If there's one thing a true dilettante can appreciate, it's the fine art of cuisine. And eating. Ok and sometimes even cooking, but mostly eating. This dilettante's lifestyle may be more on the frugal side but that's what makes it all the more fun-a food challenge if you will. Here is a (hopefully constantly growing) list of all of the yummy foods, restaurants, and recipes I can get my hands on! Please feel free to comment with your own thoughts and ideas because if there's anything I love it's MORE YUMMY THINGS!!
POMODORO
24 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA
617-566-4455
http://www.pomodoroboston.com/
Inconspicuous from the outside, Pomodoro is one of those rare, tucked away gems that you happen upon by chance. And that is exactly how we found it. It looked closed from the outside-it appeared that everything else on the block was-but we saw a flicker of candlelight and decided to give it a try. Open the door and pass through the lush red velvet curtains into the cozy heart of the restaurant-the bar. Intimate tables line the walls, and charming waiters swerve in and out filling up glasses with the awesome lemon, orange, mint water. Seriously, it's delicious. The wine list is short but has a nice little selection and pairs well with the extensive food menu. Now for the food. Before you even get a menu, you're presented with some heavily garliced (mmmmm, yes, i just said garliced) olive oil and fresh bread. The menu is classic Italian but gives hints of a creative chef in the kitchen. We started with meatballs over a ricotta and pollenta fritter bathed in the house marinara (lots of garlic, fresh tomato and just enough basil), our waiter (who if I am madly in love with, by the way) brought out a little treat of arugula, parmesan and parma covered in a health dose of olive and lemon. How could i not be in love with him? After that, we split the bistecca and the carbonara. I didn't even have have to ask and the meat was brought out the way I like it-mooing. The pasta was a veritable culinary masterpiece, like nothing I've had before. The sauce was light but creamy, bursting with flavors and laden with mushrooms. If this meal wasn't enough, I thought it might be a good idea to have dessert-I'm still debating if it was a good or bad idea. We spit the chocolate pudding that came with a heaping pile of lavendar whipped cream on it-again, amazing and creative. So good but we could barely make the walk home.
All in all, a fantastic meal. It was a little bit on the pricey side and they only take cash-oops! we didn't realize that until we ordered-but there is an ATM across the street.
Consensus: Go here, make a special trip to go here. Not only is the food incredible, the charming waiters and cozy atmosphere make this place a must. In a town known for its bagels and lox, this is a real treasure. Who needs the North End?
