Chickadee — Restaurant in Boston

We've been meaning to try this place for a while, and finally made the trek thanks to the holiday market nearby. Overall it was a very pleasant dining experience. The food we had was a bit on the heavy side, but that could have been due to our menu choices. We also ordered a lot -- 7 dishes and one dessert for 2 people (they recommend 4).

Smoked sea trout dip ($16) - We never would have ordered this if it weren't for a raving review about it, and I'm glad we did! Hands down the best thing we ordered. We were surprised that there were plenty of fat chunks of trout underneath the foamy creamy sauce. The trout was so smoky and tender and paired perfectly with the airy sauce. I'm not sure that I would call it a "dip" (the chunks of fish were so big they broke the chips when I tried to scoop it up), but it's certainly my favorite iteration of this dish I've ever had.

Spicy yellowfin tuna tartare ($16) - This was a very delicately constructed dish that had a lot going on. The primary flavor we got was tomato, and there was a decent amount of pureed tuna. It definitely put a twist on many of the typical elements of tuna tartare, but I'm not sure that I prefer it to the traditional version.

Chickpea panisse fries ($14) - This was a very interesting dish -- the contrast between the crispy outside and the super smooth, almost gooey inside was very surprising. This felt a bit too heavy to me, and the aioli was more mayo than calabrian chili. It just wasn't for me.

Crispy hen of the woods ($18) - This was a very delicate bunch of crispy, deeply mushroom-flavored mushrooms with some sort of whipped potatoey puree. I thought the mushrooms were very nicely cooked, but I think it could have used some balancing of flavors -- maybe some acid or stronger savoriness/spice. Even though the puree was airy, it was still pretty creamy and could have had more balance.

Jonah crab toast ($22) - There was a lot of crab meat on the toast, but honestly it just tasted like crab and toast with a bit of spice, and the other flavors were lost. The toast was also a bit burnt.

Smoked sea scallops ($22) - This was quite good. It had a similar flavor profile to the smoked trout dip due to the smokiness and cream. The scallops were tender and the trout roe was a nice touch. Again, I think this could have done with some acid or some green vegetables.

Crispy fried chicken ($44) - We definitely were not expecting this much food -- it's half a chicken, 4 cheddar biscuits, a warm farro salad, and 2 sauces. We probably could have filled ourselves up on just this and one or two appetizers. The outside was very crunchy but slightly burnt/cooked a bit further than I would have preferred. The chicken itself is quite juicy, including the breast. Overall I wouldn't say it's the best fried chicken ever, but it was solid and did the chicken meat justice. The cheddar biscuits were normal. I wasn't a big fan of the sauces it came with because they were pretty rich and similar to the sauce that came with the chickpea fries. I also wish the warm farro salad was a cold salad with some acid and sweetness and freshness (green apples and pomegranate?).

Baked alaska ($16) - This was a very pretty dessert. I liked the raspberry sorbet inside, but I thought there was too much meringue relative to the sorbet. I also didn't think the flavors really worked together -- the pistachio taste was overwhelming and the persimmon and pomegranate got lost. I think this could have been a good dessert, but the proportions of ingredients were off.

Mocktail ($8) - Feeling weighed down by all the food, we ordered a mocktail midway through our meal. We got a "juicy tropical" one which was very tasty, like grapefruit juice with slight floral tones. It's half the price of a cocktail, so I would definitely rather get 2 mocktails than a cocktail if I returned.

Overall the restaurant had great ambience and service. There were definitely a lot of cool transformations of ingredients. There were just a lot of rich foods on the menu that weren't balanced out with any acidity...

I went last night with a group of friends that I had not seen in 3 years and the experience was terrible- this is my first bad review.

Table: our table outside had no ambiance. It was dark and not set. The chairs were black metal and the table was metal like you get at a BurgerFi. We asked to be seated inside, but tables inside were previously reserved, so we were sat in the Lobby area. Several tables inside were wide open most of the night and the host (owner according to him) couldn’t make it work.

Ambiance: the light in the lobby was very bright, like at a doctor’s office and we were in the lobby. At one point, the janitor was mopping near our table. Our table faced an elevator.

Service: very poor. Our server was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She dropped the menus and walked away. No introduction as to her name, the restaurant concept, suggestions for appetizers. She dropped the bottle of water and glasses and walked away. Did not pour water. She dropped a stack of appetizer plates in the middle of the table with silverware and walked away. Did not set out table. Shortly after taking our appetizer order, she came back and said “chef would like to know what you want to dinner so we can prepare out your dinner properly”. We said we aren’t ready and want to continue enjoying our drinks and we’ll order later. She came back 2 minutes later asking for dinner order again. Reminder that restaurant is wide open and the 3 tables next to us were never sat. We submitted our dinner order. It was served 10 minutes later while our dirty appetizer plates, used silverware, and small plates from the apps were still on the table! They dropped our dinner and walked away leaving everything. I asked for the apps to be removed. She never described our dish to us. We were visibly upset about our food being served because we told her we wanted to wait and not eat right away. Then, we asked for the desert menu. With our dinner still on table and dirty silverware, she dropped the sewer menus and walked away, no explanation or suggestions. No offer for coffee or espresso. Nothing. Then, my friend told her that he was a upset because we specifically requested the food to not be brought right away and that request was ignored. She retrieved the “owner” who told usas we tried to explain the experience that “I took care of the check, I don’t need to be lectured”. This set me off because we were NOT looking for a free meal! We were looking to spend a beautiful night with each other and the night was ruined by poor service. His given reason was COVID. Due to COVID there is no contact service. No setting tables, no pouring water, no removing plates, no talking to us to protect us from...our table included 1 pharmacist, 1 dentist, and a Public Health specialist with experience in infectious diseases. So, when he left we were flabbergasted by his excuses for no service. Plus, our check included a delivery fee from the kitchen. He also claimed that Boston was the hardest hit place in the US for restaurants where I responded that I was a restaurant manager from South Florida and I disagreed.

Food: apps very good. Dinner poor. I had squid ink pasta with little flavor and a black crumble that I wanted to know about, but couldn’t get service, so never learned. My friend had the lobster dish, the lobster flavor was infused in the pasta, which I appreciate. But the lobster meat was torn up into bite size pieces. The lamb dish was a pasta dish with bite size pieces of lamb, disappointing.

I worked in restaurants for 15 years and managed restaurants with a 1000 person capacity, 150 employees. I was also personally trained by restaurant managers at the 50eggs groups and worked at Mastro’s.

The owner’s handling of our situation was incredibly untalented and inexperienced. It’s never a lecture when a group gives feedback. When they talk, you listen, even if you don’t agree, because it’s part of the job of service.

We went to Barcelona restaurant after and ate and drank until closing. Service at Barcelona was great...

From the moment we arrived for my brother's birthday dinner, I knew we would be well cared for. The location in the Innovation and Design Center provides ample (and free!) parking in the evening, but that was only the first of so many delightful treats in store. We were warmly received by the smiling solicitous host staff and seated at our lovely light hardwood table, which was elegantly set with the sleekest flatware. The contemporary open dining room offers a feeling of intimacy and privacy, with well-placed curtains filtering the activities of those beyond. Subway tiling and massive industrial columns partitioning the room lend tribute to the era which birthed the IDB 100 years ago. In contrast to the design reflections from days passed, there is nothing about the wine list and menu that says anything but hip, today, and try this! We were guided through the eclectic yet down-to-earth wine choices by co-founder and beverage guru Ted Kilpatrick, settling on a delightful and perfectly matched syrah Cote du Rhône for our planned food flight.

The menu is clearly designed for sharing and experiencing. It is organized into four sections and becomes your roadmap as you travel a modern Mediterranean-focused world, east to west, or west to east, in any combination that pleases you and your fellow diners. And just like any good voyage, you and your travel partners will stop here and there for a shared experience, or sometimes you will go off on your own. All along our journey, Albert, our server, attended us like an experienced local guide offers information and advice; proficiently, politely, and with impeccable timing.

Following a refreshing celebratory glass of bubbly, we chose to begin our trip whimsically by selecting the Sour Cream + Onion Donut. Not so much a donut as it is a small collection of light and savory munchkins, it was served with a slightly tangy sour cream-based spread admixed with caviar (which is not overpowered, nor overpowering). It was topped with carefully lain delicate chive blossoms.

After this opening stop, we moved on to what turned out to be one of my most enjoyed yet simple pleasures of the evening, the Cucumber Gazpacho. Perfectly refreshing on a warm summer evening, it is a puree of cucumbers and grilled apricot into which are immersed fine slices of the Persian variety, topped with a dollop of creamy feta and sprinklings of bulgur wheat.

The crowning glory of the evening arrived in the form of the Spiced Duck Breast. Roasted to perfection, tender, and, yes, mouthwatering. It was presented as two strips, arranged perpendicularly on the plate, with two bonus slices of pan seared rillette de canard, over which was delicately tossed a blend of chopped jicama, mint, and grapes. It was all corralled by a curl of smoked almond paste that complemented the duck's richness.

It is very hard to acknowledge the end of any great road trip, and this one was no exception. Onward and effortlessly we savored the Devil's Food Cake, small rich chocolate cake triangles placed on edge, flanking a perfect sphere of the mintiest mountain mint gelato, the gaps filled in with a lava flow of chocolate-macadamia nut crumbles. Can you say indulgent?

Our ramblings closed with a final birthday treat - to meet with Chickadee co-founder and the creator of these fine fantasies, John DaSilva. With the utmost of grace, he accepted our gratitude for the adventure he, Ted, and his staff had taken us on. We would let them plan our next road trip -...