Restaurant Review: Gargoyles on the Square
Last night, we went to the Somerville restaurant Gargoyles on the Square (that’s Davis Square). We had been there about 15 years ago, when they were a few doors down from their current location. At that time, it was good, but not exceptional.
Recently, Howard read that Gargoyles was now known for sous-vide cooking and other creative techniques. You know from previous posts that Howard dabbles in sous vide at home. He was really interested in checking out this restaurant again.
We went on a Friday night (easily getting a reservation from Open Table). The restaurant was remarkably quiet. Our meal was fabulous. The food was creative, unusual, and delicious. The service was attentive and helpful. We’ll definitely be back to see what they have in store for the next season.
I went with the “Signature” dishes. For an appetizer, I had the Hawaiian Style Tuna Poke. It was like sashimi with a pile of tuna with hijiki, nori oil, and red ginger. It was served with chopsticks. It was bursting with flavor. For my entree, I chose
Hoisin and Honey-Glazed Duck Confit. It was two tender duck legs served with sweet sticky rice, mango, and cashews. The dish complemented my appetizer because both the poke and the duck had Asian flavors.
Howard went the more creative route. For an appetizer, he had Calamari “Spaghetti”, which calamari bodies sliced incredibly thin, like spaghetti with a bolognese sauce make with chopped pastrami, accompanied by squid ink puffs that you could dip into black garlic bread puree. Wow! It was fun and yummy. For his entree, Howard picked Sous Vide Veal Cheeks with parsnip puree and king oyster mushrooms. The meat was meltingly tender. The veal was cooking in an immersion bath for 8 hours. It was fun for him to eat a sous vide dish. His own efforts definitely measure up to the pros.
We didn’t have dessert because I had picked up some cupcakes at Cake, a bakery in Lexington. I had a coupon: buy 5, get 1 free. So, I picked out half a dozen different flavors. We had cupcakes at home for dessert. I had Peanut Butter and Chocolate, which was a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting (and half a mini-Reese cup). Howard had the Midnight Delight, which was, of course, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. It was a nice end to the evening.
Just an Ordinary Week
It was an ordinary week. It started with a relaxing weekend in Maine. We got started on garden cleanup there. The weather was sunny, though crisp. We had a good day on Saturday and planned to spend most of Sunday there.
Unfortunately, Bella foiled those plans by rolling in something dead during her early morning walk with Howard. Howard woke me at ten minutes before 7 on Sunday morning, with a plea for help in cleaning her up. She reeked. I managed to clean her up enough that we could bear to spend 2 hours in the car with her on the ride home.
We drove straight to Laundromutt (my favorite pet-related business). It’s a self-serve dog wash. You bring the dog. They provide the tub, the shampoo, the hose that mixes the suds, the chamois and the towel. Most importantly, they clean up afterwards! They recommended a special citrus shampoo to help cut her odor. It worked, mostly.
The high point of the week was the kickoff of Boot Camp for the season. Last year, from April until November, I went to a local field twice a week at 6 am, rain or shine, where I exercised for an hour with 25 other women, led by a retired PE teacher. It was awesome.
It started again on Tuesday. We run, we skip, we jump rope, we do pushups, we lift weights, we move in many different ways for a solid hour. I love it just as much this year as last, despite some sore muscles this week.
The low point of the week was my mother’s birthday on Wednesday. It would have been her 71st birthday. I still miss her after the almost 3 years she has been gone. I know she lives on in my sisters and me. We still keep her close to our hearts. Plus, she would be happy that my sisters and I remain close, talking to each other often and seeing each other as often as geography allows.
Cooking this week had its ups and downs, more than its share of disappointing or run-of-the-mill recipes. The best was an impromptu chili. We had thawed ground beef from Codman Farm for hamburgers. At dinnertime, it was raining. There was no way that Howard was going to start the charcoal in the rain.
I took a container of my trusty tomatillo sauce from the freezer and a can of beans from the shelf, combined with the ground beef. I served it over quinoa. It was appropriately hearty for the chilly turn of weather we saw this week.
Spontaneous Tomatillo Chili
Serves 4 to 6
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp chili powder (I used hot New Mexican green chili)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano (preferably Mexican, which you can get at Penzey’s)
3 cups tomatillo sauce (see recipe in this post)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped cilantro
In a large skillet, heat the oil Saute the onions until tender. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. When it is mostly browned, add spices and mix in well. (If the meat is fatty, drain off any excess fat after the meat has browned.)
In a large soup pot, combine the tomatillo sauce, the meat, and the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 10 minutes for flavors to combine. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro.
Serve over cooked quinoa (or rice)
A Plateful of Happiness 