dinner

It’s been an exciting few weeks around here, full of family visits, celebrations, a little bit of travel, and perhaps most exciting, a new job for my husband! He finished up at his old company on Thursday, and he doesn’t start his new job until after Labor Day, giving him a much deserved week off.

In the midst of his interviewing, giving his notice, and getting ready for the transition, we’ve also been dealing with more neighbor issues  (Our house is seriously cursed, see this post.) that have kept us from sleeping many nights. So by the time our 6th wedding anniversary rolled around last weekend, all we wanted to do was nothing.

We kicked off the day with takeout dim sum from Myers + Chang and ended up spending the rainy afternoon napping on the boat. By the time we woke up and were less groggy, it was dinner time, on our anniversary, the fridge was empty, and we didn’t have a reservation anywhere.

A quick search of Opentable showed that City Landing had space available. I had been curious to try the restaurant that filled the old Sel de la Terre space at the waterfront, so we booked it, quickly got ready, and made our way over for dinner.

We were first blown away by how friendly the hostess was. She noticed I was carrying a letter, and she offered to mail it for me as she was seating us.

Once we got settled at our outside table to enjoy the now rain-free evening, we decided on cocktails. Following up on our visits to Grand Ten this summer, I decided to get the Long Wharf Fizz which has Grand Ten’s Wire Works gin in it.

I instantly loved the bright hue of my drink, which was chock full of raspberry flavor. It was the perfect summer libation and matched the lovely sunset we ended up having.

City Landing’s menu offered a bunch of options that we were interested in, so it was pretty hard to decide. Our server Erik did an amazing job recommending his favorites and ensuring that everything was perfect.

We decided to share one appetizer, Mini Lobster Rolls
(Butter Poached Maine Lobster, Portuguese Bread, Micro Celery). The only downside to the lobster rolls is that they were really mini. Each was just two bites, but they were delicious bites, full of sweet and tender lobster with a lemony butter in soft, slightly sweet rolls.

As I often do, I ordered a salad and an appetizer for my meal. Missing is a photo of my Heirloom Tomatoes with White Balsamic. It was simple, highlighting my favorite summer ingredient, just as I had hoped.

Always a fan of shrimp and grits, I also ordered the  Bostonian Shrimp n’ Grits
(Roasted Peppers, Linguica Sausage, Four Star Farms Stone Milled Polenta) which were amazing. The grits were fluffy and creamy, and I loved the flavors from the sausage and peppers.

My husband’s meal, however, ended up one-upping my very delicious dinner. Our server recommended the Coffee and Brown Sugar Cured Beef Tenderloin, and it was the perfect recommendation. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender with a great crust on the edges from the coffee and brown sugar. The beef was served with heirloom tomatoes and avocado with a mole rojo sauce. I ended up eating more of this dish than the one bite I had planned on. It was too good to not go back for more.

When we arrived at City Landing, our server asked if we were out for a special occasion, and we mentioned our anniversary. When it was time for dessert, we were presented with two glasses of bubbly, and the dessert we chose, the to-die-for Coconut Cream Tart, had a special message for us. What a thoughtful touch!

City Landing was better than we could have ever hoped for. Being that the restaurant is new, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they have clearly invested a lot of time in training staff and focusing on a menu that is seasonal, local, and creative. All of their attention to detail resulted in a memorable experience.  From start to finish, we were taken care of so well, and we left wanting to plan a return trip.

Have you loved any new restaurants lately?