At 606 Congress, which set sail in March in the new Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, executive chef Toby T. Hill (formerly of Spire Restaurant & Bar) and consulting chef Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta, Great Bay, and Alta Strada) take a New England look at modern American food. The 100 seat space plays an aquatic color palette against polished dark woods and vaulted ceilings to create a setting of welcoming sophistication. As is the style, Hill and Schlow eschew a traditional menu format in favor of dishes to be shared, which they group in six categories that travel from light to robust. First to third ($9 to $17): lobster soup with wild mushrooms, cauliflower, and Marcona almonds; Maine crab tart with avocado, chipotle peppers, and crushed potato chips. Fourth to fifth ($11 to $17): pan-seared black bass with snap peas, edamame, red onion, and spicy miso broth; "really tender" pork stew with cannellini beans, fennel, and spiced jus. Desserts ($9): vanilla-roasted pineapple with ginger ice cream; homemade root beer float with vanilla bean ice cream.
Although its name suggests otherwise, Bar Milano (see "Neo-Glassical Studies") , which opened in April at 323 Third Avenue, is an elegant and lively early breakfast through late night meals exercise in interpretive Northern Italian cuisine, the creation of Jason Denton (owner of Lupa), his brother Joe Denton (partner at ino and 'inoteca), and co-chefs Eric Kleinman (also chef/partner at 'inoteca) and Steve Connaughton (recently chef at Lupa). The 500 bottle wine collection focuses solely on Northern Italy's nine different regions. Overseeing the crafty cocktail menu is partner and modern mixologist extraordinaire Tony Abou-Ganim. The 26 seat bar and 60 seat dining room use classic Italian materials and architectural references—arched ceilings, round pillars, and marbled walls—to create a modernized sense of place. Apps ($12 to $20): terrine of rabbit, liver, artichokes, and carrots; shrimp stuffed pasta with mint and pea tendrils. Mains ($18 to $32): monkfish with foie gras, pear, and cabbage; coniglio fritto (fried rabbit with dried apricots and carrots).
Riding the vegetable trend is the 110 seat Broadway East, which opened in March at 171 East Broadway with a globally inspired plant-centric menu that includes some fish and poultry for good measure. In a previous life the space was an outpost of Schildkraut's, a chain of vegetarian restaurants. Executive chef Lee Gross is classically trained but dabbled in macrobiotics for several years, landing him a gig as private chef to Gwyneth Paltrow, followed by a run as lauded executive chef at M Café de Chaya (Los Angeles). Chef de cuisine Matthew Downes and pastry chef Elena Balletta are both Pure Food and Wine alums. A trendy vertical garden blanketing a 240-square-foot wall dominates the retro-miminalist design by owner/architect Joel Barkley and architect/developer Ron Castellano. Apps ($9 to $14): chowder of oyster mushrooms, alderwood smoked dulse sea vegetables, and brioche croutons; baby cauliflower fritto misto with wild arugula, crispy capers, and cauliflower/lemon emulsion. Mains ($18 to $26): Peking style dried snow tofu (a special kind of tofu, not widely used) with rice and quinoa, seared Chinese cabbage, burdock root chips, scallion/ginger coulis, and red miso hoisin sauce; crisped boneless chicken leg and thigh stuffed with kasha, chicken livers, fresh dill, and browned onions in horseradish jus with carrots and parsnips. Desserts ($8 to $10): "cream puff" of cream cheese mousse with walnut praline and spiced carrot caramel; fig/hazelnut tart with whipped crème fraîche.
With a menu that shifts with the seasons and a reverence for local ingredients, Jennifer James 101 (4615-A Menual Boulevard) debuted in April. Owners Jennifer James (formerly of the shuttered Graze by Jennifer James and Restaurant Jennifer James), her sister Kelly Burton (a front-of-the-house Graze veteran), and Nelle Bauer (former Food Arts editor) are all also partners at Chef du Jour and share kitchen duties and manage the dining room at the new endeavor. The 40 seat minimalist space features black leather benches, birch wood accents, and an über-open kitchen. Apps ($4 to $15): soft-cooked egg with house-made crème fraîche and caviar; fried soft shell crab with dill pickles, sweet onions, and lemon/herb aïoli; scallop seviche with serrano chiles, avocado, cilantro, citrus, and extra-virgin olive oil. Mains ($16 to $30): seared buffalo fillet with oven-roasted asparagus, spring mushrooms, and garlic potatoes; grilled chicken paillard with schmaltz-roasted fingerling potatoes and baby carrots. Desserts ($7): old-fashioned double chocolate pudding; lemon jelly roll with raspberry jam.
A few years back, Jack and Grace Lamb, Manhattan's Lower East Side trendsetters behind Jewel Bako Sushi, Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, and Degustation Wine and Tasting Bar, swapped gritty city living for the orderly suburbs, which turned out to be fertile grounds for their fourth venture, the 36 seat Harvest Supper (15 Elm Street), opened in March. Plaid wallpaper, barn wood wainscoting, and antique paintings set a chicly preppy stage for ambitious New England market fare done in small plate format by chef Michael Campbell, formerly of Hearth in New York City. Vegetables ($6 to $9): Bibb lettuce quarters in creamy arugula pesto with radishes and smoked bread; baked potato croquettes with feta, Greek yogurt, and fresh horseradish. Meat & Seafood ($12 to $17): fresh shrimp sausage with Sicilian olive tapenade and marinated eggplant; braised short ribs with Burgundy/tomato glaze and truffled polenta.
With killer ocean views and a refined Pan-Mediterranean cuisine, 1 Bleu, the signature dining destination in The Regent Bel Harbour, opened with a bang in March. Well-known Miami chef Gerdy Rodriguez is at the helm both at 1 Bleu and its tony lounge The View Bar. John Luciano, formerly of the Mandarin Oriental Miami, is handling pastry. Both venues benefit from a unique partnership with Le Cordon Bleu, which provides guest chefs and classes. In the 1 Bleu dining room find floor-to-ceiling windows matched with intimate oversized raised banquettes. Apps ($13 to $30): duo of local grouper and wild salmon seviche with citrus, cilantro, and truffle-scented white corn; bouillabaisse "Adriatic" of seasonal shellfish, mini croutons, poached quail egg, and saffron broth. Mains ($26 to $58): Moroccan-spiced lamb loin with grilled pineapple, coconut, dried fruit, and ginger flowers; seafood mixta of grilled langoustines, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, and puntillas (baby squid) garnished with trout roe, baby corn, saffron aïoli, and micro greens.
