You must try the steak-frites plate ($20), one of the best I’ve tasted in Boston. The steak here is that of a superior-quality flank or hanger steak, with all the flavor and much more tenderness than is typical of such cuts. The frites, served in a large container, are of McDonald’s caliber: just as crisp, but with a buttery flavor accentuated by carefully restrained rosemary and another soupçon (literally, “suspicion”) of truffle oil. For non-meat eaters, the grilled salmon ($17) is a good choice; it’s topped with a salsa of citrus pieces, sautéed bell peppers, and onions. Or you can try the vegetable risotto ($15), which on a recent visit was made with mushrooms and fresh peas. The rice was only slightly al dente, and flavored mostly by the mushrooms (of which I could identify shiitake and oysters, but the peas lent a nice crunch.)
There’s a fine list of draught beers, and my Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA ($4) was wonderfully fresh and hoppy: not only bitter, but flowery, aromatic, and even a little fruity as well. Judging by the taste, the draught was whistle-clean and not too cold. The wine list was also fine, cheap, and full of basic bottles, but nicely picked, to judge by our 2005 Luc Pirlet pinot noir ($8/glass; $35/bottle). This is one of the newish varietal wines from the Pays d’Oc, in south-western France, and was quite light, with a nice vanilla flavor of oak.
Sweets lovers, take note: the Garden doesn’t really do desserts, though they tend to have something complimentary on hand. Our night it was inch-square rosemary brownies. The rosemary wasn’t dominant (not an easy way to use rosemary), but added an exotic undertone to the chocolate. There’s also no coffee. On a conventional rating system, this would cost a restaurant quite a few points. But with every other course so terrific, it’s hard not to give my moderately priced dinner anything but a top grade.
The atmosphere is youthful and gets progressively noisier (or, in the non-old-fogy lexicon, “convivial”), but if you come early, you can hear excellent American roots music and jazz in the background. The long room is somewhat bare (hence the noise), with blond-wood floors, copper-topped café tables, a few art-nouveau decorations, and mesmerizing food. Excellent service completes the scene.
You can pay more, or be served more luxuriously, but you can hardly eat better in Boston than you will here.
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Robert Nadeau: RobtNadeau@aol.com.
