Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
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In a nod to the Mediterranean, the kitchen offers a vegetarian's entrée choice with the eggplant wrapped in phyllo, alongside confit peppers, braised greens, kohlrabi, and tahini ($20). An unusually deli- cate yet homey piece of monkfish is surrounded by braised fennel, fin- gerling potato, and rapini in a lobster-infused broth ($25). The classic cassoulet, French-inspired comfort food that is right at home in a bistro setting, is served with plump Toulouse sausage laced with nutmeg, pepper, garlic, and salt, rich duck confit, shards of braised pork, and white Tarbais beans ($26); textures and flavors marry in a simmering pot. Beef seems to be the exemplary dish here, and the current offering is Hungarian braised beef, a succulent little brick of impossibly tender, falling-apart meat, fortified with paprika, tomato sauce, and red wine, and served aside crispy, potato-stuffed pierogies, turnips, and carrots ($27). If your grandmother was Hungarian and had trained at a culi- nary school, this is the dish she might have served. Interesting additional side dishes include spice-roasted root vegeta- bles, served with mint and yogurt ($8), or Sicilian cauliflower, baked, spiced florets with capers, pine nuts, and golden raisins ($8). Portions are restrained and elegant at Sycamore, and desserts reflect that, merging standbys but adding nice flourishes, found, for example, in the cranberry tart enhanced nicely with orange caramel and bay leaf ice cream; beignets, those warm, sugar-dusted pillows of fried dough so sought out in the French Quarter, here thoughtfully brought to the table with a spiced chocolate sauce for dipping; or the ubiquitous but satisfying flourless chocolate cake, ramped up a bit with pumpkin ice cream and caramel sauce (all $9). Judging from the full house and throngs of waiting guests lining the cozy bar, Sycamore seems to have found the culinary sweet spot — a casual neighborhood bistro where locals can savor well-executed and imaginative takes on contemporary cuisine. Cook In Newtonville, near the intersection of Walnut and Washington streets, another culinary newcomer, Cook, has put down roots, the newest restaurant of Paul Turano, the chef who runs the kitchen at Arlington's popular Tryst. Built out in the space that previously housed Lam's Restaurant, Cook has the stark, contemporary look of an indus- trial loft, with hard lines, high ceilings, and a well-lit and boisterous room with 61 seats at tables and an additional 31 seats, both at a pizza bar in front of the warm wood-burning ovens and at a traditional bar off to the side. The popularity of the place, given its American bistro fare, reasonable prices, and frenetic energy, has been immediate, and diners can expect to spend time at the bar waiting for a free table. 180 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 local cuisine "unusual and whimsical" Cook B E T H F U R M A N 176-181_WWMa14_local cuisine_trio_v2_local cuisine 2/2/14 1:27 PM Page 180