Christopher's

Christopher's Restaurant & Bar - 1920 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge (Porter)

Happy New Year!  One of my goals is to be more regular with my posting, but first I'll have to catch up on last year.  I am also making an effort to more fully explore my new neighborhood of Porter Square so here is the first of several posts to come for this area.

I went there with my roommate Jay for dinner one night last month.  I don't know why, but I went in expecting a nondescript, somewhat stuffy restaurant with outdated furnishings and menu.  Instead, I found the makings of a good neighborhood hangout.  There is a bar that wraps around most of the middle of the restaurant and the atmosphere was fairly lively.  The menu is classic American with an emphasis on their burgers and enough flair to make it interesting.  Like many places in Porter, the prices are very reasonable so it will be easy to go back.

Upstairs on the Square

Upstairs on the Square - 91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge (Harvard)

This fall (this post is really old), thanks to Gilt City and my friend Laura, I had an opportunity to try out the 5 course tasting menu with wine at Upstairs on the Square, a pretty swanky place in Harvard Square, with Ann and Laura's friend Dan.  I didn't really know what to expect coming in, other than the excessive amounts of pink and stripes used in the dining room decor were not to my liking.

Upon arrival, my concerns about the decor were found to be mostly true, though not as bad as feared.  However, things became immediately better when we were presented with the menu.

Let's just say it was a very enjoyable meal.  The wine pairings were all good, though I'd say the wine that stood out the most for me was the Sauvignon Blanc.  It was probably the best one I've ever had, though that could have had something to do with the fact that our server told us it was a limited edition run that this guy makes only in certain years.

The Heirloom Salad was good, especially the goat cheese, although sometimes the tomatoes were a bit overpowering for me.  Same for the Spaghetti au Caviar, although it was good just to have a small portion because it was kind of creamy and that would have become too much if we had tried to eat a whole entree of it.  The Salmon was probably the consensus top entree pick out of the group.  Here is a dish we wish they didn't have a small portion for.  The Salmon itself was great and then the root vegetables and apples were a perfect compliment with a kick from the mustard and horseradish.  It was especially nice for fall.  The Chicken was also great, although I would say the portion was even more noticeably undersized.  I was mostly surprised at how much I enjoyed the spaetzle.  At this point in the evening, we were all feeling pretty good from the wine and had been truly enjoying the assortment of fine foods presented to us.  I do not think we were prepared for what happened next.  The Churros y Chocolat is probably the best dessert I have ever had.  Ever.  They were perfectly fried and sugary and cinnamon-y and you could dip them in molten dark chocolate.  Pairing it with cinnamon ice cream just completed the perfection!  Needless to say, we all left on a happy note.


Doing the tasting menu at Upstairs on the Square was certainly an enjoyable experience.  The food was very well conceived and prepared, leading to the results described above.  It was different enough to be exciting, but familiar enough to be enjoyed.  Our server was very friendly and we had a good time, though there were a couple of overly long delays between courses.  My biggest knocks on the place are the prices and the atmosphere.  It's certainly worth the extra cost for a special occasion based on the food, but the dining room was a little off and also had too much of a stuffy, formal feel for me to make it a top choice.

Salts

Salts - 798 Main Street, Cambridge (Central/Kendall)

Salts is a hidden gem of the Boston restaurant scene. It is certainly located out of the way, tucked in to an old industrial area behind Central Square. However, once you step inside the atmosphere is both warm and inviting, aided in no small part by the gracious hosting of co-owner Analia. It is great for either a romantic dinner or a small group celebrating a special occasion with the price point higher than any other restaurant I have yet reviewed.

The cuisine is French-inspired but the ingredients are locally sourced, which means the menu turns out to generally be a taste of New England. This was certainly true with Ann's squash soup appetizer, which we both described as tasting like fall. This is a place that foodies would love, with special attention given to an uncommon combination of ingredients as well as diligent preparation. Between appetizers and the entree, we were given a free sample of artichoke soup with I believe foamed parmesan on top. I was having a hard time keeping up with the ingredients, but the results were superb. The highlight of the evening was the roast duck for two, which Salts is famous for and we were lucky enough to secure one of the final two late in the night. The entire duck is presented on one platter along with vegetables and fruits and the waiter carves it practically at your table. The first bite was perhaps better than anything I had ever tasted before and we both ate as much we liked and were still left with a healthy portion to take home (Note: there is also a tasting menu offered at $75 per person where they ask what you do and don't like on the menu and then come out with six courses tailored to your specific tastes. This was highly recommended by my friend Olivier who suggested the restaurant, but Ann and I didn't feel quite ready to try it out).

Everything about Salts was fantastic, with exceptionally friendly and personal service and fabulously prepared and presented food.