Dining Out: Scutra

On Monday evening I had dinner with a friend at Scutra in Arlington. She had discovered the restaurant over the summer and had been back many times since her first visit. She had been raving about the delicious food, so we made a date to dine there together. 

Scutra is located on a very unassuming corner. They have their own free parking lot, which is a major bonus. 

Scutra

Inside, the restaurant has two rooms - the dining room and then a bar area. The space is decorated in varying hues of red, orange and yellow. 

Scutra

The restaurant gets its name from the Latin word scutra, which means "a plate or a dish used to eat from." I just felt like the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when he says, "Give me any word, and I will teach you how the root of that word is Greek." Anyway, I digress. 

The name Scutra is etched into each and every wine glass. I love these kinds of small touches in a restaurant.

Scutra

We had both had very long, intense work days so went right for the drinks. My friend ordered a cocktail called The Townie which was gin, limonata soda, fresh lemon and fresh lemon. She let me have a sip and it definitely tasted like gin. The cocktail was refreshing and very easy to drink. 

Scutra

I went for something a little more flashy (surprise, surprise) called the Melonade. It has three parts: mango vodka, lemonade puree and watermelon slush. How could I resist a drink with watermelon slush? 

Scutra

It came in a thick martini glass with a royal blue rim. It reminded me of the glasses at Papagayo in South Boston. As you can see above, the drink was honeydew melon green on top and bright pink on the bottom (the slush). I like all my drinks to taste like candy, so this was perfect for me. But if you don't like sweet cocktails, pass on the Melonade.

Once we placed our orders, our waiter brought over a basket of bread with oil for dipping. The dipping sauce was so delicious that I asked him for the entire ingredient list. It is a mixture of olive oil, parmesan cheese, dried herbs and red pepper flakes. My friend commented rather astutely, "It tastes like pizza seasoning."  

Scutra

We each selected an appetizer, staring with the butternut squash arancini. I had just had amazing saffron arancini at Viale in Cambridge, so the bar was set pretty high. 

ScutraScutra

Scutra's version of arancini came with three rice balls swimming in a sea of sweet tomato sauce and sprinkled with cheese adn fresh basil. The arancini had a subtle taste of butternut squash, a welcomed fall flavor. I couldn't taste any cheese in the center, which is always my favorite part. My friend stirred some of the olive oil mixture into the sauce, which was brilliant! 

I selected the sweet potato tots with parmesan cheese, scallions and truffle oil. I love that they serve them in a small silver frying basket. 

Scutra

I love sweet potato and I love truffle oil, but together I felt like the truffle masked the usual sweet taste of the potato. It was a bit overpowering. I also wish there had been ketchup or mustard for dunking. All that being said, I still ate every single one.

Scutra

For the main event, my friend went with one of the dinner specials, ahi tuna over couscous with bok choy and a wasabi dressing. When our waiter was describing the dish, when he got to the word couscous he said, "A grain so nice, they named it twice!" I couldn't help but laugh. 

ScutraScutra

After several bites, I asked for her thoughts on the dish. She explained, "Well, the tuna is cooked perfectly. The couscous is delicious. I do wish the dressing had been something other than wasabi. Maybe sweet and sour? Or teriyaki?"

I went with the pizza topped with arugula, figs and blue cheese. A few minutes after I placed the order our waiter returned to the table to let me know they were out of blue cheese. He kindly offered me every other type of cheese in the kitchen. I selected mozzarella. 

Scutra

The pizza was topped with tons of fresh, peppery arugula and sweet, sugary figs. Unfortunately the mozzarella was not an equal substitute for the blue cheese, which was so clearly the perfect third component. That being said, the crust was wonderfully crisp and tasted even better when swirled in the olive oil. 

Scutra

I ate half and took the second half home for lunch the next day. Our waiter was kind enough to include a little dish of the olive oil dipping sauce as well in my to-go box. The pizza was just as yummy on day two and the crust stayed nice and crispy. 

We listened to all the dessert options which included cheesecake, brownie a la mode, lemon tart and a selection of gelato and sorbet, but we ultimately passed because we were already pretty full. 

Scutra has been open for 15 years and I feel like a fool for only now discovering it! It is a 10 minute drive from Belmont and Somerville and very close to Arlington Center. With the free parking lot, it couldn't be easier to get to. 

Our waiter was so kind, friendly and funny. He had served my friend in the past and right when we sat down they started catching up about their summer vacations as if they were old friends. 

If you live in the Arlington, Somerville or Belmont area, definitely give Scutra a try. 

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Molly Galler

Welcome to Pop.Bop.Shop. My name is Molly. I’m a foodie, fashionista, pop culture addict and serious travel junkie. I’m a lifelong Bostonian obsessed with frozen confections, outdoor patios, Mindy Kaling, reality television, awards shows, tropical vacations, snail mail and my birthday.

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Address:
Scutra
92 Summer Street
02474 Arlington , MA
United States
Massachusetts US