Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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photography courtesy of meritage Home for the Holidays. Not. Skip the headache of cooking during the holidayS and enjoy the fineSt cuiSine in theSe reStaurantS' private dining roomS. by jessica bowne This year, leave that apron hanging in the pantry. Instead, don your most festive threads, as Boston's best restaurants invite you to their table for the holidays. No dishes or decorating necessary… just reservations. A Holly Jolly VistA At the recently renovated Meritage Restaurant + Wine Bar (70 Rowes Wharf, 617-439-3995; meritage therestaurant.com) at the Boston Harbor Hotel, sweeping views of the harbor add drama to the holiday spirit. Chef Daniel Bruce's menu includes dishes such as lavender-roasted Vermont pheasant with acorn squash mash, aged Gouda agnolotti pasta with wild boar, and Cabernet- braised prime short ribs with tricolor carrots. For a grand soirée, book one of the two private rooms that can each hold up to 40 people. CHestnuts RoAsting For a smaller gathering, opt for the intimate chef 's table at Bar Boulud (776 Boylston St., 617-535-8800; barboulud.com) at the Mandarin Oriental, which seats eight, or the private dining room that can hold up to 20. Feast on decadent French dishes like smoked trout rillete, filet de boeuf Rossini, and chestnut ricotta gnocchi with brown butter from Daniel Boulud's trusted chef de cuisine Jonathan K ilroy. FRenCH tidings At Menton (354 Congress St., 617-737-0099; mentonboston.com), the only Relais & Châteaux restaurant in the city, diners can book the chef 's table for 12, where dishes like lobster in a light chamomile broth or tuna crudo with hearts of palm go a long way in impressing family and friends—and getting you out of the kitchen. BC Get into the spirit of the season with roasted Colorado lamb chop with minted petite potatoes, black garlic, and rabe, at Meritage Restaurant + Wine Bar. bostoncommon-magazine.com 79 tAStE So Many Dinners