Friday, January 27, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
(Now Closed) Petit Robert Bistro (French Cuisine), 1414 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA
Petit Robert French Bistro is a fantastic neighborhood gem! It's almost unheard of for restaurants in the Boston area to offer free valet parking! That's a major plus.
Hors D'oeuvres
I enjoyed the fresh oysters on the half shell served with mignonette sauce.
We also enjoyed the tender escargot served in sizzling parsley butter.
The lobster bisque was terrific. It was surprisingly spicy. I enjoyed the little punch.
Entrees
The Cassoulet was amazing! Moist lamb, tender navy beans, red bell peppers, and stewed tomato topped with a succulent duck leg quarter (confit) and pork sausage. I ordered a side of sauteed spinach which was a perfect complement to this perfect dish.
NOTE: Petite Robert has a decent list of champagne by the glass.
My friends both ordered salmon dishes. The grilled salmon special was good, served with a creamy dill sauce, grilled endive (which was awesome), mediocre mashed potatoes, and a sprig of fresh dill.
The Salmon Cordon Bleu was different; stuffed with the perfect amount of Swiss cheese and endive, served with broccoli and those mediocre mashed potatoes. Both dishes are a must try!
Desserts
The Mousse au Chocolat was just so-so.I enjoyed the vanilla wafer accompaniment better.
The vanilla creme brulee was fantastic! Rich and creamy with a perfect torched sugar topping.
I'm dying to try the Grand Marnier souffle!
The service was great! Kudos to our server Brendan on ending his first week on a high note!
Did I mention FREE VALET?
www.petitrobertbistro.com
NOTE: This is the old Jacky's Table location.
Hors D'oeuvres
I enjoyed the fresh oysters on the half shell served with mignonette sauce.
We also enjoyed the tender escargot served in sizzling parsley butter.
The lobster bisque was terrific. It was surprisingly spicy. I enjoyed the little punch.
Entrees
The Cassoulet was amazing! Moist lamb, tender navy beans, red bell peppers, and stewed tomato topped with a succulent duck leg quarter (confit) and pork sausage. I ordered a side of sauteed spinach which was a perfect complement to this perfect dish.
NOTE: Petite Robert has a decent list of champagne by the glass.
My friends both ordered salmon dishes. The grilled salmon special was good, served with a creamy dill sauce, grilled endive (which was awesome), mediocre mashed potatoes, and a sprig of fresh dill.
The Salmon Cordon Bleu was different; stuffed with the perfect amount of Swiss cheese and endive, served with broccoli and those mediocre mashed potatoes. Both dishes are a must try!
Desserts
The Mousse au Chocolat was just so-so.I enjoyed the vanilla wafer accompaniment better.
The vanilla creme brulee was fantastic! Rich and creamy with a perfect torched sugar topping.
I'm dying to try the Grand Marnier souffle!
The service was great! Kudos to our server Brendan on ending his first week on a high note!
Did I mention FREE VALET?
www.petitrobertbistro.com
NOTE: This is the old Jacky's Table location.
Yankee Lobster Fish Market, 300 Northern Ave, Boston (Seaport District)
I decided (as is usually the case with me) to host my own "Tasting menu". I ordered the following: A small lobster bisque, small clam chowder, one crab cake, one clam strip roll, one fried lobster roll. Both rolls were served with cole slaw and fries.
The lobster bisque was less than mediocre. It was heavy on the cream, light on sherry, and lacked pretty much everything I love about lobster bisque...such as...lobster!
On to the clam chowder... Now, we all know EVERY spot serving clam 'chowdah' in New England claims to be The Best. Yankee Lobster actually served up a unique New England clam chowder. For starters, this chowder was the heartiest I've every had featuring generous amounts of clam and potatoes. The twist on this chowder was the smoky component. It almost tastes wood smoked. Though I suspect liquid smoke, I did enjoy the flavor.
The crab cake: Now I remember reading on Yelp that "this was the best crab cake ever". I soooo feel bad for this yelper! This crab cake was indeed large, but mostly filler. The coating was soggy and the seasoning was lacking. The 'remoulade' sauce was the best thing on that platter and even that was mediocre at best.
The rolls: I am usually not one to indulge in fried lobster. I believe this lovely crustacean should always be served steamed. I'm not a fan of grilled lobster either. In saying this, Yankee Lobster served a pretty good fried lobster roll. I prefer my lobster rolls to be hot (usually steamed with lots of butter), so I wasn't ready to dive into Yankee's well known cold lobster roll. Fried lobster was my first choice on this day and I really enjoyed it. Yankee did not disappoint on serving size and I had two lobster claws amongst the other chunks of tail. The bread was good. The lettuce were sparse, but who cares about roughage when you are enjoying lobster. The clam strips roll was tasty as well, nothing spectacular; just about what you would expect a clam strip roll to taste like. I did enjoy their tartar sauce which was heavy on the pickles.
The fries were nice...very crispy and thick cut.
The cole slaw was watery and not that appealing.
www.yankeelobstercompany.com/
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
St. James Room @ Fairmont Copely Place Hotel
I was disappointed when a few weeks ago I stopped by the Oak Room for the much desired (at least by me) Oysters Rockefeller only to find them closed. Last weekend when I took an out-of-town friend there and they were still closed, I asked the doormen what was going on. Unfortunately The Oak Room will reopen in the summer...
So I was forced to walk around to the St. James room. I was not totally disappointed.
The floor manager/hostess was pleasant and even checked with the chef to see if he was able to make the oyster for me that evening.
NOTE: If you are going alone and not in a social mood, I would recommend checking out another place in the area. The bar does not have stools for individuals to sit. Instead it is surrounded by a 'lounging scene' with table and chairs set for 2 or more guests.
The bartender and general manager were friendly and accommodating. Our drink orders remained simple: Black Label and a Champagne with St. Germain.
We started with a hearty crab cake served over a roasted red pepper coulis. The cake was large, meaty, and seasoned well, but the binding could use some work. It fell apart almost immediately. I was NOT a fan of the lobster roll. I can usually deal with cold lobster rolls if there is a rich mix/dressing/sauce on the meat and the bread roll stands out. In this case, the lobster was fresh and tasty, but the dish overall left much to be desired. The salmon entree was lovely. The salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned and served with a grilled garlic clove and a gravy boat of the roasted pepper coulis that came with the crab cake. The coulis was unnecessary as the salmon was seasoned to perfection.
The atmosphere in the lounge area and the more formal small dining area is pretty low key...dark and intimate. Though on this particular evening, the Patriots were beating Denver to a pulp and the crowd (spilling over from a wedding reception) was loud and rambunctious at times...I chocked it up to being the Boston way!
So I was forced to walk around to the St. James room. I was not totally disappointed.
The floor manager/hostess was pleasant and even checked with the chef to see if he was able to make the oyster for me that evening.
NOTE: If you are going alone and not in a social mood, I would recommend checking out another place in the area. The bar does not have stools for individuals to sit. Instead it is surrounded by a 'lounging scene' with table and chairs set for 2 or more guests.
The bartender and general manager were friendly and accommodating. Our drink orders remained simple: Black Label and a Champagne with St. Germain.
We started with a hearty crab cake served over a roasted red pepper coulis. The cake was large, meaty, and seasoned well, but the binding could use some work. It fell apart almost immediately. I was NOT a fan of the lobster roll. I can usually deal with cold lobster rolls if there is a rich mix/dressing/sauce on the meat and the bread roll stands out. In this case, the lobster was fresh and tasty, but the dish overall left much to be desired. The salmon entree was lovely. The salmon was perfectly cooked and seasoned and served with a grilled garlic clove and a gravy boat of the roasted pepper coulis that came with the crab cake. The coulis was unnecessary as the salmon was seasoned to perfection.
The atmosphere in the lounge area and the more formal small dining area is pretty low key...dark and intimate. Though on this particular evening, the Patriots were beating Denver to a pulp and the crowd (spilling over from a wedding reception) was loud and rambunctious at times...I chocked it up to being the Boston way!
Brunch @ Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, 528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (Kenmore Square)
ES has always been a fabulous place to meet up to sample their classic and signature cocktails around their beautiful expansive bar.
My first Brunch here was amazing!
The quiche of the day was a mushroom, spinach, and feta quiche served with a fresh arugula salad. The crust was thick but flaky and buttery.
The slow roasted brisket hash was delightful! Tender portions of brisket, home fried potatoes, roasted red bell peppers, in a light jus with a poached egg atop. This dish was great! It was served in a small skillet.
My companion had the pancakes and cheddar omelet with bacon on the side, which he seemed to enjoy.
With our meals, we had brunch cocktails from either side of the spectrum. Him, with a classic Irish Coffee (just Jameson, no Baileys and of course no whipped cream). Me, with a modern cocktail called the Corio Coupe described as an aperitif cocktail of apricot vodka & bubbles. It had a nice kick and beautiful color, garnished with a slice of apricot.
We both finished with classic whiskey smash (bourbon muddled with mint and lemon garnished with a sprig of mint).
The hostess and wait staff were fantastic as per usual.
I recommend adding Eastern Standard to your list of favorite Boston brunch spots as I have!
Also check out their great dinner and late night menus!
http://easternstandardboston.com/
Eastern Standard accepts reservations via www.Opentable.com
My first Brunch here was amazing!
The quiche of the day was a mushroom, spinach, and feta quiche served with a fresh arugula salad. The crust was thick but flaky and buttery.
The slow roasted brisket hash was delightful! Tender portions of brisket, home fried potatoes, roasted red bell peppers, in a light jus with a poached egg atop. This dish was great! It was served in a small skillet.
My companion had the pancakes and cheddar omelet with bacon on the side, which he seemed to enjoy.
With our meals, we had brunch cocktails from either side of the spectrum. Him, with a classic Irish Coffee (just Jameson, no Baileys and of course no whipped cream). Me, with a modern cocktail called the Corio Coupe described as an aperitif cocktail of apricot vodka & bubbles. It had a nice kick and beautiful color, garnished with a slice of apricot.
We both finished with classic whiskey smash (bourbon muddled with mint and lemon garnished with a sprig of mint).
The hostess and wait staff were fantastic as per usual.
I recommend adding Eastern Standard to your list of favorite Boston brunch spots as I have!
Also check out their great dinner and late night menus!
http://easternstandardboston.com/
Eastern Standard accepts reservations via www.Opentable.com
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