Watertown Times Year in Review 2011
Here are the top 11 of 2011. Two received the 5-fork status of “fabulous,” one got a 4½-fork rating and eight made the 4-fork category, or “excellent.”
Café Mira
14 Main St.
Adams
232-4470
www.cafemira.com
5 forks
This prominent upscale restaurant was ravaged by fire in 2010, but the perseverance and passion of owners Lori Wells and Lisa Reed have brought back a truly extraordinary dining experience.
Every inch of the place has been painted, polished and restored. The tin ceiling destroyed in the fire was matched and replaced.
The grand piano is back, filling the restaurant with perfect dinner music. Lori is back in the kitchen, executing a better-than-ever menu. Lisa is back working the front of the house, meeting, greeting and seating guests.
We looked over the menu. Decisions were tough — we wanted to try everything.
Oysters ‘“Jonah Daniel” were a take on the Rockefeller preparation, but so much better, served on the half shell, baked with creamed spinach, bacon, garlic and nutmeg, then topped with panko, Parmesan and butter and finished under the broiler.
Ahi tuna was delightful, rubbed with Chinese five-spice powder, perfectly seared, then sliced. It came with fried seaweed and a just-hot-enough wasabi and sesame mixture.
The real appetizer hit was the escargot, extra-plump Helix snails in garlic butter kicked up with lemon, capers and cream — bursting with flavor.
Bouillabaisse was a classic version of the French seafood stew: shrimp, scallops, mussels and lobster swimming in a tasty fish stock with tomatoes, wine, garlic and saffron.
But what’s that at the bottom of the neat cast-iron bowl? Mashed potatoes, adding a thickness to the bouillabaisse that was totally unexpected. A real standout.
Cowboy steak was a manly 14-ounce portion of choice rib-eye, bone-in and frenched (the meat pulled away from the bone), making for a great presentation.
Veal Romano was the best veal preparation I’ve had in a while: Parmesan-crusted, thin-pounded slices of top-quality veal quickly sautéed and served with a creamy to-die-for sauce containing bacon, mushrooms and peas — and LOTS of heavy cream. This dish was really, really good.
The duck entrée was a boneless breast, seasoned, char-grilled and sliced. The raspberry and mango habanero sauce drizzled over it complemented the duck perfectly.
A generous slice of coconut cream pie sported a marvelous flaky crust and a light and airy melt-in-your-mouth cream filling. Lemon cheesecake had the right texture and just enough lemon flavor. Berry cobbler — with fresh berries, ice cream and whipped cream — was served in an old fashioned parfait glass.
Crème brulee was a little non-traditional. The smooth vanilla custard had the customary burnt sugar crust. But then it was topped with a small shot of Grand Marnier and flamed tableside. The orange flavor from the liqueur enhanced the custard, and the caramelized sugar gave it a crunchy texture.
Be sure to explore the complete menu (which changes frequently) on their attractive, well-designed website,www.cafemira.com
Read on here: Watertown Times Year in Review 2011