The Met Back Bay is located in the historic townhouse building which previously housed Joe's American Bar & Grill, the not-so-average restaurant which hosted numerous historic figures and folklore. NOTE: Joe's has only moved up the street to Exeter and Newbury at the old Friday's site...awesome in the warmer months for open air dining.
A few changes were obvious....most notably, to the bar area on the main level. The bar is now more intimate and closed in versus the previous open area design. Otherwise, not much has changed, except perhaps one sequins-encumbered hostess...which I found a bit tacky.
The Met restaurants are well-known for their contemporary cuisine and variety of dining experiences from the low-key/sports bar feel of their Dedham (Legacy Place) locale, the swanky bar/restaurant feel and daily special ( http://www.travelingfoodie2006.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-weekly-restaurant-events-under.html ) at the Chestnut Hill location, to the posh Back Bay locale.
I spent Valentine's evening with none other than an ex-boyfriend/friend so we unfortunately avoided the prixe-fix lover's menu (chuckle), but I thought the menu was well thought out. It featured entrees for two and lover-themed desserts such as red velvet ice cream with a red hots caramel drizzle...very romantic idea.
My amazing meal consisted of the lobster bisque, a beautifully prepared medium-rare filet mignon + a side of Boston Béarnaise, creamy mashed potatoes, and curried cauliflower 'salad' and a couple of glasses of champagne and St. Germain.
The lobster bisque did not impress. I found it thin, heavy on the cream, lacking enough sherry for my taste, with a hint of truffle (which you may have learned is my kryptonite). Strangely enough, it was garnished with a seared scallop encased in a puff pastry ring.
Moving along...you should interpret the "Met Salads", both cold and hot, as side dishes. The actual large, dinner salads are under "Large Standards". The curried cauliflower blew me away!!! The cauliflower was cooked in a mildly aromatic, contemporary, island curry...primarily featuring delicate spices such as nutmeg, and ginger (maybe anise or fennel?) really rocked my world...so much so that I had to take some home for lunch the following day!!! Chef Winer always appeals to my cauliflower obsession!
My friend started with the French onion soup which both of us found to be overwhelming in the onion department...so much so that I asked out server to inquire about the recipe in the back of the house. We were informed that for every 30 gallons of base, 100 medium-sized onions are added!
I was disappointed with the fact that the dish was not baked, as is traditional, but that it was torched, as would be a crème brûlée.
For his entree he ordered the Back Bay Burger topped with a thin piece of fried cheese (marvelous) and melted Vermont extra sharp cheese, port wine infused onion, and smoked bacon on a sesame bun. The burger was served with fantastic hand cut steak fries.
Overall, it was the atmosphere I expected and there are tons of items on the menu which I plan to try very soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment