City Table
At Lenox Hotel: 65 Exeter St, at Boylston; Back Bay; 617.933.4800
There's something to be said for class, but there's a ton more to be said for a steaming pile of sliders. Bringing the common man that second option, City Table, open now.
Taking over Azure’s old white tableclothed upscale dining locale in the Lenox and replacing it with an earthy "neighborhood eatery", CT has casualed their efforts on the aesthetic side (revamping the 90 seat space with dark wood high tops, bamboo floors & comfy green/brown banquettes) as well as the grub, with American comfort style small dishes, creative sammies and traditional-sized entrées, as well as an extensive wine and “free-spirited” cocktail menu that flunked out of Oberlin to write long form poetry about the evils of penis-culture. Tapas-wise, there’s caramelized potato gnocchi w/ braised veal, shitake mushrooms, and pears; soy lime dressing-smothered tuna tartar w/ cucumber, avocado, and papaya; and ancho-rubbed hanger steak tacos topped w/ guac and spicy tomatoes, which only rate Antonio Banderas films. CT also serves up grass fed sirloin, lamb, and crab cake sliders; a red wine sauce-drenched blue cheese crusted filet w/ whipped Yukon potato and broccoli rabe; and a roasted duck breast atop herb risotto in a Michigan cherry sauce, which is actually an Ohio State fan to the horror of everybody.
Because small servings mean more drinking, there’s a 50 plus wine list in addition to cocktails like the Kentucky Flu (Maker's Mark, Licor 43, and citrus juices), and the chocolate vodka and white crème de cacao-mixed Willy Wonka for the man who deems class less important than snozzberries...and girl drinks.
