I recently got to explore more of the Boston restaurant scene with a progressive dinner at Bel Ari and Les Zygomates in the Leather District. Bel Ari and Les Zygomates are just a few doors down from each other and they're actually owned by the same people, so they organized this progressive dinner with Blog and Tweet Boston. Bel Ari was named after the owners' children while Les Zygomates refer to "the muscles in the face that make you smile".
While we were waiting for the rest of our party, I started off the night with a cocktail with Bulleit bourbon, lavender infused honey, and limoncello.We went back to the private room and kicked off our dinner with a glass of Bellussi prosecco to pair with the first courses.
Whipped ricotta, honey, pistachios, crispy sunflower cranberry bread
A great table starter, the ricotta was smooth and cloud-like, I loved it with the honey and couldn't stop eating it.
Arancini di Riso (stuffed risotto ball, goat cheese, basil, and onion marmalade)
The onion marmalade was an interesting choice, it was the first time I had arancini with sweeter sauce, but it worked quite well.
Shrimp and lobster gnocchi, oyster mushrooms, lobster cream sauce
This pasta was surprisingly fairly light for a gnocchi with cream sauce, but it's still a comforting dish with the earthy notes of the mushrooms. The gnocchi was well made with a nice texture.
After the pasta course, we walked over next door (more or less) to Les Zygomates, where they were also having a live jazz performance. Unlike Bel Ari, Les Zygomates is a French bistro and wine bar.
Here, we got our entrees and desserts.
Beef flat iron rossini, pomme puree, wild mushrooms, foie gras, truffle, and madeira
I was already full but I couldn't say no to steak and foie gras. I usually order my steak rare in case the restaurants overcook it, which is pretty often, but Les Zygomates did a really great job even with our big group. My steak was perfectly cooked the way I asked.
The steak was paired with 2010 grenache/syrah blend from Chateau Trillol, Corbier, France. The wine was fruity and full bodied, it paired nicely with the steak but also one that's easy to drink on its own.
We finished off with some desserts:
Poached apple napoleon
Chilled chocolate cake
Both Bel Ari and Les Zygomates are great places for dinner, with a nice ambiance and decor and good food. The live jazz at Les Zygomates seems to be pretty popular, and I can see why. They also have a nice wine selection and rotating art exhibit throughout the restaurant.
Bel Ari
107 South St
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 259-1560
belariboston.com
Les Zygomates
129 South St
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 542-5108
winebar129.com
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