On Massachusetts Avenue, nestled between bustling Harvard Square and bohemian Central Square, lies Cambridge's best kept culinary secret - Garden at the Cellar.
I had read about Garden at the Cellar before. In either Improper Bostonian, Stuff at Night, Boston Magazine, or perhaps all three. This Friday night, I traveled to the land between Squares to find out what all the hype was about.
Originally, my dinner date and I had planned to celebrate the arrival of the weekend at Olives in Charlestown, one of the many successful restaurants of Chef Todd English. But when a phone call confirmed the restaurant was completely booked for the evening, we needed a new venue for our dinner out.
My dinner date suggested we visit Garden at the Cellar where she had eaten back in December, and just so happens to know the owner and executive chef. Never one to turn down trying something new, or the chance to meet a young, successful business owner, I relished in the opportunity and we headed down Mass Ave.
Garden at the Cellar is at the center of a three part building. On the bottom floor there is a bar with stone walls and a medieval feel. They show soccer games on TV and have PBR on tap. Its basically a man cave. Men beware: the bar is cash only. Thankfully, Bank of America is across the street if you need a quick rescue from this sudden realization.
Upstairs on the right hand side of the building there is a wine store (or cellar, get it?) and at the center, is the jewel of the triple crown - the restaurant, Garden at the Cellar.
The restaurant has a warm and inviting feeling. It has hardwood floors, and one wall made entirely of stone. There are several tables along one wall, and a bar spanning the length of the opposite wall. We were greeted by a wonderful hostess who looked like she could be one of our best friends. Since the wait was about 30 minutes, she encouraged us to have a drink downstairs and she would come get us when our table was ready. How fantastic! I was loving the place already.
Exactly 30 minutes later the hostess did come retrieve us and lead us to the table right in front, against the windows. Excellent view both out the window, and of the whole restaurant. The table tops are made of copper and each table has a terra cotta pot of fresh herbs as a centerpiece. I felt transported to Tuscany.
Our waiter came to take our order and brought us warm, crusty, delicious bread with herb butter, served in a terra cotta pot! (I am all for themed accents). We stared with the Margherita flatbread pizza. It came out quite speedily, served a top a wooden slab (very rustic). The dough was thin and perfectly cooked, the cheese was a perfect gooey level of melted, and the tomatoes were fresh and plump. Perfect 10.
When it came time to order dinner I was quite conflicted! Everything looked and sounded so delicious. Earlier that day, my former roommate (who had been to Garden before) insisted that I order the homemade tater tots. Now, as someone who keeps the original tater tots in my freezer at the ready, I was hesitant to try a new twist on the staple, but her sales pitch was quite convincing, so I set about picking an item that would compliment the tots.
I decided on the tomato and herb soup, which is served with a grilled cheese sandwich (jackpot!) and my dinner date chose the roasted beet salad and a side of rosemary french fries. As we waited for our choices to be prepared and delivered, I couldn't help but notice the amazing playlist that had been showcasing one awesome song after another. The Beatles, James Brown, the Police, and Fiona Apple, just to name a few. More on this later.
When our food arrived, the presentation was absolutely gorgeous. Each plate looked so beautiful I didn't want to eat anything, for fear of disturbing the perfect presentation. That fear quickly diminished as the smells from our dishes wafted up to my nose.
My soup was fantastic. I didn't know tomato soup could taste that good! It was just a little bit thick and perfectly seasoned. The grilled cheese sandwich that came with the soup would not have been fantastic on its own (crusty white bread, with a sharp cheddar cheese) but in combination with the soup (I was dunking it in, who are we kidding?) it was superb. The soup and sandwich are listed on the menu as one item, which makes perfect sense, since they are a harmonious compliment to one another.
My dining companion loved her salad which was centered around roasted beets but also had a pile of fresh arugula and a generous sprinkling of goat cheese. She ordered rosemary fries on the side, which were the long lost twins of the McDonalds french fry. Perfectly crispy, perfectly golden, but in this case, with the added deliciousness of the rosemary.
And finally, the piece de resistance, the homemade tater tots. The tots are round, with a perfectly crisp, golden outside, and a warm, delicious center. The tots are filled with what tasted like a lighter version of a mashed potato with a little bit of cheese. Perfection, and gone in two and a half minutes.
We eventually had to tap out. The food was so delicious, and the portions so generous, we couldn't finish! The food was so incredible; had their been a dessert menu (which sadly there is not) I would have mentally powered through to try some. When our waiter brought the check, it was delivered with a small dish of chocolate. The absolute perfect palette cleanser to end the meal.
If the evening stopped right there, it would have been an A+, but since my dinner date knew the Chef, we asked our waiter if it might be possible to ask the Chef to come say a quick "hello". Like having our very own genie in a bottle, mere moments later, the executive Chef and owner appeared at our table and greeted my dinner date with a big hug. He introduced himself to me (his name is Will Gilson), and asked if we enjoyed our meal. I genuinely replied "I eat out about six nights a week and this is one of the best meals I have ever had in my life". His eyes sparkled and his warm smile grew ear to ear. It is clear he loves what he does. He shared with us that the restaurant has been open just over two years and they have busy since the doors opened. It is absolutely no surprise that he is nominated for the 2009 James Beard award which is like the Oscars of the culinary world.
In addition to his cooking chops, Chef Will has great taste in music. I complimented the music selection and asked who controls the playlist. Sheepishly he raised his hand. Could I be more impressed? He had to return to expediting in the kitchen, but we promised to come back again soon, a promise I fully intend to keep.
Overall, I was charmed by the Chef, transported by the warm and inviting decor, and completely hooked and impressed by the delicious, fresh, cravable food.
I think its time the rest of the world was let in on the secret.
