I had the pleasure of attending Boston's seasonal restaurant week. They actually changed the name to #DineOutBoston but I still use the term restaurant week haha. I had a bunch of potential places picked out, but we settled on Amelia's.
I've participated in restaurant week every season for the past couple years or so. I look through nearly every menu too, so trust me when I say that I have this down to a science.
I don't discriminate when it comes to the type of cuisine, but I do weigh the number of options heavily. For instance, I'm not a big dessert person so that's usually one of the least important factors. As long as there's a fruit something and a chocolate something, we're pretty much golden here.
Now when it comes to the first course, there needs to be at least 3 options. If they're just a soup or a salad, they get the axe. Same logic goes for the second course.
Depending on the place, if there are too many of one type of protein, that usually disqualifies them as well. I rarely go to restaurant week alone, so there needs to be somewhat of a variety to appeal to all guests that are present. With that said, we don't need to cater to everyone's needs.
If the only red meat option is fillet mignon, peace out. I can't tell you the last time I ordered a fillet at a restaurant. Actually, I can. It was probably three years ago during restaurant week at Smith and Wollensky's. It wasn't impressed. There are plenty of other cuts that blow the fillet outta the water.
I actually wore this outfit to dinner.
When you walk into Amelia's you immediately notice the somewhat open kitchen. The entire kitchen is maybe the size of two walk in closets and there's a cut out so you can see the staff preparing your meal! There's a rounded high bar on the left hand side that you can eat at if you so choose, and there's a small booth section on the right; with tables scattered.
We were greeted with bread and a nice spread that was made of...eggplant? I think? It was delicious.
First course options:
- Grilled Caesar
white anchovy, asiago crostini - Carpaccio
pepper crusted grass fed tenderloin, truffle aioli, arugula, fennel - Caprese
mozzarella di bufola, roasted tomato, walnut pesto - Muffuletta
mortadella mousse, olives, pickled vegetable salad
I chose the Caprese, but in hindsight, I should've went with the Carpaccio.
I've had my fair share of buffalo mozzarella and pesto so I know what to expect haha. I eat this combo sans pesto on the reg.
The tomatoes were perfectly ripe, and perfectly roasted! The mozzarella was pretty standard, it was fresh but I'm not sure if it was made in house. The small salad was a nice accompaniment, but the whole dish could've benefitted from a sprinkling of sea salt.
My friends ordered the Caesar - they actually both ordered the same exact thing - and the both cleared their plates.
Second course options:
- Eggplant Timbale
fresh mozzarella, tomato ragu, trofie - Mushroom Agnolotti
white truffle burro foso, swiss chard, ricotta salata - Carbonara
guanciale, spaghetti, grana padano, form fresh egg - Bucatini
white anchovy, cherry tomato, bottarga di tonno, panko - Lamb Shank
polenta, baby vegetables, crispy garlic - Faroe Island Salmon
- cannellini cassoulet, pork belly, radish herb salad
I chose the agnolotti because I already had lamb with eggplant parm that day. Salmon never really appeals to me, unless the cuisine is somewhat Asian-inspired. The waiter said it was really good, and that it was a special as well, so why not right?
I was thoroughly pleased with this dish. The perfect amount of food (I wasn't too hungry to begin with) and the filling was spot on. They were al dente, and the truffle wasn't overbearing (which is easy to do). A healthy amount of cheese, which is always a good sign. I have never had agnolotti before, and I would definitely recommend these if you want something different. I happen to love mushrooms, but they're not for everyone, and I get that.
My friends both ordered the lamb shank as well. I was definitely jealous of the size of their shank yo! It looked so very very good. If I hadn't eaten four chops for lunch I would have ordered that instead haha. They both ate the everything clean to the bone, so I'm assuming it tasted good? I'm probably wrong though (o:3
Dessert options:
- Blood Orange Cake
campari, pistachio ice cream - Christina's Seasonal Sorbet
I had to get the other dessert, because they got the cake. I had a pretty hefty lunch so I didn't want to end on a heavy note! The flavor was lemon, and it was the perfect ending to a great meal. I've been to Christina's before, and their lemon sorbet was refreshing. It had the perfect bite to it, not too acidic and not to sweet. It reminded me of the warm Summer months to come!
Their cake did look pretty damn good though, I can't lie.
All in all I would definitely recommend going here, restaurant week or not. The staff was friendly and the food is fresh!
- aesthetics: 7.5/10 - the place definitely utilized all of the available space that they had. We made reservations (a given) for three and instead of seating us at a normal four top, we were placed some what in an awkward spot near the door. It would have been fine if everyone was level but two of us were seated at a sofa, not too big of a deal though. Not too dramatic, the view into the kitchen was a real turn on.
- taste: 8/10 - my salad was great! Nothing to write home about, but there were no complaints either. I'm not entirely certain if the mozzarella was fresh or not, but I'm leaning towards nah. The agnolotti was superb though! I've had raviolis before but these were nothing shy of perfect. The sorbet was locally sourced so I can't really credit them for that. My friends loved everything that they got as well, they were raving about the lamb and how it fell off the bone, so I can only assume it was a pleasant experience (that and their empty plates). (Almost) everything was seasoned perfectly, and portions were spot on.
- presentation: 8/10 - nothing out of this world, everything was simple & clean, it was clear that they had put some thought into it.
- service: 8.5/10 - our server was great, he refilled out water whenever he saw it dwindling (always a plus). It did take us some time to get our bread, but nothing major. Everyone was extremely pleasant, and you could tell that they knew the food.