Pierrot Bistrot Francais

Pierrot Bistrot Francais ($$$$) French, Bistro

272 Cambridge St, Boston 02114 (At Anderson St) Phone: 617-725-8855

Last night, I went to Pierrot Bistrot in Beacon Hill area less than two blocks from Charles MGH Redline stop. It was a lovely evening and I was greated by the friendly host. I mentioned I was early but he showed me to my seat with flourish and the majority of the staff is French.

I started off with delightfully warm crusty french bread. I had a few slices of it. Once my friend NT arrived, then we ordered. I got the the House Pate and she got the Salmon Trio. The pate consisted of two big pieces and a cute 3 mini bowl of the side dishes came along with a small side salad. It was well done and when paired with the mustard seed it was lovely. My friend enjoyed her salmon---one was smoked, salmon mousse and I was not sure what the third one was on her plate. For our entree course, she got the shrimp, crabmeat stuffed avocado and I got the duck confit.

The duck leg was great with tons of flavor over beans. I really enjoyed it. NT liked the lightness of her dish and the combo with crabmeat and shrimp were a nice accent to the cool day. For our finale, I got the fromage plate and she got the chocolate mousse. I had four different French cheeses (hard, soft and one blue cheese) and as Anthony Bourdain says, it must be stinky and one of them certainly fit the bill. It was good though. The chocolate mousse had quality dark chocolate and it was not too airy and light with all the cream but it tasted wonderful.

*Cute space and it filled up really fast during dinner time. My friend spent time in Paris and loved this place. The host was very charming. We had to flag down the help to tell them we were ready to order (after putting down our menus and not looking at it for quiet a bit of time.) But our waters were filled and they were attentive about it.

I give Pierrot 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Om Restaurant and Lounge-Cambridge

http://www.omrestaurant.com/

Om Restaurant and Lounge

57 John F Kennedy StCambridge, MA 02138(617) 576-2800

Young Greens banyuls vinaigrette, herb fines, shallot, radish10

Marinated Beet Salad baby beets, maitake mushrooms, baby arugula, baley-hazen blue cheese, honey-truffle vinaigrette13

Hawaiian Blue Prawns grilled prawns, ajo blanco, sweet & sour peaches, honey granola, culantro17

Spring Bean Salad farmers market assorted beans, tarragon & lemon vinaigrette, sugar plum, gorgonzola cheese14

Soft Shell Crab“creamed corn”, cilantro, baby boc choy, Chinese sausage, shimeji mushrooms, pea tendrils, cilantro, garlic chives17

Duck Confit queso Azul de Valdeon, Pear mostarda, arugula, urfa pepper aioli, pine nut brittle16

Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna $22

Steak Tartar Wolfesneck farm sirloin, wasabi vinigrette,
asian pear, sweet & sour rutebega, adzuki bean, quail egg, taro chips18

Duet of Berkshire Pork grilled pork loin, sorrel, apple mostarda+braised pork belly, sweet & sour cabbage,fingerling frites, Chinese hot mustard28

Elephant Trunk Sea Scallops sweet english pea puree, apple wood smoked bacon, Ben’s mushrooms, pickled red onion, basil, mint, 28

Colorado Lamb grilled boneless lamb sirloin, baby fried artichokes, olive jam, pecorino-romano cheese, coriander emulsion34

CHEF’S TASTING MENU

5 course 75 with wine 105

Went to celebrate a friend's bday and we ended up having a nice meal.

Started off nibbling on the truffle oil cheese popcorn (no bread) before ordering. I must say they are addictive! The restaurant week menu was not exciting enough for us so we got the tasting menu instead. First we got an amuse bouche of cold gazpacho with watermelon, guave and orange juice. It was freshing.

Watermelon soup served wtih brooke trout (we liked the trout) but together with everything someone commented the dish needing a bit more acid for contrast. Another appetizer the Marinated Beet Salad were great as the beets were sweet, the honey truffle and the mushrooms made this lovely. (I still think the beets I had made at Domani tasting menu had a better edge over this beet salad and my friend agreed with me). Spring Bean Salad, we thought the beans were a bit too crunchy, the flavors were subtle but we did like the lemon tarrogan vinigrette but the gargonzola cheese did nothing for our tastebuds. Hawaiian Blue Prawns grilled prawns was nice with banana slices on the bottom, hints of chili the flavors were lovely and the accent using the intensely flavorful coconut sorbet topped the dish. Next the Soft Shell Crab“creamed corn” did not make sense. We loved the fried soft shell crab but the sweetness of the corn (though lovely a bit weird with this dish) and then you have chinese bokchoy, Chinese sausage (which I adore) on this plate seemed at the chef Rachel Klein's attempt to marry homestyle Chinese into this dishwith a Western twist, not a big hit for us. Better separating the flavors and tastes of each component than all together in one bite. Plus there was some "spicy" heat needed to "liven" this dish up. The Duck Confit was supposed to be a highlight for my friend, but though good (Domani's duck confit still trumps this version) and the cheese did nothing for the dish, it was not. The arugala salad was nice and the pinenut brittle were interesting accents. My friend just kept on leaving it untouched on her plate. The Steak Tartar had many interesting elements using wasabi aoli, tarot chips, quail egg did not do it for me. I usually like tartar but this one the meat was not minced or grounded enough. I felt the steak to have big strips to be tough and chewy with each bite. I enjoyed the Duet of Berkshire Pork using grilled pork lion and pork belly which were delightful (but the kurobata pork belly eaten at The Social House in Treasure Island was much superior). The Elephant Trunk Sea Scallop was nice but the highlight were all the fresh sweet pea puree that made me enjoy the dish and the pickled pearwl onions but the hints of finely chopped smoked bacon were a true delight. The Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna was with Japanese noodle and a mayo basil sauce was good but not very memorable. Then we had the Colorado Lamb with the whitebean puree, curry sauce with golden raisin and the purple onions caused a nice contrast to the grilled lamb. We had another lamb with cheese, tomato, other veggies that was fine.

I forgot to take pics of the dessert we received----peach empanada with litchi ice cream (very light and not memorable--the ice cream anyways) and almond brittle, dark chocolate truffle and Cherry hazelnut streudel with a white chocolate dipped cherry, white chocolate cheesecake ice

cream.

Atmosphere: 9

Service: 9

Food: hits and misses 8

Cost: 8

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.

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.

Avila

Avila - http://www.avilarestaurant.com/

1 Charles St S, Boston - (617) 267-4810

Sunday 8/5/2007 marked the first night of Boston Summer Restaurant week 2007 at Avila ( Charles St, Boston, MA). The sleek bar area is very cool and very upscale. The open kitchen is nice and you can watch the cooks while waiting for your friend, which ended up being the case for my friend Alita. We were given a bread plate some different breads (warmed) and one big pat of butter. I liked the foccacio and there was parmesan melted onthe pita points. We started with an amuse bouche of gazpacho--a bit tart with great bits of cucumber, tomato and avocado. Yummy and refreshing as Alita commented to me. Then I got the tuna carpaccio with tarrogan mustard sauce and fried shallots. We loved how it was light and fresh tasting with the tarrogan mustard sauce being a nice accent. Alita got the potato, fennel and leek soup with Jonah Crab. She is not a fan of leek and fennel but she lapped up the soup loving the smooth texture, the flavors were magnificent and she lapped up the soup using her bread to get every last bit of it. I did opt for the spicy chorizo, garbanzo beans and tomatoes with seared cod. It was delicious. Alita got the lamb souvlaki with feta cheese, tomatoes and mint sauce. The flavors were great and the strong saltiness balanced the grilled lamb very well.

Service was attentive, we were given new silverware with each course, water was always poured and we never had to ask for a refill. We ended with the panna cotta with balsamic dipped strawberries with a almond biscotti, yummy. Silky and custardy with a slight sugary carmelized hard crust with the lovely strawberries.

I give Avila a 9 forks out of 10 forks.

The Clambox----Fried clams heaven!

246 High St. (Mitchell Rd.) Map · Ipswich, MA 01938. 978-356-9707

http://www.ipswichma.com/clambox/index.htm

I read alot about THE CLAMBOX and since I adore fried clams, I had to check this place out after going to Kelly's and Woodmans (they say they invented the Fried Clams). But in Ispwich and Essex, that area is laden with many clams that it is the place to be for fresh and delicious clams!

The building is in a kitschy shape of a Clambox and the lines are long (we waited for about 40 minutes but I heard even on off season the wait can be just an hour!!!). But it was well worth the wait! I went there over the weekend with my buddy MKP (who also went to Woodman's with me the prior weekend). I was afraid he would not want another weekend of Fried Clams, I was wrong! (Thank goodness he was open to eating with me!)

The Clambox is amazing and a great destination for fried clams!!! I know I went to Woodman's invented the fried clams, but the Clambox is WORTH the pilgrimage to have their great "big bellied" fried clams (upon request). We got there at 12 (opened at 11am) and already a good half hour wait. There was a sheet of paper by the entrance to look at to figure out what you want to order.

MPK and I decided to share and go the Fisherman's Platter ($21.95) with clams, haddock, scallop and Maine Shrimp with a choice of two sides from your choices of fried onion rings, french fries and cole slaw. Then got a cup of clam chowder $4.95 and one clam cake $1 with two small lemonades at $1 a piece. We could not leave without a lobster roll for $14.95. We also had to wait another15 minutes but it was WORTH the wait. I was busy reading the great articles and awards hung around the ordering area. Be warned, CASH only is accepted but they conveniently have an ATM machine. So the Clambox has been serving for fried clams and only believe in fresh food. Per the articles, I gathered that the owner dips the clams in evaporated milk then twice in corn and once in flour before frying them in lard (lard is changed daily in the afternoon). The big bellied clams were delicious! Finally to have big bellies (no extra charge too!) were delicious and I like the taste of the sea when you bite into it. The crunch and taste was fabulous on the generously piled on plate. (For those with smaller stomachs, there are mini meal options available). We opted for the sides to be fried onion rings --golden and crispy but the inside was sweet and delicious--and cole slaw ---not dry, great mix of carrot and cabbage and the dressing was just right. The fried clam cake was great and much better than the clam fritters we had at Woodman's the prior weekend. The crispy crunch exterior was yummy and the tartar sauce was great acccent. The juicy scallops and medium sized but thoroughly deveined Maine Shrimp were a treat. The best clam chowder out of Kelly's, Woodmans and the Clam Box was the latter. Their clam chowder had the right amount of thickness, potatoes, and clams which were delightful and flavorful--both MPK and I were sighing in sheer delight. The lobster roll was good but a bit too much of may for my taste but the lobster tail and claw meat was plentiful.

The decorations were more kitschy at the Clambox, the exterior is shaped as a Clambox with a side section to eat inside. The lines are worth the wait for this delicious taste of Essex clams (YUMMY) I can now understand why many make the pilgrimage to have these fried clams. Unfortunately you need car to get to this place, but it is well worth the wait!
A 9 forks out of 10 forks!

Temple Bar--brunch

1688 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MA 02138(617) 547-5055

(http://www.templebarcambridge.com/)

I went to brunch at Temple Bar (an American Bistro also owners of Redline and Grafton Street both in Harvard Square)this past Saturday. We started off with some complimentary chocolate chip mini muffins which were very cute. I opted for the IRISH FRY and my friend RS got the Mascarpone Cheese stuffed crepes. She loved the crepes as they were more

MASCARPONE CHEESE STUFFED CREPES - $10 HOUSE MADE STRAWBERRY COMPOTE, CHOCOLATE SAUCE

IRISH FRY - $12TWO EGGS, IRISH SAUSAGES, IRISH RASHERS, BLACK AND WHITE PUDDING (blood sausage), BREAKFAST POTATOES, GRILLED TOMATO

I liked my Irish Fry but it was as unhealthy as it sounded. All in its artery clogging goodness but still great in its nitrates and saturated fats! Luckily I do not eat this way for brunch daily/nor breakfast for that matter. The breakfast potatoes were nice and and seasoned, blood sausage and eggs were great. Everything had a bit of salt to it but the potatoes and eggs off set it for me. RS said she loved her crepes as they were sweet (but not overly so).

Waitress was good and our server made sure we had our water glasses refilled and did not rush us out of the place.

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.