A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Located in the old Rialto space, Benedetto is the new Italian restaurant from the team that brought you Giulia. The space is lovely and my favorite part was the pasta table in the back. By day they make fresh pasta on it and by night it is set for large dinner parties.

I was at the restaurant for a party for the Charles Hotel, but they were serving a lot of items that they have on their main menu. The polenta cakes were delicious, they just melted in your mouth. Very light and creamy. Other small plates they offer in the menu are things like warm semolina cakes with taleggio, roasted mushrooms, parsley and lemon; ricotta crostini with pomegranate, aged balsamic and sicilian pistachios or duck heart ‘speeding’ with picked red pearl onions, heirloom apples and cider agrodolce. Sfizi run from $6-$12.

Another popular dish was the octopus, fresh and flavorful! Other antipasti dishes on the menu include: prosciutto di parma with heirloom apples, escarole hearts, grilled rosemary flatbread and parmigiano; yellowfin tuna crude with bottarga di tonno, cucumber, radish and citrus or grilled mackerel with yucca ‘in soar’ (sun choke, pine nuts, golden raisins and coriander). Antipasti dishes are $15-$19.

I didn’t have a chance to snap a photo of the pasta that we tried, I guess I was just so excited to try it. Take my word for it, the pasta is delicious, it just melted in my mouth. I’m already planning my next trip back to try the bolognese (traditional ragu served with beef short rib, pancetta and chicken livers). Other picks on my list are the braised duck leg tortelloni served with broccoli rabe, dried cherries and parmigiano or the torchio served with lobster, roasted squash, burrata and Umbrian lentils. Pastas range from $19-$32.

Secondi options include branzino, a roasted duck breast, veal and a grilled swordfish.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the Charles Hotel to a cocktail party at Benedetto. Complimentary appetizers and wine were served. All opinions are my own.

Benedetto

1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA (in the Charles Hotel)

http://www.benedettocambridge.com

Tags: bolognese, italian, pasta, restaurant