We started at Bel Ari and were led into a private room in the back of the restaurant. After a short welcome from Mark Tosi (who owns both restaurants, as well as the New England-based Pastene Companies), we were introduced to the chef, who gave us a rundown of the menu. From their website: "Bel Ari’s culinary inspiration comes 'from all over the boot' with both classical offerings and contemporary interpretations."
We started with shared plates of whipped ricotta and sunflower cranberry bread. The ricotta was so creamy -- it was the perfect start to the meal and went well with some extra bubbly Prosecco.
Our first course was Arincini Di Riso. I really liked the unique spin on this common dish -- I've never had arincini with goat cheese and an onion marmalade. The combination was delicious.
We each had a choice between shrimp and lobster gnocchi or penne a la vodka for our next course. I has to go with the gnocchi and was glad I did! The gnocchi were cooked well and I loved the lobster cream sauce. I only wish I had some extra bread to clean my plate with!
Since I was eating seafood I ordered the white wine pairing, which went perfectly.
Once we were all finished eating we grabbed our things and took a very short walk next door to Les Zygomates to finish our meal. By this point I was already full and didn't know how I'd possibly eat two more courses. Luckily, I tend to underestimate the extra room my stomach will magically create when there's delicious food in front of me.
Out of the two restaurants I LOVED the vibe in Les Zygomates, which appropriately translates to "the muscles in your face that make you smile." I'd say Bel Ari is a better spot for an intimate, romantic date, but Les Zygomates is where you go with your girlfriends. A great jazz band was playing in the corner and local artist Janice Eve Dale was using the restaurant as her gallery, so her incredible, colorful artwork lined the walls. The whole restaurant just had a very cool feel to it.
The woman sitting next to me ordered the bass and I had to snap a picture. These portions were huge!
I was really impressed with the beef and loved the red wine it was paired with. I only wish I could have finished the whole thing!
Finally, it was time for dessert. I (of course) ordered the flourless chocolate cake. I thought I'd only take a bite or two but I finished the entire thing! AND I had a bite of my neighbor's creme brulee. To top it off, I downed my glass of Moscato for a last bit of sweetness.
Overall it was a fantastic event with great food and great people! I'm so glad I decided to attend and look forward to lots more Blog & Tweet events in my future!
Note: This event was provided free of charge. All opinions, whether you like them or not, are all my own.
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