken soup (I believe that's what it was). The chicken soup had an interesting back note of what I think was cumin, but had been made too early in the evening and had gotten a bit gummy with the orzo that it featured. The salad was simple with a few shavings of Parmesan and toasted pine nuts, but a little overdressed - losing the pungent arugula flavor in doing so.

The quesadilla was the clear winner amongst the shared apps. It was made with a hearty whole wheat tortilla and it was full of lots of fresh vegetables, cooked well, but not overdone. The calamari were tasty, if mostly unremarkable - though they were dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, which was a pleasant change from the standard marinara that often accompany this dish. The dip was lacking, in that it was too thin, with no discernible taste of the spinach, artichoke, or the cheese.

For my main course, I'd ordered the potato gnocchi with a sage-cream sauce. The large gnocchi arrived dotted with bits of ham and asparagus. The pasta itself was tender and well prepared, and the cream sauce made it a warm, filling dish - which was a good foil for the chill of the room. However, the sauce had virtually no sage flavor and the ham was slightly over processed and salty. My nibbles from a few other plates - including some fries from my husband's meal and a bite of the pulled pork - proved tastier than my dish and left me wondering if the secret to ordering at Bella Luna was to stick with more of the bar food.

At one point in the evening, this blog even became the center of conversation, which led to the inevitable, what would I review next? I revealed that I would probably be writing about the very meal we were eating, so naturally, at the end of the night, I found seven other heads turned in my direction asking, "so what did you think?" Gulp. I am not a professional reviewer and I mostly do this as a means of personal catharsis about my many eating experiences. Now, it seemed that what I thought of the meal somehow mattered and, I was a little nervous to say, what I thought was not that complimentary. I sheepishly muttered, "um, I thought it was ok." A chorus of groans and laughed ensued. "A 'B' or a 'B-,' not worse, I hope!," exclaimed one friend. Me, "uhhhh..." Another lightly chided me, "not every place is going to be L'Espalier!" Me, "I know! I know!" (I swear, I am not a total food snob... must we again discuss how $6 is a first-class ticket to mouth heaven at Taqueira La Mexicana?) Lastly, my friend who placed the reservation said (with what seemed like a tiny hint of guilt that she'd somehow chosen a sub-par restaurant), "I thought the bowling would be fun!" Oh gosh... let's stop talking about the blog and go rent some ugly shoes - this pressure is too much!

Here's the thing - all in all, what I ate at Bella Luna was reasonably passable, but it wasn't remotely important to me. The beer was great and the company was even better... and, I haven't even begun to start gloating about how the girls totally kicked a** in the first round of bowling! I love food and I love being wowed by a restaurant, but those things will never take the place of the rare night when a group of friends is miraculously free at the same time and can join each other in laughing, eating, and being reminded of why we dine out in the first place - to be together, with or without an 'A' meal.

I'd give Bella Luna at 403-405 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain a B-. Order some pub grub, eat quickly, and get right to the main event - shaming your friends at game that requires you make a total fool of yourself. Oh... and maybe don't mention that you're going to blog about it.

(P.S. Anyone that got the Harry Potter reference in the title, you're my new BFF.)

Great Food at Great Bay, Less Great Service

I love food and I love dining out (way to state the obvious...), but I would never, and I mean never, want to own a restaurant. What a brutal business. Endless competition, cranky customers, unreliable staff, spoiled food, surprise inspections. Who would want to deal with that? Last night I was reminded - loud and clear - of the challenges of running a restaurant. Paul's parents were in town and love to enjoy fresh fish when visiting Boston. Over the years, we've taken them to a number of seafood restaurants - with mixed success. Generally when his folks are here, Paul is in charge of setting the agenda, so he did some research and selected Great Bay. I was impressed with his choice. Having had several incredible meals at Radius over the years, I was eager to try another jewel in Michael Schlow's crown.

Arriving for a seven-thirty dinner on a Saturday night, I figured that the restaurant would be hopping... given that it was the weekend following New Year's this was probably an unfair expectation. While not empty, there were very few diners there at that hour. Not knowing that this would be the case, we had a reservation and were seated right away. The restaurant is kind of long and skinny, which is further emphasized by what must be twenty foot ceilings. The bar/lounge area in the front has modern settees and low chairs for more casual get togethers. I was struck by the small size of the dining room - only about twenty-five or thirty tables. The cool, sleek atmosphere continued in this area with long, layered sheers in the windows, dark wood tables and woven chairs, as well as this bizarre Calder-esqe mobile that looked like silver Pringles potato chips, and this decorative fan-shaped light pattern on the wall. I thought the light design was a nice touch, in that it continued the logo of the restaurant, which is a repeating fan shape.

Our waiter was a young guy who was very affable and encouraged questions on the menu. I had a few and felt that he answered them well, if not with enormous detail or enthusiasm. He was similarly helpful, if not overly-engaging, in helping my father-in-law select a wine. We ordered cocktails and they were served quickly, along with rolls. The rolls were largely unremarkable, though they were served with these long curls of butter, which were beautiful. The specialty cocktails all have humorous names and super creative ingredients. I had the Trouble Hemsley, with grapefruit rum, maraschino liqueur, and a touch of Pernod, which gave it a great anise aftertaste.

And then the food... the gorgeous, gorgeous food. My three fellow diners (Brit and producers of Brit) all ordered shrimp cocktail appetizers... triple snooze. I ordered the mussels a saucy stew of red curry and coconut milk. The curry gave the dish a vague heat which was tempered by the sweet milk. The mussels were served with three grilled triangles of flatbread that made for a great way to sop up some of the sauce. The delicate flavor of the dish was fantastic.

My appetizer was so enjoyable, I lingered on it for a long time, but once I was done, the staff came around reasonably quickly to clear our plates and our entrees were served not long after. The entrees were nothing short of pure art. Served on large white, rectangular plates, the food was arranged for optimal visual appeal, stacked beautifully, with a swirl of sauce here and there. Really, just spectacular looking. The menu is printed daily, so there is always something fresh and extraordinary to try. Paul and I both ordered very seasonally. He got the venison loin, served on a bed of winter vegetables, which included beets, baby Brussels sprouts, and parsnips. The waiter recommended having it prepared medium rare and it was outstanding... tender and flavorful, without being gamey in the slightest. The deep taste was a great match for the earthy veggies.

I selected the monkfish, served on a bed of barley, shredded short ribs, and diced dried plums. When reading the description of the dish on the menu, I couldn't help but be curious about the combination of the red meat and the fish. The effect was spectacular... the rich intensity of the monkfish was matched by the beef, along with the hearty, sauciness of the barley. The balance of flavors, the quality of the ingredients, and the perfection of the presentation was simply wonderful... I was sure that it had finally happened - I was having my first A+ meal. And then it happened.

Or, better put, it didn't happen. Once we were done with our meals - and quite clearly so - we sat there waiting for our plates to be cleared for a good ten or so minutes. I frequently saw the waiter circle around (it's worth pointing out that the restaurant, at this point, had filled out considerably and most of the tables were full - however, the number of wait staff still seemed abundant), but he never came by to check on us. Observing the actions of the staff on the floor, the system became apparent to me - there were designated bus "boys" who were supposed to clear, however, they were infrequently in the dining room and the waiters seemed to feel that the task of clearing was below them. So, we simply waited... and waited... the A+ experience slipping slowly away as the minutes ticked by. It was a strong reminder of the challenges of running a restaurant - the food can be exceptional (and Great Bay's was), but if your staff is inconsistent, the whole experience is diminished. For a truly perfect meal, all cylinders must be firing at the same level - how many places can execute on that night after night? I'm exhausted by the mere thought.

Eventually, the dishes were cleared and we moved on to our final course. I have never been so impressed with a dessert menu. Each item was more creative and delectable-looking than the last. Unfortunately, after much consideration, I settled on the butterscotch pudding, which was the one item that was no longer available. However, I was happy enough to go for my second choice - a gingerbread stout cake, served with a dried slice of pear, a sugar-pear syrup, and Maker's Mark ice cream. Did you get that last part? Ice cream made with whiskey. Holy crap. How could that go wrong? It couldn't - the dessert was excellent. The cake was spicy and moist and the ice cream was subtly flavored. The slice of pear was paper thin and gorgeous. Sadly, the clearing of our dessert plates met the same fate as our dinner plates.

I would give Great Bay at 500 Comm Ave in Boston, a (sigh) A. Be patient with the service and just go and bask in the glory of perfect food.

I Heart Winter.

That's a big, fat lie. I don't heart winter at all. I count the days down until it's over. And here we are... January. Sigh. There's the obvious weather issue, of course. This native San Diegan never quite got the hang of the cold. Then there's the driving. I love it when my brakes don't work. Mmm, and how about all the coughing and hacking in your office - isn't that part great? And, above all? There is no baseball. Don't get me wrong, I like the Pats well enough (16 and 0, baby) and I am starting to really get into the Celtics. But, let's face facts - they're no Red Sox. I just got my tickets for a Spring Training game in March and the schedule for our season package was just published... it's got me dreaming of the green grass at Fenway, fantasizing about what our bullpen might look like with Santana in the mix (and, apparently, I'm not the only one...), and obsessing about their every move with friends, colleagues, strangers on the street, and basically anyone who breathes oxygen in the city of Boston.

Clearly, when totally starved of sunlight and ballplayers, there is only one way to get through this season. Eating. Ideally, eating well. That need for warm, wonderful, anti-winter cuisine has led me directly to Delfino Restaurant twice in two weeks. I blogged briefly about Delfino's in my round-up of Roslindale restaurants. It's a fabulous place. I just also wish it was one of our little Rozzie secrets. Not so much. The average wait for a table at Delfino's is ninety minutes and, no, they don't take reservations. It's worth the wait... and if you cozy up to the host, he's usually willing to call your cell phone when your table is ready if you go for a walk while you wait. Another good option is to head around the corner for a drink at Birch Street Bistro, where they make great seasonal cocktails.

Delfino's has a snug dining room with a partially exposed kitchen (late night you can usually catch the affable host donning a t-shirt and cooking up meals for the staff). The walls are upholstered with a simple vine-patterned tapestry which is unusual and pretty enough that you forgive the restaurant the cheesy fresco on the upper portion of the wall. In addition to the host, the wait staff is generally attentive and very sweet (both nights we were treated to cute, young Italian guys with thick accents). They have a good mastery of the menu and are not afraid to make recommendations.

Delfino's wait staff enjoying a late night dinner.
The restaurant has a pretty traditional Italian menu and all of standard menu items are excellent. The pappardelle bolognese and the open face lobster ravioli are particularly good. I would also give kudos to the antipasto platter - we ordered it on both visits. It has some of standard items, like prosciutto, olives, and roasted red peppers, but also some more unusual offerings like goat cheese, white bean spread, and an eggplant tapenade. One night that we were there, we also ordered the fried calamari appetizer. The small rings of calamari were tender and fresh and served on a huge bed of arugula and other mixed greens with a champagne vinaigrette. Aside from the unnecessary and distracting fried potato strings sprinkled on top, the dish was superb.

I don't tend to order specials a lot. I know that I should. It would be the true foodie thing to do. They are sure to have the freshest ingredients and the most love - since it's something the chef actually wants to be making. So I am not sure what possessed me to order the special on the first of our two trips to Delfino's, but it just sounded so darn tasty. Let's just say, I made the right choice - my fellow diners looked longingly at my meal all night long. The first night, the special was slow-cooked beef short ribs served over polenta with a demiglace sauce and a side of grilled asparagus. I love polenta and Delfino's was simple and unadorned with any notable spices or herbs, but it was soft and creamy and delicious - especially as it absorbed the sauce. The short ribs were incredible, with meat that literally fell off the bone and a deep savory flavor.

Still swimming in my delicious memory of the short ribs, I was especially attentive to the list of specials on our second visit to the restaurant. Again, I was the only one that ordered one and, again, I was the source of much envy at the table. I selected the veal osso buco served on a bed of saffron risotto (do I really have to go over my feelings for risotto again?) with some mixed roasted root vegetables. While this dish did not appeal to me quite as much as the short ribs, it was still outstanding. The veal was spectacularly tender and came with a tiny sterling spoon to scoop out the marrow from the center bone. The risotto, while not terribly flavorful, was well prepared and a good base for the osso buco.

As much as I have tried, I've never actually made it to a dessert course at Delfino's. The portions are enough for three meals and even when you take home a huge pile of leftovers, you are stuffed to the gills. So, sadly, I can't comment on this aspect of the restaurant - but, based on my general experiences, I would guess that they can execute some terrific Italian treats.

I would give Delfino Restaurant at 754 South Street in Roslindale an A-. Next time you need a break from the cold, head to Rozzie and order a big, meaty dish from the list of specials. Your full belly will keep you warm all the way home.