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gastropub

He Said, She Said – Mystery Meet Pig Roast at Citizen Public House

by glenn on May 11, 2011


 

~ THE MENU ~
 

SHELLFISH STARTER – BLUE POINT OYSTERS, LITTLENECK CLAMS, COCKTAIL SHRIMP 

ROAST SUCKLING PIG  WITH MINTED SAUSAGE STUFFING 

ROASTED RED BLISS POTATOES 

GRILLED ASPARAGUS  

MAC AND CHEESE 

BLUE CHEESE BRIOCHE PUDDING 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

GLENN – Accompanied by a soundtrack that was an homage to 90s grunge, this Mystery Meet was gustatory, lively, communal and increasingly boisterous as the evening progressed. (The cocktails did flow.) In short, it was everything a pig roast should be. When Katrin and I decided we would host a Mystery Meet, we wanted a signature event. When we learned, even before its opening, that Citizen Public House would be offering a pig roast, we knew we had found a venue for our unique dining experience. Trying to schedule the event around the Red Sox home schedule took some doing, but Seth Resler, Mystery Meet impresario, was finally able to secure a date. So on May 10th, a group of adventurous food lovers sat at table for this most earthy and celebratory of feasts. 

KATRIN - I’m surprised (and disappointed) that the soundtrack did not include Nine Inch Nails’ contemporaneous “Piggy.”  The lyrics (“Hey pig. Yeah, you. Hey pig piggy pig pig pig… ) rattled around in my brain all through dinner and even the next day. 

GLENN - I must admit that attending a pig roast had not been part of my culinary CV. This was my first and I was impressed with the food and the way in which it was presented. We started with shellfish and then out came the pig – whole and uncarved. Oohs and  ahs and much picture taking ensued. The pig was then whisked away. 

KATRIN – Ray, who was seated at our end of the table, suggested that a name would be appropriate for our pig.  He was thinking Frank, but to me he looked more like Thomas.   

GLENN - The sides arrived and the pig reappeared – carved up and ready to be feasted upon. And feast we did!  After a while, the food was cleared and the head was served along with the kidneys. And as R. Crumb once observed, “The head’s always best.” And, yes, pork brain does taste like paté. And since Citizen is a hip kind of place, they have that “love-it-or-hate-it” Italian digestif, Fernet Branca, on tap. Though the taste has been unkindly described as “black licorice-flavored Listerine”, many of these adventurous Mystery Meeters finished the meal with a shot to their good health. 

KATRIN – A couple of guests commented that while the cocktails were imaginative and the whiskey list comprehensive, the wine list – particularly those served by the glass or half-carafe – was short and limited. While I agree that it could be more extensive, both Glenn and I found interesting selections. We started with the crisp and fruity Miner Family Vineyards Rosato, a rose of Sangiovese. With dinner we both chose a glass of Robert Foley Charbono. Charbono is thought to be the California name for Argentina’s popular Bonarda varietal. 

 

GLENN – My two parting shots. First, as someone who lives for his palate, I always appreciate the excellence of a dish and the blue cheese brioche pudding just stopped me cold – I became positively meditative as I savored each extremely rich mouthful. And secondly, Ryan, our server, was outstanding. He functioned not only as our capable server, but also as our gracious emcee for the evening. 

 

KATRIN – Waitstaff can sometimes make or break an evening out. And we were lucky to have Ryan as our server again on this visit.  He is both laid-back and very attentive to details and the needs of the group. So, thanks, Ryan, and everyone at Citizen for making this a culinary delight. And of course, many thanks to Seth for organizing from afar! It may sound self-serving, but I really do think that this was one of the best Mystery Meets yet! 

See more photos from the pig roast on our Facebook page. 

 Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar on Urbanspoon

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How I Finally Came to Dine at Garden at the Cellar

by glenn on September 20, 2010

How I came to dine at Garden at the Cellar is not a particularly compelling saga; it just took me awhile from learning about Chef Will Gilson to actually tasting his cuisine. The story begins several  years ago at the Farmers’ Market at City Hall Plaza. As a chef working on the waterfront and with an interest in the local – long before the term locavore was even uttered – I became a regular shopper at the market when it opened. Among the stalwart vendors was David Gilson of the Herb Lyceum in Groton, selling all things herbal. I learned that as part of the educational mission of the Lyceum, herb-inspired dinners were offered on Friday and Saturday evenings. And young Will Gilson was doing the cheffing. Though the dinners interested me, I never attended – the genteel, colonial town of Groton too far a hike for dining. Time passes and I read a mostly positive review in The Globe of a new restaurant in Cambridge, Garden at the Cellar - a soi-disant gastropub – the first I believe in the Boston area to be so designated. Yes – I would finally have the opportunity to try Chef Gilson’s farm-to-table cuisine. But no – even though it was on my to-go list, I didn’t go. Time passes. A group of four friends – old and new – and myself form a dinearound – we would visit a new restaurant each month; equal measures of conviviality and cuisine. The suggestion for our first foray was the Garden at the Cellar. And so, I was finally sitting at Will Gilson’s table. [click to continue…]

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Hanging Out at The Gallows – He Said, She Said

by glenn on July 30, 2010

Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, Massachus...
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(Disclaimer –  I apologize – but not too profusely – for the title of this post. Having been “born bad” – without a sufficiency of better judgement – I just couldn’t resist; yet I’m positive I won’t be the only blogger guilty of being lured to triteness. Glenn.)

Glenn – The subject line of Katrin’s email was “Next new place”. Opening it up, the text was brief “The Gallows another gastropub in South End”. I had recently received a Zagat email about the place and knew that the people who did The Biltmore, the original gastropub in the Western Suburbs, were behind the project. Gastropub, bistro, brasserie, tavern - whatever – I thought the concept bordered on being overworked. However, as the recession continues – and continues – the idea of mixing good cocktails and comfort food continues to have appeal. We’ve been to some of the best and most inspired – a “tavern” in a boutique hotel – and the not so good and lacklustre – a “bistro” in a clothing store on the waterfont. So, why not try another? And they also serve up that somewhat minor food trend – poutine – straight from the canon of French-Canadian cookery.

Katrin - The interior is simple but well-designed with eye-catching design details. Plus looking out to the street from the bar area, the expanse of windows are filled with the Cathedral of the Holy Cross across the street. We both started with cocktails; Glenn had the “hysteria-inducing” Elisabeth Aplegate, which featured gin, absinthe, and cucumber puree, while I chose the Angel’s Share, named for the wine that evaporates during aging. Both were good starters, before the food and wine. The wine list is well-selected and fairly priced, with enough options to keep both of our interests.

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