Tag Archives: Restaurant Review

Source: Lulu’s Allston Facebook Page

Recently I visited the Allston/Brighton neighborhoods of Boston to spend an evening with my friend Evan. Allston is a vibrant neighborhood that many students and 20-somethings call home. Tourists who visit Boston are unlikely to venture into Allston/Brighton but it is an easy T or Uber ride, and I was glad my friend had invited me to have dinner in his neighborhood.

Lulu’s is located on Cambridge Street in Allston and is a fairly large space with a decent size bar and a recently opened back patio. Televisions hang around the the restaurant, which both Evan and I noticed preoccupied the attention of most of the 20-something patrons who come to this place for its comfort food and reasonable prices. The menu is filled with classic American food served in large portions that are not in the least calorie conscious – dieters stay away.

Lulu’s Pretzels $4 || Lulu’s Cajun Tots $4

We started our dinner with orders of their Pretzels and Cajun Tots, which came out very warm served in tiny tin pales.  The munchkin shaped pretzels were served with sides of cheese and mustard.  I’m not sure what made the Tots Cajun since I didn’t taste any spices but I love tater tots so I was not disappointed. They were crispy on the outside and steamy warm and fluffy on the inside.

Our sever was vigilant about refilling our drinks, which if you are a beer drinker Lulu’s has a lot of options (about 50 is what I counted) but note they don’t have a full liquor license, rather they have a cordials liquor license. This article in the Boston Metro explains what that means. That being said it didn’t prevent Evan from enjoying his Manhattan and me from having scoffing down two lagers.

Lulu’s “Miss PIggy” Burger burger is $15

Lulu’s serves several burgers and Evan opted for the largest on the menu. The Miss Piggy Burger (as it is called) is served on texas toast, topped with pasta salad, pulled pork, bacon, bbq sauce, red onions and  served with a side of fries that are drizzled with honey mustard and sprinkled with scallions. The order is so large that it is served on a metal tray. I only swiped a few fries so I cannot comment on the burger but it looked like a heart attack on a bun. Evan ate almost everything so I assume it was very good.

Lulu’s Short Rib and Mac & Cheese $14

I opted for something equally unhealthy albeit slightly smaller, Short Rib Mac & Cheese, after our waiter suggested it was one of their most popular plates and one that the place is probably best known for serving. I enjoyed the meal but would probably try something different if I were to return to Lulu’s. The short rib was slightly dry and the cheese had pooled at the bottom of the plate rather than coating the pasta. My critique aside – in full disclosure – it didn’t stop me from eating nearly everything on my plate.

Which brings me to my overall evaluation, which I would characterize as a solid neighborhood restaurant. It knows its clientele and caters to them with affordable price points, typical American food and plenty of cold beer on tap. Lulu’s Allston is open 7-days a week, serving lunch and dinner and brunch on the weekends.

BosGuy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, Good.

Lulu’s Allston
421 Cambridge Street in Allston  || (617) 787-1117
lulusallston.com

Back in the fall of 2013 I first visited Tavola, and I enjoyed myself so much that I wrote a restaurant review. I’ve since visited Tavola a handful of times but not recently so on my last visit to New York City I opted to grab dinner there.

Tavola markets itself as an authentic Neopolitan pizzeria and pasta restaurant that operates in a space that was previously an Italian grocery store on 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. This restaurant is not fancy but it is cozy and cool and may be my favorite place to eat pizza in New York City. On this visit I started with a Caesar salad, which is large enough to share (but I ate all on my own).

Tavola’s large Caesar Salad is $9.75

The friendly bar staff brought the pizza right from their massive wood burning oven so I had to let it cool for a minute or two before I could eat it. I had ordered Tavola’s Margherita pizza. While I do enjoy a pizza with different toppings, my absolute favorite is a Margherita pizza. I love the combination of the cheese, sauce and dough.

Tavola’s Magherita Pizza might be the best I’ve ever had and it only costs $14.75

Despite my best intentions to get a photo before diving in, my obsession with their pizza got the better of me and it was only after I had a slice in one hand and a beer in the other that I realized I had yet to take a photo so that is why you see a missing slice, which in my mind makes it look like a Pac-Man pizza. Needless to say, Tavola still makes a killer pizza and the informal, neighborhood-like atmosphere and approachable prices for dinner make this place a personal favorite in Hell’s Kitchen.

BosGuy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Wicked Awesome.

Tavola in Hell’s Kitchen
488 9th Avenue  || (212) 273-1181
www.tavolahellskitchen.com

Back in 2005 the South End Buttery opened on the corner of Shawmut Ave and Union Park Street in the South End, replacing a tiny cafe that had previously operated in the space. In 2008 they expanded into an adjacent space to include a restaurant and bar with dinner service daily and brunch on weekends.

The Buttery currently has a great special running this month, offering 50% off their dinner menu Sunday through Wednesday, so Sergio and I decided to have dinner there last Sunday. We regularly visit the coffee shop and I enjoy their brunch but neither of us had ever been for dinner.  The menu serves classic American fare like burgers, mac and cheese and meatloaf, all reasonably priced with dishes ranging from $17-$22.

South End Buttery’s cauliflower is a tasty side that costs $6

We sat downstairs in the restaurant’s partially subterranean cozy little dining room and started by sharing one of their sides, the fried cauliflower with a lemon tahini sauce. The cauliflower was served warm and was lightly salted, which went great with my beer while we chatted and waited for our dinner to arrive.

For dinner Sergio ordered the Buttery’s Chicken Parmesan which looked appealing but I did not try. I opted to have the Buttery’s burger. I had been torn between the Fish and Chips and the burger and our helpful waiter encouraged me to go with the latter.

South End Buttery’s signature bacon cheeseburger and fries is $18

The Buttery clearly likes their burgers. They often have promotions and the three options, the bacon cheeseburger, turkey burger and chickpea falafel have their own section on the menu. I hate to admit it but my burger fell flat because it was overcooked. However, I’m inclined to give The Buttery another try because I know that others have said they enjoy their burger – maybe I’ll make another dash back before the end of the month, while the burger can be had for 50% off.

Despite the overcooked burger, the fries and cauliflower were great, Sergio really enjoyed his dinner and let’s face it, the South End Buttery is so damn charming. The restaurant is open 7-days a week for dinner and serves a delicious brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9AM – 3PM.

BosGuy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, Good.

South End Buttery (The Restaurant)
314 Shawmut Avenue  || (617) 482-1015
southendbuttery.com

After reviewing a number of more expensive restaurants in the South End, I wanted to share a recent experience I had eating lunch at Orinoco.  This tiny Venezuelan restaurant with only 30 seats has been a neighborhood favorite ever since it first opened in 2006, and its success here has allowed it to open in two other locations in Brookline Village and Harvard Square. However, it is this cozy neighborhood restaurant that is open Tuesday through Sunday where Sergio and I joined our friend, Alden, for lunch last week.

The Orinico lunch menu includes “Antojitos” (little cravings), Arepas which are traditional Venezuelan corn pocket sandwiches as well as Pepitos which are Venezuelan-style sandwiches served on french bread, Empanadas, salads and a few main plates. Nearly everything on the menu is between $5 -$10 making it one of the most affordable restaurants to grab lunch in the South End.

The marinated ribs in Orinoco’s Pepito de Costillita melt in your mouth

Alden ordered for lunch the Pepito de Costillita. This is a big boneless baby-back ribs sandwich that is slow-cooked with a passion-fruit bbq sauce that is so good it will have you licking your lips after every bite. The sandwich is topped with pickled onions and vinegar coleslaw and fried plantain chips come on the side. I took a bite and can vouch that the ribs melt in your mouth.

Eating Orinoco’s Pepito de Carne is so damn good I struggle to find words to describe it

Sergio ordered the Pepito de Carne. This sandwich was also on the larger side and stacked high with toppings. The sandwich comprises sautéed flank steak, pickled onions and salsa rosa with fried plantain chips on the side. I thought this was also ridiculously flavorful, and I’d be hard pressed to say which choice was better. My only caveat should you order either sandwich would be to think about what you might wear, because they can be messy to eat and will definitely require extra napkins. I think of these as sandwiches you’d have with friends or your boyfriend / spouse – definitely a tough first date meal to enjoy.

I loved my Pepito Medianoche and would definitely order it again

I wish that my sandwich photographed as beautifully as Alden and Sergio’s, because I loved what I ordered (despite enjoying bites of my lunch mates sandwiches – strictly in the name of research for this review). However, I feel like my photograph of the Pepito Medianoche (Cuban-style) lacks the mouthwatering appeal that the other photos evoke. Although you cannot see it, this pressed sandwich which is served warm includes slow-cooked pork with pickled onions, ham, swiss cheese, salsa rosa and mustard and like the other sandwiches is also served with fried plantain chips on the side.

Orinoco disproves the adage, “you get what you pay for” because our sandwiches which ranged from $8.00 – $8.50 taste waaaaay better than a lot of meals I’ve had for twice that price. If you live in the South End and want to grab a bite at a great neighborhood restaurant I’d highly recommend checking out Orinoco – just be patient because this place fills to capacity quickly.

BosGuy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, Awesome.

Orinoco South End
477 Shawmut Avenue  || (617) 369-7075
orinocokitchen.com

Periodically Sergio and I get together with four other friends for brunch. We like to try new places (or at least places new to us) so last month we decided to try Frenchie Boston. Frenchie opened this past January and I previously reviewed dinner at this quaint location which you can read here.

As mentioned in my previous review, Frenchie oozes a cozy vibe from the moment you walk through their patio and down their steps to their partially subterranean dining room and finally into their sun room in the back where we enjoyed our brunch. Their brunch menu includes Hot and Cold sections as well as Croques Monsieurs with prices for plates ranging from $9 – $16.

Our waitress was friendly and managed our orders which were rife with special requests and  substitutions from nearly everyone. For brunch John ordered a croque madame, adding  a pain au chocolat for something sweet to go with the savory breakfast. He appeared to thoroughly enjoy his choice, and I believe he said he’d order it again if he were to come back for brunch.

Croque Madame with ham, bechamel and gruyere $13 and chocolate croissant

My friend Bruce opted for the duck confit hash served with roasted onions, a poached egg and hollandaise in a cute silver bowl. This looked delicious once the poached egg was cut and the yolk combined with the hollandaise and duck. I made a mental note to be sure to try this on my next visit.

There is something about the combination of duck confit and eggs that I am always drawn to and would typically order for breakfast.

Duck confit hash $16

I opted for Eggs Benedict served as a sandwich in a croissant with salmon and breakfast potatoes. The poached eggs make this too messy to eat without a fork and knife and I only needed the bottom part of the croissant for brunch (this is my idea of making a healthy choice – only eating half of a croissant soaked in egg yolk and hollandaise). While I enjoyed the breakfast it wasn’t that memorable and a version of this is on every restaurant menu in the neighborhood.

Fortunately, the company is what was memorable and the fact this restaurant is just blocks from my home ensures there will be future visits.

Eggs Benedict served in a croissant with salmon and breakfast potatoes $15

With the nicer weather, Frenchie’s postage stamp-sized patio on Tremont Street will make this a great brunch spot to dine al fresco, if you can get there early enough to nab one of their tables. I wish this new restaurant luck and am happy to welcome them to the neighborhood. If you’ve not yet dined at Frenchie Boston, give it a try and let me know what you think.

BosGuy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, Good.

Frenchie Boston
560 Tremont Street  ||  (857) 233-5941
frenchieboston.com

Mooo…. is located in one of Boston’s poshest boutique hotels, XV Beacon. It is also part of the Columbus Hospitality Group which includes restaurants like Mistral in the South End, Ostra in the Theater District / Bay Village  and Sorellina in the Back Bay.

Mooo replaced a very popular restaurant called The Federalist nearly ten years ago in the summer of 2007 and while I’ll admit I loved the bar at The Federalist, Mooo’s modern looking steakhouse is an excellent choice in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, but for today’s visit I was joining two friends for the restaurant’s Sunday jazz brunch.

Mooo Blueberry Beignets
3 each served $8

The brunch menu at Mooo includes a little bit of everything ranging from pastry to staples like French toast, omelets and steak and eggs as well as sweet options like Belgian waffles and the beignets shown above.  At the suggestion of my friend Tracey, better known as the food and wine reviewer (and avid shoe hoarder) Life Food Wine, we started brunch with an order of their Blueberry Beignets, and I’m happy she made the suggestion because they were warm, sugary and so full of blueberries I still get giddy thinking about them.

Smoked salmon & egg $18

Tracey ordered the smoked salmon and egg breakfast plate which came presented almost like a frittata. Although I didn’t try her brunch item, she said it was delicious. However, I feel like I ordered more wisely (if not a little less healthy) with the duck confit hash served with two eggs. The plate was served in an oversize metal bowl that made for an impressive presentation.  The eggs were cooked as requested over easy and when I cut the eggs the yolk combined with the duck hash making a rich breakfast dinner even more so. While I rarely get to Mooo, I enjoyed the hash enough that I would easily order this again on my next visit to the restaurant and would  suggest it to anyone who asked.

Duck Confit Hash $18

BosGuy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, Awesome.

Mooo Boston
15 Beacon Street  ||  (617) 670-2515
mooorestaurant.com

Bar Mezzana opened at the Ink Block one year ago in June 2016 and despite the consistently stellar reviews I never felt compelled to try the restaurant until recently when I was adamant about trying someplace different.

Probably best known for their crudo and pastas, Bar Mezzana’s menu focuses on coastal Italian cuisine. Sergio and I started our meal sharing a taleggio, speck, hazelnut crostini (btw there is an entire crostini section and I’m sure I will eventually try one of each). Although it doesn’t indicate it on the menu, the crostini had a sprinkling of rosemary and was drizzled with honey adding something sweet to the flavors and textures. It was so good we devoured it with a speed bordering on embarrassing.

Bar Mezzana Crostini: Taleggio, Speck and Hazelnut $12

Bar Mezzana’s dinner menu offers pastas and secondi plates for dinner portion meals that range from $19-$22 for pastas and $29-$39 for secondi plates with the exception of the family-style dinner which is $52 / person.

Sergio’s dinner choice, the paccheri, is a handmade pasta dish with chunks of lobster. The photo below gives you an idea of how silky smooth the sauce is but what you can’t see with your eyes is how nicely the lobster flavors the sauce.

Bar Mezzana Pasta: Paccheri $22

For my dinner I opted for an item that I’ve had at many restaurants here in Boston and elsewhere – the brick chicken.  A good restaurant should be able to provide creative dining options like Sergio’s dinner as well as elevating standard plates like my dinner selection, and that is exactly what Bar Mezzana does with their chicken under a brick – served with shredded brussel sprouts, almond slivers and pecorino cheese. The chicken was cooked to perfection and Sergio may have been slightly obsessed by the flavors from my plate, which exceeded my expectations.

Bar Mezzana Chicken Under a Brick $27

While it may have taken me nearly a year to try the Bar Mezzana, it won’t take me nearly that long to visit again. I’m hooked and if you give the restaurant a try I’m fairly certain you will be as well. Bar Mezzana is an excellent addition to the South End’s dining scene. It is open for dinner seven days a week and offers brunch every Sunday from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM.

BosGuy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Wicked Awesome.

Bar Mezzana
360 Harrison Avenue  ||  (617) 530-1770
www.barmezzana.com

Photo from Boston Chops facebook page

Boston Chops is described by owners, Brian Piccini and Chef Chris Coombs, as an urban steak bistro with a casual but refined twist on the traditional steak house. It has been a hot spot in the neighborhood and destination restaurant since it first opened four years ago in the Penny Savings Building in Boston’s South End. It is beautifully decorated (not at all stuffy like many steak houses) with a beautiful 20+ seat bar that runs the length of the restaurant and a small street side patio with doors that open to the street from the dining room.

Boston Chop’s Crab Cake shown above is $19

The Boston Chops menu obviously has many cuts of steak but the restaurant’s raw bar is excellent and there are many alternatives if you want something different. For example, Sergio opted to start with an order of Crab Cake. This is one of Sergio’s “go-to” orders and is large enough that it can double as a filling snack if you want something to eat but aren’t in the mood for a full meal.

Following in Sergio’s footsteps I ordered one of Boston Chops’ sides, the Eggplant Rollatini, as a first dish. The eggplant is sliced incredibly thin and stuffed with tomato, mozzarella and herbs. It is a great dish to share and I think often overlooked by many who come to the restaurant.

Boston Chops Eggplant Rollatini above is $12

For dinner Sergio continued with an unorthodox choice for a steakhouse, ordering the Pappardelle Bolognaise. Sergio loves a good bolognaise sauce and he tends to either order the Filet Mignon or this plate when we have dinner at Boston Chops. The pasta is fresh and comes with the hearty sauce made with beef, veal and pancetta in a creamy tomato sauce and fresh herbs.

Boston Chops Pappardelle Bolognaise is $22

Unlike Sergio, I always order from the Steak Frites menu which dominates the center of the restaurants dinner menu. All orders from this section come with an arugula salad served on the side and quite possibly Boston’s best french fries, that are regularly refreshed by staff from a warm copper bowl, ensuring you will over-indulge on the salty treats. Below is a photo of my skirt steak cooked exactly as I asked. I snapped this photograph before the french fries were added to make it look like a healthier option than it was in reality.

Boston Chops Skirt Steak with peppercorn sauce and arugula salad $25

Although I’m not much of a dessert person, our waitress, Melanie, who provided flawless service throughout the dinner suggested we try their warm chocolate cake.  Melanie’s subtle suggestion was all the push we needed apparently, because we ordered the cake with barely any discussion. The cake was served warm and was devoured within minutes of its arrival at the table.

Boston Chops warm chocolate cake $12 was devoured within minutes of its arrival

Boston Chops has announced plans to open a second location in Boston’s DTX / Theater District in the space previously occupied by Mantra so look for more updates on their newest location but until then my recommendation would be to visit the Boston Chops South End. The staff and kitchen consistently provide an excellent dining experience that many restaurants claim but few actually offer. Dinner reservations are strongly recommended, but dining at the bar is available on a first come, first serve basis.

BosGuy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Wicked Awesome.

Boston Chops (South End)
1375 Washington Street  ||  (617) 227-5011
bostonchops.com

Frenchie opened for business in late January earlier this year in the space formerly occupied by Kitchen in the South End. Frenchie is described as a Parisian wine bar and restaurant. For those familiar with the Boston dining scene, it is worth noting that the restaurant is owned and run by Loic Le Garrec from Petit Robert Bistro as well as newcomer, Sandrine Rossi.

Frenchie oozes cute and cozy from the moment you walk through their street side patio and down their steps to their partially subterranean dining room and finally into their sun room in the back. The clean look of the placeand expanded bar make the tiny space feel more spacious, and the number of French staff who work there make for a great first impression. I can’t help but appreciate when the staff working at a restaurant are from the same country as the cuisine.

Escargot Toast $11 || Fried Brussels Sprouts $9

Much of Frenchie’s menu is dedicated to reasonably priced wines. At the recommendation of our waiter, Thomas, we shared a bottle of 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape for $49. Frenchie’s dinner menu includes nearly 20 small plates that are divided as “Hot” or “Cold” and range in price from $8-$18 as well as four main plates: Fish, Chicken, Duck and Steak.

Boneless Half Chicken with gnocchi, succotash, asparagus, peas and fava beans $25

Sergio opted for the Boneless Half Chicken that is served with ricotta gnocchi, spring succotash, asparagus, peas and fave beans.  I didn’t try the chicken but I did try the gnocchi and was not impressed. They were tougher and heavier than what Sergio makes at home. By contrast, my order, Duck Magret served on parsley root puree, mandarin glazed carrots and buckwheat was delicious and a plate I would quickly reorder.

Duck Margret with parsley root puree, glazed carrots and buckwheat $27

Frenchie is a welcome addition to the neighborhood; the space is cozy and cute; the service was excellent; and my dinner was very good.There remains some room for improvement and creativity with the menu – in particular, I would like to see more main course options.

If you’ve not tried Frenchie, make a reservation and enjoy the South End’s newest restaurant for brunch, lunch or dinner – Bienvenue Frenchie.

BosGuy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, Good.

Frenchie Boston
560 Tremont Street  ||  (857) 233-5941
frenchieboston.com

Ken Oringer’s restaurant, Toro Boston, first opened in Boston’s South End in 2005.  Despite being open for more than a decade, getting a seat at this casual dining Spanish tapas restaurant can be tough to put it mildly so it has been a while since my last visit. However, Toro occasionally has deals on Gilt City Boston so we purchased an 8-course dinner with wine pairings for two.

I’m happy to write Toro Boston continues to tempt with uniquely delicious dishes and a lively vibe most restaurants would die to have even for just one night a week. Our eight course tasting created by our very able, friendly and not to mention handsome waiter, Jesse, was so delicious that I’ll be thinking about it for weeks to come.

Rhode Island fluke crudo is new to Toro’s menu and worth trying

Our server started our meal with lighter, refreshing seafood plates that included local oysters with fennel and lemon juice, offering a nice texture and burst of citrus. Sergio even tried it (his first time eating an oyster) and gave it a thumbs up. Following the oysters we were treated to tuna tartare served in what looked like a small anchovy tin. It was served with a green curry, red onions and shallots. However, it was a new dish that Toro had added that day which I really loved – fluke crudo with white soy sauce. It was paired with the Portuguese wine, Nortico Alvarinho 2014, (one of my favorite wines that night), which is very affordable and worth buying if you see it in your local wine shop. 

One of our favorite plates was the Spanish octopus

Two more seafood options followed. First, fried cod tempora croquettes with aioli. I really enjoyed these but Sergio’s response made me laugh, “everything fried tastes good.” Both of us preferred the next plate, Spanish octopus served with olive tapenade, orange, potatoes, and saffron aioli. The seared flavors permeated the meat, making each bite taste better than the last.

Braised mushrooms with egg yolk is very rich and paired nicely with Portuguese Baga (similar to a Pinot Noir)

Jesse’s next few plates were some of the most flavorful vegetable plates I’ve had in recent memory, starting with roasted pumpkin that had been cooked with maple syrup and was served with squash, wild mushrooms and topped with a liberal helping of pine nut muhammara on grilled lettuce. It struck me as a plate you’d be more likely to see in the fall. I preferred the next course which was braised mushrooms in a broth with herbs and an egg yolk in a spoon. That was just so damn good with the runny yolk of the egg coating the mushrooms.

Our favorite plate of the evening was the smoked duck drumettes

The final few plates started with seared foie gras, which is the first time I’ve ever tried it and left me thinking “what’s all the hype about?”.  The next two plates however more than made up for my lackluster response.  Hanger steak with an onion marmalade and blue cheese butter followed by smoked duck drumettes with a quince glaze.  These last two dishes were hearty, flavorful and in the case of the duck, finger-lickin’ good. The smoked duck, octopus and steak proved to be our most favorite plates so if you find yourself at Toro in the coming weeks, try one of the plates we did and let me know what you think.

BosGuy rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Wicked Awesome.

Toro Boston
1704 Washington Street
toro-restaurant.com

Photo Credit: downtownboston.org

If you’ve lived in Boston long enough you’ve probably dined at Marliave. The restaurant is located down Bosworth Street – a nondescript street between Downtown Crossing and the Granary Burial Grounds. Marliave has been operating since it first opened in 1885, and is named after the original owner, Henry Marliave, a French immigrant from Paris.

Life Food Wine blogger and BFF Tracey modeling Marliave’s cocktail menu

I recently joined my friend and fellow blogger from Life Food Wine to visit the restaurant. While the space could seriously use some renovations, I can appreciate how regulars may like the eccentric layout and idiosyncrasies of the space. While we both really loved the cocktail menu, we ended up (as we normally do) enjoying a lovely bottle of wine to accompany our meal.

Diners familiar with the establishment will recognize the menu since little has changed; perhaps a sign that the restaurant knows what their clientele like. The two page menu is divided into what I think of as starters or lighter fare: raw bar, appetizers and eggs, that range in price from just a few dollars for raw bar which are priced individually to $18 with most in the $10-$12 range.  The second page of the menu has the main dishes and sides which include: pastas, meat, fish and sandwiches. These range from $15-$36 with most options in the low $20 range, making the Marliave an excellent value when you consider the quality of the food and service that has remained fairly consistent over the years.

Marliave’s tower of roasted beets $12

We started our dinner with a very fall inspired plate of roasted beets that were topped with arugula and stacked high with goat cheese that was slathered on almost like a frosting between three layers of beets.

The salad was beautifully assembled and presented with spiced walnuts and drops of aged balsamic and lemon vinaigrette.

Serving trays add a sense of drama to the service at Marliave

After clearing the salad, our skilled server brought over our main plates in what can only be described as an impressive presentation (yet again) with our dinners served to us like royalty in these serving trays. Want to impress a date? Take them to a restaurant where their meal is presented with a serving tray. I had to prevent myself from saying “Voila!” when our server lifted the lids.

Marliave’s wild salmon $30

Tracey opted for the chicken under a brick which was served with a mushroom risotto for $26. Since I don’t like to have bricks with my dinner I opted after much deliberation for the wild salmon. The filet was cooked exactly as I requested and served with a medley of vegetables and a garlic aioli.

My latest visit to the Marliave was a nice change to my regular dining routine and reminded me that the restaurant continues to provide excellent service and a solid dining experience making it a great option for a date, night out with friends or an evening with colleagues.

Marliave
10 Bosworth Street
(617) 422-0004
www.marliave.com

Jody Adams opened Porto Boston this summer in the Back Bay. Due to its unique location it may be the best restaurant you are guaranteed to always get a table last minute. The restaurant’s address is 780 Boylston Street but it isn’t on Boylston St. It is actually located next to Saks Fifth Avenue across from Shaws, in a space that was not previously a restaurant – go figure.

I joined my friend Tracey who writes the Life Food Wine blog to check out Adams’ newest dining establishment. We had the bar entirely to ourselves until we were ready to leave at which point one of Boston’s best chefs, Ken Oringer, and his wife walked in the door. What can I say? I keep good company.

Photo Source: Porto Facebook Page

The restaurant has an open kitchen and several bars along with an outdoor, covered patio that has lounge furniture. We opted to sit at the long bar just to the right of entrance and enjoyed the undivided attention of a very helpful bartender who walked us through their menu which is almost entirely comprised of fresh seafood that changes frequently.

Most of the items offered are smaller plates and intended to be shared. I’ll be honest that this is generally a turn off for me, but I enjoyed the items we ordered and would certainly return based on how much I enjoyed what I ate.

Porto’s Olive Bread $3

Tracey and I started with two small plates: an olive bread ($3) that was served warm and looked like a funky pretzel as well as the raw hamachi ($16).  I’ve yet to meet a bread that I don’t like and I would recommend this for those of you who are not carb-phobic because it was nice to have alongside our other plates, but clearly the better of the two plates was the hamachi which rivals (if not is better than Ostra’s in the Theater District).  The Hamchi had a bit of a kick, that I believe was partly due to the use of paprika and a few other seasonings that we both really enjoyed but couldn’t place; definitely give it a try.

Porto’s Hamachi $16

Dinner concluded with the Grilled Swordfish which was highly praised by our bartender and I’m happy to say lived up to the hype. Cooked to perfection, it sat atop sauce, grilled onions and green tomatoes (although I’m still convinced what was on my plate were figs – regardless of what the menu said). I should point out that we enjoyed a bottle of their Cote Mas Rose but if you are not partial to Rose wines,  Porto has an impressive wine list for you to peruse.

Porto’s Swordfish $31

While Porto may not be for everyone, this is a restaurant you may want to put on your radar if you’re looking for an upscale, relaxing seafood restaurant.  Back Bay has very few such places, which I’m sure is one of the reasons Jody Adams wisely chose this slightly off the beaten path location. I wish Porto much success.

*Special thanks to my friend Tracey for sharing her photos.