Aragosta Bar & Grill

There's nothing more relaxing than sitting outside on a nice day, looking out into the ocean (or some other pretty view), and enjoying a delicious meal with friends or family.

Whenever it's nice outside, I can't resist seeking out restaurants that offer pleasant outdoor dining experiences. My absolutely favorite thing to do is to walk to such a place, enjoy fantastic food, and then walk home. Ideally, the walk would be very pleasant and last about an hour long (yes, I love walking).

During "good" weather months (in Boston we'll stretch this to include the cool spring, nippy autumn, and summer days that are not unbearably hot or humid), Bryan and I regularly walk to the North End, enjoy some of our favorite restaurants, and then walk home via the Public Garden, Boston Common, down Newbury Street, across the Harvard Bridge (aka "Mass Ave Bridge") back to Cambridge. By the time we've reached home, we've "walked off" the big dinner, had nice long conversation, and enjoyed beautiful scenes from downtown Boston. It's truly one of my favorite things to do.

One drawback to this regularly planned dinner outing is that none of our favorite restaurants in the North End offer outdoor seating. Accordingly, when I was invited to a blogger event at Aragosta Bar & Grill (in Battery Wharf, virtually steps from the North End), I was intrigued at the idea of dining on Italian food while facing the ocean.

Truffle Rigatoni And Cheeses, Warm Goat Cheese Fondue; Hand Crafted Selection Of Salumi, Capponata, Hot Cherry Peppers, Crusty Bread

Aragosta Bar & Grill replaces Sensing inside the Fairmont Battery Wharf hotel and just opened in April. Chef David Daniels, who previously worked at places such as Stephanie's on Newbury and the Federalist, brings to the table food inspired by his first generation Italian-American parents with "a Mediterranean flair and a fine dining twist."

I arrived late at the event, and therefore missed out on a few of the appetizers. Nevertheless, I had a chance to try some of the cured meats (shown above), which were delicious.

Small dishes continued to come out, one at a time. I was stuffed when I left - I can't imagine how I would have eaten everything had I arrived on time!

Orecchiette, Broccoli Rabe, Pancetta, Capers, Preserved Lemon
It was exciting to try pastas that were clearly homemade. The texture of this orecchiette was chewy and fun to eat. The flavors were pretty good.

Pappardelle Bolognese, Veal Cheek & Ox Tail Ragu, Porcini Powder
Similarly, I loved the beautiful presentation of the pappardelle Bolognese, although the flavors of the sauce did not blow me away.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder, gnocchi, asparagus, and rosemary citrus sauce

Seared Tuna, Roasted Fennel, Marcona Almonds, Golden Raisin Puree