James Beard Best Chef Eatery

My friend and colleague, Anna, had been wanting to try 112 Eatery so we opted for a beautiful summer evening in June. Although we weren't able to take advantage of dining al fresco, we were so thoroughly enjoying ourselves so we didn't even notice what we were missing outside.

We began with a bread basket, which may seem typical, but the bread was so fresh and served with fresh butter so it was worth the few extra calories.

As usual, we ordered a variety of items, which we shared and I highly recommend this approach as there were numerous items worth trying on this menu. The first course consisted of a fresh salad which contained Boston bibb with a fine herb vinaigrette. It sounds simple yet that's what made the dish a fabulous starter to the rest of the meal, which was somewhat indulgent.

One of our favorite courses was the fresh ricotta with white truffle honey. The creaminess of the ricotta just melted in your mouth while the sweetness from the honey rounded it out.

The main course consisted of nori encrusted sirloin with ponzu sauce. Although we didn't ask, they even split the sirloin onto two plates for us. It was tender, had a slight sweet taste while also showing a bit of heat. The fresh vegetables on top provided a crispness to balance out the richness of the meat.

The roast chicken and lobster with hazelnut sabayon was something truly different than what I have ever had at any restaurant. The chef essentially made a sliced roll of the chicken and lobster. The sauce was a perfect accompaniment to this succulent dish. 

I enjoy some good gnocchi and this had to be some of the best gnocchi I have ever had. As Anna put it, they were little pillows of goodness. 

112 Eatery did not disappoint with their dessert selection and it was as endless in innovations as was the rest of their menu. We opted for the blueberry mousse cake with braised blueberries. The mousse was so light and delicate, we could have easily each ordered one for ourselves. 

In addition, we chose the house-made waffles with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. I appreciated the waffles being thin and chewy with just enough sweetness added to this incredible meal.

And just when we thought our meal was complete, they brought out some caramelized popcorn with our bill. It had cardamom and other spices to off set the typical sweetness of caramelized popcorn.

Overall, the service was impeccable, accommodating to our needs (before we even asked for anything) and well worth the price we paid.

www.112eatery.com