Weatherwise, we got lucky in Boston. This time of year precipitation usually means snow. For this trip it just means light drizzle and pea-soup fog. The locals are grateful. Fortunately I came prepared...umbrella and my long black Armani trenchcoat. I don't get much of an opportunity to wear it and I love it. Win-win. I arrived Saturday evening and had a reservation for dinner at Sorellina. I've been looking forward to this dinner for several weeks...since reading about it in Esquire's article on the twenty best new restaurants in the US. I've dined at good restaurants here many times before (Radius, Teatro, L'Espalier) but always felt they came up short compared to NY and SF. Esquire also listed Junnoon in Palo Alto in the twenty best and they certainly got that right (although they should have chosen Bushi-tei easily over Bongsu which is really warmed over Tamarine). After three visits (including last Tuesday as a going away dinner for GNP who is moving into the fast-paced world of renewable energy) Junnoon is a personal fave. Hopes were high.
I arrived 30 minutes before my 8PM reservation and took to the bar and a Belvedere martini done right. This was my first meal of the day (no airline box today) and the martini settled in quickly. My dinner companion, FJH, is the account director for the client I was in town to visit. As I downed the last of my martini he walked in the door and we were shown to our table. The decor was reminiscent of Moo in Barcelona...expansive floorspace, cork floors, dark wood and white linens, large white plates with a silhouette of a leafless tree across the center, tables arranged to offer enough privacy for conversation but not so removed as to feel isolated. The ambiance was contemporary yet warm. One wall was entirely occupied with a back-lit monochrome photo mural on glass of rows of pine trees on a hill. If the food and service matched the ambiance we were in for a great meal.
Our waitress came by and offered the menus (contemporary Italian) and wine list. Everything looked appetizing and the choices were tough. For openers I ordered Tuna - hand-cut raw, spicy mostarda aioli and chili vinegar and FJH ordered Crudo - raw sliced yellowtail, citrus, hot peppers and sea salt. We also split an order of Maccheroncelli with American kobe beef meatballs, barolo sauce and parmigiano. For entrees I went with Niman Ranch Berkshire pork chop, barley “risotto”, braised pork belly and dried fruit mostarda. FJH went with Chicken - natural, herb roasted, potatoes and olive harvest ragu. Our eyes being much bigger than our stomach (this was my only meal of the day) allowed us to order sides of sweet corn polenta and truffled fries with parmigiano. Lots of food coming. We ordered a bottle of Truchard Pinot Noir to wash it all down.
Looking back, the easiest way to review the meal is to just say "Wow!" This turned out to be one hell of a meal where every single thing we tried was best of class. The tuna openers...mine had a nice bite to it due to the chili vinegar but it was the freshness of the tuna that I really noticed. Damn good. FJH's crudo was velvety smooth and translucently thin. The citrus and peppers gave it a pungency that couldn't mask the freshness of the yellowtail. I couldn't choose which was more perfect. Then came the meatballs. This dish was called out in the Esquire article and I can see why. I could eat this every night. The Barolo sauce was just a bit sweet and very rich. Ultra comfort food. Again, damn good. I'd have been happy to pay full tab for just what we'd had up to now but the best was yet to come. The pork chop and chicken arrived followed by the polenta and the fries. Now...being an American I've eaten fries all over the country...all styles...thick cut style, garlic fries and so on (although I would never fucking order something called Freedom Fries). I have never, ever had fries that were this good. Long, thin cut potatoes generously salted with sea salt, a light dusting of parmigiano and specks of black truffles created one of the great, simple dishes I've ever eaten. Goddamn these were good. I can still taste them a day later. The chicken and pork were spectacular. The chicken fell off the bone and the pork chop was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The pork belly was rich and tasty. The polenta was perfect. I asked our waitress to compliment the enitre kitchen.
I know I'm a lucky man when over the course of a week I can eat great meals at Limon (Ceviche de Pescado and truffled mac and cheese with Pumpkin Bundino for dessert down the street at Delfina), Junnoon, Kiss, Bushi-tei and Sorellina. I can't recall ever having a run like this over the course of a week (except Barcellona but I had to travel ten thousand miles to get it). At Sorellina the food and wine were so good that I almost forgot about the sex part. Almost. ChP and I are on the outs right now (and I'm away in Boston) but that's another story altogether.
g.
Comments