Foodie Friday: Marliave

The "Tres Curieux" cocktail -- potent and tasty, just how I like them.

The first stop for J and me on the Restaurant Week itinerary was Marliave, located near Downtown Crossing (10 Bosworth Street, to be exact). An interesting little place, tucked away at the end of an alley next to the Nine Zero Hotel. I had lunch here a few years ago so I already knew that the interior was basically a nod to an old-school train station of sorts with its white subway tile walls and black furniture and marble bartop. I knew that the French onion soup with short ribs was to die for. But what I did not know was that the rest of the menu, drinks included, was literally mind blowing. Prepare to drool...

First course -- Macaroni & Cheese. It was a Sunday, and what do you crave more on a Sunday than comfort food? And what qualifies as comfort food more than a big, soupy bowl of insanely delicious macaroni and cheese? Nothing. The answer is nothing. The house-cut ziti made this dish, hands down. It was perfectly al dente with a hint of black truffle. Tons of butter and cream and gooey cheese put this over the top (which in my humble opinion, is what mac & cheese should be every time.)

And because J and I can never get enough cheese, we ordered the Rarebits. Bacon, beer, and cheese melted in a skillet with toasted bread for dipping? Yes please!

Little confession to make: I'm kiiiiind of a glutton for punishment. I have that extra cocktail at the tail end of a girls night. I stay up a little later than I should during the week. And I order the French onion soup a la carte because apparently two heavy appetizers for two people isn't enough.

After the first course, I was convinced the rest of the meal would go downhill from there. How can you outdo what's pictured above? It seemed impossible. But sure enough, the second courses did not disappoint. Brick chicken on top of a bed of creamy risotto. Delicately crisped skin that exploded with flavor with every bite. My mouth is watering as I write this.

I went with the old standby: steak frites. But these were served with a nice dollop of Gorgonzola butter on top. The fries were house-cut and cooked to perfection -- you know, that hard-to-achieve crispy on the outside yet chewy on the inside kind of perfection. Now I must admit that (shockingly!) we were too full to eat our dessert so we had them box it up for us. J ordered the butterscotch pudding with candied ginger (YUM!) and I ordered the chocolate melting cake with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. A few hours after we rolled (literally) out of Marliave, I tossed the cake in the micro for a few seconds, topped it with the ice cream, and had the perfect ending to a rather gluttonous day. Ahh, if only I could eat like this all the time.

Until next time!

L