There is rarely a time when I look at a menu and more than half of it really catches my eye. Sometimes there’s that one dish that instantly stands out and you know immediately that is what you will order. Other times I find myself searching for that one dish and fail to find it. These are the times it takes me forever to make up my mind because all of the options just seem average. There have been few occasions where so much of the menu really stood out and caught the attention of my taste buds. One such case was Grotto.
I met my friend for dinner and was immediately drawn in by the mystique of Grotto. Located somewhat underground, you enter the restaurant after a couple of steep steps, already establishing feelings of a secluded grotto. The atmosphere was modern yet cozy: wine bottles, modern art, brick and candlelight create an intimate setting.
Grotto only offers beer and wine, so I ordered a glass of Long Lake Chardonnay (California, $11). Wine is offered by the glass, bottle and a quartino size, which is was I settled on knowing I wanted white wine for my meal.
For my appetizer, I order the Funduto ($10), a fontina fondue with beef tenderloin, aged balsamic, truffle oil, and portobello mushrooms. Served fondue style with small piercing forks, the beef was cooked very medium rare with a subtle flavor, complimented by the cheese and truffle oil. The tea light kept the cheese warm and melted, and provided a lovely accent to the dish as a whole.
My friend ordered the Grilled Calamari Salad ($10), with white beans, peppers, greens, lemon. It was a perfect choice for a late summer evening. Light and grilled whole, this proved a nice compliment to our ensuing entrees.
As I mentioned, th
ere were numerous items in this menu that I really wanted to try. When our server said the Potato Gnocchi ($21) was one of Grotto’s specialties, both of us were convinced we needed to try it. Gnocchi is served with short ribs, which absolutely melt in your mouth, as well as mushrooms and gorgonzola. The gnocchi were good, but it was the flavor of the beef that really carried this dish. Mushrooms provided a nice texture contrast to a well-constructed entree.
For dessert, I was very excited to try the Banana Bread Pudding ($9). Topped with caramel sauce, caramel ice cream, and spice nuts, it was rich, creamy and delicious. However after such a rich entree, my friend ordered something on the lighter side in the Lemon Panna Cotta ($9), dizzled with raspberry sauce and topped with a crispy pizzelle cookie. The lemon flavor provided a soothing end to a very rich meal. In between the consistency of cheesecake and custard, I would highly recommend this dessert. Finally, we finished our meal with two glasses of Falchini Vin Santo; a perfect end to the evening.
Grotto is located at 37 Bowdoin Street. They offer a nightly prix fixe dinner for $34 per person.
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