L'Espalier- Boston

As the first restaurant I visited for Restaurant Week- Winter 2011, I elected L'Espalier, located in Back Bay. Recently relocated to this building on Boylston Street, the new space is a bright, open room with plenty of light. The decor is simple, clean and effortlessly sophisticated. As with many, if not all, of the higher-end restaurants, service is expected to be superb. However, our waiter was a tad inexperienced and fumbled in explaining some of the components of our dishes.

The presentation of all of the plates was the most noteworthy aspect of the dining experience. They say, you feast first with your eyes. This expression certainly resonates with L'Espalier as each plate is beautifully composed and painted like works of art.

 

Isn't the butter so cute?

 

Goat Cheese Curd with Rhubarb

I'm not even going to pretend I know what's going on with this plate. These were the thoughts flying through my head: what are these little crumbly brown bits, do I eat the foam, what's this blob of sauce doing over here? Without a clue as to what I was doing and even less of a clue as to what I was eating, I delved into this starter, tasting a bit of everything and my, what an explosion of flavors lit up in my mouth. There were so many layers of complex flavors from creamy to sweet to sour. This first course definitely plays up both tastes and textures. I got the crunch from the rhubarb and the endive, while experiencing a velvety softness from the goat cheese, followed by a grainy bite from the gritty crumbs, finished off with the lightness from the foam.

 

Slow Braised Short Ribs

For my second course, the meat was extremely tender and easily pulled apart as I ate it. The sauce was extremely flavorful and not overly salty. The parsnip veloute (close to a puree) was delightfully thick and creamy.   

Trio of Cheeses- Gouda, Manchego, Hartwell (left to right)

The cheese guide that accompanied our third course describes Gouda cheese as "crunchy, with a sweet caramel flavor. Eat it like candy." I can hardly say I agree with that description. Sure, the cheese was "crunchy" or hard, if you will. But sweet?...that was hardly the case. I thought the Gouda was quite sharp.

My favorite cheese was the Hartwell, which was semi-soft and buttery. It was very similar to Brie.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Guava Cream Cheese Mousse Gateau
Finishing off the lunch on a fruity note, the guava shined in this dessert. Again, there was a variety of textures. As expected, the panna cotta was decadently smooth but too bad I didn't pick up much flavor from the lychee foam on top. Also, a big complaint of mine regards the execution of this plate. As you can see from the photo, there's a ring of dried foam on the plate. I understand it's restaurant week and the food that's served is usually not the best that the restaurant has to offer but there's just no excuse in serving up a pre-made plate with dried foam, not from a restaurant of L'Espalier's caliber anyways.
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What my lunch date ordered:

 

Mussels in Curry Emulsion

After the egg was thankfully removed and consumed, I sampled the mussels. The tabbouleh was packed with curry flavor and much more impressive than the little mussels themselves.

 

Herb-Crusted Arctic Char

I'm usually not a fan of under-cooking anything but the preparation of this fish was perfect. It was just slightly underdone and retained a buttery-soft texture, allowing the fish to melt away in my mouth. The skin of this fish was equally divine with a great herb rub and a tremendous crunch. The bed of pea risotto with a dash of lemon zest also spruces up the complexity of this dish. I also enjoyed feasting on the colors of this plate- the orange arctic char pitted against the vibrancy of the greens makes for a lively combination.

 

Dark Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Gateaux

It's a pity that neither desserts were as fresh as they could have been. The flavors were present, but not the freshness since the cake was a tad dry. The Chantilly cream was quite mild and not overly sweet, thank goodness!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-espalier-boston 

Sorellina- Boston

I dined here this past week and I must say the restaurant itself is beautiful. It's got the dim lighting for a romantic atmosphere but at the same time, has this modern vibe to the place as evidenced by the bar and fixtures as well as the black and white photography that decorates the walls. The center of the dining area is populated with sleek, white sofas and appropriately, there's that nice, relaxed lounge music playing in the background. As for service, our waiter, although he was polite and entertaining, did not come around to check on us enough. We actually had to wait for quite a while to get our hands on the dessert menu. Then there's the rest of the waitstaff. Not only do they look glum and unhappy, but also were downright rude and unwelcoming. But hey, the food held up its end of the bargain so I can't complain about that.

Polpo- Grilled Octopus

it's a little difficult, if not impossible, to see from this photo but underlying the grilled octopus is a bed of cous cous cooked in squid ink. the octopus itself had a wonderful char on the outside but thankfully, it wasn't overcooked as overcooking can oftentimes turn the octopus into a chewy, rubbery mess. i enjoyed the bit of heat from the spicy peppers and the cous cous was a good, mild balance to the seasoned octopus on top.

 

Maine Crab Risotto
this risotto was a little al dente but perhaps it's due to the fact that carnaroli rice was used as opposed to the more common arborio rice (i definitely had to look up the menu again to find out the rice type haha). carnaroli rice is a medium grain and is a little firmer in texture, while arborio rice is a short grain. either way, the risotto was still delicious and the creamy cheese sauce that it simmered in was absolutely delightful. the crab meat is broken up and cooked right into the rich, cheesy goodness.

Pan Seared Scallops
six plump, meaty scallops cooked to perfection with a nice sear on the outside, while retaining that softness on the inside. even more impressive than the scallops though, would definitely be the cream sauce underneath. i don't know what sauce they used and the menu doesn't say, but it was similar to a bearnaise or hollandaise. believe me when i say this remarkable sauce puts these scallops over the top. the cauliflower and what i think is sauteed diced onions also add quite a nice dimension to the plate in terms of texture.

Panna Cotta with Almond Milk Espuma

unfortunately, the dessert was probably the least exciting part of this meal. not that the panna cotta tasted bad, but it's not a "must-try" or "must eat" by any means. the cranberries gave that tart contrast to the smooth, silky custard. as for the foam, i could've definitely done without it because almond milk, itself, is pretty mild so i didn't pick up much flavor from it in foam form.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sorellina-boston

Melograno- Phila

if you're looking below already, NO i did not single handedly take down all three desserts. i definitely had help haha. anyways, Melograno, is a great restaurant for romantic dates or small intimate dinners with your friends. so with that known, who did i bring to this restaurant?...my entire family (a party of 8)!! i would not recommend others doing so as this place usually does not have enough room to accommodate large parties. but the service here was wonderful and i loved our server. she was knowledgeable about the menus and the daily specials, as well as attentive.

Quaglie Arrosto
these birds were so dainty and perfect that i almost felt bad eating them...well no, not really. rubbed with all sorts of herbs and stuffed with all types of goodies (dried fruits and nuts), these quails were pretty darn tasty and rather filling despite their small size. the mound of polenta was average but i did like the tart pomegranate sauce underlying the polenta. my only complaint is that the quails were a little difficult to eat as they are served whole so you do have to watch out for the little bones.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
hmm..if i can recall correctly, i did like this dessert although it wasn't unlike the panna cottas that i've ordered at a couple other places. bascially, it was good but not divine.

Budino
this was my first time ordering budino (which is italian for pudding if google serves me right). i was expecting something in a cup with a little more moisture or something more liquid but i got this cake-like dessert instead. although it was extremely moist and airy, it certainly was not pudding. the creme anglaise was rich and creamy but balanced by the tart raspberries. although the proof is not in this budino (corny, i know), i did find it likable.

Ginger Creme Brulee

out of the three desserts, i must say this creme brulee takes the cake (what is it with me and these ridiculous puns??!). but seriously, this creme brulee was reaaallyyy good!! ginger, having such a strong smell and flavor, can so easily overpower a dessert. thankfully, in this case, just the right amount was used. my favorite part of all creme brulees is the shell on top so i loved eating the little pieces of ginger-flavored "candy".