Dante

Dante is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. The contemporary Italian restaurant on the Charles river strikes a balance perfect for a college-aged foodie; the dishes and atmosphere are refined and creative without being overly stuffy, pretentious or expensive, and the wait staff is attentive and, of course, the food is delicious! Dante isn’t particularly renowned like No. 9 Park, nor does it have a cult following on Chowhound or Yelp. But it still has a special place in my heart.

When I was in middle school and high school, I was like most other kids—my dinners out were split between the mall food court and The Cheesecake Factory. Then, in 10^th grade, my boyfriend at the time took me to Dante for Valentines day and I had my first Prix Fixe meal. I can still see and taste every element of that meal, from the amuse bouche of a kumamoto oyster with persimmon granite and wasabi fish roe to the pear and rubarb finish. From that meal on, I no longer viewed dishes as just sustenance, I saw them as an art; the chef is the artist and with the plate as his canvas and with flavors as his medium, he creates dishes that can dazzle all 5 senses. Dante brings back memories of happiness. Of young love.

My last visit to Dante:

Arancini- porcini risotto, scamorza cheese, truffle honey.

I’ve actually never had arancini before, but these are fantastic. The crisp, deeply golden fried shell gives way to a soft creamy risotto center, speckled with earthy porcini mushrooms. The center of the arancini is a chunk of sacamora cheese, which is mild but adds a bit of acidity to the risotto and a satisfying pull, like mozz sticks right out of the fryer. The piece de resistance for this dish is the truffle honey. Complexly sweet and a perfect balance the salty elements of the dish. The hint of truffle flavor accents the earthy flavor of the porcini mushrooms.

Fries!

Freshly cut fries, covered in Parm, with garlicky aioli...what's not to love?

Sole with lemon pistachio butter sauce and asparagus.

The fish melted in my mouth like silken tofu, and the pistachios added a satisfying crunch and a subtle floral flavor. The butter and lemon in the sauce added not only a brightness to the dish but also a richness that made the experience of eating the sole almost like eating a creamy custard. This dish reminded me of Ming Tsai's butterfish at Blue Ginger, but it wasn't quite as, well, buttery.

Did I mention my dining companion and I finished off an entire bottle of German Riesling? More fond memories for the collection...