Top, the restaurant’s Molteni range, made in France, is what chef Chris Parsons calls “the heart of the restaurant.” Above, Tete de Moine cheese on bread and a pork chop entree.Dining Out
Industrial yet redefined atmosphere
Top, the restaurant’s Molteni range, made in France, is what chef Chris Parsons calls “the heart of the restaurant.” Above, Tete de Moine cheese on bread and a pork chop entree.By Megan Ginsberg
Globe Correspondent /
February 16, 2013
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The massive one-pound double-cut pork chop ($26) was served with sauteed, finely shredded cabbage and garnished with whole-grain mustard, a sprinkling of crispy fried greens, and chunks of fried bread. Parsons explained that the pork chops are vacuum-packed and cooked at 149 degrees for an hour, to an internal temperature of 142 degrees, then shocked in ice water to stop the cooking. The chops cook evenly throughout and become tender, but don’t caramelize at all. For dinner service, the chefs place the chops in a 140-degree oven for an hour, then deep-fry them 30 seconds to create the browned, crusty exterior.
I can’t imagine a better end to the meal than the affogato ($9), a disk of chocolate semifreddo topped with vanilla gelato, surrounded by amaretti cookies and shards of chocolate-covered pop rocks. Upon the dessert’s presentation, the server poured some decaf espresso over the whole dish. The silky-smooth semifreddo contrasted with the crunchy cookie bits and the lingering sizzle of the pop rocks. The espresso tied the components together, subtly melting the gelato into the semifreddo and pooling in the bottom to be scooped up.
The menu changes often, and the menu on the website gives only an idea of what you’ll find. For Parsons, the idea is to create food that is meaningful and creates memories, and it does. That sweet potato soup is still on my mind.
Megan Ginsberg writes about food on her blog, Delicious Dishings (megan-deliciousdishings.blogspot.com).
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