Pomodoro in Brookline has just replaced Central Kitchen as the Rabbitz favourite Boston boite. This place is superb. Here’s why:

We arrived 8:00ish on a balmy October Wednesday, and the place was packed. We were greeted at the door (sans reservation), and told it would be about 15 minutes for a table. They said we could wait at the stand-up bit of the bar, and by the time we got there, our places were set with cloth napkins, water, and plates of chunky peasant bread and olives with oil. Any deliberation about whether to stay and wait was immediately crushed by such a user friendly bar (and note that that this expediency only felt welcoming, not pressured or rushed). We started with drinks. Wine by the glass is limited — one white, a sparkling, and two reds (although bottles are very reasonable, with Veuve topping the list at $60). Mr. Rabbit opted for an Italian zinfandel, while I fell for the other red, a Boston wine built in Jamaica Plain. Fortunately, our server offered a taste before I finalized my order, at which point I switched to a well-executed blood orange whiskey smash.

We were soon seated at a very comfy banquette. Full of bread, we moved immediately to the mains, and split a linguine with veal meatballs and red sauce, and also, a brined pork chop served with a potato puree (like a mashed potato, nothing gross or soupy), spinach, and peaches. We traded dishes halfway through the meal. I started with the pasta and my meal transitioned from very good to absolutely excellent. Mr. Rabbit felt that the pasta paled slightly after the chop, but once he adjusted, we both agreed that each entrée was superb.

For dessert, we ordered the fig bread pudding, served warm with a little mug of hot chocolate (thick, like the churro-chocolate in Spain). The pudding wasn’t overly figgy, but it was nevertheless wonderful. And, our server brought us a free dessert (for absolutely no reason… food and service were fantastic from start to finish) — a tiramisu that was out of this world. It looked almost baguette-y, stuffed with the sweetest, creamy-est of cheese fillings, and dotted with little chocolate chips. This is apparently Pomodoro’s best-selling dessert. It is outstanding.

Details… constantly refreshed carafes of water on every table (flavoured with citrus and herb sprigs), real candles, flattering and romantique lighting, comfortable seating, pretty and well-kept bathrooms…. excellent service at the door, at the bar, at our table. Special spot. Great evening.

The damage… 1 cocktail, 2 glasses of vino, 2 entress,1 dessert (recall that our 2nd was comped)… $84 (after tax, but before tip). * Note that Pomodoro in Brookline only takes cash (ATM is not too far).

If I wanted to pick — not enough by the glass wine offerings, and bottles are all value priced, so nothing really high-end — but who cares. Sometimes it’s nice to keep things simple.

Pomodoro also has a North End oupost (actually, the original). I can’t imagine it possibly being more charming than the Brookline branch, but I’m willing to try it sometime.

Posted on October 18th, 2007 by rabbit
Filed under: Boston, Restaurant Reviews