Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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TASTE Occhipinti SP68 Bianco has a floral nose and a dry finish. Outside at Puritan & Company. continued from page 66 To wit, every meal at Puritan & Company begins with warm Omni Parker House rolls—slightly sweet, salt-flecked, and enriched with potatoes. In addition to the cured meat and raw bar items, Gilson offers "snacks" like warm cheddar cheese puffs and smoked bluefish pâté on hardtack, followed by appetizers such as clam chowder plumped up with pork belly and potatoes or hot johnnycakes topped with frisée, a gooey farm egg, and foie gras cracklings. Mains include succulent duck breast served with quinoa, salsify, and mushrooms, and roasted cobia (a white fish in the yellowtail family) served with pease porridge, an old New Toll House England nursery dish of seasoned split Cookie Dough Sundae pea purée. For dessert, there are nostalgic sweets like tapioca pudding and Gilson's signature Toll House Cookie Dough Sundae, a block of egg-free raw cookie dough, dipped in chocolate and served in a puddle of melted vanilla ice cream. "It's always been a dream of mine to have a busy city restaurant," says Gilson. "We're still an awkward teenager going through puberty, but eventually I want to become a great restaurant serving high-quality food in a casual atmosphere." If Gilson's current cooking is any indication of the future, then young adulthood lies right around the corner. 1166 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617615-6195; puritancambridge.com. BC 68 THIS HONEY'S THE MONEY Puritan & Company serves only beer and wine but has some very special blends. The Occhipinti SP68 Bianco on reserve "jumps from the glass with a lush, floral nose," says Josh Cole, beverage director and assistant GM, "but it's bone-dry, like a fino sherry, funky and nutty." Made by 20-something Arianna Occhipinti, a rising rockstar winemaker from Vittoria, Sicily, the rich, honeyed wine is made from three grapes: Grillo, Moscato di Alexandria, and Zibibbo. Table 13 at Puritan & Company. LUCKY TABLE 13 Hands-down the best seat in the house is Table 13, a fiveperson nook in the left back corner of the restaurant, with a custom-built table, a trapezoid banquette, and a view of the entire dining room—including the wine and beer bar, the charcuterie-oyster bar, and the kitchen. BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 066-068_BC_SC_SMD_Spring13.indd 68 2/12/13 11:53 AM