DINING OUT—Outstanding eateries that debuted in 2003 include (left to right) Union Bar and Grille in the South End, Vinalia at Downtown Crossing, Great Bay in Kenmore Square and Excelsior near the Public Garden. |
10
New Dining Hot Spots in the Hub
by Christopher Wallenberg and Christine Celli
If there’s a successful business model for encouraging luxury spending in a slumping economy, local restaurateurs are confident the chi chi bistro is it. And who can blame them? Every year it seems a new crop of eateries attracts a crowd and creates headlines—not to mention fat bank accounts. These days the crowning jewels of the new dining scene have been brought to us by some of our city’s most accomplished chefs—many of whom have opted to bring a more American approach to their menus. To experience what we, and everyone else around town, is talking about, have your next meal at one of the following new eateries.
1 Arbor 711 Centre St., 617-522-1221. Jamaica Plain’s booming
dining scene seems to add a bright new star every year. With
Arbor, this year will be no exception. The breezy
Franco-Mediterranean-tinged restaurant marked its arrival on
Centre Street with a flurry of rave reviews heralding the
neighborhood restaurant’s skilled and welcoming service and
dazzling food. Start with sangria and the mezze sampler—boasting
tasty treats like grilled lamb sausage, smoky baba ganoush and
roasted red peppers—and you’ll instantly understand what all the
fuss is about.
2
B&G Oyster 550 Tremont St.,
617-423-0550. If you’re lucky enough to snag yourself a table at
this tiny, tony South End oyster bar—the brainchild of No. 9 Park
chef Barbara Lynch and partner Garrett Harker—you’ll enjoy the
freshest, most bodacious bivalves around, from Wellfleet to
Kumamotos, for $2 a pop, in swanky surroundings. If oysters
aren’t your thing, the small lunch and dinner menu includes
soups, salads, several appetizers and entrees. Try the tasty
lobster roll served with french fries and cole slaw or choose
from two BLTs (one chock full of lobster), wild king salmon and
seared halibut.
3
Dedo Lounge & Bistro 69 Church St., 617-338-9999. Gargoyles on
the Square owner James Conforti has unveiled another neighborhood
gem, this time in the Theatre District. This new place features
an affordable, seasonal bistro menu with French and Italian
influences. Chef Michael Scelfo’s caramelized ricotta gnocchi
adorned with sweet apples, mushrooms and roasted squash is a menu
signature that’s drawing raves from all corners, as is the
velvety foie gras over a hearty chestnut and mushroom risotto.
4
Excelsior 227 Boylston St.,
617-426-7878. In a city where change isn’t always embraced,
culinary darling Lydia Shire refuses to serve us anything stale.
Nonetheless, local foodies were surprised when she closed the
doors to her ever-popular Biba to open Excelsior. The new eatery
has succeeded much like her previous ones have: by stunning us
with opulence, originality and impeccably prepared cuisine.
Patrons can sip creative cocktails in the lounge while noshing on
elegant snacks, then take a ride through a climate-controlled
wine tower in a glass elevator to the main dining room. Once
upstairs, Shire’s award-winning cooking holds all the attention,
with playful menu offerings including his and hers steaks.
5
Great Bay Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Ave.,
617-532-5300. The opening of another fish-themed restaurant in
seafood-saturated Boston would usually elicit a yawning round of
ho-hums. That is unless the place is helmed by the dynamic
restaurant duo of manager/wine director Christopher Myers and
star chef Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta). This new venture
presents first-rate seafood in a stylish yet whimsical
atmosphere. A circular island raw bar serves a variety of
intriguing appetizers, including a delectable version of the fish
taco. Chef Jeremy Sewall’s cousin, a lobsterman in York, Maine,
provides the goods for the buzz-worthy baked stuffed lobster,
served over Thanksgiving-worthy stuffing and baby veggies.
6
Peking Tom’s Longtang Lounge 25 Kingston St., 617-482-6282. One
thing’s for sure: Peking Tom’s isn’t your father’s Chinese
restaurant. First, there’s the sleek, contemporary environs. Then
there’s the food, which eschews the homogenized quality of many
Chinese-American eateries. Traditional dishes are given a gourmet
makeover by chefs Marc Orfaly (of French bistro Pigalle) and Rob
Johnson: beef and broccoli boasts thick slices of seared
tenderloin; crab rangoon favors fresh crabmeat over heavy cream
cheese. But perhaps the best reason to visit this nouveau Chinese
eatery? The exotically kitschy cocktails. From the giant,
rum-drenched scorpion bowl to the potent Long-tang Tea, these
deliriously decadent drinks pack a wicked punch.
7
Perdix 560 Tremont St., 617-338-8070. Good things may come in
small packages but if you’re talking restaurants, the package may
pose some problems. Witness Perdix, the upscale mom and pop
bistro opened by chef Tim Partridge and his wife Nini Diana
several years ago in Jamaica Plain. The tiny, ten table eatery
that served up inspired new American fare was an instant hit.
Scoring reservations there on a weekend, though, proved nearly
impossible. So the couple sought out larger digs in the tonier
South End, and now Partridge’s homey, elegant plates, such as the
braised short ribs infused with maple and sage or monkfish in a
littleneck risotto, can be enjoyed by up to 50 patrons a night.
8
Uni Eliot Hotel, 370A Commonwealth Ave., 617-536-7200. If you’re
a novice sushi eater (read: you’ll order a California roll but
are not convinced you’ll enjoy eating uncooked fish), you may not
be ready for the finery that is Uni, Ken Oringer’s new sashimi
bar inside his acclaimed Clio. The place is as tiny as the food
(only 22 seats in all) and the prices are steep. But Oringer’s
menu, comprised of 12 dishes made from the freshest catch (that’s
sometimes still alive until right before it’s prepared), gives
Boston what it has long been missing out on—a chance to
experience raw fish of a quality usually only found in Japan,
paired with sublime ingredients, from quail egg to golden beets.
9
Union Bar and Grille 1357 Washington St., 617-423-0555. You know
that an up-and-coming neighborhood has been officially deemed
“hip” when a tony restaurant like Union Bar and Grille opens its
doors. For the Washington Street corridor in the South End, the
arrival of this swank American bistro marks the voguish enclave’s
first full-fledged “destination” restaurant. The kitchen churns
out everything from comfort food like the grilled Reuben sandwich
and a beef and andouille sausage burger to grilled poussin and
the $10K tuna, a dish that netted chef Stephen Sherman 10,000
bucks in a recipe contest back in his student days.
10
Vinalia 101 Arch St.,
617-737-1777. Oenophiles rejoice! Inspired by the Boston Harbor
Hotel’s popular Boston Wine Festival, two former employees of the
hotel opened this sleek-yet-inviting Downtown Crossing eatery
last fall. With a wine list boasting more than 40 wines by the
glass and 150 bottles—as well as a weekly four-course wine
pairing menu that, at $55 per person, is a genuine fine dining
bargain—Vinalia has created a buzz among Hub vino aficionados and
diners alike. If all that doesn’t impress, its diverse menu of
local and international dishes surely will.
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