Italian food

A date night was much in order this week. With the hubs stuck working for the entire weekend (literally from 6 am – midnight on Saturday. . . after being in the office until 10 Friday night) we wouldn’t have much down time together, and I always find that going out to dinner is a good way to spend quality time together without our laptops or phones or any other home distractions.

As Elina, Melissa, and I discussed during our run today (more on that later!), it seems like there are so many new restaurants in Boston, and so many not so new ones that I have not tried. We decided on Sportello because I need pasta to fuel for my 20 miler, its pretty close to our house, and can you ever go wrong with Barbara Lynch? It was a last minute sort of decision, so I unfortunately didn’t have my camera, but the restaurant’s website has some beautiful photos if you are interested!

We were a little bit early for our reservation on a night that brought torrential downpours and hurricane-like winds, so we decided to dry off and warm up with a cocktail at Drink. I decided on a Bone, the very spicy drink that I enjoyed on my last visit, and my husband ordered a Gosling’s Dark & Stormy, a drink that I had the opportunity to sample at last week’s Taste of Bermuda. Hehe even though I just ran 20 miles, I am sort of craving the spicy ginger and sweet rum of a Dark & Stormy as I write this! Both drinks were, as always, scrumptious and expertly made with fresh ingredients and quality spirits. Even though we were just in for one drink, our bartender was SO friendly. He gave us recommendations on what to order at Sportello, and was just very pleasant overall. It was the perfect way to wind down and to get ready for dinner.

Once upstairs, we were seated right away and got to take in the interesting decor of Sportello. It is like an old style diner, a lot of white, with stools at rectangular counters and an open kitchen. We got two seats in a cozy corner with a perfect kitchen view, allowing us to watch all of the food being made. I am always so impressed by all that goes on in a restaurant kitchen!

After looking through the wine list, I ordered a prosecco from the Veneto region, and the hubs got an absolutely beautiful, juicy Barbera. Yummmm. We started by splitting the smoked salmon special which came with crème fraiche and avocado cream, topped with frisee salad.

For my entree, I needed pasta and was immediately sold on the gnocchi with porcini, peas, and cream. The hubs got the pork ravioli special topped with a decadent cream sauce.

My gnocchi melted in my mouth. It tasted like it had been dusted with truffles, and it had a lovely, creamy texture and earthy aroma. The pork ravioli was smoky in a sweeter cream sauce that was a “lick your plate clean” kind of sauce.

Since we were out on a date and wanted to extend our wonderful meal, we split a rich, dense, flourless chocolate torte topped with spicy cinnamon chantilly cream and walnuts. It was the perfect portion for two to share.

I thought Sportello was outstanding, and the fact that Drink is in the same complex makes it a fun option for a night out. My only gripe, and its sort of  a big one, was that the stools in Sportello were REALLY hard. Nothing like enjoying an amazing bowl of gnocchi with a bum that hurts! Still, I would go back and maybe sit on my coat or something.

The Fort Point area of Boston is a great place to wander around, especially as the weather gets nicer in the city. Drink and Sportello are both great places to stop in to quench your thirst and hunger.