rob gross

Hi,

A group of 3 of us had dinner tonight at Alia Ristorante (495 Shirley
St, Winthrop, MA, 617-539-1600). We showed up at around 7:45, and
were the only ones there the entire time we were dining.

I posted about Alia before, and will repeat that it is a very pretty
Italian restaurant without a liquor license. Patrons are allowed to
bring their own wine and beer. (We brought a bottle of red and one of
white wine, and then decided not to drink anything alcoholic.)

We started with soup (one apiece of lentil and tortellini, both
excellent--I'd give the nod to the lentil, just barely) and Caesar
salad (which apparently had just a hint of real anchovy paste in it,
as it should; the diner at first was put off, but grew to like the
anchovies, and proclaimed the croutons excellent).

I had ossobucco, which was a largish piece of lamb (on the bone) in a
brown gravy flavored with preserved lemons and olives, with a generous
helping of mixed vegetables and roast potato. Others had chicken,
broccoli, and ziti (which apparently had just the right amount of
garlic to satisfy a garlic lover), and an eggplant parmesan which
seemed to be about as grease-free as any fried eggplant I have ever
tasted.

We skipped dessert, and the tab came to $70, including tax and tip.
(The ossobucco, at $15, is the most expensive entree on the menu.) I
learned after eating that the chef is Moroccan, and we were offered
the chance to eat a tagine on our next visit. The restaurant's plan
is to serve Moroccan food one night each week, probably Sundays,
starting in the spring.

Winthrop is a bit of a trip for me, but it's a restaurant worth
visiting at least once.--Rob

--
Rob Gross (617) 552-3758
Department of Mathematics http://fmwww.bc.edu/gross/
Boston College gross@bc.edu
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3806