[A Pig at Large by Kim Davis: August 29. 2017]
On a recent visit--several more coming up, it seems--I wanted to eat at least one relaxed, grown-up, elegant dinner. Meaning, I suppose, no hard stools, loud music, or menu gimmickry.
Friends pointed me towards Barbara Lynch's restaurants, and I ended up at her flagship, No. 9 Park.
Scroll down for Atlantic Fish
Park Street, a discreet slope at the top right hand corner of Boston Common, leading up to the fancy houses which look down over the city. No. 9 is a cozy townhouse overlooked by the Massachusetts State House, glowing in the gloaming.
Several rooms, quiet chatter, pristine table-cloths. A chef's tasting at $125 is usually available as well as the carte. I dined by coincidence during Boston restaurant week, and was offered a slightly abbreviated tasting menu at $69. A steal, even though I added supplements (there are plenty of supplements sprinkled over the regular tasting menu too.
It was the meal, more or less, I wanted and expected--and when the check for eight courses, with cava and a half bottle of Burgundy, comes out at under $180 (with tax but no tip), you are doing much better than you would for any equivalent meal in New York. Yes, you can eat tasting menus featuring rutabaga and beef shin for less; but there were two foie dishes here, thanks to my urge to supplement.
That said, ingredients and execution went wrong here and there. Chilled corn soup with a swirl of smoky oil, was terrific. The skate wing was served over a pleasant chickpea purée, but sadly it was a terrible piece of fish--mushy. Not good enough for this kind of restaurant. The first foie course--a signature--was cleverly conceived: prune-stuffed gnocchi and vin santo sauce make great accompaniments; but the pasta was heavy, chewy. The second foie course was a bigger piece, well seared, touched with strawberries and cashews, over a (slightly dense) oatmeal cookie.
The meat entrée was surprisingly small--my server really didn't have to observe that it was a "petite" salad. But it was excellent: a not-very-white boudin blanc, rich and nicely textured (not just a meat paste), and I'd have eaten a pound of it. Good cheeses, and a nectarine streusel cake to follow.
Atlantic Fish Company
I ate several lobster rolls on this trip, one at the old Union Oyster House, some more (free) at receptions. But for my other dinner I still wanted something from the sea, this being Boston. B&G Oysters was recommended, but it would have been a schlep at the end of a long and quite well-lubricated evening. Restaurants along the main Back Bay drag were all hopping, even early in the week (I'd noticed the same in North End; doesn't seem to be any restaurant crisis here). Atlantic Fish looked like a simple, old-fashioned fish grill--it was packed--why not?
I headed to Abe & Louie's for a drink while waiting less than ten minutes for a table.
Nice, old school. All the accoutrements. And big crusty white bread, just right for this food.
The menu had seven or eight savory sections, not counting sides. You can spend on raw bar items, get fish cooked just about every Italian way, tackle more local specialties like chowders, or go simple. I went simple. Some fried clam bellies, followed by broiled haddock. Crushed new potatoes sounded good, but the kitchen mistook my order as sweet potatoes. With some glasses of white wine, less than $80 (with tax, pre-tip).
The fish was better than No. 9 Park.
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