What better way to liven up a Tuesday than to take a break from studying and to head out to the beautiful Back Bay area of Boston? Directly across from the Boston Public Garden and a few blocks away from the famous Cheers Bar on Beacon Street, Bistro du Midi is inconspicuously situated among upscale restaurants and stores on Boylston. I was there for dinner, but they also serve brunch and lunch and offer a bar menu. Bistro du Midi is the perfect place to stop for a nice meal after working up an appetite shopping on Newbury Street, which is only one street over.
The first thing I noticed about du Midi was the open front that allows diners on the first floor bar-level to blend seamlessly with the sidewalk and passersby. Once the hostess led us to the second floor of the restaurant, I was happy to spot an open kitchen, which I always take to be a very good sign that the chefs have nothing to hide. This floor is comprised of several smaller rooms that are partially divided by walls. As you walk to your table, you almost feel as if you are being led through the rooms of someone’s home (a home containing only dining rooms of course.)
Du Midi is a region in southern France, and the menu is inspired by the cuisine of Provence while incorporating many other influences. They bring out a lovely breadbasket after you order that is full of rosemary focaccia and thin, crunchy Italian style breadsticks, accompanied by extra virgin olive oil for dipping. I decided to try the fried artichokes for my “Petites Bouche.” They came in a little cast iron serving pot alongside a cup of aioli sprinkled with paprika. The thin layer of batter they were fried in was crispy and paired nicely with the tangy sauce. Artichokes themselves are fairly mild vegetables, so their subtle flavors take on and complement whatever they’re served with.
The entrees, or “Mer and Terre,” came out shortly after the appetizer. I had the roasted monkfish, which my server described to me as “the poor man’s lobster” when I asked for her recommendation. Even though that description is slightly questionable, the fish itself was fantastic. It came in slices served atop a thin strip of exquisitely sliced and grilled eggplant and rested on a bed of tiny cubes of roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and capers. A handful of slightly bitter micro greens was sprinkled on top, adding a contrast to the richness of the dish. A generous drizzle of olive oil infused with some kind of citrus completed the plate. Eggplant is my all time favorite vegetable, so when I saw that it was prepared in two ways– grilled and roasted – on the same dish, I was very excited. Each added a unique component to the dish; it is amazing how different the same vegetable can taste with a slightly different treatment. The grilled eggplant lent a certain rusticity to the pristine white fish, contributing a charcoal flavor that was pleasantly non-overwhelming. When vegetables are roasted, their true flavors are amplified, so the roasted eggplant brought big flavor to the dish and blended perfectly with the tomatoes and capers that it was mixed with. My roommate tried the coral infused chitarra pasta with lobster, sea beans, and a lobster jus. The pasta was cooked to the ideal stage of al dente, which is a surprisingly rare find at most restaurants, and the coral lent a very subtle flavor. The lobster itself was tender, and the overall flavor of the dish was reminiscent of lobster bisque.
Dessert is usually my favorite part of any meal, and Bistro du Midi’s selection did not disappoint. They clearly have a pastry chef who puts a lot of time and thought into these combinations. I tried the hazelnut milk chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream. It was actually more like a hazelnut wafer, topped with a dense milk chocolate ganache, and sprinkled with raw hazelnuts and sea salt. The salt on top of the “cake” portion of the dessert really enhanced the house made salted caramel ice cream, which was served on the other side of the dish. I actually ended up putting the whole quenelle of ice cream on top of the “cake” so that I wouldn’t lose so much of it as it melted on my plate, because it was just that good! My roommate chose the quince and apple crumble with cinnamon ice cream. The quince was almost unidentifiable from the apple, but added extra complexity to the overall flavor of the dessert. The cinnamon ice cream was served on top of the crumble, so that as it melted, all of the flavors of the dessert were easily accessible in every bite. Its cinnamon flavor was well balanced, and was not unpleasantly spicy, adding a warmth to the ice cream. Crumbles are often overly sweet, but this one tasted more like buttery, flakey, piecrust that had been baked to resemble a traditional crumble, which was a nice surprise.
Bistro du Midi is not to be missed! It is worth the T-ride from Harvard Square without a doubt. To get there, take the Red Line to Park Street, change to the Green Line, and take that to Arlington – the restaurant is literally a 30 second walk down the street from the stop. Though the menu is on the pricey side, there is really something for everyone at Bistro du Midi– it will satisfy vegetarians, seafood lovers, and carnivores alike, and is a great choice for a quick lunch, a fancy night out to dinner, or a weekend brunch.