Last week I went out with two girlfriends for a birthday celebration downtown. The birthday girl had asked me to suggest an Italian restaurant, nice enough for a special occasion, that none of us had been to. Well, with ladies who dine out as often as we do, this was a difficult task!
In the end, my top suggestion was a restaurant located just beyond Maggiano's on Stuart Street in the theater district called Rustic Kitchen.
From the moment I set foot in the restaurant, I already loved it. The decor was beautiful and the space had a warm, tranquil ambiance. Our waitress was friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu.
While the girls tried the red wine sangria, I noticed the restaurant offered infused vodkas. I wound up trying the mixed berry vodka, served with grapefruit juice. It tasted just like candy, which is exactly how I liked my alcoholic beverages.
While we waited for our food to arrive, we munched on delicious bread, served with a side of hummus and olive oil and plump green and purple olives.
To start, we ordered the margherita flatbread pizza which was served hot and seasoned perfectly. I think the pizza stone was clear in about two minutes.
For dinner, the birthday girl ordered the pot pie of the day, which happened to be chicken. When the cast-iron skillet arrived I thought the crust would just continue puffing and puffing, just like the spaghetti in Strega Nona's pasta pot! It was truly an incredible presentation, and according to the birthday girl, incredibly delicious.
We also tried the gnocchi served with a sausage and fennel ragu and the porcini mushroom tortellini served with spinach, pine nuts, roasted mushrooms and a light cream sauce. Both pasta dishes were rich and very satisfying.
In addition to the fantastic food, the restaurant was also playing great music. In between conversation, my ears perked up to the sound of Jack Johnson's "Upside Down," Sublime's "Santeria," and Ray Lamontange's cover of Gnarls Barkely's "Crazy." I had never heard the cover and wound up listening to it on repeat on YouTube at work the next day.
When we finally peeled ourselves away from the decadent dinner, as we walked out the chef smiled and thanked us for coming in. Rustic Kitchen is truly a special place. The perfect combination of decor, ambiance, service, and of course, food! It is a perfect venue for a special occasion or a night when the parents are footing the bill.
Rustic Kitchen also has locations in the Derby Shoppes in Hingham, MA and at Mohegan Sun in Pennsylvania.
