Farm to Table

It's Restaurant Week in Boston...time to dine! Although the restaurant scene in Boston pales in comparison to other cities like New York, Restaurant Week is a great way to sample the few hidden gems here. Thanks to the affordable menu, I've been able to try the Elephant Walk (French Cambodian food--excellent), Vox Populi (trendy vibe, disappointing food), and Locke Ober (traditional American/French--exquisite), just to name a few.

Tonight, my whole family went to Henrietta's Table in Cambridge. A friend recommended it to me a while ago for its fresh, local ingredients and ever-changing menu. When I received an email from Opentable that Boston Restaurant Week was starting, Henrietta's was at the top of my list!

The restaurant itself is quite charming. Set off the entrance to the Charles Hotel, you instantly go from classy to homey. Large chalkboards reveal the daily menu and cute sayings such as, "Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out". An iron sculpture of Henrietta the pig dons the sunny, kitchen-like atmosphere, along with tons of other stuffed pig animals, which you can purchase to bring home your own Henrietta!

The tables and chairs were simple yet elegant: made of wood and large enough to feel as though Henrietta's kitchen is giving you a warm hug. The open view of the kitchen and its shiny, brass pots and pans reminded me of Ina Garten's kitchen on the Barefoot Contessa. Inviting, comfortable, and smelling of heaven.

But would the food live up to the hearty, cozy ambience?

We were first given a basket of assorted breads--all of which looked crusty, fresh, and delicious. I tried the cranberry-nut bread and a somewhat sweet bread (I'm still trying to figure out what gave it the subtle sweet, nutty flavor--honey or maple perhaps?). Both were robust and tasted like they just came from the corner bakery.

I then ordered the Blueberry Tom Collins to drink. It had a beautiful lilac hue from the fresh, crushed blueberries, and tasted even better. The perfect combination of sweet, tart, and refreshment.

For the first course, I had a salad with sweet pea greens, roasted beets, pickled shallots, and mild "hannahbell" cheese shaped like thimbles. The menu even listed from which farmers the ingredients came: Shy Brothers Farm (how much more adorable can you get?!). Read more about hannahbells here: http://shybrothersfarm.com/

My main course was seared King Salmon with a spring chive butter sauce and a side of sautéed summer squash and zucchini. The salmon was so perfectly moist and light that it melted like butter in my mouth. I tried my mom's pot roast, which brought me back to chilly Sunday afternoons when a pot roast cooked in the oven until it fell apart at the touch of the fork. My dad's maple smoked duck might have been the best duck I've ever tasted (he said the same)--so much flavor, and so smooth, not gamey like other duck I've tried.

And of course, let's not forget dessert! Being the chocoholics that we are, my entire family (besides my dad--he ordered the peach-berry pie) had the chocolate pecan mud pie with vanilla bean ice cream. Mhmm! Gourmet and elegant, but at the same time it felt, tasted, and looked like something your mom would have made.

Overall I was extremely impressed with the food and the atmosphere at Henrietta's Table. The restaurant truly carried out its culinary vision of "honest to goodness New England cooking", from the kitchen-like decor, to the little stories about the farmers who harvested our food. I may be partial to New York, but this restaurant is definitely a Beantown gem.