Mistral, reviewed by Sara Rosenberg

Best of Boston? Try Best of America by Sara Rosenberg

            The atmosphere in Mistral is one of both comfort and elegance, with the light beige, grey, and green tones.  The ambiance is warm and welcoming, with small candles lit around the restaurant, and paintings of landscapes placed neatly here and there. 

            The feel of the restaurant is, however, not what we came for.  While the environment was certainly inviting, the food took precedence in our minds and grumbling stomachs.  The meal started out with a round of appetizers: mushroom Carpaccio, lamb’s lettuce salad, lobster gnocchi, and Maine crab ravioli.  The clear winner around the table was the lobster gnocchi, and several people took the remainders of their bread to sop up the remaining sauce.  The flavor was slightly sweet, and very hearty, which was perfect with the cold weather outside.

            The next course, the entrees, consisted of beef tenderloin, short ribs, pan roasted halibut, hen, duck, and a smoked salmon.  The table agreed that the two beef dishes were the winners; the meat on the short ribs falls apart without the use of a knife, while the beef tenderloin practically melts in your mouth.  The sauces that accompanied each possessed a hearty flavor, keeping with the warm feeling of the gnocchi.  The entrée course as well as the appetizers were exquisite, to say the least.

            Moving on to dessert, the group ordered the six main desserts offered on the Mistral menu—which proved to be a very good choice!  The desserts consisted of crème brulee, a chocolate torte, apple pie, chocolate pizza with mascarpone cheese, carrot cake, and profiteroles.  The group could not decide which dessert was best—they were simply all the best!  The dessert that disappeared the fastest, however, was the chocolate torte; sweet, creamy, and warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.  Within seconds only the chocolate decoration on the plate remained, and all six diners had huge smiles on their faces.

            Mistral is the best restaurant I have ever been to, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to take my friends and family back there!