Momi Nonmi’s Late-Night Menu Shines Bright for One Critic

Late-Night Is the Highlight

Jolyon Helterman reviews Momi Nonmi in Cambridge for Boston Magazine, finding his favorites in the late-night menu offered from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. Dishes during those hours “sparkle with invention, polish, and puckish wit,” including the tuna belly tartare, which gets a kick from habanero and soy, and the spam musubi. Another highlight for Helterman comse in the form of Momi Nonmi’s beverage selection, overseen by sommelier Stephen Connolly. Meanwhile, the regular menu from chef and owner Chris Chung feels “timid,” Helterman writes. He calls the sashimi the “strong suit” of the regular menu, particularly the raw branzino, which he noted was “bold yet nuanced” and “the best dish [he] tried—at any time of day.” Overall, he rates the restaurant one-and-a-half stars out of four, between “fair” and “good.”

“Hands-On Slurpfest”

In this week’s Improper Bostonian, MC Slim JB samples the latest in a series of Cajun seafood restaurants to arrive in the Boston area. Bootleg Special, located in the South End, is “quite chic by the modest standards of its category,” Slim writes, and its “fun, messy style of dining” provides vivid Cajun and Creole flavors with “an occasional Southeast Asian accent.” Like many of its similar counterparts, the restaurant offers a selection of seafood that’s been boiled in a broth and spiced, with other accoutrements like corn on the cob and andouille sausage.

Slim finds the garlicky bootleg sauce to provide “ferociously chili-hot Cajun spice.” Other highlights of the menu include baby back ribs in a cola glaze, “nicely fiery and crisp Bootleg Special chicken wings,” street corn, garlic noodles, and a deep-fried oyster po’ boy, “drizzled with chipotle aioli, plus a hefty side of excellent shoestring fries.” Menu options are there if you’re looking for a “hands-on slurpfest” or something less messy, and “you’ll want to bring friends.”

“Sublime” Carrot Cake

Marc Hurwitz reviews Fairmount Grille for the Dig. The restaurant spans a variety of offerings from New American entrees to classic New England dishes, plus Mediterranean items. Hurwitz calls special attention to the Rhode Island-style calamari, the barbecue-glazed meatloaf, and the chicken parmigiana with linguine. Other noteworthy menu items include classic New England clam chowder, garlicky steak tips, and mac and cheese with cavatappi pasta, and the dessert menu includes a “sublime” carrot cake.

• Restaurant Review: Momi Nonmi [BM]
• Bons Temps Rouler [IB]
• Fairmount Grille, Hyde Park [DigBoston]