Brunch at Ribelle

          I've been wanting to try Ribelle for awhile, and finally made it in for brunch with the bf this past weekend. The menu is extremely inventive with lots of smaller plates to share. At our servers recommendation we shared one sweet, two savory dishes, and a side. We tried to mix a few of the more adventurous dishes with others that seemed more within our comfort zone.

                    Bomboloni + cinnamon-sugar, espresso pastry cream - these were miniature balls of fried dough served warm with espresso cream. They were definitely my favorite, and I would love to have these for breakfast or for dessert after dinner!

          Potato raviolo + beef hash, salsa verde, ketchup, yolk - This was one of my favorite dishes - I've had raviolo with egg yolk before but never with the addition of the braised beef and mashed potato. The combination was amazing, savory comfort food at its best!



          We also tried the sesame buns with panelle (Sicilian fritters), calabrian chili mayo, and lettuce. These are popular street food in Sicily, but unlike anything I've every tried!



          Of course no brunch would be complete without bacon - this dish came with peameal bacon and a potato cake (like hashbrown). which is made from boneless pork loin rather than pork belly. It's much leaner, and tastes almost like thinly sliced ham.



           I enjoyed the brunch at Ribelle and appreciated the creativity of all the dishes. There's definitely nothing like it in Boston, and can't wait to come back for dinner!

 

Orta

          I recently had the chance to try Orta restaurant in Pembroke with a group of other bloggers and food writers. I don't often make it down to the south shore, but Orta was definitely worth the trip!

          Orta Ristorante is named for the Lago d’Orta, a glacial lake in the Alp-strewn region of Piedmont, Italy where Chef-Owner Brett Williams trained in tiny trattorie, tasted his first truffles, and proposed to his wife and partner Cara. The location in Pembroke, just a few miles off the highway is the halfway point for Bostonians headed south to Cape Cod. The space is beautiful with an open kitchen and pizza oven, and a warm cozy feel to the dining room.

          We started with several apps to share including:

Orta Arancini / fresh mozzarella / spicy tomato sauce / parsley

Beef Carpaccio / capers / lemon aioli / parmigiano reggiano / petit croutons / baby greens

P.E.I Mussels / leeks / smoked bacon / roasted garlic thyme butter / grilled focaccia

Yellowfin Tuna Tartare / soy ginger reduction / sesame / wasabi aioli / chive cracker

         All of these were excellent but the mussels were my favorite. I loved the flavor of the broth and smoked bacon.

          Next were a few different kinds of pizza; I tried the duck and sausage. Depsite the large entrée I had coming, I couldn't help but eat a second piece of the duck! The sweetness of the cranberry and balsamic paired perfectly with the duck.

Duck Confit Pizza / aged cheddar / dried cranberries / baby arugula / balsamic

Sausage Pizza with / banana peppers / grilled onions / fresh mozzarella

          Surprisingly, everyone at the table ordered a different entrée. Everyone enjoyed their dish and they all looked amazing, but I was definitely happy with my choice: the braised short ribs with gorgonzola mashed.

Braised Veal Meatloaf / crimini mushrooms / onion / creamy whipped potato

Seared Berkshire Pork Chop ‘Milanese’ / lemon / caper / potato puree / asparagus

Braised Beef Short Rib / gorgonzola whipped potato / aromatic red wine sauce / crisp potato

All Natural Grass Fed Sirloin / gorgonzola butter / au gratin potatoes / crispy leeks

          We shared some desserts, and I was only able to take a bite of each. My favorite was definitely the warm pecan pie with caramel and vanilla gelato. 

Mini Black Bottom Cheesecakes / assorted berries / chocolate drizzle

Warm Pecan Pie / caramel / shortbread crust / vanilla gelato

          I enjoyed my meal at Orta and would definitely go back. It's a short drive from Boston (about 30 minutes) and worth the trip to get out of the city and try someplace new.

Sorellina

          A few weeks ago the bf and I were in the mood for some good Italian, so we decided to check out Sorrellina in Back Bay. I started with the oysters as an appetizer. They came with a meyer lemon granita that was icy, and very lemony!

Oysters: East coast, meyer lemon granita, English cucumber mignonette

          We shared an appetizer portion of the maccheroncelli for a second course. It was the perfect size, and the waygu meatballs and montepulciano sauce were incredibly rich and flavorful.

Maccheroncelli: American Wagyu beef meatballs, Montepulciano sauce and Parmigiano

           I ordered the lamb chops for my main course; these were delicious and cooked perfectly. The carrot and potato purees made it the perfect winter dish, but were light enough that the dish wasn't too heavy.

Lamb Chops: grilled Colorado, rosemary-carrot pureé, fingerling potatoes, marsala

          We shared three desserts, and they were all amazing! I expected the zeppole to be my favorite, but surprisingly it ended up being the semifreddo.

Cioccolato: warm molten chocolate cake, madagascar bourbon vanilla bean gelato

Semifreddo: chocolate hazelnut, frangelico cream, candied hazelnut

Zeppole: Italian doughnut, spiced caramel rum crema

          Overall it was a great meal, and I would definitely go back.

 

Nebo

          I used to work next door to the former Nebo, and it was a regular spot for pizza and wine. I recently went in to check out the new location with some friends, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the menu had expanded in addition to the space.

          We started with the arancini stuffed with mozzarella and porcini mushrooms. I always love arancini and the contrast of the crisp coating coupled with the warm gooey risotto inside. The addition of honey drizzled on the outside made them even better.

          Since I'd tried many of the pizzas at the old location, I decided to do something different and went with one of the pasta dishes (Spaghettini alle vongole) as my main course. Both the clams and pasta were extremely fresh, and the dish was surprisingly light.

          My friends also enjoyed their entrees the Branzino (whole grilled sea bass) and zucchini lasagna. 

          We all enjoyed our meal, and I thought both the space and menu were nicely upgraded from the old location. It's definitely worth checking out!

Pauli's in the North End

          Pauli's in the North End has recently received some press for their giant lobster roll "The USS Lobstitution". A big fan of lobster, I had to check it out!

           Pauli's is a mostly takeout place with a handful of tables, with a menu consisting of subs, salads, pasta dishes, wings, and more. They also serve breakfast until  5pm (man, do I wish I knew about this place when I worked in the North End)!



          On my recent visit for dinner, I saw that Pauli's offers three sizes of lobster roll (seven ounce lobster roll, 14 ounce lobster sub, and 24 ounce USS Lobstitution). Since I was by myself and the even the seven ounce sounded impressive (the meat of roughly two small lobsters), I went with the smallest. It was not small by any means!

          I counted at least four claws in my lobster roll, and it was lightly dressed with just a hint of mayo to add moisture without overpowering the lobster. The warm  toasted roll was overflowing with meat. Priced normally around $15, this was definitely a steal!

          If you're active on twitter or the Boston social media scene, you may be aware of the recent controversy around the number restaurants in the North End offering a giant lobster roll on their menu. Since Pauli's is mostly a takeout place, I don't see them competing with full service sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood. The food is excellent, but the experience is so different there seems very little potential for overlap. If you're looking for a great, quick meal on the go check out Pauli's. For a fine dining experience with wine, raw, bar, etc. head to the full service restaurant next door.

Cinquecento

          I’ve always been a fan of the Aquitaine group’s restaurants, so when I heard about Cinquecento their new Roman style trattoria in the South End it quickly made my list to try. When I started hearing rave reviews from trusted (foodie) sources it moved to the top of my list even more quickly. I went in with the bf recently on a Sunday night and we enjoyed a multi-course meal, sampling as much of the menu as we could possibly eat!

          We started with several antipasto selections to share including the bruschetta, veal tonnato, and the special (a duo of lobster ravioli and cannelloni). The bruschetta was a nice twist on the classic dish, and instead of your traditional tomato topping this came with burrata, speck, and a pignoli-currant marmellata. The crusty Italian bread was grilled perfectly, and all of flavors just worked together.

          The veal tonnato consisted of several pieces of thinly sliced braised veal topped with scoops of tuna aioli and bits of toasted garlic. Veal tonnato is one of my favorites, and I loved this preparation with the toasted garlic. Our sever (who was quite knowledgeable about all of the dishes and their origins) explained that in Italian this dish is called Strangers on a Plate because the veal and the tuna are so different, they shouldn’t go together, but somehow they just work.

          The lobster special was also delicious; lobster ravioli is another of my favorites, and I inhaled this dish almost too quickly to notice Cinquecento’s distinct flavors and characteristics, but I thoroughly enjoyed both the ravioli and cannelloni.


          For our second course, we shared a salumi plate. There were several meats and cheeses available, which could be ordered a la carte, or as a custom plate with three or five selections. Of course we chose five: the finocchiona (fennel salami), soppresata piccante, culatello (similar to prosciutto but much leaner as it comes from the back of the leg only), robiola and parmigiano reggiano cheese. This came out on a board with pickled red onions, peppers, and sliced carrots. I loved this dish, and especially loved trying some of the more unusual cured meats I hadn’t heard of.

          For our third course, we each ordered a half order of pasta (the menu lists the full entrée portions but all are available in half sizes). The portions were large, but surprisingly light and I had no trouble finishing my tagliatelle Bolognese which was made with veal, pork, and pancetta in a very light tomato sauce without cream. The orecchietee with radicchio trevisano and rapini served with garlic, chili flakes and olive oil was simple and well done

          Next was a surprise course from the kitchen and one of my two favorites, a poached quail egg with fried pig’s tails. I’ve never had a quail egg done so simply before; it’s always been overpowered just enough by the other ingredients that I wasn’t able to fully taste and appreciate its difference from a chicken egg. This was the best egg I’ve ever had (in part due to preparation, I’m sure) and I’ve been having a hard time putting into words the difference in flavor, but I’ve settled on subtler, cleaner, and more delicate. The fried pig’s tails were perfect with the quail egg, and this felt like a gourmet take on bacon and eggs.

          My entrée, the porchetta was my other favorite dish. The skin was crispy, the layer of fat just right, and the parsnip and cherry sugo were excellent complements. I was way too full to try a bite of the special braciolone over rigatoni, but it looked like a good hearty dish for a cold winter night.

          I did manage a small taste of the dessert, a zucchini cake topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Like several of the earlier courses, I enjoyed this both for its flavors and the opportunity to try something new and different.

          Overall, the food and service at Cinquecento were fantastic, and I will definitely go back. Despite having tried so much of the menu, there were several dishes I’d love to try. The restaurant is a great addition to the South End, and already seems to be filling a void in the neighborhood’s authentic Italian options.

 

L'Osteria

          Last weekend, I went to the north end with friends and fellow bloggers Jen and Jodi. We decided to try somewhere new and chose L’Osteria based on Melissa’s recommendation. **As a side note please visit Melissa’s blog and read her post about Hurricane Sandy She was in an area hit particularly hard and even without power managed to get this up in support of the relief effort**

          When we first walked in, I noticed the atmosphere – small, like most places in the North End, but cozy and inviting. We were seated at a table right by the window, and as we watched an accordion player out on the street, he paused and came into the restaurant, stopping at tables to play for guests while they enjoyed their dinner.

          Shortly after we sat down, the owner Nina stopped by to introduce herself and checked in several times to make sure everything was going well.

          We started with the antipasto, which included tomato and mozzarella, proscuitto, Parmesan cheese, roasted red peppers and olives. Everything was fresh and tasty, but my favorite was the tomato and mozzarella!

          When it was time to order our entrees, our server told us about several special dishes not on the menu. Among these were veal osso bucco and house made gnocchi. I love osso bucco and their preparation with risotto sounded amazing, but as a rule if a place has lobster ravioli on the menu I HAVE to try it! L'Osteria's was a generous portion stuffed with lots of lobster meat in a tomato cream sauce.

 

          We also enjoyed a side of homemade meatballs and tomato sauce.

          We finished with amaretto cake, which was surprisingly very light. The cake was soaked with liquor and topped with a delicious pastry cream.

          We enjoyed everything we ordered, as well as the laidback atmosphere and friendly service. I would love to go back and check out more of the menu, especially the osso bucco!