Located in fashionable Boylston Street, near the Prudential Center, is one of Boston’s fancier places to eat, the celebrated L’Espalier. A recent menu details what you might expect.

Prix fixe three course? Degustation? Tasting Journey? Three major routes to take…

I learned about L’Espalier from an article in Cheese Connoisseur magazine, featuring their Maitre d’, fromagère Louis Risoli. Upon seeing the attention to their cheeses and this man’s obvious love of cheese, I thought I had to visit L’Espalier for the entire package when Boston came into travel plans.

The interior was nice for sure, dressy but comfortable, clean lines, metallic tones. The only thing I didn’t care for is the large window looking out to the wall of an adjacent building with the logo for Lord & Taylors, dominating the scene. Careful attention has been placed on lighting, and one wall features wines behind glass.

The breads, from Au Soleil bakery, were delicious. Especially ripe was the pretzel breads, with just enough chewy texture and the crunch of salt. The recipes, meanwhile, are inventive, with a focus on local, fresh ingredients. Meal pacing was excellent. In turn, L’Espalier is not inexpensive, but the service, food, and sparkle all translate to a grand experience.

Some of the things I was able to taste included oyster, escargot, foie gras with pistachio nougatine, and lamb loin. Perhaps the most genius of dishes included an heirloom tomato dish with parma ham, a noodle formed from agar agar, and a special strawberry cocktail with a rather special, sweet yet savory foam. Grand selections of cheese and desserts were in for the ride too.

L’Espalier translates to fine dining, for sure, but the flights of fancy don’t reach the most high peaks. You can find more adventurous cuisine elsewhere, even more traditional. Here, things are progressive and refined. Delicious. But somehow shy of greatness. Yet how many gustatory experiences reach the highest echelons?

Recommended.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 10:21 pm and is filed under French, Restaurant Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.