April 21, 2010

Sportello's - 3.5 Turkeys

We made it to Boston and I am well into my food journey thru the city.  I started off with an old favorite in the Fort Point area - Barbara Lynch's Sportello. First, how can you go wrong eating at a Barbara Lynch restaurant?  She's an icon in the Boston restaurant scene and her new cookbook, Stir, has inspired me to attempt making my own homemade pasta.  I'm still researching it :)

Anyway, on to the yummy first review...Sportello is set up perfectly to cater to the lunch crowd.  With the white gleaming countertops and bar stools patrons can get an up close view of their food being prepared.  My friend, Elyse, and I came here a little over a year ago to celebrate my engagement (when our waitress heard the news they gave us complimentary champagne).  We sat down and immediately received some scallion bread accompanied by some rhubarb ricotta spread with a little olive oil.  As we munched on the bread we chose the tagliatelle bolognese and the squash cappellacci.


The tagliatelle was not up to par with what I remember from my first visit.  The pasta was clumped together and the sauce was much blander than I recall and was overrun with meat.  It tasted good but didn't live up to what I know Barbara Lynch's restaurants can offer.

The cappellacci combined sweet and salty very nicely. It was stuffed with squash, topped with brown butter, sage and marcona almonds.  A few dates were thrown in which added the right amount of sweetness, however, we both agreed there could be more dates and a bit more sauce.  Who doesn't love a little extra sauce to mop up with the bread?


Overall, the atmosphere is great. I'd like to give it a try for dinner and then hit up her new bar, Drink, where they mix up speciality drinks based on the customers likes and dislikes.  I have to try this place again...I'm not sure if we were just on some incredible high the first time (well me for sure) but this one didn't live up to the amazing lunch we held in our minds.  The polenta for one was a high light last time but they cut down the options to just one on this season's menu (note: our waiter did say the could make up the mushroom polenta if we wanted).



Score: 35 points
Ambiance (4), Tastiness of Dishes (6), Menu (3), Drink Selection (4), Cost (6), Accessibility (3), Service (5), Location (4)


Sportello on Urbanspoon

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