The generic, large, loud, bustling spaces that make up the new L’Espalier at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel mean an entirely new concept has risen from the ashes of the old. I mourn the old, but change comes to all things. Chef’s gotta make a living, and how will he do it? Volume. And apparently appealing to a new, furrier species of clientele.

We ordered the Autumn Degustation Tasting Menu and the Vintner’s pairing. The butter-poached Maine lobster was sweet, succulent, and tender. The foie gras torchon was smooth, buttery and perfectly seasoned (though the concord grape foam that accompanied it was a tad too sweet, in our opinion). Other courses, from the poached beef tenderloin, to the escolar, to the Thai-spiced Colorado rack of lamb on native pumpkin were as lovely as ever.

And we could almost hear ourselves think over the din of the eight-top of energetic guys (clearly enjoying the wine list) the hostess seated us next to in “the library,” described the day we made our reservation as the most intimate space in the new L’Espalier. (The other rooms, we figured, were even more like Gillette Stadium on game day, so we stayed put.) (more…)

Recently I was perusing Tremont 647 chef Andy Husbands’s blog, The Fearless Chef, and read an interesting post on truffle oil—specifically, his decision to not use it. Which piqued my interest, as Bostonians seem to be particularly obsessed with anything truffled these days. (See: truffle tots, truffle fries, truffle butter, truffle-stuffed rabbit, truffle gnocchi.)

His reason? Much of the truffle oil on the market hasn’t actually been truffle infused, or made with any actual truffle. It’s often created in a lab, using compounds that mimic the voluptuous, savory, earthy aroma of the actual stuff. There was a lot of discussion of this following the Times’ 2007 article on the subject, but it’s since faded, and truffle oil is still everywhere. I’ve yet to launch an investigation into the various truffle oils used in Boston kitchens, but my guess is there’s still plenty of synthetic stuff out there. (more…)

Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.

$40 Stimulus Menu
Tuesday-Sunday, dinner hours
Pigalle
Tuesday through Sunday evenings, chef Marc Orfaly will prepare your choice of three courses for just $40, including selections like French onion soup with braised short rib, tuna martini with seaweed salad, pâté de porc with mustard aïoli, cornichons and Armagnac soaked prunes, and many others.

Prix Pixe Dinner
Through Feb. 28, every evening
Olives
Todd English’s Olives has unveiled a new, three-course menu for $35 that is available every night through the end of February. The menu will change monthly, and for December, they’re offering first course choices of steamed P.E.I. mussels, tender salad of Boston Bibb & Mache, or ricotta ravioli. For the second course, choose from pan roasted chicken breast, winter flounder, or petite filet mignon. And for dessert, there’s the option of chocolate & butterscotch pudding or tarte tatin.

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Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.

Holiday Baking Class at Rialto
Dec. 13, 11 a.m.
Rialto
The most difficult part of preparing any dessert is the crust. Luckily, we prefer the filling anyway. Rialto pastry chef Susan Abbott demonstrates the use of four versatile doughs that make perfect pies and tarts. The cooking demonstration will be followed by a light lunch, dessert, and sparkling wine.

Rum Cake Finalists’ Competition
Dec. 13, 1-3 p.m.
Prudential Center Food Court
Booze and cake: Everything’s better when they’re together. Bacardi and Where to Eat are hosting the Rum Cake Competition at the Prudential Center. Taste the top three finalists’ Bacardi Gold rum cake recipes and watch live celebrity judging.

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Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.

FuGaKyu Turns 10 Special Menu
Dec. 1-31, Restaurant hours
We love that the name sounds like a sneeze and a slur, so we’ll definitely join the party for FuGaKyu’s tenth B-day. Throughout the entire month of December, the restaurant will offer a special celebration menu using ingredients such as apple, watermelon, and pickled daikon to create traditional Japanese cuisine.

A Family Affair
Every Tuesday and Friday night from 5:30-8 p.m.
Aura, Seaport Hotel
We know some particular South Enders loathe children raining on their dinner party. Those of us who have little ones prefer to go places where families are welcomed with open tables. Thank you, Aura, for hosting an impromptu “Romper Room” on Tuesday and Friday nights, complete with an adult prix fixe and accompanying kids menu. Does that mean we can feel free to fling the foie gras? (more…)

When I was in college, a friend of mine had a class in the Agriculture school called Meat Science, and his textbook was a brilliant tome called The Meat We Eat. And for some reason, I couldn’t get that four-word mantra out of my head while traipsing around Dante’s recent Ball Brawl, an al fresco meatball cook-off held on the restaurant’s patio.

Boy, was there meat.

Lots and lots of meat. (more…)

Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.

Harvest Pumpkin Dinner
Nov. 14, 5:30 p.m.
Summer Winter, Burlington Mall
You know we love our pumpkin beer, but we also love food that features the orange squash, and not just for pie, either. Summer Winter’s dinner fills our fancy with gourd-laced empanadas, roasted chicken with caramelized onion and roasted pumpkin sauce, and pumpkin beignets.

Home Sweet Home
Nov. 14, 7-11 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Cambridge
Go ahead, skip dinner tonight. You’ve got better things to fill your belly with. Namely, desserts from the best pastry chefs all over town, who will be competing at the dessert tasting to benefit the Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund to help the homeless. Guests will sample delectable treats from Rosie’s Bakery, Zephyr, Burdick Chocolate, Kickass Cupcakes, Toscannini’s, and more. (more…)

Whenever I hear about an exciting new restaurant, I try to remember that, as a professional food editor, it’s important to maintain a critical distance, to stay skeptical, and keep the consumer in mind.

Which is whyI held off for all of four minutes before completely losing my mind at Sportello, Barbara Lynch’s ohmygodit’ssogoodyouguys new Italian lunch counter in Fort Point’s FP3 building.

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When Bob’s Southern Bistro vacated its Columbus Ave. digs in 2007, I’ll admit I mourned the loss. Sure, owner Darryl Settles went on to give us the Beehive, but, having lived around the corner from the former boite, I’d miss Bob’s casual attitude—and its fried chicken.

A year later, the spot’s been resurrected as Circle Plates and Lounge, a spot featuring “fine dining at comfort-food prices,” according to owner Malcolm Aalders. And while it lacks the come-as-you-are vibe of Bob’s, owner Aalders and GM John Williams have ushered in something else: really good food for a pretty low sum.

And with that, I’m coming around. (more…)

Little more than five months after opening Aroa Fine Chocolate, which he often described as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, Alejandro Luna has abruptly left the shop. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t sound like a friendly split. Store manager Brittany Hagan confirmed Luna’s departure, stating, “Alejandro was offered a job and is leaving the country for it.”

“Not really, no,” says Luna, when contacted about Hagan’s statement. “It was a series of unfortunate events. I worked really hard to put the business together and me and my business partners had, I guess you could say a ‘difference of opinion.’ So I decided to part ways.” (more…)