We took some out-of-town family to dinner here Saturday night. Their patio is as lovely as ever, although in its furthest reaches – where we were this time – one is exposed to the grim reality of some large electrical installations across the wire fence that prominently say “Danger”.
But, then, what’s a great dinner without a little danger?
The last time we entertained family in town, the Summer Before the Virus Struck (SBVS – you think it’ll catch on?), we made the mistake of asking what they liked to eat. The intersection of their common tastes forced us to burgers at John Harvard. This time (different family group) we simply imposed our choice. (Also, Loyal Nine takes patio reservations – but warns you that if it rains it’s your problem.)
The food was very, very good, as always. Their fried oats dish has been on the menu for a while, with small variations, and was excellent again. Their cauliflower fritters (close to pakodas, but executed with a precision that most Indian restaurants in our area don’t achieve) were excellent, as was their fried calamari. The warm pumpkin salad was likewise superb. But the star of the evening was the dish of cheese dumplings with mushrooms – or so I am told by my wife. I was sitting next to the chief guest of the evening, the child of a second cousin, who has aced his SATs and is now eyeing Harvard. That was why his family was in town. He and his sister had simply ordered a burger each, but as the other dishes were passed around I initially made the mistake of urging him to try some. He’d say “Oh, OK” and scrape everything off the serving dish onto his plate. After the dumplings came the calamari, and I took the precaution of giving myself a hefty helping before offering him any.
With two Negronis and two beers and five desserts, and a 20% gratuity automatically added, the bill came to roughly $320. At $40 pp this was very good value given the quality of the food.
