Petit Robert Bistro

Before watching Chicago, Sarah and I headed over to Petit Robert Bistro for dinner. About a block down from more upscale places like Great Bay and Eastern Standard, Petit Robert Bistro is a small, intimate restaurant tucked away in the basement of a Kenmore Square brownstone.

Unlike many restaurants today that inaccurately refer to themselves as bistros, Petit Robert is a French bistro in its true sense. The ambiance, food, and prices are consistent with what a bistro in France really is – home-style, comfort food is served at modest prices in a rather unpretentious setting.

Figuring that dinner would take at least an hour and a half, we made reservations at the restaurant for 6, so we could make it to the 8 o’clock showing of the play. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the hostess. I happened to glance at the computer screen with all of the reservation listings. I found it somewhat amusing that they had put me down as “Tenny” instead of “Kenny.” They must have misheard me over the phone, but have you really ever met anyone named Tenny?

We were promptly seated in the dining room on the lower level and then greeted by our waitress. Some freshly-baked baguettes rolled up to the table a little while afterward. The bread was phenomenal – crispy crust with a warm, soft interior.

Trio of Homemade Patés with Condiments

We started off the meal with this trio of pates. I didn’t ask the waitress for specifics on each, but I believe there was one made from pork and one from chicken-liver. I’m not too sure about the third, but I read somewhere that it is pate de campagne. The first thing I noticed about the chicken-liver pate was its exceptional creaminess, which melted in your mouth. The pork rillette was also smooth and enjoyable, but in terms of flavor, the pate de campagne was my favorite. We ended up pairing the pate with the baguette, which worked quite well in the end, but I was expecting there to be some bread or crackers offered with the dish as well.

Roast Leg of Rabbit Moutarde and Ginger Sausage

I had never eaten rabbit before, so I wanted to try it. A pile of mashed potatoes and a mushroom mustard-cream sauce accompanied the rabbit leg, which had a thin breadcrumb topping. The rabbit reminded me a little of chicken but was a little bit meatier and chewier, though definitely tender, juicy, and savory. The sausage supposedly had a ginger flavor, but it was extremely subtle.

Grilled Salmon Filet with a Lemony Butternut Squash and Parsnips Nage

Sarah is more into seafood than meat, so we ordered this salmon dish. I only tried a small bit of it, but it seemed nicely cooked with a rather simple preparation. I can’t comment much about it, but it seemed a bit soupy, which could or could not have been a good thing. The liquid was probably whatever was left over from poaching.

Crepe Armandes , Frangipane Meringue & Amaretto

For dessert, I had heard good things about Petit Robert’s soufflés, but unfortunately, they had run out or were unavailable for the night. We decided to settle for the crepes, which themselves were quite good. They had a caramelized-sugar topping and had a hint of almond flavor. However, I was not overly impressed with the filling, which was somewhat liquidy. It had the consistency of melted butter, which just ended up spilling all over the plate.

I enjoyed dinner at Petit Robert and would definitely go back. Service was attentive and professional from beginning to end. With appetizers between $5 and 9 and entrees between $13 and 19, you cannot go wrong in terms of value. Overall, it was a very positive dining experience, and of course, great company doesn’t hurt!

El Pelon / Cold Stone Creamery

I've been really busy with school and job search stuff lately and as a result, I have unfortunately neglected the food blog. In early November, Eric and I had dinner at El Pelon, but I haven't had time to write about it until now.

El Pelon is a small taqueria located on Peterborough Street right behind Fenway Park. It's essentially a Mexican fast food joint, serving all the standard type stuff that you would expect like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Don't get me wrong though - the quality of food at El Pelon is head and shoulders above any of the crap served at a place like Taco Bell. El Pelon is a small place, likely family-owned, and you can tell that the workers behind the counter take at least some pride in the food they prepare and serve.

Fried Plantains

Fried plantains are pretty typical, standard fare when it comes to Mexican food and lots of people ahead of us in line seemed to be ordering them, so I figured I would give them a shot. They turned out to be quite good. They were deep-fried, so a nice crust formed on the outside that was firm, but not overly crunchy. The inside, although cooked through, managed to maintain a little firmness. The lime and salsa were also a nice match, adding some acidity and heat to keep things interesting.

Rajas Tamal

Eric ordered this tamale for his appetizer. I believe the tamale was filled with roasted poblano peppers, corn and monterrey jack cheese. I tried a little, but wasn't overly impressed. It seemed a little dull and bland.

Fish Tacos

Eric and I both ordered these fish tacos as our main dish for the evening. The fish was deep-fried in a nice batter and then stuffed into the soft taco shell along with some red cabbage, sliced cucumbers, and a spicy mayo sauce. In terms of taste, I thought the tacos were great. My only complaint was the size. It honestly took me like three bites to finish each taco. I wouldn't exactly say I was stuffed by the end of the meal.

Since we finished our meal at El Pelon with a little less than a full stomach, we stopped by Coldstone Creamery on our walk back to the apartment. At the time, Coldstone was offering several special, limited-time only combinations. I forget what the exact name was of the one we ordered, but I remember it having oatmeal raisin ice-cream mixed with apples, caramel, and some nuts.

It was my first time having Coldstone ice-cream, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the ice-cream to be exceptionally smooth and creamy. I thought the whole mix-in-your-ingredients concept was a little gimmicky at first, but after experiencing it first hand, it definitely works. Almost $5 for ice-cream is a little steep though, but I suppose it's worth it.