Bar Mezzana [Boston, MA]

Regional Dining Discussions Boston, New England
1

There are plenty of mentions of Bar Mezzana in lists of restaurants but I see no report on it so I will start the report thread.

An out-of-town friend who is here once or twice a month for business and I had dinner there last night. One night, one meal but we were decidedly underwhelmed.

From the crudo menu we ordered the yellowtail with grapefruit oil and fresno chili. From the appetizer menu we ordered braised leek crostini with radish and anchovy and the beef tartare with mushroom vinaigrette with gouda and cress (because neither of us can ever resist beef tartare). So they all arrive at once and there is not enough room on the able for everything (seriously, folks, you know how big your tables are, why would you possibly send everything out at once when it cannot actually all be put down?). Leaving aside the very real space issue (which was solved by sending back the bread basket and dish of olive oil untasted), I would have preferred to have some time to enjoy the delicate fish without the crostini going soft.

That crudo – the 4 slices of yellowtail were very fresh, nicely cut and of a decent size and beautifully plated but they just did not play with their accompaniments at all. Like when you put a piece of sashimi in your mouth at Cafe Sushi and the accompaniments sort of amplify the fish and everything goes ping! in your mouth. Yeah, that did not happen, it was more like, why are all these chilis drowning out the delicate fish and what is grapefruit doing there?

The crostini were nice but the leeks basically non-existent. I think they had been braised into complete submission and kind of melted into the toasted bread, then covered in a giant pile of tiny julienned radish slices and each of the 4 slices crowned with a tasty anchovy. Not terrible but if you are going to sell me a braised leek crostini I want the leeks to star.

The beef tartare was pretty forgettable. It was basically a mound of very cold ground beef (like a hunk of raw burger), crowned with wild mushrooms, shavings of gouda and cress. The beef was not particularly seasoned and just not that great. One of our least favorite versions we have tried.

Our main course, rack of lamb with braised escarole and white beans, was really delicious and plenty for the two of us accompanied by a side of nicely charred broccoli rabe which I enjoyed more than my friend did.

We ended with a single scoop of grapefruit campari sorbetto and that was delicious – great flavor, texture and mouthfeel. Even this confirmed non-dessert eater thoroughly enjoyed it.

So then we played the game of where this fits on our lists of Boston restuarants. SRV remains top of our list. Chickadee ranks above Bar Mezzana, as does Cultivar (at least for the food; noise is a separate issue). Eastern Standard, that old reliable, also beats Bar Mezzana for us – they have our second most favorite beef tartare among other things. We are overdue for a return to Coppa but I am pretty sure that outranks Bar Mazzana for us as well.

FOH staff were all delightful. It is a very “see and be seen” sceney type of vibe.

I doubt we’ll be back but a different friend’s son the chef is a huge fan and might be able to talk me into it. First, I am taking him to Cafe Sushi though…

5 Likes
2

That’s exactly the thing: A restaurant can end up on many lists, but would I actually want to go there? And spend my hard-earned cash? Thank you for shining a light!

1 Like
3

Wow! Thanks. Caught this just in time. Was heading there this weekend. Maybe not.
Want to Enjoy,
CocoDan

2 Likes
4

I had a similar experience on my one visit there. My meal was perhaps slightly better than what you experienced, but there are far too many similar places that are better to bother to try Bar Mezzana again. They got a lot of good press from being in the much touted “ink block”.

2 Likes
5

This had been on our to-do list for a long time, but this thread gave us pause. On a frigid Monday night with our spring onion at a Celtics game with her cousin we decided to give it a try. The combination of a holiday and terrible conditions tempered the turnout, so we had options of table or bar seating and chose the bar. Started with a refreshing citrusy spritzer with an impressive sprig (more like a shrub) of mint for me and “beet goes on” cocktail for my SO. Though her initial reaction was it was a bit medicinal, she warmed to it. We ordered while hungry, arancini, crudo tasting, black truffle crostini, chopped antipasto salad, and shellfish pasta. Told them to send things out as ready, and I have to say they paced things perfectly. Some nice bread (sliced baguette and focaccia) and olive oil to start. The arancini and first half of the crudo tasting arrived first. The arancini were much smaller that I expected, cherry tomato size, but this means higher (crunchy) surface to volume ratio than with larger balls. Outstanding, my new favorite bar snack. The first wave of crudo included salmon, yellowtail with grapefruit, and a fish I’m unfamiliar with. All excellent, I particularly enjoyed the yellowtail. Next and perfectly timed was the second wave of crudo and the chopped salad. This wave included sea scallop, and two fish I’m unfamiliar with. One was served with a generous dollop of caviar, and was the consensus favorite among the crudo. The chopped salad was also excellent but could have benefitted from a lighter hand with the dressing. Next up the shellfish pasta and crostini. The crostini featured a generous layer of shaved truffle atop melted robiola, very pleasant but the truffle lacked the pungent funk we expected. That said we will emulate this dish for a super super bowl snack using a truffle carried back from Tuscany. The pasta was simple but beautifully done - perfectly al dente, with herbs olive oil and breadcrumbs complimenting the tiny clams and mussels. Just so. Greek yoghurt pana cotta and ginger straciatelli gelato rounded out the meal. After the cocktails we both enjoyed an Italian sparkler with the meal.

In addition to the excellent pacing, Josey at the bar was attentive and appropriately engaging.

We’ll be back.

3 Likes
6

Sounds like a fab night out!! Maybe the kitchen had an off night when we were there, always a possibility.

7

We went here last week, which felt like (but wasn’t technically) the first “normal” night out in a long time. I thought the crudo was fine but not memorable. The rest of the meal, however, was really quite excellent including several cocktails, chicken under a brick, cacio e pepe, charred octopus, orichiette, and an outstanding dessert called “malted butterscotch budino”, which I would return for alone.

4 Likes
8

So glad to hear you had such a great experience!

9

Oh, since we miss the butterscotch pudding that Great Bay used to serve we’ll definitely give the budino a try!

1 Like
10

Oh man, I remember Great Bay but not the butterscotch pudding but I do remember the one that Steve Johnson used to serve at Rendezvous in Central Sq and I normally loathe sweet stuff/desserts. What nice memories you just jogged @MaxEntropy.

2 Likes
11

We still have the Ghost of Mary from Great Bay at Sycamore in Newton. And how we miss Steve Johnson! I heard he sold Red Dory. Wonder if he retired to Costa Rica?

3 Likes
12

We had the pleasure of only eating once at Red Dory under the aegis of Steve. It was a gorgeous early summer evening, in a cozy corner nook on the outside deck. I believe he sold the place to one of his chefs, who I think was his right-hand man. We have not had the chance to revisit and probably won’t this summer, but we’ll try for early fall, an awesome time to be on the RI coast.

Wherever Steve is, I’m sure he’s happy and eating well, as he should be after feeding legions of us so well for so many years.

3 Likes