Kendall Square has
been making food news for a while now.
It seems that every few months a new place opens touting inventive menus
and critically acclaimed chefs. One
might assume that prior to the past few years Kendall Square was a veritable
wasteland for food. One would be
wrong. A few nights ago I was invited to
dine at Bambara- a New American cuisine style restaurant located within the
Hotel Marlow that, guess what, isn’t new at all.
Quietly plugging along serving locally sourced ingredients
combined into fresh dishes that truly showcase the bounty and beauty of this
region, Bambara is producing consistent and delicious fare. What I loved about my meal there was that
they aren’t reinventing the wheel, you won’t find crazy molecular gastronomy
here, but they are serving dishes with incredible flavor and creativity.
Starting just with appetizers- their Warm
Lobster Sliders and their Chickpea Fries, and you can already see the
differences. I can hear you though
already- c’mon a lobster slider- this is Boston, we’ve been there and done
that! Let me tell you- you haven’t been there
and done that- not like Bambara’s!
Toasted, buttery brioche baked into a top split roll, and jammed with as
much butter poached lobster as possible- let me rephrase that- butter on top of
butter….on top of lobster. It’s finished
with an herb slaw which cuts through all of that buttery goodness and adds
these beautiful fresh
flavors depending on the season. This isn’t your average ho hum lobster roll,
if you can ever really call a lobster roll ho hum and I’m not sure you
can. Chickpea fries sound innocent
enough don’t they? They actually maybe
don’t even sound that good- those mealy chickpeas made into fries? What’s the big deal? The big deal is the Chef at Bambara is making
this silky puree of healthy chickpeas, forming it into long rectangles, chilling
them and frying them. The result are
ultra crispy fries that have wonderful textural contrast with that chickpea
filling. They are served with an aioli
dipping sauce that is lovely, but those fries can be eaten on their own- lord
knows I was addicted!
On the lighter side, Chef Jay Silva is rocking his salad
game with options including an Heirloom Tomato Salad and a Boston Feta
Salad. The Heirloom Tomato Salad is
everything you’d hope for- gorgeous slices of perfect tomatoes surrounding an
orb of creamy burrata, and covered under a shower of fresh basil and aged
balsamic. Then the unique twist- polenta
croutons. Croutons may be pretty boring
on their own, but the polenta brings a whole new level to the game. A similar feeling to the polenta fries,
these had a gorgeous soft interior found once breaking through the crisp
exterior. I loved the contrast of the
textures between these, the ripe
tomatoes and the impossibly creamy, oozy
burrata. If you’re looking for a more
traditional salad, give the Boston Feta a go.
Boston Bibb Lettuce, topped with a perfect mix of cucumbers, roasted
peppers (sweet and hot), Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, a bright and acidic
lemon vinaigrette and ample chunks of feta.
Let’s talk entrees.
It is Boston, so seafood is a
major component to satisfy our love of all
things ocean. How about a gorgeous piece
of braised cod, perched above fresh spears of roasted asparagus and shrimp
enhanced risotto, and finished with a
pancetta broth? Or a mix of Pork and
Clams combining smoked pork loin with native clams over perfect gnocchi with
fava beans and a roasted garlic sauce?
The cod was so perfectly cooked, it surrendered to the fork without any
resistance allowing huge chunks to be matched with the textural contrast of the
creamy risotto. The flavors of this
dish, as it flowed between decadent and light were a fantastic spring/early
summer contrast. Now the smoked pork
loin paired with fresh steamers was
my favorite of the entrees tried. Surf and Turf can mean so many things to
different chefs but this was a truly great interpretation. Clams have such a beautiful salty and earthy
flavor, pairing them here with a deep smoke from the pork brought together the
true ideas of land and sea. I
immediately felt like I was both sitting in an ocean village and that I was at
a back yard bbq- both are extremely happy places. The backdrop of gnocchi shouldn’t be
forgotten either. Pillowy perfection
playing the perfect supporting role and the best vehicle I can think of to sop
up that roasted garlic sauce.
Bambara delivered in every category, their food was well put
together and showed the ability to push the limits of the box to include ideas
that aren’t the norm. The flavors will
dazzle the palate and each dish is well executed. Bambara isn’t an it place, but that just
means you can actually sit and enjoy your meal without being rushed or
jostled. Add it to your list of must go's in Kendall Square.
1 comment:
this place definitely flies under the radar! Everything sounds really good!
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