Good Food Can Be Found In "The Cellar"

Review #2 of 3.

Garden At The Cellar
www.gardenatthecellar.com

Two words. Rosemary fries. This place has them and they are delicious. They are almost like McDonald's addictive fries but glammed up with some rosemary and sea salt. It's a deadly combination, but how can you fault it? Rosemary and the fry are so good together. In fact, when I think of them I'm reminded of the Jack Johnson song, "Better Together." I imagine a sprig of rosemary skipping through the park with a fry and the melody playing in the background:

"Mmmm, It's always better when we're together
Yeah we'll look at the stars and we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah it's always better when we're together."

Or maybe that's me singing as I eat the rosemary fries. Either way, it's good. And at The Cellar you can either get a basket to share as an appetizer or enjoy them as a side to your sandwich.

Fries aside, this place has many other fine options for hungry diners. The restaurant itself is two floors. The top floor is an upscale, casual dining room, albeit kind of narrow. An open kitchen sits at the back of the room and along one side of the room is a large wooden bar. A few tables grace the other side but seating is very limited - hence the two-hour wait for 5 people on a Saturday night. The downstairs, or cellar area, is a bit bigger and much more rustic. It's darker, danker, well like a cellar, and more like a bar. You can eat down there at the high top tables, but it's louder and much less of a relaxed dining experience. It just depends on what you're looking for.

Our group ordered the rosemary fries, like you couldn't have figured that one out, along with the mini burgers and flatbread pizza to share. The mini burgers were served on brioche bread and topped with cheddar. I didn't partake in these, as I ordered the larger size for my meal, but they looked juicy and were served with some crunchy roasted potatoes. The flatbread was crispy and topped with just the right amount of cheese, roasted mushrooms and spicy arugula.

For dinner, as I said, I got the burger. Now I'm very picky about my burgers. Ever since I discovered the best burger of all time at a restaurant near my house (how fortuitous right?) I've been hesitant to order a burger elsewhere. The Cellar burger fortunately had no problem measuring up to my old standby. It was cooked just as I'd ordered, medium, which somehow always seems to be hard to come by. The meat was top quality, juicy but not overly fatty. It was topped with garlic aioli, arugula and Vermont sharp cheddar and served on a brioche bun. Basically a larger version of the minis.

One of my other dining companions got the Cuban sandwich. I personally never know what to expect with a Cuban. Sometimes it's too many pickles or not enough pickles, too much mustard or not enough mustard and so on. I think the jury is still out also on whether or not I really like ham. Hmmm..Anyway. There's a good balance to strike in a Cuban and some places get it and some don't. The Cellar's Cuban looked as pretty as a picture. Shredded braised pork poking out the sides, melted cheese oozing, briny pickles, bright yellow mustard and thin slices of ham all pressed together and mellowing under the bread's dark grill marks. I'm told it tasted as good as it looked too. The food at the Cellar is a sure crowd-pleaser. They have a dinner menu and bar menu so even the picky people in your group will leave satisfied.

I also have to mention that I washed this meal down with a margarita. Like burgers, I'm picky about my margaritas. I hardly ever order a margarita at a bar since most of the time it involves rail tequila (gag me), sour mix and Rose's lime juice. I'm pretty sure that's as unauthentic as you can get. But I spotted a woman sipping on one at the end of the bar and it just looked so enticing so I bit the bullet and ordered one. To my surprise, it was surprisingly good for a bar margarita. I think the bartender used actual margarita mix instead of the aforementioned ingredients, which makes all the difference. So if you do go to The Cellar (as the locals call it), don't be afraid to order the margarita. It's a refreshing change from your standard bar drink. The food is also a refreshing change from standard bar fare - it's classic bar flavors made with fresh ingredients and prepared with a little creativity than usual.

Service: B+ (We sat at the bar and the barmaid was fairly busy but still managed to be attentive and bring drinks and food in a timely manner)
Atmosphere: B (It's nothing special, but it's clean, bright and has a cozy feel. The cellar also provides a much more Gothic experience if you're feeling it.)
Food: A (Everything was just really good.)
Overall Value: B (Portions were huge, no one finished anything on their plate, and prices were reasonable. You can go big or go small here and still be satisfied.)

Tomorrow:
Vinoteca Di Monica, an Italian wine bar and restaurant in Boston's North End that specializes in homemade pasta and a dizzying wine list of Italian selections.
www.monicasonline.com

Eating Well in Boston: Green Street Grill

This past weekend my husband and I ventured up north to Boston, Mass. for the weekend. A friend of mine from high school is getting her MBA at Harvard University and we went up for a visit and some site seeing. Along the way, we ate some really great food at some fun local spots. Thankfully, Boston is a walkable city otherwise we would have gained at least 30 pounds just over the weekend.
Of course, I'd like to share and review our dining experiences with you over the next few days. Here's the first of four restaurants to be reviewed:

Green Street Grill
www.greenstreetgrill.com
If you didn't know it was there, then you'd probably pass right by this little place. Judging by the crowd on Friday nights however, this place has no problem with bringing in the patrons. On this particular evening, the bar was packed tight and there was an hour wait for a four-top. No worries though. We sidled up to the bar, grabbed a few drinks and ordered some of the Grill's appetizers. The grilled calamari, cheese plate and marinated olives made it to the small bar table quickly, despite the crowds, and helped stave off our appetites while we waited for a table. The olives and calamari were good, fresh and simply prepared. The cheese plate was a bit of a disappointment in that it cost $12 and had two, no that's not a misprint, yes count 'em two, pieces of cheese on it, a few slices of bread (very tasty raisin bread I might add), and some homemade spreads. There was a disproportionate amount of spread to cheese and bread, which I thought weird and wasteful. The two pieces of cheese that were on the plate were good - creamy and not too strong in flavor. They paired nicely with the spreads too, one being a crunchy homemade peanut butter and the other an apple onion jam. It was obvious that this cheese plate was all about quality over quantity but then the price should have been as well.
Moving on to dinner! The soup of the day, Lobster Bisque, was creamy and warm with bits of lobster scattered throughout. The clam stew, my entree, was delicious. Succulent little clams swimming in a garlicky tomato-based broth filled with onions, white beans and homemade sausage. It was served with perfectly grilled bread to sop up the juices.
The most intriguing item on the menu though, for all of us was the Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon. This has to be the holy trinity of mac and cheese! In the name of the mac and cheese, brussel sprouts and bacon...A-MEN! What a fantastic combo! I can't believe I never thought of it myself since I have a passion for all three elements. Together these were tasty and complex. This is the most sophisticated mac and cheese you will ever crave. The bacon was crispy, the brussel sprouts were tender and the mac and cheese was creamy and bubbly with a topping of beautifully browned breadcrumbs and Parmesan to give it salt and crunch.
As you may have already guessed, we were too full for dessert. Still we definitely enjoyed a sweet ending at Green Street. We left with full, happy bellies and visions of brussel sprout mac and cheese dancing in our heads.
Service: B
Atmosphere: B+ (A bit noisy in the dining room and very tight in the bar area when the crowds come in, but not awful. Definitely caters to a young, casual crowd.)
Food: A-
Overall Value: B+ (A bit on the pricey side but I really think you get fresh, well-prepared food at a pretty standard price - minus that skimpy cheese plate. It's upscale bar food done very very well.)

Tomorrow:
Garden At The Cellar, www.gardenatthecellar.com.