Category Archives: RC

Crudo of the day

I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Chef Michael Scelfo’s new restaurant near Harvard Square, Waypoint. I follow him on Instagram (@mscelfo) so have been drooling over the pics he’s been posting for months. It finally opened at the end of August, so how could I not make this my pick for 2016? Waypoint is “coastally inspired,” aka there is a lot of seafood on the menu.

Chopped clam pizza

I had a reservation for eight people at 5:30 PM. When the numbers dropped to six, I called to see if they could accommodate us a little later, which they did. Luckily they continued to be accommodating as most of us were late due to T and traffic issues. After my two-hour drive from work, cocktails were definitely in order. They have a very interesting cocktail menu, including several absinthe concoctions. Absinthe is a liquor that is very high in alcohol content. But not to worry, the folks at How Stuff Works tell me that it does not cause hallucinations. I started with a “Williams Fall” which had vodka, roasted bartlett pear, chrysanthemum, and lemon. Delish. I usually stay away from milk punch, since milk and I don’t always get along, but a sip of the “Milk punch of the moment” was quite yummy and I was quite in awe of the fancy ice cube.

Market vegetable roast

The menu is divided into snacks, raw bar, pizza, pasta, roasts (for 2-3), and plates. We wanted to be equal opportunity and try something from each section. First up, by way of a recommendation from the host, was the house made breads with smoked seaweed butter and walnut & anchovy dip. Kenny is the pastry chef and we were told he baked this bread for us that morning. It was fancy bread…seaweed bread, fish sauce baguette, and squid ink bread…and it tasted like bread. Kenny is definitely a VIP on the menu as he also has a hand in several other dishes, with all of his tasty crumbles and croutons. The seaweed butter and dip were also yummy. But as someone at the table pointed out, “I love butter, don’t care what’s in it.”

Uni bucatini

The raw bar was next, with a selection of the day’s oysters and the crudo of the day. And this is where I just can’t ever seem to take notes fast enough. The oysters were East Beach Blondes (Ninigret Pond, RI), First Encounter (Eastham), and Peter’s Point (Buzzards Bay, MA). I liked two of them better than the third, but I have no remembrance of which one was which anymore. I loved the fennel and chive mignonette that they came with; others loved the hot sauce. I don’t know if anyone tried the fish pepper cocktail sauce. The crudo was Alaskan King salmon with pickled Maine blueberries, oil-cured wild mushrooms, and rye crumble. This was outstanding…the combination made for perfect bites, especially with the crunch of the little croutons (I told you Kenny was a VIP).

Octopus polpetti

Next it was on to the clam pizza and the char belly. The chopped clam came with parsley, peperoncino, and pecorino and was delish. It was super thin, super lemony and those “clams did not come out of can” (said Tracy). Now normally I love char, but this dish was a little underwhelming. Perhaps it was because there was so many other standouts throughout the meal.

Bone marrow with lobster salad

The final “course” included some of the most memorable. The roast for the table was the market vegetable, which was gorgeous. It had so many beautiful late-season veggies and the Romanesco was the star. What else was in it? You name it…radish, tomato, potato, patty pans, corn salsa, all served over cashew and herb butter. We also ordered the Uni bucatini, the octopus polpetti, and the bone marrow. The pastas were both so so good, the bucatini came with smoked egg yolk, pecorino, and bottarga and the octopus polpetti came with wheat spaccatelli, mint, chiles, garum, and ricotta salata. The bone marrow (aka meat buttah!) came with lobster salad, tarragon, and Kenny’s croissant crumbs. This was super rich and decadent so one bite on the buttery bread (thanks Kenny!) was just enough. I don’t think I’ve had the bone marrow at Toro, but someone said that this ranks up there with that.

The dessert game was on point, which is always a nice surprise! No one warned us that the cinnamon sugar donuts were regular-sized donuts, so we got two orders and still managed to polish them off along with the accompanying dark chocolate ganache with cacao and coffee. To balance out the chocolate we also got the hearth-baked fruit crostada (apple) that came with maple ice cream.

Cinnamon sugar donuts!

I loved this meal and I’m still dreaming about the clam pizza, the market vegetables, and those pastas. If I had to guess, that’s what the others are still dreaming about too (and probably the bone marrow and the salmon crudo). Welcome to the neighborhood, Waypoint!

The damage (and to distract yourself from the actual numbers on the bill, you can lose yourself in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” book that the check came in)
$100 per person

The rundown
Waypoint
1030 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
@waypointharvard

Little Donkey corn

RC is one way to start the week off right! This was Claire’s month and so we headed to Little Donkey in my ‘hood on a Monday evening in late August. I have to admit that I’d been there before. Twice. Little Donkey opened in July and I think Jamie Bissonette and Ken Oringer are a great addition to Central Square! “Like it’s name, the restaurant will be a dependable staple to the neighborhood – open early morning to late night.”

BLT lettuce wraps

Our server described the menu as “global tapas” and suggested 2-4 plates per person. With a smaller crew of just four, we dutifully followed his instruction and even wrote everything down on the back of the raw bar menu. The menu is divided into five sections and we wanted to try at least one thing from each section: Charcuteria, Hors D’Oeuvres, Pastas & Grains, Vegetables & Salads, and Meat & Fish. As with tapas, the plates came out as they were ready. The pace started out fine but got a little overwhelming in the middle.

Up first, the corn and the Parker House rolls. The corn is Little Donkey’s version of the corn at Toro. If you haven’t tried the corn at Toro, you should, though good luck getting a table. This is Silver Queen corn with Parmesan, bone marrow, bonito, aioli, and hot sauce. I liked that it was easy access (aka not on the cob) and that the bonito flakes waved at you from the dish. I also liked the dish, which was definitely a theme throughout the meal. The Parker House rolls were buttery and salty and stuffed with yellow chives and Chinese sausage. I enjoyed them, but it’s rare that I dislike a starch. The rest of the table thought that this delicious, but not unique…no special snowflake in this dish!

Charred avocado, aka the perfect bite

Farro kimchi fried rice

After the “first course” the dishes started to come fast and furious. Next up was the black pepper popovers with Wagyu steak tartare, the BLT lettuce wraps, and the charred avocado. All three of these dishes were among my favorites of the night. The charred avocado was half an avocado topped with pepitas, yogurt, and pomegranate molasses. We divided the half into quarters and it was a perfect bite, fresh and perfectly balanced. The tartare was super fresh and had a really interesting and delicious texture. The BLT lettuce wraps came with tomato jam, pimiento cheese, yellow tomatoes, plums, pickled onions, mayo, and lamb bacon. Meaty, thick-cut bacon. It was fun to DIY the lettuce wrap, but there was actually a disproportion of filling to lettuce…that never happens! I would definitely order all three of these dishes again. At this point I’m starting to feel full and happy, but we were only 50% of the way through the 10 dishes we so diligently ordered.

The next to arrive was the farro kimchi fried rice, the burger, and the red lentil kale dahl. The farro, which came with egg, scallion, bean sprouts, Thai herbs, and green curry was the universal “winner” of this round. The answer to “do you want to add an egg on top” is always yes. This dish was one of the larger (in size) dishes and I probably could have eaten the whole thing. Yes, I know I just said I was getting full…this is a dish you make room for. I’ve tried the burger before and liked it, but you have to like dry aged beef and foie gras. It definitely had a little funk to it and got mixed reviews from the table. I loved the presentation but you better believe I did not use the m-towelette. The dahl was the least favorite across the board as it was too sweet. I’ve also had this before and don’t remem

Manti

ber it being that sweet.

And last but not least, the manti (Istanbul meat ravioli) and the octopus a la plancha. I don’t think I’ve ever had manti before, and wow, they were delicious…definitely another fave. The octopus was also delicious. I always get a little nervous about ordering octopus because it can be really rubbery if it’s overcooked. This was cooked perfectly and pretty much melted in your mouth.

We couldn’t resist the chocolate chip cookie dough for dessert, which is served on beaters with milk espuma (not a fan) and cocoa nibs. Delish.

Cookie dough!

RC was smaller than our yuge, but no less delicious. And as always, the company was just as rich as the meal…great pick Claire! I’m up for next month’s pick, no pressure! Any suggestions?

The damage
$75 per person

The rundown
Little Donkey
505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge (Central Square)
@LittleDonkeyBoston (IG)
@LittleDonkeyBos

Happy July! I have been sitting on this post for a few weeks because I just did not know how to adequately describe our June RC experience at Scampo. This was the deal…when Lydia Shire says she wants to cook a meat-inspired menu for your Restaurant Club, you say “yes please” and “sign me up!” While I did not know what to expect (besides a fabulous meal, of course), this was an experience beyond fabulous. It is an experience she creates for people like Doc Rivers, Larry David, and Julie Spanos.

We walked in to Scampo to a gorgeously set table, from gorgeous wine glasses (no water!) to knives with mother-of-pearl handles, all from her personal collection. And the staff was forewarned that none of it was to go in the dishwasher. The place settings were so decadent. I loved the colorful wine glasses and the “meat” plates.

Our table at Scampo

We did a really good job putting all of those wine glasses to work!

Wine pairings

Bread: Breadsticks and an “Italian quesadilla” with fontina, robiola, an truffle oil

Breadsticks

Italian quesadilla

Course One: She crab soup with Irish butter, tiny new potato gnocchetti & maple croutons
This was a beautiful soup, both rich and light at the same time. Lydia described this as a simple, light soup that has real essence of crab from both the female crabs and their roe. “Lydia would be fine if you wanted to lick the bowl,” said Giam-Piero, our fabulous server. Oh Giam-Piero, you read our minds.

She crab soup

Course Two: Flash grilled Korean shortrib with sweet & spicy coriander crust, spaghetti cooked in beet juice, and horseradish crema
This is the course where we got to use the knives with mother-of-pearl handles. “They’re from my house,” said Lydia. I think it was pretty unanimous that we were all in love with this shortrib. We even were picking up the bones to get every last perfectly seasoned morsel. And who knew you could cook spaghetti in beet juice?

Korean shortrib on the animal plates

Course Three: Trio of pasta
Handmade bowties with lobster knuckle, hazelnuts, brown butter, and dandelion pesto (on the left in the photo)
Fresh pea ravioli, carbonara style with pancetta and peas (in the middle in the photo)
Crackling spaghetti with salt pork crackling, and jalapeno (on the right in the photo)

I was on team spaghetti (she warned us that it was addicting), but there were a couple of people on team ravioli.

Pasta trio

Course Four: Miso glazed Chilean sea bass with gold leaf saffron risotto and Okinawa purple yam

Check out the gorgeous plates Lydia used to serve this course. Can you spot the Andy Warhol? And no, I was not lucky enough to be back in the kitchen to capture this photo. Giam-Piero did the honors.

Plates!

He also took a couple of selfies…

Giam-Piero

The fish was cooked perfectly. She made it pretty easy for us to want to clean our plates to discover what plate we each got. My favorite quotes about this course were:

“I’ve never had fish like this before.”

 “I don’t know what this sauce is, but it’s to die for.”

Perfectly cooked fish

Course Five: Scampo fruit sorbet with fresh seasonal berries and creme fraiche
By the end of the fourth class we were all so full, we didn’t think we could fit in another bite. Until dessert arrived. This was a five-flavor sorbet that included apple, apricot, pear, lemon, and orange. There was a splash of cassis liqueur, along with strawberries and creme fraiche. This was a little tart and a little sweet and a perfectly refreshing end to the meal.

Dessert!

I think it is safe to say that we all loved this meal, and that Spanos really upped the RC game with this pick!

Group photo with Lydia!

The damage
$201

The rundown
Scampo
215 Charles Street, Boston
Twitter: @scampoliberty
Instagram: @scampoboston

This month we took a trip to Southeast Asia via Tiger Mama, Tiffani Faison’s newest restaurant that opened last December. I have to admit that I’ve been here before, but it’s easy to find new fun things to try on the menu. 

I think Tiffani has broken the “curse” of this space, which was formerly Burton’s (loved their key lime pie), then Happy’s, and then a Mexican place that was so unmemorable that I cannot remember the name. This is such an awesome location, it was hard for me to understand why nothing managed to stick…I guess the Fenway area just needed some spice. And Tiger Mama, inspired by the flavors of Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, is unapologetic about its spiciness.

Da nang cocktail

The menu is primarily small-ish plates and divided into seven sections: Cold & Fresh, Crispy & Spicy, Broths & Curries, Rich and Earthy, Noodles and Rice, Banquet Style, and Rice. We ordered two “rounds” of food and the dishes came out as they were ready. That was a bit challenging as I’m pretty sure I missed some of the milder flavors (i.e., red snapper crudo) because my mouth was on fire from something spicy (i.e., pork laap). I also wanted the chili crab to be the grand finale…actually we thought it was, and then the cowboy lady pork arrived. 

Crispy chili potatoes

There were eight of us and in general we ordered two of everything and that was enough for everyone to have a decent taste. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered a third portion of the short rib curry and coconut rice which we really did not need, though not to worry, we did not let it go to waste. We also ordered just one portion of the chili crab, which is on the Banquet Style section of the menu. The food came out pretty quickly, but we definitely had to wait longer than expected for cocktails. What can I say, we’re a thirsty bunch.

Round 1

Southern-style pork laap

From the “Cold & Fresh” section we ordered the Southern-style pork laap (fish sauce & lime-spiced hand ground pork, Thai chili, mint), the lobster fresh rolls (charred lobster, bright veggies, spicy silky peanut dipping sauce), and the red snapper crudo with charred ramp aioli, viet herbs, curried puffed rice, and coriander salt. 

We also got the crispy chili potatoes with sneaky chili mayo and crispy bits from the “Crispy & Spicy” section. I’ve had these potatoes before and was definitely an advocate for ordering them again. Crispy potatoes might sound kind of boring, but these potatoes are the perfect ratio of crisp and potato, and the spicy mayo was a perfect accompaniment.

Short rib rendang and coconut rice

The pork laap and potatoes arrived first and they were oh so yummy. We got an order of the Jasmine rice to soak up all the yummy juices from the pork laap. These were both favorites among the group. The pork is quite spicy so it overpowered the red snapper crudo, which arrived next with the lobster spring roll. The lobster spring roll was not a fan favorite…it was all basil.

Round 2
We ordered the short rib rendang (rich Malaysian style coconut curry, crispy peanuts, toasted coconut) from the “Broths & Curries” section and the coconut sticky rice to go with it. The coconut rice is adorably served in a coconut milk can. 

Pad gra pow

From the “Rich and earthy” section, we got the pad gra pow (rich and spicy ground chicken, chilis, Thai basil, purple choi, fried egg) and the cowboy hat lady pork (star anise braised pork shank, pickled mustard greens, chili vinegar, soft poached egg). Perhaps the theme for this section should be “put an egg on it.” The pad gra pow was so pretty and deliciously spicy. As I mentioned, the lady pork came out as the last dish, and we were all pretty full. I don’t know if our thoughts on this dish would have been more positive if we had it earlier in the meal, but we weren’t really into it. I really wanted it to be better, but the pork was kinda dry and the greens were a bit gritty and very vinegar-y.

Chili crab

And then there was the chili crab, which was 1.25 pounds of chili sauce wok roasted Alaskan king crab with beurre blanc. I have very fond and delicious memories of having chili crab in Singapore. I knew this would be different, and it was, but it was still tasty. I think I have butter and salt to thank for that. It was also messy, as true chili crab should be, but we were also imagining it as a delicious crab bisque.

Dessert
There were two options for dessert, a mango sticky rice and a coconut bruleed Japanese milk toast. I’ve had both before and convinced the group to try the toast. I liked it, but the consensus was “eh.” 

Cheers to another month, and a great pick by one of RC’s founding members, Kim!

The damage
$70 per person

The rundown
Tiger Mama
1363 Boylston Street, Boston
@tigermamabos
@tiffanifaison

RC perfect attendance! Photo credit: Gina Colombo

After a brief hiatus, I returned to RC a hungry girl! Tracy made this reservation about five months ago so I really had no excuse to miss it. Actually, none of us had an excuse…yay us with our perfect attendance.

Grilled flatbread

Giulia is an Italian restaurant that focuses on “wonderful food and great service with true Italian vigor and charm.” I will admit that I’ve been to Giulia before, but was excited to try the “pasta table.” The pasta table is the table they use to make their fresh pastas during the day. At night they use it to serve a family-style tasting menu to larger groups, aka RC. One of the things I loved about this meal is that we did not have to make any decisions on what or how much to order. Every course just appeared with the right amount of food, and a wine pairing to go with it ($35 extra).

Sfizzi
Here’s what we had for the first course:

Warm semolina cakes

• Chicken liver crostini with green tomato marmellata
• Warm semolina cakes with sweet pea ricotta, pickled onion, crispy speck, and nutmeg
• Grilled flatbread with ramp top pesto, pecorino, and pine nuts
• Wine pairing: NV, cantine mucci spumante pecorino / falanghina, a’bruzzo

What a great way to start the marathon of eating. I loved them all, but the flatbread was probably my favorite of the three. The chicken liver crostini was really rich so one the small bite was plenty for me. This was a fave for some of the other RC’ers.

Sourdough bruschetta

Antipasti
For the antipasti course:

• Oysters served on the half shell with ginger and apple granita
• Ocean trout crudo with cucumber, caraway, fresh dill, cultured cream, and roe
• Sourdough bruschetta with homemade butter and grated bottarga
• Wine paring: 2014, nuraghe crabioni, vermintino, sardegna

We even got some non-oyster lovers to try the raw oysters! The verdict? No one spit it

Ocean trout crudo

across the table, but I’m not sure it was delicious enough to convert them. I thought the oyster was nice and briny, just the way I like ’em. Also I learned a about a new ingredient…bottarga. What’s bottarga? It’s a specialty of southern Italy — salted, cured fish roe, usually grey mullet or tuna. It was a delicious addition to the house-baked sourdough bread and homemade butter. The butter was amazing. Said everyone, always. 

Fry of the day

As we kick of our 11th year of RC, have crowned January as “reunion month.” Last January we went back to one of the 12 restaurants we went to in year one, and this year we revisited year two restaurants (aka 2007). Unfortunately, four of the restaurants are no longer with us (Sandrine’s Bistro, Pulcinella, Forrest Cafe, and Vlora). The vote came down to these eight:

Grilled octopus

• Petit Robert Bistro: 468 Commonwealth Ave, Boston
• 51 Lincoln: 51 Lincoln Street, Newton
• Green Street Grill: 380 Green Street, Cambridge
• Punjab: 485 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington
• Brookline Family Restaurant: 305 Washington Street, Brookline
• Wagamama: 57 JFK Street, Cambridge
• Golden Temple: 1651 Beacon Street, Brookline
• Flora: 190 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington

Whole wheat pappardelle

I can’t remember who picked Golden Temple, but it is safe to say that our tastes have evolved in the past 10 years. There were votes for 51 Lincoln, Punjab, and Brookline Family Restaurant, but the winner was Green Street. I felt a little bad voting for Green Street because I go there a lot, but it is my favorite place in Central Square and several people in the group had never eaten there.

Tea smoked duck breast

Green Street is a restaurant that has “been serving its neighbors since the Greet Depression.” Apparently it is the proud owner of the city’s longest standing liquor license. And I can personally attest to the fact that they put that liquor license to good use…they make a fabulous cocktail, my favorite being the Bohemian. It has an unassuming presence on the outside — for a long time the only sign was the big Budweiser sign atop the building. But inside it is warm and cozy, a place I am proud to have in my neighborhood.

I was having such a nice time at dinner that I forgot to take notes! Or perhaps it was too many Bohemians. We started with the lobster and corn fritters, the chips and dip, the “fry of the day” (arancini), and the grilled octopus. I took a fuzzy photo of the starters menu so I can’t provide much more detail about what we ordered, other than that they were yum-o. 

Mac & cheese, Brussels & bacon

While I am a frequent flyer at Green Street, I don’t regularly order dishes from the dinner menu. Plus it’s always hard for me to pick just one thing! I think I was waffling between the grilled hanger steak, the roasted 1/2 chicken, the mac & cheese, and what I ultimately decided on…the whole wheat pappardelle with mild mushrooms, shaved Brussels sprouts, whole grain mustard, and poached egg. I made a good choice, and I also got to try some of the duck and the macaroni & cheese (with tomato, bacon, aged grafton cheddar, and herb bread crumbs) and the duck. The duck was a popular choice at the table, a tea smoked duck breast with wild rice, charred escarole, and cherry demi-glace. We also got some sides to share, the Brussels sprouts and bacon, sweet plantain and smoked ketchup, and fried yuca and spicy aioli.

A sweet finish

For dessert we ordered the chocolate chili mousse with vanilla whipped green and the tres leches with toasted coconut and dulce de leche. They were both tasty, but not super memorable. I believe there was one comment that the tres leches could have had more leche, perhaps it needed quattro leches.

All in all, a warm, comfort-y meal…perfect for January, and perfect for kicking off another delicious year of RC!

The damage
$72 per person

The rundown
Green Street Grill
280 Green Street, Cambridge

70% of the RC crew

December marks the close of a decade of Restaurant Club. To commemorate and celebrate, we headed to an early bird, Saturday evening, holiday edition of RC at Yvonne’s, which just opened in September. And Boston magazine has called it Boston’s most instagrammable new restaurant. If it is still open in 2027, it is likely where we will go back for our reunion month. Yvonne’s took over the space of the iconic Locke-Ober, which was open from 1875 to 2012. As Locke-Ober, I missed my chance to go…and by missed, I mean I could not seem to get my butt there in the 12 years that I was living in Boston while it was still open. My bad.

Table crack

I wish I had been able to record all of the conversations during the meal. Apparently on Saturdays we are funnier. Here’s a few of my favorite quotes of the evening, and the dishes that inspired them.

“What kind of restaurant is this?” “Hodgepodge”

Yvonne’s calls itself a “modern supper club.” What the heck is a supper club? Wikipedia’s answer is that it is a dining establishment that also functions as a social club. More recently the term has been used for secret, underground restaurants. The space itself is really beautiful. We had a drink in the library room, which has a separate cocktail menu from the main restaurant and bar. The shelves are chock-full of books and there is cool and interesting artwork on the walls…Clint, Jackie O, JFK, and Marilyn to name a few.

Hush puppies and provoleta

“Would you like a 95 dollar cocktail?” “Ok”
“$95 for crack seems like a good deal”

Farro and arugula salad

The cocktail menu includes what they call “large format cocktails.” There are four options, each for $95. We ordered the Crack krakatuk which was privateer and foursquare rums, calvados, smoked cinnamon, lemon, and champagne. It came in a very large bowl with a spigot so we could help ourselves. Luckily we had an extra empty spot at our table for seven, and that’s where the punch bowl got to spend the evening.

Other fun cocktail-related things to note: the 1989 cocktail is totes named after T. Swift and the champagne glasses are very sexy.

“I’m a very abnormal person, like the restaurant.”

“We’re weird about portion sizes. Everything is either too small or too big.”
The menu is divided into five sections: Snacks, Toast, Stone Fired pitas, Social plates, and Feasts. The food arrived in that order too, just fyi, since I’m going to be talking about things out of order.

Pork belly

From the Snacks section, we tried the Buttermilk hush puppies and the Provoleta, which was skillet cheese with Liz’s chimichurri, and grilled bread. I liked the bite of melty cheese I got to try…they were not kidding when they called it a snack (though we were trying to share things seven ways). And remember, I’m not too hard to please when it comes to cheese and bread. I could live without the hush puppies.

More hamachi toast please!

Skipping ahead to the Social plates, we ordered the Seared king trumpet mushrooms, the Farro and arugula salad, and the Pork belly “sisig.” The salad was the most memorable of these dishes for me, and I’m not just saying that because a summery version of it was recently listed by Zagat as one of the “10 best thing we ate in Boston in 2015.” That salad had corn, farro, smoked blue cheese, pickled peach, and pistachio. Our salad had farro, arugula, butternut squash, smoked blue cheese, pickled apple, and pistachio. Yum.

“Another order of hamachi toast? No?”

Lamb sausage pita

From the Toast section, we pitted the Kentucky “prosciutto” against the Hamachi crudo. Those quotes around “prosciutto” are theirs, not mine, probably because it was a toast with Father’s country ham, beer cheese, and pickled onion. Italians everywhere might have just died a little inside. The hamachi crudo came with avocado, passion fruit brown butter, and porky cashews. Hamachi toast for the win…I loved it and I think the table was pretty unanimous.

“It’s not an Asian thing” (said by an Asian)

Avocado pita

Two out of three Asians at the table preferred the lamb sausage pita over the avocado pita and since I was one of the two and this is my blog, I get to say that I thought lamb sausage > avocado. The lamb sausage had spicy tomato sauce, zucchini, harissa-fennel pickles, yogurt and feta. I do think it suffered from a shortage or uneven distribution of lamb, which may be way most of the rest of the table thought avocado > lamb sausage. The avocado  had oregano, Robinson family Swiss, cherry tomatoes, garlic oil, arugula, and pistachios. Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn the avocado away, it just wasn’t as memorable for me. Also, if you’re wondering about “pita,” think flatbread.

“These meats and starches are delicious”
“It’s not fat, it’s flavor”
“You know it’s good when you’re eating off the tablecloth”

Beef matambre

And then we come to the Feasts, which are for 2+ persons and range from $70-110. They are big (and they come on really beautiful platters) so I’d say you’d want at least four people in on that action…or be prepared to take a lot of leftovers home. We went with the Grilled beef matambre and the Grilled “viper” chop.

The beef matambre was a red chile, salami and provolone stuffed flank steak that came with chimichurri, Parmesan polenta, and rib sauce. The chimichurri sauce was so good we had to order another bowl of it. Oh and the steak and polenta were quite tasty too.

Pork “viper” chop

The “viper” chop was a 24-hour pork short rib that came with kimchee fried rice, spicy “Muchim” sauce, crispy shallot, and sesame. The pork was pretty fatty…I mean flavorful. But the winner for me was definitely the rice. It was amazing, and we wanted to eat every last grain, even if it was on the tablecloth. We were told that kimchee juice was the secret ingredient.

“Joanne Chang’s homemade oreo is way better.”
The service declined a bit once Joanne Chang and Christopher Myers arrived to a cozy corner booth for six. I get it. They’re kind of a big deal and I would want to make sure their dining experience was tip-top priority too. Since I had a great view of their table, I did notice that they ordered the same $95 crack that we did, as well as the sparkling rose that some of us were drinking. 

Dessert spread

Unfortunately, the desserts themselves were also kind of a letdown compared to the rest of the meal. We ordered one of each, which included a few regular-size and several snack-size desserts. They were so unmemorable that I don’t really even remember what they were…I do remember a boozy choco taco (that I didn’t like), a cookie that reminded me of a Christmas cookie, and homemade oreos. And yes, Joanne Chang’s homemade oreo is way better. My advice, skip dessert and eat more meats and starches, especially that rice!

And that’s a wrap on RC for 2015…great pick Jimmy!

The damage
$131 per person

The rundown
Yvonne’s
2 Winter Place, Boston
@yvonnesboston

Wings!

I missed last month’s RC at T.W. Food, but I was back this month as we headed to Southie. I heard that the first choice for this month was Coppersmith, but since that is closed on Mondays we headed to Worden Hall, which opened at the end of the summer. Worden Hall is owned by the same folks who run Five Horses Tavern in Davis Square and the South End and it is named after a 19th century guest house in Saratoga Springs, NY.

‘za!

We had a cozy table for four and a very attentive server. The menu is “modern American cuisine” and the most delicious things we ordered were the wings, the pizza, and the curly fries. How very American and not very modern of us. The crispy chicken wings were oh so tasty, with Carolina-style BBQ, buttermilk ranch, and big chunks of blue cheese. The pizzas are deep dish, and not too greasy or cheesy or heavy. We got the one with soppressata, garlic sausage, sauteed broccoli rabe, and a yummy tomato sauce. 

I think the other dishes we got were perfectly fine and tasty, but they just could not compete with those wings and that pizza. But I would skip the crispy chicken nuggets.

Falafel, and curly fries

Brussels sprouts salad

• Raw and roasted Brussels sprouts salad with crispy chorizo, toasted sunflower seeds, aged sheep’s milk cheese, and orange-fennel vinaigrette
• Red lentil and chickpea falafel with garbanzo hummus, greens, pickled cucumber and red onion, cilantro relish, tahini dressing, naan
• Baked delicata squash with sugar pumpkin and toasted pepita quinoa, sage and dried currants, gingered carrot, apple puree

For dessert, our server told us the chocolate cake was “amazing” and that it “puts a smile on everyone’s face.” How could you not order it after that recommendation? Well unfortunately it did not bring smiles to our faces…we all agreed that it was not our favorite, but all in all it was another fun and successful RC. Great pick Lorelei!

The damage
$55 per person

The rundown
Worden Hall
22 West Broadway, South Boston
@WordenHall

The November issue of Boston magazine is one of my favorites, because it features “the list.” In the past it’s been a top 50 list and this year they cut it in half and christened it the “25 best new restaurants in Boston 2015: the list,” aka their list of Boston’s most exciting dining destinations. And just like that, my numbers went wayyyy down. I finally got myself to O Ya and I don’t even get “credit” for it this year. Such a bummer.

Anyway, it looks like I have some work to do before next November! RC friends take note:

Fave issue

1. Tasting Counter

4. Study

5. Hojoko

7. Select Oyster Bar

8. The Backroom at Moody’s

9. Brewer’s Fork

11. Centre Street Cafe

12. The Bancroft

13. Chef Chang’s on Back Bay

16. Cafe ArtScience

17. Liquid Art House

18. Dumpling Palace

21. Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar

22. Woods Hill Table

23. Comedor

24. Josephine

Where I’ve been (asterisk indicates an RC pick):

2. Shepard

3. Banyan Bar + Refuge

6. La Brasa*

10. BISq*

14. Loyal Nine*

15. Babbo

19. Boston Public Market (well technically I haven’t eaten here, but I’m still counting it)

20. Santouka Ramen

25. Committee*

Queso fundido

Ceviche del dia

This month we grabbed our passports and headed out of the city, to Moody Street in Waltham. Amuleto opened in August, in a space that has apparently housed several Mexican restaurants, most recently Habanero’s.

Unfortunately for me and my elaborate plans to get a ride there, I almost didn’t make it! It was one of those 95-degree days and apparently the MBTA feels like I do when it’s that hot…the trains were breaking down, delayed, and finally cancelled. I finally got on a train (with air conditioning, thank goodness for small blessings) at the time I was supposed to meet my ride in the city. One hour later, I arrived at North Station and decided to treat myself to an Uber. Unfortunately it was a rare #uberfail and my driver missed his exit and I got an extended tour, during rush hour. 

Needless to say, I was quite ready for a margarita when I finally made my appearance, almost an hour late. A first round of food had already been ordered, and I recall some delicious guacamole con Chicharrón (with serrano peppers and pork belly) and queso fundido (melted chihuahua cheese and chorizo).

We decided to order mostly from the botanas (snack, appetizer) section of the menu. The one platillo principal we got was the carne asada, and luckily Tracy was willing to share! It was pretty tasty. 

Grilled octopus

In no particular order, the botanas we got were:

• Ceviche del dia, which was snapper
• Pulpo Asado Chargrilled Octopus with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and chili pepper
• Elote de la Calle Charred Corn with Cotija cheese and chile powder
• Costillitas Baby Back ribs Rubbed with Agave Nectar with chipotle and lime glaze
• Duo de Sopes (two homemade thick tortillas, one chicken and one barbacoa)

Carne asada

• Tamal Sureño wrapped in a banana leaf

I remember enjoying everything I tried…which was the ceviche, the grilled octopus (thankfully not overcooked), the corn, and the ribs. I do not think I even had room for the duo de sopes or the tamale. And we were also too full for dessert (flan).

Great pick Claire!

The damage
$45 plus $28.80 for my Uber ride

The rundown
Amuleto Mexican Table
484 Moody Street, Waltham