The following piece appeared in The Homesteader and on Matt’s food-centirc site (www.matts-meals.com) and was featured on WBZ Radio (AM 1030):
Ventre Up to the Bar: Bar Boulud Boston offers savory savor faire
With its wine-inspired décor and world-famous “name” chef Daniel Boulud-inspired everything, Bar Boulud Boston (www.barboulud.com/boston) combines the classic flavors of Lyon, France with the comfort of a favorite Boston lounge and the best of both!
Following on the success enjoyed by their pairing in London, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston recently invited Chef Daniel Boulud to create his first venue in Boston. The result is an eatery that is both elegant and effervescent with one-of-a-kind touches and comforting elements that make it a great place for a special occasion or any occasion.
With its branded napkins, coasters, and sugar substitutes, there is no way to lose track of the name behind the place. Fortunately, a meal at Bar Boulud is sure to be memorable on its own!
From the always-open lounge area that includes cozy seats and an open until midnight chrome bar backed by gleaming and painstakingly positioned bottles and a full complement of bitters and other mixology must-haves to the open and airy main room that is that offers wine barrel-oaky tables framed by plush booths with leather and velvet seating areas topped with embroidered cushions and that also includes a separatable (and reservable) private area as well as a unique charcuterie bar (prepared in a climate-controlled room by master charcutier Gilles Vérot) where Chef Boulud’s world-famous plates are put together and presented fresh before your eyes (and salivating tastebuds), the space is both cosmopolitan and comfortable. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow every guest a view of the bustle of Boylston and make them appreciate their delicious respite all the more. And as the restaurant is steeped in French tradition whiie open to New World nuances, the pacing of most meals allows plenty of time to enjoy the view and the food.
With a Burgundy and Rhone Valley-focused wine list that requires its own table of contents (each of the contents of which has been hand-picked by Boulud and includes such categories as “legends,” “discoveries,” “classics,” and “cousins” that resemble the main offerings but are not from the same regions), wall collages made of wine case panels, a common table in the lounge that is backed by gleaming towers of bottles, artwork that includes DaVinci-esque diagrams of corkscrews and an Impressionist interpretation of a vineyard, and an overarching set of barrel staves that literally caps the open, airy space, the focus on wine is evident but not overpowering. Fortunately, every wine has a variety of foods that pair perfectly and the staff (which are similarly ever-present but not overpowering) are always happy to suggest a new favorite combination.
No matter what they order, guests are offered freshly-baked breads with real creamery butter and a variety of sweet and savory sides – including delectable Viennoiserie (French pastries) and Chef Boulud’s signature Madeleins – that can add a special accent to any meal. Speaking of any meals, the Bar offers breakfast (daily from 6:30 – 10:30am), lunch (Monday – Saturday, 12 noon – 2:30PM), dinner (Daily, 5:30PM – 10PM) and many special menus. For the first meal of the day, the menu ranges from brioche French toast to freshly-fruited Greek yogurt to all-American buttermilk pancakes and even organic Vermont eggs any style (including omelets that can include Gloucester lobster). The lunch menu can be taken as a $28 two-course meal with an additional course for $6 more) or a la carte and includes Maine Peekytoe crab timbale, beef tartare, salad Provencale or Lyonnaise, housemade pumpkin cavatelli, lemon sole meunière, and steak frites or a set of sandwiches that includes Chef Boulud’s signature lobster roll and his “Classic” towering burger on fresh brioche. Dinner adds such options as shrimp al Ajillo, escargots, English tea-smoked lobster, white pork sausage, and a trio of veal preparations that includes loin, cheek, and crispy sweetbread. Speaking of sweets, Pastry Chef Robert Differ makes himself available to every guest through such fabulous finales as his traditional Basque custard cake, steamed meringue, roasted Gala apple tart, house-made sorbets and glaces (ice creams) and a pair of coupes that will drive you crazy (in a good, pineapple and coconut or dark chocolate way!).
While the Bar is a great place for business lunches or family dinners, it is also a worthy contender for a new favorite brunch place. While the bill of fare for the weekly event (Sunday 12-3) includes Chef Boulud’s proprietary smoked salmon wrapped around whisked eggs, pain perdu (an extra-French and extra-yummy French toast), crispy duck egg, DB Smoked Salmon, or Oeuf en Meurette (eggs cooked in wine), what makes a Sundays at BBB best are the smooth sounds of fluglehornist Lance Houston wafting through the oaky overhangs and melding with the mélange of mouthwatering flavors. Another extra-special time to go to the Bar is before theatre. On weekdays from 5:30-6:30, guests can enjoy such perennial favorites as soupe à l’oignon (onion soup made with Guinness) and Chef Boulud’s seasonal selection of pâté, coq au vin or the “Departed” burger ( beef patty with Irish bacon and Guinness-braised onion), and Tiramisu tart for $42. No matter what you order, it will surely be curtain up on a new dining experience!
As it is now the official hotel restaurant at the Mandarin, the Bar also offers select items for Mandarin room service and the hotel’s wi-fi, making it a great place for a late-night bite or a day of downloading with delicious diversions right at your “desk.” To hlp make a special occasion more special or any day a bit so, the Bar also offers a selection of Champagnes arranged by grower and type, as well as beers on draught, select cocktails and full menus of Cognac, Amaro, Scotch, Bourbon, Rye and other “interesting” options.
So whether you are in town for business or pleasure, a seating at Bar Boulud Boston will surely put you more in the frame of the latter no matter how early or late you arrive.
Bar Boulud Boston
At Mandarin Oriental Boston
776 Boylston Street, Boston
