Restaurant Review: Tremont 647

So, we’ve made it to week two of my 52 week culinary adventure.  What I’ve learned in these two weeks: if I’m going to eat out like this, the gym is going to need to be my best friend on the off days.

But anyways — I’ve had a Groupon burning a hole in my pocket for the last 4 months for Tremont 647.  On Saturday night I grabbed the one person I know who’s willing to try any new restaurants, anytime: Mike R. (who was also my partner in crime for the Bacon-Wrapped Steak with Bourbon BBQ Sauce adventure that left me at least 4lbs heavier).  Wanting to watch the Baltimore-Pittsburgh game in the afternoon, we made reservations for 7:45 on a Saturday night.  Forgetting that the South End is an entirely different species from the rest of Boston, we seemed to have arrived just before the peak of the night’s business.  I was a little thrown off when we walked in, since the hostess booth is hidden behind the main wall and squeezed in next to the bar, which is literally right in front of you when you walk in the door.  In the three minutes we waited for our table to be prepared, I was shoved/bumped into several times… by people sitting in their bar stools.  Not their fault, but the restaurant’s cramped front end was a little off-putting and definitely a tight fit.

But a few moments later we were at our table, and all was well again… until we smelled the food.  Instantly, my stomach began to growl, rather fiercely, at the aroma coming from the open kitchen directly behind me.  Out of fear of excessive salivation, I chose to avoid eye contact.  The appetizer menu had several interesting options – we settled on the Thai Chicken Wings.  Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long after our ordered was placed to be presented with the finest bread I have EVER eaten in a restaurant.  Warm, soft focaccia, topped with caramelized onions and a light coating of olive oil… oh.my.gawd.  Without hesitation we asked for a second basket, and only declined the third when there was absolutely zero space left in our stomachs.  At which point, the chicken wings were brought out.  They were tender and had incredible flavor, although I spent a solid 10 minutes trying to, unsuccessfully, put my finger on the predominant spices.  Alas, all I can tell you is that they definitely had ginger and lime in the marinade, and they were definitely finger-lickin good.

So then, after another basket of the most amazing bread ever, the main courses were served.  I ordered “Rouge’s Fried Chicken”, which, to my delight, was lightly battered and not the least bit greasy.  Served with their famous bacony-collard greens and a buttermilk biscuit, all topped with a scallion gravy, I was satisfied, but not totally “wowed”.  My main complaint was the amount of salt that seemed to be on everything — I have a very high tolerance for salt and tend to oversalt everything I cook, but even this was too much for me.  Mike’s dinner, on the other hand, was beyond incredible.  I was leery when it was first served, mainly since the pork chop was literally the size of a brick.  We were both thinking, “How is he even going to cut that?”  But the second he put his fork into it, the pork shredded perfectly — knife not necessary.  It was probably the most tender piece of pork I’ve ever seen, especially considering the size of the chop.  Apparently it is slow roasted to make it this tender, then covered in a spicy southwestern sauce.  Served with cilantro rice, beans, and fried plaintain chips it stood out from the more traditional menu choices, but was amazing nonetheless.  I would order/recommend this dish in a heartbeat.

And finally… we made it to dessert.  Of course we would never turn down an opportunity for dessert, and we went with our waiter’s suggestion: a brownie baked with walnuts and cherries topped with popcorn ice cream.  That’s right — popcorn.  We were told that they coat vanilla ice cream with popcorn, let it sit in a freezer for some number of hours to allow the flavor to infuse into the ice cream, which is covered in sea salt after the popcorn is removed.  I hope I got that right; but either way it was definitely the most unique dessert I’ve ever had.  While it was good, it was almost too overwhelming after our flavorful dinners.  The popcorn ice cream, to me, is something rare that I can say I’ve had, rather than something I would run back to have again.  All in all it was delicious.

Apologies for being about a week late on posting this — other priorities seem to get in the way of sitting down to write sometimes.  Also, my find of the week: a Groupon for Sibling Rivalry!  Looking forward to using that in the near future.  Lastly – as you may be reading this, I’m actually out trying another restaurant on my list!  Look for my review of Monday’s lunch in Beacon Hill soon.

Tremont 647 is located at 647 Tremont St in the South End of Boston.  About a ten minute walk from both the Prudential stop on the Green Line or Back Bay Station on the Orange Line, valet parking is also available for around $15.  For directions, menus, hours, and reservations (which are highly recommended), visit www.tremont647.com.