Boston Restaurant Reviews, Providence Restaurant Reviews

	R adius has long enjoyed being the undisputed champ of high-end dining in downtown Boston. Despite many competitors, the combined talents of Executive Chef Michael Schlow and Chef Patrick Connolly serve to keep the competition at bay. We decided to revisit Radius and try
the new spring menu which has been unveiled in the last couple of weeks. Radius is right in the heart of the financial district and enjoys patronage from many of the dark suited financiers who run all our lives. The restaurant's self proclaimed philosophy is to provide a total experience for diners. From the moment you enter the establishment, to the time that you collect your coat to leave, their goal is to ensure that every step along the way is just perfect. This is a heady ambition that in lesser hands might result in a pretentious and stuffy experience. Radius quite literally seems to have cracked the code and the staff is able to create an atmosphere that's relaxed and sophisticated. They have established a shrine to the enjoyment of the superb food and wine that they serve.



On the evening that we were there, the bar at the front of the restaurant was filled with a truly cosmopolitan after-work crowd. The patrons ranged from a group of young women on a night out, to heavyset dark suited businessmen in power ties reliving the triumphs of the day. Every guest seems to receive the same treatment, no matter who they are. As we took our table, it was obvious that the only commonality between the diners was their desire to enjoy a great meal in a great restaurant. Radius is in probably one of the more unusual restaurant spaces in Boston. As an ex-bank, there is a certain solidarity to the building; the walls and the pillars divide the dining room. It has an almost library-like quality, where people seem to talk quietly among themselves rather than being raucous. This is really just an illusion created by the superb acoustics rather than a reality.


Patrick Connolly oversees the kitchen on a day-to-day basis and is responsible for delivering the superb food we enjoyed on our visit to Radius.

We ate from the new spring menu and were delighted with the flavors and tastes that have been skilfully combined to represent this season's dishes. Starting with crispy zucchini flowers and roulade of Vermont rabbit, we were struck by the painstaking plating and gorgeous presentation of the dishes that we enjoyed. The service is sort of a tag team approach. Our main waiter, Dan, looked after us throughout the meal, but we were helped by a number of other folks during the course of the dinner. Tommy, who served our dishes, was an articulate and knowledgeable foodie who helped us understand the various ingredients in each dish. Everything about Radius is just right. From the lighting, the decor, the wine, the food, the service to the folks who park your car, every task is executed with a minimum of fuss and the maximum appreciation of the needs of each diner.


Tommy served each course for us and eloquently described the components that made up each dish. He was very knowledgeable, amiable and helpful. The level of service at Radius is quite remarkable.

Dan was our waiter. He is a cross between an English butler and an amiable family friend. Our every need was met throughout our meal and Dan successfully anticipated much of what we wanted before we even mentioned it. Like most of the wait staff at Radius, he is a consummate foodie and keen to both help with and explain the dishes.
Radius is unquestionably the absolute proof of my theory that great restaurants are the sum of a number of complex intangibles. It's not just the fantastic food or the brilliant service, it's somehow the way that the experience goes together that makes this such a superb restaurant. Having dined around the globe, in a number of "the world's best restaurants", I can honestly say that Radius could easily hold up its head in such company. We are used to a high standard of dining in Boston and spoiled by a plethora of restaurants. However, Radius stands above virtually every other restaurant we've been to as the ultimate place to enjoy the ultimate dining experience. ...the end.
Wines:


The Radius wine list has several hundred bottles and covers the world's best wine regions. We were intrigued to find that they also have a section of proprietary blends which ranged from $105 - $300. There are many selections of wines, with many at modest prices. As always, we took a look to see what the most expensive wines were on the list. What we found was a $680 1995 Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Emilion and a $675 Gaja Barbaresco Piedmont. If you're just in the mood for a glass, you can also find a selection of 20 wines by the glass as well as 23 half bottles available.

In most restaurants, if you see something in the butter, you should probably complain. Not at Radius however, in the center of our butter was impressed a tiny parsley leaf, perfectly placed on the pat of butter.

Crispy Zucchini Blossom - I love the crunchy and unusual texture of these fried zucchini flowers. As in all the dishes that we enjoyed, the portions were exactly right. Small enough to leave room for the next course, but not so tiny as to make you feel that the chef shrunk the plate.

Roulade of Vermont Rabbit – broccoli, ginger glazed salsify and grapefruit. A wonderful blend of flavors that worked spectacularly well together. The rabbit is tasty and rich, but was freshened significantly by the grapefruit and the glaze.

Ahi Tuna – sashimi, tartare, lotus root chips and chilled cucumber shooter. This was the sashimi. The tuna truly melted in my mouth and had a bright sweet flavor. Why would anyone want to cook tuna?

This was the tuna tartare which was accompanied by a curry garnish and small dice pieces of cucumber. As with the sashimi, the tuna was outstanding. The curry garnish was spicy and an unusual accompaniment to the tartare.

Seared Diver Scallops – blood orange, fava beans, smoked bacon and marcona almonds. Two sauces – fava been puree and blood orange reduction, fantastic flavors. The salad in the middle was reminiscent of our favorite Suzanne Goin’s salad (see our recent review of her cookbook). The scallops had a small piece of apple smoked bacon inside that gave it a nice flavor and texture.

Loin of Veal – burgundy escargots, smoked bacon, baby lettuce and tomato confit. The veal was served with a foie gras reduction that was delicious. The baby romaine lettuce was braised and went well with the veal.

Cinema Paradiso – crunchy chocolate, slush caramel, popcorn ice cream, etc. In our cinema dessert we found: raisinettes, popcorn ice cream on top of a crunchy chocolate mousse, the slush was tangerine flavored and the popcorn was reminicent of Cracker Jacks – yummy. We heard that the pastry chef was inspired one day when walking by Lowes Theater and then came up with this dessert! I don't ever remember the movies having such great desserts.

Carrot Cake – mascarpone crème, pickled carrot salad and steamy coriander chai. An unusual, but delicious carrot cake - the carrots were not carmelized, so you have a very light and fluffy cake that is full of flavor.