Beantown Cravings

All by my lonesome. Bunches is at work, probably at this minute being remonstrated by BU girls in fake pearls who like their steak and spinach salad sans steak and spinach.

Therefore, it's time to make a cheesecake. Specifically, a s'more cheesecake from a life recipe I lifted off of Gretchen's Cookbook.

This behemoth dessert requires four packages of cream cheese, enough schmear to satisfy at least 16 bagels.

Now is the time to forget the fact that I may be lactose-intolerant.

Did I mention that I'm done with classes? Huzzah!

Three months of leisure reading before I return to literary theory. I adore those Victorians but I'm a bit sick of puddings and treacle and roasts and meat pies. If you were middle to upper class you could enjoy those dishes and host of other dainties; the poor gnoshed on gruel (it's no coincidence it rhymes with 'cruel'), stale bread, and potatoes.

Summer is my favorite time to eat in Boston. Outdoor dining and long sunny evenings create the perfect atmosphere for long, luxurious dinners. With berries in season and seafood fresh out of the (relatively) warm Atlantic, restaurant fare tends to be light and colorful.


Stay tuned for my forays into shortcake, icy cocktails, and lobster rolls.

If you are carless in Boston, you pretty much feel clueless if you're required to venture to Newton, Quincy, or any other place not within a mile of Boston Common. Thank goodness, 51 Lincoln, is located just a small skip off the D Greenline's Newton Corner stop.

Newton residents might recognize 51 Lincoln as tenant of what used to be the home of Le Soir, an upscale French restaurant that catered to the older suburbian patrons with cash to spare.

I never went to Le Soir but I feel completely comfortable speculating about it: it sounds stuffy, unoriginal, and pretentious. 51 Lincoln 51 is therefore its three-fold opposite.

The interior design warrants a whole separate review. The owner and chef designed allof the wall paintings and the entire establishment's color scheme was oriented around his favorite burnt orange hue. Half-walls and open angles give the entire space an airy, inviting feel; this is not a restaurant where you go to hide.

The menu is upscale and quirky: conventional dishes are given new life with interesting sauces and side pairings. For example, the scallop stuffed chorizo appetizer ($9) sits next to its own mini-pitcher of lemoncello, which adds a pleasant tang to the salty seafood. The pan-seared watermelon steak with eggplant chicharrones ($9) seeps succulent juices that are offset by the bloody tomatoes and meaty eggplant. (For a lovely history on chicharrones, go here.)

Share a pasta dish before proceeding
on to the more protein-heavy entrees. Conversative diners will be pleased with the house rigatoni bolognaise ($15), but I would recommend you venture out of your comfort zone (do it!) and try the lobster noodles with poached lobster and champagne sauce ($18). These slippery noodles with fleshy chunks of lobster meat marinate in their own luxurious bath of champagne and butter. Divine.

I sampled all of 51 Lincoln's entrees but the braised short ribs with polenta fries ($24) was by far my favorite. No knife is involved in consuming this dish; the meat practically melts off the bone and the sweet, tangy sauce sticks to everything, including the fluffy polenta fries that would only be ruined by ketchup. Others worth trying include the saffron roasted game hen with polenta and cheese casserole ($24) and the shrimp and grits with pickled vegetables ($19).

Side dishes at a 'nice' restaurant often just seem bland and/or superfluous. A nice exception is 51 Lincoln's intensely crunchy (but soft on the inside) sweet potato pancakes with apple garlic jam ($5).

51 Lincoln offers a selection of home-baked pies and a delicious double chocolate cake, but the real decadent treat is the pumpkin flan ($6). The creamy pillow of custard with a gentle pumpkin flavoring seems to hover over a splash of light syrup ($5). You'll find room for this dessert no matter how many sweet potato pancakes you eat. Trust me, I did.

Eating at 51 Lincoln has helped to erode my irrational angst about going "all the way" out to Newton and challenged my belief that all the really good restaurants are in the city proper. Go there now before the secret gets out.

Those in the know say that Popeye's Chicken is coming to Kenmore Square. The fried chicken chain will apparently be setting up close to Pizzerina Uno. Hot damn! I love those biscuits.

Those who agree will no longer have to drive to Providence or Brockton to savor those lip-smackin' chicken legs, breasts, and thighs.

This refined gourmand also enjoys Popeye's seafood offerings, which include the straight-forward Popcorn Shrimp Basket and the more mysterious Crispy Fish Basket.

Let us not overlook the 'Signature Sides': Cajun Rice, Cajun Battered Fries, Corn on the Cob, Coleslaw, Mashed Potatoes and Cajun Gravy. I guess here 'cajun' is simply means seasoned with reddish-brown salt fleck. No matter, I love it.

www.popeyes.com

Grand Bistro Robert seems a better name for this lively French restaurant, with its overwhelming flavors, magnificent desserts, and broad appeal. The newest spawn of Master Chef Jacky Robert, formerly of Maison Robert, Petit Bistro Robert garnered much attention in its Kenmore Square location and now has extended its reach to the South End. (By the way, "Master Chef" is an earned title, not my arbitrary distinction. This honor was bestowed upon Jacky in 1989 and he must continually fufill a series of qualifications in order to retain the title. Boo-yah.)

The bistro is conventionally defined as a casual, neighborhood eatery that offers a friendly atmosphere, flowing wine, and nightly specials scrawled on a well-placed blackboard. Petit Bistro Robert certainly fills these requirements and adds something more with sophisticated yet accessible lunch fare (Burger Dog on a Baguette, $6.50; Crispy Poached Eggs with Bacon & Frisée Salad $7.75). Spirited dinner selections (served daily 5pm-11pm) naturally appeal to natives and visitors who are looking for a little bit of Paris in Beantown. Although PBR is certainly romantic, something is lost if you just are sharing their food with one other person, for the rich, colorful dishes are meant to be ordered in bulk and passed around many tasters. Thank God you're not in Chicago and try the Pan Seared Foie Gras with Sauteed Apples ($16.75), lovely, lovely meat butter spread on crisy toast or warm crusty loaves. Slippery, juicy Escargots Bourguignons ($7.75) bathing in little pools of garlic and onion sauce testify to the culinary value of mollusks while the trio of homemade pates ($7) leave you dreaming of warm picnics in Provence. One caveat: indulge with moderation on the appetizers because the mains are robust.

I went for a second helping of organ meat and tried the Sweetbreads Sauteed with Wild Mushrooms, a spongy, savory collection paired with milky garlic mashed potatoes. The Breaded Pork Loin with caper and cornichon butter ($16.75) was lightly breaded, tender, and moist---a rare combination even for a loin cut and evidence that meat is treated with respect in PBR's kitchen. More conservative diners might want to try the Roasted Half Chicken ($14.75) or the Grilled Skirt Steak with Frites ($19.75), both very respectable takes on the classic bistro dishes.

Wine is available by the glass (for wimps) and bottles are priced from $20-100. Pair appetizers and entrees with any of the fine merlots and pinot noirs (my pick: 2002 Santenay 1er Cru) but choose lighter whites and champagne for desserts. An exception might be the 1996 Perrier Jouet Brut ($195) which probably would taste equisite just about any time.

I won't pretend my favorite part wasn't dessert (when is it, my friends might add). The Grand Marnier Soufflee with its own boat of chocolate sauce, is a light, airy cloud with wisps of sweet liquor taste. (FYI, it takes 20 minutes to prepare so give your waiter the heads as you're finishing your entrees). One Giant Profiterole ($6) is just that and not at all ridiculous; it's big but not that big so you would feel too much the cochon if you tackle it yourself. I didn't sample the Gateau Petit Robert, over which looms a delicate chocolate Eiffel Tower


but fortunately all pastries are available for take-out from the downstairs pastry bar. Next time I need to drown my sorries in chocolate, I'm hopping on the green line.

Petit Bistro Robert
468 Commonwealth Avenue
617.375.0699
and
480 Columbus Avenue
617.867.0600

www.petitrobertbistro.com

So much attention has been given to Ivy Restaurant for its impressive $26 per bottle wine list that we might forget the equally delectable, reasonably-priced food.

Ivy Restaurant, not to be confused with similarly-named L.A. celebrity haven, is tucked away right off the Common, in what some choose to call the "Ladder District." (Multiple people have attempted to explain to me how the grid of streets in that area resembles a ladder; I have yet to understand.) Wall booths and a slick bar frame the narrow first floor while more intimate tables are found on the balcony level.

Although Ivy offers a more than respectable lunch menu featuring salads, small plates, and panini, the restaurant's glowing chandeliers, deep red hues, and high ceilings give it a bordello ballroom feel that seems more fitting for evening eating.

Any dinner at the Ivy should not be rushed. In the spirit of Italian dining, I suggest you block out at least two hours to savor multiple moderately-sized courses and bottles of wine. The Per la Tavola appetizers like the Formaggio (selection of cheeses, walnuts, fruits; $14) and the Italian Butcher Block (cured meats with fresh fig!; $10) are best picked over while sharing stories with two or three companions.

More formal appetizers come in the form of primi piatti. I can't say enough about the arancini ($8-9), deepfried balls of risotto that rest on a creamy dollop of sauce. The crunchy shell quickly dissolved into a smooth interior of soft arborio rice laced with prosciutto and black truffles.

Also of note was the fleshy tuna, lightly seared with a sesame crust ($12). The supple strips benefited from the toasted sesame seeds which added a nice crunch and charcoal flavor to the rosy fish.

Piatti are the culmination of any Ivy dinner. I chose well with the signature Grilled Double Cut Pork Chop ($26), served with mashed sweet potato and spinach and drizzled with port-current gastrique. The pork was cooked impeccably and reaffirmed my decision to give up preparing serious meat at home. I could never coax the level of juicy tenderness of those Ivy porkchops, which required only a dull knife to cut. On my next visit, I look forward to enjoying a similar effect in the lamb loin chops (with a two-bean ragou; $28) or the Steak Fiorentina (with gorgonzola compound butter, asparagus, and shallots; $25). The richness of these dishes doesn't naturally inspire any pairing with side dishes, but should you desire some accompaniments I suggest the truffled mashed potatoes or herbed frites ($5).

In addition to the consumer-friendly wine list, Ivy's mixed drinks are fresh and creative. The drinkmaster mixes his own syrup and infuses his own liquours which make cocktails like the Enzo and Tuscan Autumn taste purer and less like artificially flavored punches.

The dolce at Ivy are standard but substantial: a creamy tiramisu, creme brulee, and a sugary chocolate "turtle" cheescake served with dulce de leche gelato. Espresso and cappuccino are on hand to prolong pleasant conversation and create a warm, caffeinated glow that will shield you from the cold on the walk to the T.

At some point in marathon training it becomes unclear to me whether I run to eat or eat to run. Having completed my second longish run this past Saturday (13 miles), I feel extreme carb craving setting in.

Tonight I attacked and conquered a bag of Trader Ming's Won Ton Chips.

These delectable crispy won tons are an intense "Chinese Mustard" flavor and are less greasy than the standard version found at most Chinese restaurants.

Tomorrow night I'm eating at Ivy Restaurant in the Ladder District. For months CitySearch has been badgering viewers about their "take" on the Ivy. Whatever the outcome of tomorrow night's dinner, I promise to describe the food as neither "fantastic and inventive" nor "terribly disappointing".