Tuesday, September 27, 2011

An Italian Feast At Towne


As the Ferraris lined up at the curb we arrived at Town Stove And Spirits last week for a very special dinner and event to benefit Perkins School For The Blind: A Taste Of Italy. This was a true Italian feast with very authentic dishes classic to the City of Rome.


My guest and dining companion for the evening was Jimmy Guzmán, GM of The Bulfinch Hotel. Who can resist stopping for a shot on the red carpet? Thank you Joanna Roffo!


We sipped on cocktails and mingled with friends Bianca Garcia, Richard Auffrey, Lindsay Rotondi and Joanna Roffo before heading upstairs to the elegant main dining room where our window seats overlooked Boylston Street and that fabulous row of gleaming Ferraris. From the moment we arrived, the service was absolutely the height of professionalism.


We peeked in on our friend, the always colorful Chef Lydia Shire, hard at work in the kitchen.


These Lobster and Cheddar Bites were incredibly good and Jimmy's favorite taste of the evening.


Dates wrapped in bacon, one of my favorite appetizers.


For his first course Jimmy went with the Roman Carciofi Alla Giuda, which translates to fried artichokes. I am not an artichoke fan but I tried it and it was interesting and definitely seasoned well. Jimmy loved it.


To start, I selected the Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup With Pecorino-Parsley Sformato. It tasted every bit as good as the colorful presentation looked, creamy and sweet with that perfectly balanced and gorgeous, smoky sformato.


For our second course we both enjoyed the Buccatini Amatriciana. This dish is made with dried pork cheek and is a true Italian classic often served in the restaurants of Rome but less so in the USA. Rich but not overly salty, this was an excellent rendition. My fave plate of the night.


As a main course, I went with the Roman Veal Saltimboca With Roman Gnocchi. This was a standout, perfectly done with that crisp pancetta and melt in your mouth gnocchi that was surprisingly light.


Jimmy went with the Abbachio, Grilled Baby Lamb, as his main. I tried a mouthful, including the bed of white polenta it was served on. It was delicious.


Although we had already ordered dessert Chef Lydia made us feel like real VIPS by sending us out a Strawberry Shortcake With Rhubarb Ice Cream to try. The flaky, delicate biscuit was still warm, the strawberries juicy but that ice cream was the star on the plate.


Our second dessert was the Buttermilk Panna Cotta which was also excellent.

This perfectly executed event was really elegant and a stunning feast. Thank you Towne and Chef Lydia Shire!

Town Stove And Spririts
900 Boylston Street
The Prudential Center
Boston, MA
Telephone: 617.247.0400

1 comment:

  1. It was sooo nice seeing you and Jimmy last week! I absolutely love Towne and that event was spectacular. Hope to see you again soon! xo

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