It's an impressive four stars out of five for Chris Coombs "new breed of steakhouse," Boston Chops. For The Improper Bostonian, B.N. Lee praises the "welcoming" menu, which shows "a range that will appeal to a wide spectrum of diners." While the main event - the prime steaks - "are appealing for both their execution and their reasonable price," it's actually some of the other dishes that interest Lee the most, from the wild-mushroom cavatelli (the only vegetarian entree) to the offal offerings, like the thinly sliced beef tongue. The ambiance is "comfortable and casual," especially considering that some see the large space as cursed, and the service is "smooth and attentive." Boston Chops seems to impress Lee on all fronts as he only notes two small missteps, a portion he wishes were larger and a steak that arrived too rare. [TIB]
Another relative newcomer to the restaurant scene, Tavern Road, doesn't fare quite as well in the review circuit this week. Devra First is back on assignment for the Globe after her maternity leave, and she's not so lenient as some of her fill-ins. Since reviewing Storyville last year, she has been "eager for [Louis DiBicarri] to open a restaurant of his own," and she describes him as "a key force in sowing merriment and mischief." While DiBicarri's Tavern Road is hitting a lot of good notes, it's "still a work in progress," earning two stars out of four. Deserving of praise: "well-constructed cocktails," a "perfectly roasted half guinea hen, fragrant with lemon and rosemary," and a risotto neither "over- or undercooked," sometimes hard to find at restaurants. But in some cases, the protein component of a dish is too much, like the "underseasoned" thick piece of trout or the porchetta, which is "a pork orgy," and not really in a good way. Meanwhile, sides that sound tempting on the menu are barely there on the plate. But First seems enthusiastic about the restaurant's future prospects; it just takes "time to turn raw material into finished form." [BG]
For the Metro, Linda Laban visits Quattro, the latest addition to the DePasquale empire in the North End. She finds the small ("but appealing") menu to offer "authentic Italian comfort food," from the fig and goat cheese pizza with "perfect" flavor proportions to the bowl of gnocchi topped with burrata. The inviting ambiance consists of a "cool interior of sleek pale marble countertops, wall-to-wall white, and floor-to-ceiling windows." [Metro]
Richard Chudy continues his Boston Burger Blog burger quest at Union Bar and Grille, musing about whether it "is still a reliable food destination." When the burger finally arrived after a long wait, "it was easy to tell something was amiss." The bread? "Toasted to the point of no return." The meat, at least, was a "juicy and very well seasoned burger." But the toppings - smoked tomato remoulade, cheddar, bacon - were barely there. Fortunately the fries, "skin-on and salty," were "delicious." Chudy grants the burger a 77 out of 100; despite the good flavor of the beef, there were "more misses than need be." [BBB]