The Townshend, Quincy

Just order everything, is the advice that I would give for those thinking about visiting the newly opened Townshend restaurant in Quincy. Its location is a little odd; it’s in the same building as my doctor, so my arrival brought back less-than-stellar memories of having malaria this winter and feeling wretched, but once inside the actual restaurant, the space is bright, rustic, and lovely and lacks that doctor’s office smell.

Our group of four was seated at a table next to the window, where we could view the comings and goings of Quincy, which is a busy place! We started with cocktails, mine the Brooklyn: a simple and delicious mix of rye and orange bitters, served nice and cold.

We were all hangry and decided we needed appetizers in addition to entrees.

The beet salad with whipped ricotta was one of my favorites. It was so simple but so well done, and it made me feel healthy after constant indulgences of late.

Arancini nestled in a flavorful tomato sauce were stuffed with peas and guanciale, a delightful, rich pairing.

Roasted asparagus with bacon cream was heavenly. Seriously, I always want my asparagus this way.

Burrata with spiced honey and toast was another crowd favorite, and our server kindly brought us extra bread for the burrata and all of the other bits of sauce left on the appetizer plates. We weren’t leaving a drop of anything behind!

For  my entree I went with the seared trout with fingerling potatoes, grilled spring onion, and chorizo. It was perfectly cooked, just falling off of the crispy skin, and so full of flavor. It was exactly what I wanted.

I also had a few bites of the hanger steak my husband ordered. It was tender and garlicky, served with a crispy potato rosti, which was like a really crispy hash brown.

We shared a bottle of Gruener Veltliner with our dinner. I am normally a big fan of Gruener, but this one was very acidic to me.

Before we left, we were treated to little splashes of Amaro as a digestif. It was just another small touch in already excellent service to end the night. We really loved our experience at The Townshend; it was one of the best meals we have all had in recent months, and since all four of us eat a lot, that’s saying something!

Did you try any new restaurants over the weekend?