The Butcher Shop-South End Boston

Butcher Shop - http://www.butchershopboston.com/

552 Tremont St, Boston (SOUTH END)- (617) 423-4800

Watermelon Gazpacho-honeydew, Prosecco, mint

Hanger Steak-Great Hill Blue, radish

Chocolate Almond Cake-peaches

I went to Butcher Shop in the South End part of the Chef Barbara Lynch empire (No. 9 Park is still a destination I would love to check out sometime in the future). This place has a great neighborhood vibe and sells cured meats, cheeses and wines. Also it is another locale I hit for Boston's Summer Restaurant week 2007! I met up with good pal and food buddy from one of my other lives DW.

It was a muggy night and when I arrived it took awhile for me to cool down. I got a great Kriek (love that stuff from Belgium). Enjoyed the watermelon gazpacho with the avocado garnish (did not really go there for me) but the watermelon juice was refreshing but not what I call much of a gazpacho (just because it is a cold soup) but did not have the usual olive oil, sometimes bread but mainly tomatoes.

For the entree we had the steak (medium rare) cooked to perfection and properly seasoned simply with salt and pepper sliced thin with great simple grean salad with radish and I believe some onions. The bread was fantastic served with creamiest, sweetest butter with great sea salt that had me grabbing for many slices of bread.

The meal peaked with the chocolate almond cake which was similar to a small cake dipped in chocolate but the flavors were dense and dark with the hint of almond, peach and freshly whipped cream balanced out the chocolate's richness.

I give it an 8 forks out of 10 forks.