Since opening in 2010, Barbara Lynch’s Menton has won several awards, including a 4 star review by the Globe, and was nominated as a James Beard Foundation Awards 2011 finalist for Best New Restaurant.

Menton is Boston’s only Relais & Châteaux, AAA Five-Diamond, and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star property.

The menu changes frequently, so these aren’t the exact flavors that we had, but many of the flavors show above made an appearance on our tasting menu. The tasting menu is offered at $155 per person. If you prefer, they also offer a 4 course prix fixe menu for $95.

The decor is simple and charming. I was surprised at the amount of people here tonight that were in casual clothing. One gentleman was in jeans and a -shirt and another gentleman later in the evening showed up in bleached jeans and a sweater.

There is a small lounge area where you can wait for your table.

The dining room is simple and elegant.

Red snapper is our first taste, served in a crispy wrapper, this is light and salty.

Next, the carrot macaron – such a whimsical presentation.

Gruyere and caramelized onion bite. I love when gruyere and onion are paired together – it reminds you of french onion soup.

The nutmeg gougere with pumpkin mousse was delicate and burst in your mouth. A really nice winter bite – the pumpkin was savory and paired well with the warm taste of the nutmeg.

Scallops in a soy ginger foam with daikon radish and grapefruit was a delicious taste – a nice play with salty and sweet.

Cobia, not one of my favorite dishes, but the fish was firm and the caviar had a bold, distinct flavor.

Fluke and celery. The fish was light and flaky, a really nice texture about it. The presentation is lovely.

The lobster bolognese with sea urchin and bottarga (a Mediterranean delicacy of salted, cured fish roe, typically from grey mullet, tuna, or swordfish) was probably my favorite dish of the night. The pasta was delicate and the lobster had a hint of sweetness.

Foie Gras de Canard with mushrooms and escargot – this is quite a generous serving of foie gras, warmed slightly and it just melted in your mouth.

The veal with veal sweet breads was so tender. The veal melted in your mouth – amazing.

Buffalo short rib with wheat berries came plated and they poured onion comsumme over top. A really flavorful, bold winter dish. The short rib was perfectly cooked, the meal fell apart with just your fork.

We opted for the optional cheese course.

Menton buys their cheese from Formaggio Kitchen. We had some excellent choices.

Red currant jam, an onion apple jam, honey, cashews and flat bread.

Moving on to dessert, here is the black pepper ice cream with coriander black tea. Not my favorite dessert, definitely that hint of spice and the bold flavor of the tea.

Honey cake with lemon sorbet and poached quince. The dish was just ok for us. The lemon flavor was overpowering and there was a goat cheese flavor that we weren’t expecting in this dish.

They brought over some little desserts after we finished the meal, the one of the left was peanut butter and a hibiscus caramel is on the far right.

Macarons, hops, beet and a few other flavors I can’t recall.

The service here was top notch – as you would expect. All dishes were brought out and explained in detail – the meal was seamless. While the meal was delicious (and lighter than other tasting menus we have had recently) there wasn’t any one dish tonight that “wowed” me. Looking forward to going back soon to see what chef Scott Jones will do to with the menu!

Menton

354 Congress Street, Boston

http://mentonboston.com

Make a reservation with Open Table

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We headed over to No. 9 Park to try out their tasting menu. At $112, you get six courses, with the option of adding the prune stuffed gnocchi, the foie gras and the artisanal cheese courses. We ended up doing the foie gras and the prune stuffed gnocchi, but by the time we got to the option of having the cheese course, we just didn’t have room (as much as we wanted to).

We started off with the peekytoe crab with hears of palm, pumpkin and apple. It was paired with a 2010 Chidaine Montlouis – sur Loire “Les Choisilles”. This dish came beautifully plated with a little ash on the top near the peekytoe crab. The dish was light, a great way to start off the meal. The wine was crisp and had a mineral taste to it that I really enjoyed.

Second course was the Scottish salmon with potato mille-feuille, pistou and cannelini beans paired with a 2009 Livon Ribolla Gialla “Ronc Alto”. I have to admit that generally, I don’t like salmon. I was hesitant to try this dish, but I ended up loving it! The skin was cooked, so you could eat it, and the potato underneath was delicious. Mille feuille is French for “thousand layers” and the term is generally used when talking about pastry. These thin layers of potato were so delicate and paired quite nicely with the fish. The wine they paired with this dish had a rounded earthy flavor. The white grapes from this wine come from Friuli

The housemade bigoli with celeriac, smoked salt cod, and calabrian chili paired with the 2011 COS Grecanico en Amphora “Pithos”. The name of the wine “COS” comes from three friends: Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Pinuccia Strano. The (Sicilian)wine itself is almost orange in color which comes from putting grapes in clay pots and bury them in the ground – it is the most organic process of making wine. You can almost taste the clay along with some apricot notes.

The prune stuffed gnocchi with foie gras, almonds and vin santo paired with NV Veuve Cliquot Demi Sec Champagne. Our waiter tells us a story about Julia Child and Barbara Lynch, and how Julia told Barbara that she didn’t think this was a good pairing. The prunes are sweet and the gnocchi is light as air. I missed the photo of the seared Hudson Valley foie gras with black walnut, sweet potato and clotted cream paired with the Rare Wine Co. Modeira “Boston Bual”. I think at this point I hit a wall. I was stuffed. The food thus far was delicious, and so rich! What I can tell you is that the foie gras was delicious. I only managed a bite or two, but it just melted in your mouth. Our waiter tells us that back in the day, each port had it’s own variety of Modeira – which started when the grapes were being heated on the decks of ships.

The roasted quail with lentils, sanguinaccio (sausage) and chestnut, paired with 2010 Domaine de la Chapelle de Bois Fleurie “Grand Pre“. If I wasn’t full before, I am now stuffed, and feel like I should take a nap! The quail is tender – perfectly cooked. I think the sausage is a matter of personal preference – not my favorite, but that’s ok. I miss taking a photo of the local baby lamb with black garlic, broccoli and blood orange. I may be a bit tipsy at this point. The lamb is prepared three ways and is paired with a 2008 Mugo Rioja Riserva.

A little pear palette cleanser before dessert.

And as a finale, a dark chocolate bete noire with mint, meyer lemon, and cynar (a liqueur). The bete noire, translated as “the black beast” is a flourless chocolate cake served with a peppermint patty. The strong mint flavors really balance the richness of the chocolate cake. This dish is paired with  a 2007 Castello di Volpaia Santo del Chianti Classico.

And just when you think you can’t have any more, they bring out some delicious gingerbread cookies with toffee.

All in all it was a great night, exceptional food paired with good friends (and a few tasty cocktails). The service was excellent – our waiter was knowledgeable and gave us a great background on all of the wine pairings – each course was explained in detail when it was brought out. We are already looking forward to our next visit!

No. 9 Park

9 Park Street, Boston, MA

http://no9park.com/

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I had a few co-workers come in from out of town and I brought them here – we were one more than expected, and they couldn’t accommodate us, so we had to wait about 30 minutes until we could all sit. We waited for about 15 minutes to get into Drink downstairs, and by the time we ordered drinks and they arrived we were called up to our seats.

My co-workers are fellow foodies, so we did it up big. We started with the roasted fingerlings ($5).  We also grabbed the duck rillettes ($8 – not pictured) and the crispy chicken livers: ($15 – not pictured, ricotta gnudi, sweet corn, chicken jus.

We were famished and this was a late dinner, so we also had salads. We had the Equinox Farm Mesclun: ($12 – not pictured) hazelnut, pecorino, verjus. Pictured above is my salad, the heirloom tomato salad: ($14) melon, calaminth (which is an herb for those not in the know), feta. Simple presentation, colorful, flavorful and bold.

I can’t get enough of the pasta here, and I can never make up my mind, so I go with two appetizer sized dishes to satisfy my craving. Above is the potato gnocchi: ($13) mushroom ragu, peas, cream. The dumplings melted away in your mouth. The sauce was creamy but not too heavy – perfection!

And my go to dish here, the tagliatelle: ($15) sauce bolognese, fried basil. The cheese on top was like a fluffy mountain of snow. Al dente pasta, meaty ragu with an amazing flavor. I almost fell of my stool when the stranger told me that he thought the dish was too salty! Sacrilege!!

For dessert we did the toasted coconut s’more: ($8 – not pictured) whipped chocolate fudge which was our #2 dessert of the night – really lovely dessert, how can you go wrong with chocolate and coconut? Above is the angel food cake: ($8) summer fruits, crimsonberry tea. Lovely to look at, but angel food cake just doesn’t excite me.

And I ordered (and shared) the cookie sandwich: ($6) reserve chocolate chip cookie, coffee gelato. Best dessert of the night. Cookies were rich and had a really nice hint of salt on top to make this dessert anything but ordinary.

Sportello

348 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
617-737-1234

http://sportelloboston.com

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The aviation ($12) traditionally made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice – some leave out the crème de violette. This was my drink. I think that the more drinks I have with gin, the fonder I am of it. See the other gin drink I loved at Tavern Road here. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this drink.

The negroni ($12) traditionally made with one partone part gin, one part vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and one part bitters, traditionally Campari.

The elderflower sour ($12) traditionally made with Gin, Elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice.

Drink

348 Congress St  Boston, MA 02210

617-695-1806

http://drinkfortpoint.com/

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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/

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