Some days you just feel like foie gras.
Such was Sunday, so a few friends and I finally took up our pal David's offer to treat us to his 50% employee discount at Eastern Standard, a French-American bistro in Kenmore Square.
I can't properly comment on the service, as all of David's colleagues understandably gave us excessive attention, but I would like to put in a good word for the general ambiance and food of Eastern Standard, which has taken quite a licking in online reviews for its spotty service and "just okay" cusine.
Eastern Standard's cavernous interior is adorned with large-scale 20s and 30s photographs and railroad montages and a sea of tables and booths are scattered beneath towering light fixtures. A long bar perfect for sipping cocktails sweeps the far side of the room while over-stuffed armchairs and cushioned benches frame a smaller outdoor dining area. Although I rarely comment on waitstaff uniforms, I am compelled to agree with one online reviewer who commented on the cuteness of the waitresses' skirts.
The menu immediately impressed me with its reasonably-priced (even without the discount) exquisite French and seafood dishes. Well-crafted sandwiches like the cheeseburger on a toasted brioche and salads are under $12 and more complex entrees up to $28. Standard lunch and light dinner options include a mixed greens plate with sweetbreads and a poached egg and the seared tuna salad.
Eastern Standard also rotates a series of daily specials like Rabbit Pot Pie and a daily charcuterie plate. The waitress's glowing description of the suckling pig, Sunday's special, won me over, and I resided myself to trying the roast chicken with spaetzle another time. My plate of pork was masterfully presented in four ways: homemade sausage, loin cuts, fillet strips, and spiced pulled meat resting on a thin layer of pureed cauliflower. With the except of the sausage (too fatty) all were wonderfully tender and well-seasoned, with the pulled pork deserving of special accolades. Sunday's characuterie plate included two pates, duck proscuitto, and cornichons with a side of toasted mini-baguette and mustards.
And, how could I forget the dish that prompted this excursion? Eastern Standard's remarkable foie gras ($14), which can only be described as organ meat in butter form. David tells me the hearty portion served over roasted lentils is priced such that the restaurant barely makes a profit because the owner is so devoted to having its patrons give it a try.
Dessert was less satisfying, for my "banan split" ($7) turned out to be a few small quarters of flambeed bananas with a meager portion of brown sugar ice cream. A few bites of my neighbor's citrus cheesecake were similarly unimpressive.
I certainly satisfied my longing for foie gras that night and I'm certain to return to Eastern Standard for roasted chicken and rabbit pot pie. We'll see then about the quality of service, but, given the meticulous attention given to all patrons' dishes, I'm confident the food will remain up to par.
The Info
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
617-532-9100
