Bites
A roundup of recent restaurant reviews
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BINA OSTERIA 581 Washington St., Boston. 617-956-0888. Chef Brian Konefal's nuovo Italian food just keeps getting better as the meal progresses. Pasta dishes are stunning, from the dreamiest carbonara to the fluffiest baby gnocchi. Crispy suckling pig confit is a minimalist preparation with maximum flavor: a little square of pork heaven, a few turnip segments, a comet of apple puree. It's rustic, it's refined. A dish of lobster wrapped in lardo, or cured lard, is uncannily good. Some find Bina's decor stark, others think it feels like Milan. Eating here can be expensive. You get what you pay for.
CBS SCENE 200 Patriot Place, Foxborough. 508-203-2200. TASTINGS WINE BAR & BISTRO 
201 Patriot Place, Foxborough. 508-203-9463. Patriot Place offers a great spot for watching sports, CBS Scene. No surprise there. Surprisingly, though, it also offers a great spot for not watching sports, Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro. At CBS Scene, you'll find dressed-up bar food such as lobster pizza and steak, plus more than 100 high-definition screens. At Tastings, they serve small plates with a Spanish bent and a healthy dose of America thrown in: seafood paella, braised Berkshire pork shank. The food is lovely.
25 High St., North Andover. 978-682-6363. High Street Grill's menu looks a mite familiar. It includes Xiao Jianming's wetbones, Buffalo fried Gulf white shrimp, and barbecue. Haven't I eaten these dishes before? Yes, at East Coast Grill. This isn't a rip-off, however, it's a tribute. High Street Grill owner Kristi Morris was previously general manager at the Cambridge restaurant, and some of its dishes - and a bit of its aesthetic - have migrated with her. If you live nearby, High Street will make you very happy. The entrees don't live up to the excellent appetizers, but this is a great place to hang out.
606 CONGRESS Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, 606 Congress St., Boston. 617-476-5606. 606 Congress is located in the Seaport District, a developing area termed "hot" by real estate optimists. With the right name or the right concept, one can create a scene here: Witness Drink and Sportello, Lucky's, and the Blue Wave. But 606 is farther from South Station, and in the dark days of winter the after-work crowd hustles homeward. There's little keeping them here; the food is too uneven.
