Bar Mezzana

          Bar Mezzana is Chef Colin Lynch's new restaurant (formerly of the Barbara Lynch Groupo), that just opened at Ink Block earlier this month. The menu features coastal Italian cuisine, with the largest selection of crudo I've seen in Boston. The fiance and I went in for dinner the other night, and I seriously contemplated ordering one of everything off the crudo menu. However, reason kicked in and realizing I couldn't possibly eat it all I started with half the crudo menu. Seriously. I really love crudo.

          We started with the sea urchin which came in the shell with fresh veggies, the langoustine with pink peppercorn and caviar, and yellowtail with grapefruit oil and chili. All three were excellent; the fish was perfectly fresh and the presentation was beautiful. I especially loved the creativity of the sea urchin in terms of both presentation and accompaniments.


          Next was the tuna tartare with herbs, flowers, and more caviar! The caviar may have played a part in my decision to order both the langoustine and tuna tartare; it ended up being a great compliment to both dishes without overshadowing them.

          The salmon with green chili salsa verde was one of my favorites; the salmon was such a good cut it just melted in your mouth.



          Our final crudo dish of the evening was the razer clams; this was a recommendation from the bartender and I can definitely see why it was one of her favorites! The onions and fennel paired with them were so simple and added a slight earthy flavor.



          The fiance sort of insisted we try something other than crudo, so after much debate (it all looked amazing!) we decided on two appetizers: the grilled octopus and prime beef tartare.The octopus was grilled perfectly, and the prime beef tartare was delicious with the egg yolk already mixed in served with grilled crostini.

          We shared the chocolate torte with hazelnut and orange for dessert. It was a small slice, but so rich that the portion was just right. 

          The meal at Bar Mezzana definitely lived up to my expectations, and I plan to return soon to try the rest of the crudo menu. The pastas and entrees also look amazing, so there will have to be 3-4 visits in my future!