For Karina’s birthday I took her to The Blue Room in Kendall Square.  This destination has been on the list for a long time due to the numerous positive accolades from various people.  I am not usually a judge-a-book-by-the-cover type person, but the website for this particular eatery is quite compelling and immediately interested me.  Walking up to the restaurant it is a bit unassuming since it is below ground level and tucked away at 1 Kendall Square.  I must admit that I did not expect it to be the best dining experience I have had in Boston. We had a reservation so we were seated instantly.  Our table was by the window and close to the wood-grill, the setting sun produced the perfect amount of light and the cacophony of the kitchen produced a homey feel.  The menu is delivered on a board and held in place by rubber bands, for some reason I thought this was awesome.  There are only a handful of dishes on the menu, but they all sounded incredible.  Our server was a smooth guy who was always there when we need him, and offered us excellent advice.  We selected a red wine and waited for our appetizers. Karina ordered the wood-grilled pizza and I decided on the thai hubbard squash soup.  Both of these dishes were phenomenal.  The pizza was crispy and light, exactly what a first course pizza should be.  The soup was rich and flavorful and had the right amount of spice.  I was worried that the coconut milk would make it too sweet, but the squash stood strongly stood its ground and made the dish warm and hearty. I have always considered myself a gourmand, but I am no expert when it comes to food; especially gourmet dishes. My somewhat serious man-crush on Anthony Bourdain has taught me that the simple things are almost always the most glorious.  With that in mind, I went for the cassoulet as my main course and after much deliberation Karina went for the grilled shrimp and chorizo. Karina’s dish looked breathtaking, and it delivered on taste.  The shrimp and chorizo were on skewers and had an aromatic smokey flavor indicative of their wood-grilled heritage.  It was a bit startling that the shrimp were so perfectly cooked and plump, I have never had the good fortune of achieving that degree of success in my various attempts at grilling decapods.  I was watching as Karina unearthed some of the crispy yucca and gave it a taste.  The expression on her face could only be described as pure shock followed closely by a nanosecond of disbelief and finishing with a look of thrilling exhilaration.  It was like watching a young child experience snow for the first time.  I tried them myself and they were magically crispy with the reciprocal amount of salt to match the inherent sweetness of the yucca.  This was one of those rare times where a “side dish” can steal the show. Now, I have seen Anthony Bourdain prepare cassoulet before and it always looks incredible.  I love hearty stews-especially on cold days-but regardless of the weather this dish was truly exquisite. The pork shoulder melted when I touched it ever-so-lightly with my fork, the duck confit was excellent and the spicy lamb sausage was blessed with the perfect balance of flavor and heat.  The sauce that bound it all together was lip-smackingly good and the beans were decadently tender.  Overall it is probably one of the greatest single dishes I have ever had the luxury to experience. We passed on dessert because we were headed to Kick Ass Cupcakes in Davis Square.  I can only imagine that the final act possibilities at the Blue Room would simply make me want to get on my knees and beg for an encore, as it was without dessert I was fully prepared to give a standing ovation.  I will just end this review by saying that you can add me to the ever growing list of adoring Blue Room fans.  There is a good chance I will be counting down the days until I can go again.

For Karina’s birthday I took her to The Blue Room in Kendall Square.  This destination has been on the list for a long time due to the numerous positive accolades from various people.  I am not usually a judge-a-book-by-the-cover type person, but the website for this particular eatery is quite compelling and immediately interested me.  Walking up to the restaurant it is a bit unassuming since it is below ground level and tucked away at 1 Kendall Square.  I must admit that I did not expect it to be the best dining experience I have had in Boston.

We had a reservation so we were seated instantly.  Our table was by the window and close to the wood-grill, the setting sun produced the perfect amount of light and the cacophony of the kitchen produced a homey feel.  The menu is delivered on a board and held in place by rubber bands, for some reason I thought this was awesome.  There are only a handful of dishes on the menu, but they all sounded incredible.  Our server was a smooth guy who was always there when we need him, and offered us excellent advice.  We selected a red wine and waited for our appetizers.

Karina ordered the wood-grilled pizza and I decided on the thai hubbard squash soup.  Both of these dishes were phenomenal.  The pizza was crispy and light, exactly what a first course pizza should be.  The soup was rich and flavorful and had the right amount of spice.  I was worried that the coconut milk would make it too sweet, but the squash stood strongly stood its ground and made the dish warm and hearty.

I have always considered myself a gourmand, but I am no expert when it comes to food; especially gourmet dishes. My somewhat serious man-crush on Anthony Bourdain has taught me that the simple things are almost always the most glorious.  With that in mind, I went for the cassoulet as my main course and after much deliberation Karina went for the grilled shrimp and chorizo.

Karina’s dish looked breathtaking, and it delivered on taste.  The shrimp and chorizo were on skewers and had an aromatic smokey flavor indicative of their wood-grilled heritage.  It was a bit startling that the shrimp were so perfectly cooked and plump, I have never had the good fortune of achieving that degree of success in my various attempts at grilling decapods.  I was watching as Karina unearthed some of the crispy yucca and gave it a taste.  The expression on her face could only be described as pure shock followed closely by a nanosecond of disbelief and finishing with a look of thrilling exhilaration.  It was like watching a young child experience snow for the first time.  I tried them myself and they were magically crispy with the reciprocal amount of salt to match the inherent sweetness of the yucca.  This was one of those rare times where a “side dish” can steal the show.

Now, I have seen Anthony Bourdain prepare cassoulet before and it always looks incredible.  I love hearty stews-especially on cold days-but regardless of the weather this dish was truly exquisite. The pork shoulder melted when I touched it ever-so-lightly with my fork, the duck confit was excellent and the spicy lamb sausage was blessed with the perfect balance of flavor and heat.  The sauce that bound it all together was lip-smackingly good and the beans were decadently tender.  Overall it is probably one of the greatest single dishes I have ever had the luxury to experience.

We passed on dessert because we were headed to Kick Ass Cupcakes in Davis Square.  I can only imagine that the final act possibilities at the Blue Room would simply make me want to get on my knees and beg for an encore, as it was without dessert I was fully prepared to give a standing ovation.  I will just end this review by saying that you can add me to the ever growing list of adoring Blue Room fans.  There is a good chance I will be counting down the days until I can go again.