Final outing celebrating our niece’s graduation we had a late (3 pm) lunch at De LaPosta. This took over the the former COOK space just paces from MIDA, which has been garnering more attention. We have been to MIDA Newtonville a couple of times and come away unimpressed both times. Overcooked pasta seems to be a specialty. De LaPosta so thoroughly outshines its neighbor, in every respect, so much so that I wonder why anyone would settle for MIDA.
We went app-heavy, sharing a bunch of small plates among the four of us. Both focaccias were excellent, fresh out of the wood-fired oven. A simple classic and Ligurian style “di Recco” with Stracchino. The suppli, Roman Arancini, may be my new favorite bar snack. Soft shell crab, I imagine a short-term presence on the menu, was served over a lovely spring salad with peas and pea shoots. Charred octopus was served over a pool of tomato conserva and salsa verde, too good to be left behind and the focaccia was perfect for wiping up the last bits. House-made ricotta was also excellent with the focaccia. Roasted broccoli rabe with garlic, pecorino, and chilies was flavorful but a minor complaint is that the broccoli was nearly overshadowed by the accompaniments.
For mains we ordered a squid ink pasta with clams, perfectly al dente with a bounty of tender Manila clams, with garlic, tomato, and chilies, and grilled scallops, beautifully seared but not overcooked, over a fabulous parsnip purée.
Among the deserts we sampled the olive oil torte , vanilla panna cotta, and the Italian cookies. Not a loser in the bunch, the panna cotta was topped with an almond and fennel crumble that added interesting texture and flavor. The cookies were a coconut bar and classic rainbow, both freshly made, presumably in house, and a dried fruit layer was a surprising twist.
Some interesting beverages- a Caprese Martini made with tomato water was reminiscent of Sycamore’s Ghost of Mary, but not as spicy. A white “Pecorino” (I know the cheese but this is the first time I’ve encountered a wine with this name) was pleasantly dry and crisp, a great partner with the scallops. A Sibona alla Camomilla grappa was smooth (no “rocket fuel” attributes) and slightly viscous, with a texture more like a fortified wine than a traditional grappa. I need to research that one.
The room was empty when we arrived at 3 pm, but began to get busier after 4. Service was efficient except for bar service. The manager seemed to be filling the role of host and barkeep, perhaps a function of the off-hour.
The restaurant is advertised as a pizzeria and although we didn’t sample the pizza, the focaccia suggests to me that the crust should be similarly excellent.
I’m reminded of a coffee chain that claims to be world’s best, with an independent close neighbor that only claims to be best on the block. De LaPosta outshines MIDA and certainly deserves the best on the block accolade, but that may be undeservedly faint praise. De LaPosta is worth a trip.
. That said, I think Da LaPosta really is worth a trip. LaPosta was apparently at Babbo Enoteca in the Seaport district, a place we absolutely adored (even though Mario Batali not so much).