Known for “boutique Italian food,” Bricco of Boston’s North End was the next stop on the work trips food tour that never stops. Which could also be known as the food tour of Italian food and the North End, where our office is located to be fair. Owned by the same group that owns Mare, stop 1, restaurateur Frank DePasquale recently revamped the menu to feature modern interpretations of regional Italian dishes. Sounds like something most certainly worth checking out.
Not one to take pictures before others can enjoy, things consumed but not pictured are the appetizers, which were near impossible to choose just a couple from. Zucchini Flowers were the most important once reading the description- stuffed with truffled ricotta cheese. Is it possible to combine truffle and ricotta cheese? Apparently yes, and it is as delicious as it sounds. With the crunch from the tempura on grilled zucchini (don’t be surprised that these are battered and deep-fried) and the creaminess of the ricotta, the best part of the appetizer was the textures and the way they melted so perfectly. This is a dish I have yet to see so I highly recommend giving it a go, and then probably like me trying to figure out how to make truffled ricotta a staple in life.
Soft Polenta was the second must have app. A selection of wild mushrooms and sausage ragù, with a truffle essence. Starting to see a pattern in the ingredients and flavors used at Bricco? Fresh vegetables and truffle- great ingredients to see a pattern in! Earthy, nutty and rich mushrooms blend perfectly with a creamy polenta for a very filling start to dinner. This appetizer is very rich from the polenta, and large in portion so if polenta catches your eye, you can consider making this your main. My only ask would be to add more mushrooms to match the size of the polenta but overall, this is a solid preparation of the dish.
And finally, the main course: Rare-Seared Ahi Tuna.
Black and white sesame seed encrusted tuna served with Japanese eggplant marinated with white wine vinaigrette, roasted red peppers, snow peas, spinach, black olives, ginger soy dip. That’s a lot. The portion here was more appropriate and came prepared and cut just right, meaning your fork would scoop all of the different ingredients, and flavors, for one bite. Soy sauce, sesame seeds, and all of your expected preparations for a lightly seared tuna fish. Ahi tuna is meant to be served raw, so when seared only for a short time, it keeps the inside tender and raw while but adds to it being moist and supple. Overcooking makes tuna dry and chewy, not ideal when consuming such wonderful fish. If at all possible to see from the dark lighting, the tune was just such at Bricco. Japanese eggplant was an interesting choice for me to see as accompanying the tuna. Turns out, Japanese eggplants have a thin skin and sponge-like texture which allows sauces and flavors to quickly absorb. They also have a slightly sweeter taste which pairs well with miso, soy sauce, and ginger. Makes complete sense why they would be served alongside all of the sauces and flavors that add to this dish. Add more marinated and grilled vegetables of all sorts (love them all) and voila, a very well prepared ahi tuna dish in the heart of Little Italy- only in Boston!
I would be remiss if I did not end on the cutest note, the ketchup for the (hand cut) French fries, served in little individual Heinz ketchup bottles:
Delicious and cute?! Especially love that.
