Mooncusser — Restaurant in Boston

DISCLAIMER - My 2 hobbies are eating and travelling. I have worked for incredibly talented Chefs both in the United States and Canada and consider myself a good judge of food. I love Michelin dining (especially in Europe), but i am just as happy eating Pho in Chợ Bến Thành in Hồ Chí Minh. I have stayed at 5 star hotels and slept in 18 person dorms. I write this, so you know who this review is coming from :)

If i had to write one sentence to sum up my experience it would be that the chefs are playing fine dining, the same way my kids play house. This will sound harsh, I know, I am truly sorry as I know there is another person on the other side of this review, but I also am getting tired of restaurants having 4.6 reviews when its not. It's not that the food was bad, it just wasn't great. The menu is extremely confused, starting with an oyster/pineapple habanero, then handed a greasy quesadilla filled with ground venison and oaxaca cheese. Mind you, i LOVE both those ingredients, but i could taste neither. Handing me a towel to wipe my hands doesn't make it a fine dining experience. The confused flavors are sewn throughout dinner. My waitress was very knowledgeable, but after I gave her a mediocre smile after the arctic char she avoided my able the entire evening, no check-ins on the food, and i think because she knew I wasn't loving the experience. I waitressed for years, I know she's not cooking the food, and I am not about to unleash on anyone, but you need to be gutsy and come whether people rave about it (my best dining in Boston EVER!) or don't. Also, no espresso? Nespresso is 5 minutes away, just buy their higher end machine and offer something other than drip coffee. Oh, yes, the margarita, too much small ice, so halfway through I was drinking more water than alcohol. It's the details, I know, and frankly if I had come our of Earl's, I wouldn't of cared, because they don't offer a $105 menu, presenting themselves as fine dining. But Moncusser does. Would I be upset if i spent $50-$60, and had 3 courses, no, but at $105 the meal wasn't worth it. No regrets, you gotta try to know, but I will not...

In short: Very subpar for $105/person prix fixe. Save your money. Nice place, great ambiance, 15 tables so pretty intimate.

Longer explanation: First time in Boston visiting from San Diego. Looked up best places in Boston and found this place. Great reviews and very expensive so we had high expectations. We walked in, we were seated immediately and waited about 5-10 minutes before being approached. Finally we were approached and we were handed menus and asked about our water preference. Not asked if we wanted drinks. Then waiter disappeared for another 5-10 minutes. Finally she came back and asked if we had decided on food and drinks. When you dine at a place that costs $105/person you expect some effort from your waiter. I had to ask her to explain/sell us the dishes to open our appetites. She did so, but her explanations really did not help us decide on anything. Menus had 4 courses with 2 choices for each course, but not very detailed. We ordered and the drinks and the first course took about 20 minutes to arrive. Finally they came and the drinks were good, the first course was not. Raw fish with grapefruit pieces and wasabi, quite an odd combination. Second course was braised short rib with mushrooms, was fantastic, no complaints there. This was the only plate that belonged at a restaurant this expensive. Main took long again. We were seated at 8pm and it was 9:40pm and we did not have our main yet. Main arrived, roasted lamb loin, decently good, nothing special. Dessert was pound cake with a scoop of ice cream, nothing special. Finally we were asked if we wanted coffee, they only had black coffee, no expresso machine for a latte? Pretty unreasonable to say the least.

Service 3/5 food 3/5 total price for two $300. High expectations/hype. In my book, that amounts to a 2/5...

Best tasting menu I’ve had in Boston.

Came here about a month ago to try their seasonal tasting menu. Everything on the menu seemed like a concoction of contemporary cuisines with creative ingredients. I was excited to finally give them a try, and overall, it was a transformative experience.

The course started with spring vichyssoise which struck my tastebuds with a good mount of acidity. Tuna crudo was headily fragrant with basil, and sliced artichoke added a contrasting texture that I enjoyed. Yet, my favorite from the appetizers was the local cod croquette. Its custard-like batter immediately melted in my mouth, and its combination with green garlic aioli and thinly-sliced asparagus was simply divine.

Decorated with a crown of almonds and snap peas, sherry glazed unagi was undoubtedly the most memorable dish of the meal. Unagi was not only tender, but its slightly smoky flavor paired really well with the creamy ajo blanco.

Both the steamed black bass and the roasted veal loin were great, but the latter clearly pulled ahead as a winner. Lamb was extremely tender, and its unconventional toppings were also elements of surprise. While apricot harissa gave it a sweet profile, Berber and spring onions enhanced the savoriness of the steak. I wasn’t expecting such perfection from a seafood restaurant, but the lamb loin was possibly the best I’ve had in my life.

Before the desserts, they also served us with a complimentary sorbet to cleanse our palates. The dessert portion of the meal wasn’t as impressive, but it was still much better than the ones served at other high-end restaurants in the city. While the tasting menu at Mooncusser wasn’t cheap, it felt like a bargain given the high quality and creative elements of the dishes. Would definitely be back to try their other seasonal...