We joined a bunch of local bloggers, food writers and friends recently for a great dinner at Foundry On Elm. I really love the whole concept of this place, the old style, classic tavern feel to it, the stick-to-your-ribs menu and amazing cocktails and crafted beers. Since opening, it's proved a huge hit and seems to have been just the thing Davis Square needed to cement it's reputation as a great dining destination. Their popular cocktail, known to fans simply as The Elm Street, is a delicious rum punch drink and currently my favorite. I can't go in here without ordering one with dinner.
We started our feast with a couple of shared plates, the first of which was this Spaetzle. With Nueske's ham, exotic mushrooms, hazelnuts and and an aged Comté cheese, this is perfect cold weather food. Most of the menu items at Foundry feature such real comfort food favorites.
A generous plate of poutine, french fries with cheddar curds and a peppery beef gravy. Poutine, Chef Sam Putnam explained, was actually a local working-class favorite among Arcadian transplants in Somerville back in the day.
The Nueske's ham and hazelnuts really added to the richness of the mushrooms in this spaetzle dish.
Roasted Beet Salad. Served with arugula, blood oranges, almonds and a sherry vinaigrette, the flavors and freshness were great. I am so glad that beets seem to be showing up on more restaurant menus recently.
The pairing for the Beet Salad was a delicious Belgian beer, Verhaeghe, Duchess de Bourgogne, Belgium. A traditional, red Flemish ale, it has a rich, sweeter taste with a surprisingly dry finish. This was my favorite discovery of the night. I loved this beer.
Pan Seared Sea Scallops. Served with a fennel-leek soubise, beluga lentils and preserved lemon. You can never go wrong with the scallops, I say.
Chef Sam Putnam came out to the table to discuss each dish and its ingredients.
The scallops were paired with another very good Belgian beer, this Karmielet, Tripel, Belgium. A honey golden color, it was a perfectly blended, again, excellent beer. A very fine example of what a Tripel should be.
Our meat entree was Pork Osso Buco. With sweet peppers, kalamata olives, rosemary, swiss chard, polenta and gremolata, this was a hearty, well-seasoned plate. The Osso Buco was paired with Oddero, Barolo, Piedmont 2006, a more full-bodied red.
For dessert it was Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Drizzled with caramel and toasted coconut a side of coconut ice cream accompanied the dish. Thie dessert was, again, expertly paired with a Kracher, Cuvee Beeranausleses, Burgenland 2007, a sweeter dessert wine.
The cornmeal used in the cake makes it dense and satisfying.
If you plant to visit Foundry On Elm for dinner on weekends we strongly suggest making reservations in advance.
Foundry On Elm
255 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
Telephone: 617.628.9999
Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-1am; Sun 10am-1am
This looks fabulous! I was bummed to have missed this press dinner!
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