Urban Foodie Finds: Tomasso

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Tomasso

          I rarely re-review a restaurant, but a place I’ve been 125 times is certainly worthy of a second review! Whenever I’m asked my all time favorite restaurant, I always recommend Tomasso Trattoria in Southborough. It’s slightly more than a half hour drive west of Boston, a drive I’ve made many times since moving to Boston. With all of the great places within walking distance it’s tough to get me to go anywhere that even requires a ride on the t, but I happily make the trip for Tomasso.

          Tomasso’s ever changing menu features local seasonal ingredients, prepared and served in traditional northern Italian style. My first review of Tomasso was not about a specific meal, but rather a general overview after many meals, wine tastings, and events (you can read more here) This review will focus specifically on the meal I had on my 125th visit.

          I went with a friend and we each decided to try the three course prezzo fiso menu for $35. We both ordered the same primi course, but decided on different pasta and main courses so we could try as many dishes as possible. We asked our server to recommend wine pairings with each course, which went perfectly with the food as always.

          As a special treat for my 125th visit, they brought over a salad of fresh tomato and creamy burrata. It was unbelievably fresh and flavorful, and they were complemented perfectly by the balsamic and fresh basil.

The first course was a crostino of tomato, basil, and local ricotta. I thought about changing my order when I saw the special appetizer they were bringing out, but the tomatoes were so good I was glad to have two dishes that featured them.

For our second courses we tried the risotto and casarecci pasta. The risotto was surprisingly the lighter of the two dishes, and the zucchini was definitely the best I’ve ever had. The casarecci was also delicious, both the pasta and sauce were fresh made from scratch, and the sauce was just slightly spicy.

By the time our main courses came we were close to full, but that didn’t stop us from nearly cleaning our plates! The chicken had been brined so the inside was incredibly juicy while the skin was brown and crisp. The brine gave the chicken a little bit of a salty flavor that was balanced well by the bitterness of the mustard greens. The swordfish had a bit of a Mediterranean flair, and I loved the flavors of the fresh corn and tomatoes.