Dining outside of Boston

Fine dining in the towns that border Boston, MA including a wonderful Italian, a Middle East treasure, a tiny hideaway with a stellar chef

Over the past ten years, Boston has seen a rebirth. The South End, where no one dared tread is now a chic area full of beautiful shops and terrific restaurants. And there are also several good places to try in Cambridge across the river. I lived in Cambridge for 22 years before moving to Paris and as I still have many friends there, I visit every other year.

The most popular restaurant according to the Zagat Guide is Oleana. It is on an unassuming street in East Cambridge. I have never been to place like this. The cuisine is Mediterranean and one dish is more creative and interesting than the next. I went with my hosts: John and Phil, and we were able to sample many dishes. We shared several starters: Deviled Eggs and Tuna with Black Olives, Armenian Bean and Walnut Pate with Homemade String Cheese, Fried Mussels with a Hot Pepper and Turkish Tarator Sauce, Zucchini Pancakes with a Green Tomato-Nectarine Salad and Haloumi Cheese (what is that?), and Ricotta and Bread Dumplings with red wine, Porcini, and Black Kale. I must say I am a novice at this type of food and never ate as well in Turkey. I didn't know many of the ingredients but the food was terrific.

Our main courses were Swordfish with a Salsa Verde, Kohlrabi Fritters and Maine Yellow Eye Beans; Dayboat Cod with Chanterelles, Chorizo, Chick Peas and Romesco Sauce; and Venison with Pomegranate served with a Celeri Root Purée, Swiss Chard infused with Black Tea, and a Wild Mushroom Garnish. We had an excellent Pinot Noir with the meal. John and Phil told me that the dessert specialty is Baked Alaska so that is what we ordered. I also chose coconut ice cream with a passion fruit caramel. I was so pleased to come to this place as it was thoroughly unusual, fun and delicious.

Out in Waltham, I am always very happy to visit my cousins, Caroline and Andy. Down the street from their home is one of my favorite Italian restaurants: Campania. We go there together every time I am in Boston. Usually, we are a large group but, as Andy and Caroline's children no longer live at home, it was just the three of us. The menu featured many delectable choices and we chose wisely: Pan-seared Foie Gras, Roasted Peaches, Duck Leg Confit with a Gorgonzola Crema and a Port Wine and Orange reduction was the first appetizer we shared. That was followed by a Risotto with Pan-Seared Shrimp and Scallops, Fresh Corn and Chanterelle Mushrooms. I adore corn and get it whenever I see it on a menu. And September is a great time to order it.

Our main courses were Salt-Encrusted Whole Branzino stuffed with Herb Gremolata and accompanied with a "teeny" greens and French pear salad with whole roasted garlic; Osso-Buco with a creamy Parmiggiano Polenta, Sauteed Asparagus and a veal reduction; Duck Leg Confit and Pan Seared Breast with Sautéed Escarole "affogato", poached pear with Gorgonzola "Dulce", and an Apricot and Pear Brandy Sauce. The owner sent over a little present for us: Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Cauliflower Caprino Purée and a saffron vinaigrette. Our fantastic wine was a 2006 Barbara d'Asti from Ca di Pian' Spinetta. We always get both desserts which must be ordered in advance: The chocolate soufflé and the crostata à la pêche served with ice cream and drizzled with caramel. What a great meal and how stuffed we all were!

My friend, Richard Kzirian, is a wine connoisseur and has a shop in Cambridge. He supplies many restaurants in the area with wines from the store. It is always a great treat to go out with him as he invariably knows and likes the chefs of the restaurants he chooses. This time we went to Ten Tables. Ten Tables is a small place in Jamaica Plain that has been very successful. Recently the owner and chef opened a second larger place (17 tables) on a quiet residential street in Cambridge. Richard and I had a lovely meal there. He chose the wines of course. The restaurant features Iggy's bread and that means fantastic. My starter was a wonderful Beet Salad with green apple, grilled pistachios and Fourme d'Ambert--a tangy blue cheese that I like. For my main course, I ordered Uchikiri ravioli with butter, sage and parmesan. Uchikiri is a very sweet Japanese squash and the dish was absolutely delicious. The chef made Richard a special dinner using no milk products and that meant a fish stew which was excellent. We were treated to a baked polenta ribbolita, with Tuscan beans and kale. Ribollita is a delicious soup made with stale bread and lots of beans and vegetables. In an earlier post, I wrote about the one I had in Florence at Da Ruggero. This one was different but also memorable.

My last night in Massachusetts, I went out with friends Tim and Jim to Rialto, another restaurant in the Charles Hotel. One more delicious meal and vows to diet once I got back to Paris! There were three of us and that enabled us to take a little trip through the menu. Some examples: Potato Gnocchi with a Rabbit Bolognese sauce with wild mushrooms; perfect Grilled Littlenecks with qndouille sausage and toasted garlic bread to start. After that, there was Local Grilled Bluefish (which is a specialty in Massachusetts and a favorite of mine) with corn relish, heirloom tomatoes and pickled peppers; Julia Child's Lobster à L'Americaine cognac and clams. We ordered a side of creamed corn to satisfy my craving. Jim always get the Tuscan Beef and that evening was no exception.

After that huge meal, they took me to Christine's in Inman Square for pistachio ice cream: their favorite and a big specialty. It was a lovely way to end the evening.

I ate in a few restaurants in Boston and one of them, Oishii is a big favorite. I wrote about it in a blog two years ago and stand by everything I said then. On this trip, I was most impressed by the "outside of" Boston restaurants I went to.