Monday night I was meeting a friend for dinner who lives in the South End. We were both in the mood to try a new spot for dinner and she suggested City Table, the newly opened restaurant on the ground floor of the Lenox Hotel on the corner of Boylston and Exeter Streets in Back Bay.
We walked up Boylston from Copley Square (a very pretty walk at holiday time) and I knew from the second we were on the pavement outside the restaurant I was going to like it. Why you may ask? The restaurant's name is projected in lights onto the pavement from a light fixture above the entry way. This a girl who loves flashy.
Inside the restaurant had a very warm and elegant feeling. The lighting is dim (very romantic) and the furniture is dark, deep, earth tones adding to the cozy atmosphere. The restaurant has a large bar in the center and several sectioned off rooms with round tables as well as banquettes against the outer walls.
We started the meal with champagne cocktails which were light, fizzy and delicious. Our waiter brought a sparse bread basket, but when we politely asked for more bread he replenished it swiftly.
To start, we each ordered an appetizer - the whipped feta and the chicken drummettes. The whipped feta was a mixture of feta cheese and red pepper puree served with grilled pita bread triangles. The drummettes were a generous portion of perfectly seasoned chicken (with a dark rum glaze) served with a lime dipping sauce.
For dinner we split the grilled vegetable sandwich which came on ciabatta bread, served with mozzarella cheese and pesto. The sandwich was so large, one person couldn't even finish a half by themselves!
The sandwich also came with thinly cut, perfectly crisped and salted french fries.
Although we were too full for dessert, the menu looked superb. I have my eye on the vanilla creme brulee or the devil's chocolate cake for next time.
The best party of City Table was the price. For such wonderful ambiance, exquisite food and great service, one would expect a huge price tag. Not so. The fairly priced menu is one of the most pleasant surprises in dining at City Table.
City Table is the perfect venue for a special occasion and you can follow all of their happenings on Twitter! (@CityTable)
