restaurant week: l'espalier

Whenever we ask friends for suggestions about restaurant week places to hit, L'Espalier is always mentioned. We tried it out for lunch and instantly understood why everyone loves it. It's located two blocks away from the Boylston T, but is also connected to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel that is connected to Copley and Prudential Center. The contemporary cuisine highlights French flavors and New England ingredients.
http://www.lespalier.com/

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  the ceiling of the salon in l'espalier.

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  biggest bread basket ever! we chose one of each: milk bread, corn bread, and focaccia. milk bread was the softest and most delicious.

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  shrimp with cashew nuts, lychee, and avocado sauce was nicki's appetizer. interesting and unexpected combination of flavors, but it worked.

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  endive salad with feta cheese and a chickpea fritter. very salty with the feta and fritter even with the greens.

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  nicki's entree: salmon over couscous with beets. the fish was cooked perfectly. it's mild flavor paired nicely with the sweet sauce and couscous.

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  tim's entree was pork with mushrooms, caramelized onions, and kale. the tough and bitter kale off set the tenderness of the pork and softness of the mushrooms. overall, really delicious and a good portion for lunch.

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  chocolate caramel cake with toffee chips, cocoa crisps, and pumps of lemon foam. the tart of the foam canceled out the rich sweetness of the cake, and the crunchy toffee chips and cocoa crisps contrasted the softness of the cake. nom nom nom.

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  fruit parfait cake with nuts, lychee foam, and green tea topping. it was very sweet and soft, but the top layer was gelatinous. the flavors tasted artificial making the dessert only so-so.

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  as we left, we got coconut macarons. very buttery and full of coconut flavor, these were a perfect mid-afternoon snack.

Atmosphere
Before even entering the restaurant, there is a salon (waiting room) with lots of comfortable couches. The dining area is sectioned into three rooms making each room feel more intimate for such a large restaurant. Being on the second floor allows for lots of sunlight to enter during the day giving the restaurant a very bright and natural setting.

Service
The hosts and wait staff are very polite. Our food came in a timely manner and staff walks around constantly in case you need something, but they don't bother you all the time.

Food
Each part of our meal, from the bread and butter to the little take home macaroons, was yummy and a great portion. Highlights were definitely the shrimp, salmon, and chocolate cake. L'Espalier also has prix fixe lunch on weekdays that we plan to check out in the near future!

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