Tickets to a show at Norwell's Company Theatre in hand recently, we decided to make a night out of it by dining at nearby Fifty-Three South.
We had heard nothing but raves about Clark Wickersham's elegant little establishment since it opened last year in the site formerly occupied by the Seasons restaurant. And, after enjoying a flawless dining experience there, we are adding our voice to the chorus. Expect to pay more than is typical for a south suburban restaurant, but for a special night out, it's worth it.
Newbury Street seems a more likely locale for this upscale restaurant than busy Route 53, home to numerous nondescript strip malls.
The decor is warm, welcoming, and intimate. Tea lights softly illuminated each of the 10 linen-laced tables, rich-red velvet curtains blocked the sounds and sights of traffic, and B.B. King singing "Let the Good Times Roll" provided an apt musical background.
Once seated by a member of Fifty-Three South's knowledgeable, attentive staff, we dug into the basketful of bread sticks and focaccia served with freshly made hummus and sweet potato aioli for dipping. We particularly enjoyed the aioli's sweetness and lively color.
We moved on to an appetizer, a warm portobello mushroom carpaccio with goat cheese, roasted pepper relish, and balsamic vinegar ($9).
We love the traditional beef carpaccio. But this imaginative vegetarian version, with paper-thin slices of balsamic-infused mushroom replacing the beef, was a delightful variation. The creamy, mild cheese and tangy relish made for tasty accompaniments.
Even better was one of Fifty-Three South's salads, made with thin slices of pears, toasted pecans, Danish blue cheese, and bacon strips tossed with baby greens in a honey thyme vinaigrette ($9). The complex combination of sweet and salty flavors and creamy and nutty textures made this dish sing.
For an entree, we ordered the Asian spice-rubbed shrimp served over a seared basmati rice cake with marinated vegetable ribbons and chive beurre blanc ($21). The tender, large shrimp had just the right salty-spicy bite, offset by the tangy pickle flavor of the pretty veggie ribbons. Its vertical presentation, often seen in pan-Asian cuisine, was lovely.
Also popular were the hearty braised short ribs of beef ($25), a large portion of fall-off-the-bone-tender meat topped with a red wine sauce and served with lighter-than-air mashed potatoes and grilled tender-crisp asparagus.
For dessert, we tried the warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream ($8). This pretty little pastry came drizzled with gooey caramel and sat on a lacy nest of hardened drizzled caramel.
We left for the theater, appetites appeased, palates pampered. 