Sneak a Peek at Ribelle, Maybe Opening This Week

A reader writes in to report that he attended a "family & friends" soft opening dinner at Ribelle last night in preparation for the restaurant's grand opening "later this week," and he shared photos of the occasion with the Eater Boston Flickr Pool (which you too can join!), including plenty of food porn. While there's no guarantee that these dishes will be on the official opening menu, here are some of the things served last night: polenta with blackberry and white chocolate; agnolotti with veal meatballs, salsify, and tomato; seared scallops with eggplant puree, chocolate, and herbs; and rigatoni with grilled octopus, fennel and smoked tomato.

Meanwhile, another reader, ostensibly a "family" or "friend" of the restaurant, attended the opening and left a comment on a prior Ribelle post, complaining, of all things, about "weird paper over windows." The "weird paper" that often covers the windows of restaurants that are not yet actually open to the public. Not-yet-open restaurants that perhaps invited you in as a "friend" for a special preview.

Ribelle is the first solo project from Tim Maslow of Strip-T's fame, and the team includes Jonathan Fenelon as general manager (veteran of Craigie on Main and Menton, as well as current Strip-T's GM) and Theresa Paopao as beverage director (Oleana alum who also worked with Maslow at Momofuku Ssäm Bar in NYC). Paopao recently landed a Best Sommelier honor from Boston Magazine.

Stay tuned for more news on Ribelle, which could open to the public as early as this week.

UPDATE: Ribelle opens to the public tonight (Wednesday, August 7) at 5:30 with a limited menu, limited seating, and limited hours.
· All coverage of Ribelle on Eater [~EBOS~]
· All coverage of Strip-T's on Eater [~EBOS~]