A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

I have no idea why I didn’t post about this when we went, it’s embarrassing to say how long this has been sitting in my drafts folder, getting pushed down farther and farther in the queue. And it’s not because we didn’t LOVE the meal, because we did. We went to Menton November 12, 2011. May have been one of the best, most memorable meals we have had (not only from the price, but the quality of the food and service).  Alec Riveros, then the GM of Menton,  had reached out to me about a blog post, and I had mentioned that I loved Sportello. We went back and forth, and he said that if I were ever at Menton that I should introduce myself. I couldn’t have been more impressed. The service is impeccable from the moment you step inside the door. We sat at a great table (there are less than 20 tables in the restaurant – so all the tables are pretty cozy), the linens were ironed by an old school iron warmed up by fire. Our server was knowledgeable and professional, while managing to be charming and witty. We really enjoyed our meal and when you look at the portions and you see that they aren’t “typical”, we walked away satisfied – the food was so rich.

We went to Menton with two of our very good friends, someone I have known for years and his amazing wife. When Menton opened, we knew there wasn’t anyone else we wanted to share the experience with, and that’s what this was, an experience. There were people there in jeans, which baffled us, but we got all dolled up for a night out on the town. They customized the menu for us, we all happen to have first names that start with the letter D, so any time we all go out, it’s the quadruple D’s on the town! We ordered a bottle of Larmandier Rose for $125 and toasted to a wonderful night ahead. We would all recommend Menton for a special night out to everyone we know.

Butter soup as an amuse bouche – so decadent!

You have the choice of a three course prix fixe for $80 or a four course prix fixe for $95. The plating here is amazing, works of art for every course.

Braised Belgian Endive, Roquefort, curry, french butter pear.

Local Potato and Beet Salad, Walnut, Frisee, Rye. Other choices for this course were an Octopus Salad with grapefruit, cilantro and radish, and a Terrine of Foie Gras de Cannard with Quince, Tellicherry Pepper and Brioche.

Nantucket Bay Scallops, lovage, acorn squash, black olive.

Butter Poached Lobster, chestnut, spinach, sherry. Other choices for this course were Kataifi Wrapper Langoustines with almond, Greek yogurt and honey for a $22 supplement; an Artichoke Veloute with ham, goat cheese croquette and brioche; and a Tasmanian Sea Trout with fava bean tortellini, hazelnut and garlic puree.

Choices for the third course were Marcho Farm Veal Loin with Celeriac, King Richard Leek, Sauce Perigueux or a Grimaud Farm Duck with hazelnut, apple butter, picked delicata squash,

Ash Crusted Cervena Venison with heirloom cranberry, rutabaga, and cocoa nib or a Braised Beef Cheek with horseradish, cardoon and sunchoke.

Dessert, my favorite part, a choice of: Guanaja Dark Chocolate Mousse, cardamom, milk chocolate crumble, grand Marnier glace

Hazelnut Financier, olive oil, creme fraiche, concord grape ginger sorbet

Other choices included aBanana Creme Brulee Cake with lime coulis, rum caviar and cinnamon glace or a Pine Nut Tart with balsamic roasted fig, carmelized masacarpone, and soy chai glace.

5 Cheeses:

Brebirousse: Sheep, Auvergne, France. Its bloomy white rind is edged in orange and when perfectly ripe will sink slightly around the perimeter.  The flavor is milky with hints of meadow and not at all sheepish.  The texture is creamy and velvety at its peak ripeness like most brie-style cheeses.

Bayrischer Blauschimmelkase: Cow, Bavaria, Germany. This cheese is made by Mr. Arturo Chiriboga, a native of Ecuador, of the cheese company Schaukaeserei Obere Muehle located in the Bavarian town of Bad Oberdorf. The cheese is based on an original recipe for “Bavarian Blue”created by Basil Weixler in 1902. In the 1920s the recipe was updated to more closely reflect the recipe of the classic French Roquefort. In fact, Weixler wanted to call his cheese “Bavarian Mountain Roquefort” but the French would not allow it. Much to the chagrin of the French, this naming conflict prompted substantial press which simply made the cheese more popular. The milk supply comes from local dairies in a cooperative who adhere to strict guidelines for producing silo-free milk. The blue mold cultures are added to the milk in the vat of fresh milk, then after curdling, the cheese is placed in forms. After 4 to 6 days the cheese is “needled” on the top and bottom to create the air channels necessary for the blue mold to develop. The cheese ages for another 2 months before it is ready to eat. The result is a buttery blue cheese with bright acidity and mild intensity.

Delice de Bourgogne: Cow, Burgundy, France. A tribute to small scale industrial French cheese-making, Delice de Bourgogne (Burgundy) is produced by Fromagerie Lincet. The pasteurized triple creme (75% butterfat in dry matter) marries full-fat cow milk with fresh cream, producing an unapologetically rich, whipped delight. Unlike many straightforward triple-cremes, this one has a thin, pungent mold rind that imparts straw and mushroom aromas, complementing the buttery yellow, sweet cream interior.

Senne flada: Cow, Zurich, Switzerland. Not what you imagine a Swiss cheese to be!  This  is a washed rind, raw cow’s milk cheese from the Alps of Switzerland.  With a buttery look and texture, this cheese breaks all the rules.  This cheese is strong without being offensive.  There are hints of nuttiness, butter, cream and finishes with hazelnut.  If you like a triple creme, you’ll love the Senne-Flada!

Brebis Ossau: Sheep, Pyrenees, France. Produced in the Ossau Valley of the Bearn and Iraty regions of the French Basque Pyrenees. This cheese is firm in texture, and mild and sweet in flavor. Brebis Ossau has aromas and flavors of hay, grass, herbs, sweet nuts, and cream.

Menton

354 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
617-737-0099

http://mentonboston.com/

Tags: barbara lynch, boston, fine dining, fort point, prix fixe, restaurant