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Erbaluce
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Seafood Italian, Seafood [Edit]
69 Church St(between Piedmont St & Shawmut St)
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 426-6969
- Nearest Transit:
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Charles St S @ Stuart St (43)
Stuart St @ Charles St S (192, 193, 504, 55, 555)
Arlington St @ Isabella St (9)
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Validated, Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
146 reviews for Erbaluce
Review Highlights
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"And did I mention the panna cotta." In 17 reviews -
"He had the wild boar and really enjoyed it." In 21 reviews -
"...you off with bread and olive oil, and a white bean puree." In 8 reviews
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146 reviews in English
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Review from Debra A.
Belmont, MA
5/20/2012
We wandered into this restaurant at 10pm on a Saturday night after the theatre. This was, hands-down, the best restaurant I've been in in a year. Why? The food is made with attention to flavor, freshness, and balance. The chef clearly infuses the food with passion. While other restaurants give you fine dining, this gives you food with passion.
We had the dandelion greens salad with pistachio an a soft cheese to cut the slight bitterness of the greens. While I normally avoid dandelion greens as being too bitter, this was perfectly balanced with just a hint of bitter. It was complimented nicely by a white wine recommended by our waiter. My companion had home-made pasta, slightly al dente, with a tomato sauce and ricotta complimented by bold fresh herbs.
We declined dessert, but the chef sent out a small plate of a date fruit truffle with a marzipan center, and two melt-in-your-mouth-deeply-rich chocolate truffles.
A point of note is that we are both vegetarians, and while the restaurant boasts of its wild boar game dishes, there are plenty of dishes for vegetarians as well. If you are vegan, you can call ahead and the chef will accommodate your desires.
Though the menu changes nightly, I would not hesitate to return. As another Yelper noted in an earlier review: "this is the only time I wish Yelp had the sixth star!!" I couldn't agree more!! -
Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
3/30/2012
I went for Restaurant Week and was pretty disappointed.
I've always been slightly fascinated by Erbaluce. It's situated on a gorgeous, picturesque strip of Back Bay. It looks quaint and cozy, all tucked away in its little corner. It has a cool name. It's got 4 stars on Yelp.
So I figured RW was a great way to check the place out. Unfortunately, the meal was bland and pretty underwhelming.
My boyfriend and I got the scallops and meatballs to start, the pork cheeks and polllack fillet for entrees, and the honey panna cotta and chocolate ganache for dessert.
I don't know if it's just my palate but none of the options on the RW menu stood out as particularly interesting, creative, innovative or original. The meatballs were quite tough and chewy and the sauce was too--dare I say--cheesy? The scallops were actually just one giant scallop on a shell that tilted this way and that and was hard to eat without spilling any of the sauce off the shell. The pork cheeks were covered in strange little minty berries that tasted like Christmas candy and were accompanied by the sweetest fruit known to man--totally jarring and not at all complementary to the savory meat. I did not find the pollack good either, especially the horseradish sauce (blech!).
The desserts were easily the best part of the meal. My chocolate ganache came in a delicate pastry container and was hidden by a top of fluffy white cream that was delicious. The honey panna cotta had delicious spices in it. But overall, the food was just very subpar. Now normally, if the RW options don't appeal to me, I consider going a la carte. But one look at the menu and it was just not worth it. At prices ranging from $30-40 an entree, the items were just as boring and uninteresting as the RW options.
Service was okay but nothing overwhelming. The hostess never smiled once as she took us to our table, and frankly, made me feel pretty unwelcome in the beginning. Fortunately, she made up for it by thanking us when we passed by her to leave.
The ambience is not as cozy or quaint as it looks from the outside. Bare walls with simple white tablecloths and candle lighting. Not ugly, but not interesting either. Just okay. Like the rest of the experience.Comment from Charles D. of Erbaluce 4/3/2012
Dear Josephine L.; Thank you for coming to erbaluce to dine,… More » -
Review from Andrea B.
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's probably a bad sign when the best part of a meal is the bread. Sadly, this was the case when I went to Erbaluce for a Restaurant Week dinner early Friday evening. The place was empty when we arrived, so we were seated promptly. However, that was the first and last prompt part of our meal. I can't remember the last time I've experienced such slow service.
The waiter informed us that everything at Erbaluce is local and organic, and that no cream or butter is used in any of the food except dessert, so we wouldn't leave feeling overly full (But being overly full is fun!!) She then gave us a few minutes to look over the menu, and took our orders.
Out comes the aforementioned delicious bread, with an olive oil and white bean puree that was absolutely divine. It's devoured pretty quickly.
We ask for more bread, and finish that too... I glance at the time on my cell phone....
A considerable amount of time later, our appetizers arrive. I tried the wild boar and veal meatballs, which were topped with some kind of orange-colored sauce that I just cannot recall the name of. They weren't anything special regardless.
Another lengthy wait ensues.
For my main course, I had the braised pork cheeks, which I will admit were pretty good. The highlight of this dish was the pumpkin mostarda, which added a dash of sweetness to the plate. Other accompaniments to the meat were some mixed greens and an extremely tasteless potato. Dessert was the biggest disappointment of all, though. The panna cotta with walnuts, quince and honey was horribly bland.
Clearly, no part of this dinner justified the long waits I endured. Now, I know that I can't go into a Restaurant Week dinner with grandiose expectations, but this experience was at an all-time low, even by RW standards.Listed in: (Not Quite) the Best of Boston, Restaurant Week Meals
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Review from Gabriel P.
Windham, NH
Updated - 4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here last night with my children and sister. This is without question my favorite restaurant in Boston and beyond. I've never been disappointed or been left with anything less then outstanding service and delectable dishes. I love the creative cuisine that allows me to taste so many different dishes and combination of ingredients. Chef Draghi combines tradition and nouvelle cuisine with flavors that challenge my palate.
The six of us last night were treated to another outstanding feast. I've eaten at hundreds of restaurants all over the world and especially Italy .. This is absolutely in my top 3.3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/18/2012
Celebrated my birthday at Erbaluce on Jan. 11. What a magnificent dinner. Chef Draghi's preparations… Read more »
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Review from David C.
3/24/2012
It is with great sadness that I bestow Erbaluce with two stars, but there is really nothing I can recommend from the meal I had other than the olive oil and white bean puree concoction that comes with the bread (seriously, that sh*t is good).
I've learned to lower my expectations during Restaurant Week, but Erbaluce still managed to disappoint. My friends and I were literally the only people there when we arrived for our 5:30 reservations, but it somehow took more than thirty minutes for our appetizers to arrive. The wait between appetizer and entree was nearly as long, and by the time we got around to dessert, our butts were numb. I can't imagine what the waits must be like when you arrive during peak hours.
In any case, I can deal with long waits if the food is good enough. The veal and wild boar meatballs I had to start, however, certainly did not justify the exorbitant wait time. I can't remember what kind of sauce they were coated in (it was bright orange), but it was cloyingly sweet. The meatballs themselves tasted like run-of-the-mill sausage. My pasta entree was simple and satisfying, but failed to leave much of an impression. In fact I can't even remember what kind of pasta it was. Tagliatelle? (Who knows. Erbaluce never bothered to post their RW menus online, forcing us to take a blind leap of faith when we made reservations.) The honey panna cotta was most disappointing of all, as it was totally devoid of flavor. The walnuts sprinkled on top added a nice textural contrast, but I wish they were candied. The dish was seriously lacking in sweetness.
And after all that disappointment, I certainly could have used some sugar. Instead, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth.Listed in: It's overrated., Best Bread Basket
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Review from Terry W.
Cambridge, MA
2/14/2012
- because the owner cares so much.....about his customer's feelings :(
You suck Charlie D. You are acting like a little child who has had his candy taken from him at lunch time. Your food was subpar and your staff ruined my valentine's dinner..plain and simple....
Maybe you should let your staff know they dropped the ball....I don't write negative reviews for no reason....yet you only seem to respond to negative ones and this time at least you have turned to personal insults...(i still haven't read your response but friends have told me) I didn't say you are ugly and your mamma dresses you funny... But your restaurant still was horrible. Cheers!
Oh Snap guess what i saw....a overpriced restaurant considered hip and best of boston...scandal....someone slipped someone an envelope filled with small unmarked bills in a shady corner of piedmont street....
This place deserves the one star....as I had one thing that was good here, the wine..and only cause it made the somewhat flavorless morsels more manageable...
well..the pasta was good..i had a half portion at 3/4 the price...bargain hunters what a deal for you!
I then had some razor clams, which I only wished by the end of the meal, could have been used to go all la vida loca on this spot! they were yummy though...but the real thing would have been more useful..
Lobstah in boston is bountiful and if you have lobster in a dish, you should be able to see it...what are we living in chicago?????? three dime sizes pieces of lobstah the size which was dwarfed by the white beans that were bountiful through the broth which also was desperately in need of shall i say it.....SALT!!!!
Padma would have spit in her napkin more than once....
Anyway on to entrees...well Short Ribs cooked for four hours so they fall off the bone...unless you let them sit on the counter for like 45 minutes and cool off to room temperature...then they are just a tepid mess...(hot would have been used, but that is yet to come...)
The Venison was also warm, but was at least warmer than the short ribs...
Speaking of Short Ribs...when we complained that they were cold, my wife pressing on it with her bare hands to show the waiter how cold it was....he shrugged...I can heat it up for you..won't take but a minute....hmmmm
Bill Nye the science guy must be working back there with some space age technology...cause it heated from cold to burn your mouth scalding hot in like 34 seconds...he literally walked the food to the kitchen, dropped off a knife, the runner came back with the plate " No Microwave" according to the waiter..hmmm really???Anthony Bourdaine told me your secrets...liar..Sorry but it's just not possible...
Check Please...Want deserts...Check please...I'm not trying to get anything free...first time in a long time I've tipped less than 20%...I just think you should get service that warrants your cost of goods...Please don't go listen to the five people on here that gave it a subpar rating..don't listen to the masses who probably just eat at Olive Garden and are comparing this place to this...Listed in: Places Never to Go....
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Review from Eursley D.
Suffolk, MA
5/14/2012
This gem never disappoints. Don't hesitate to try whatever short-season rarities you find on the constantly changing menu. You can bet it will be fresh, lovingly prepared, and delicious. We had stinging nettles with parmesan topped with a fried egg. Unexpectedly wonderful. Shad roe and pancetta, pasta with wild mushrooms and ramps. Even though I thought I couldn't eat another bite, I managed to polish off the best panna cotta I've ever had, and sesame fruit balls, and chocolate ....you get the idea. I've been here a dozen times, and had a dozen memorable meals.
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Review from Jon S.
Boston, MA
3/31/2012
I live a few blocks away and have been here a few times. It is easy to miss and it took me a few months to realize its existence. This restaurant introduced me to seemingly exotic proteins such as razor clams, skate wing, wild boar (meatballs), and rabbit (in a ragu). I don't like cream-based/overly rich sauces so the rustic Italian food featured at this place suits my palate well. The menu is seasonal and the chocolate truffles at the end of the meal are a very nice touch. The one thing I don't like (and I'm splitting hairs here) is the font of the menu (some form of Medieval calligraphy) which combined with the relative dark lighting can make it difficult to decipher the descriptions for the menu items (which are lengthy). Nonetheless, the flavor profile of the dishes and the excellent service makes this place my favorite Italian restaurant that I've tried so far in Boston.
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Review from Greg B.
Cambridge, MA
12/2/2011 1 photo
I want to start saying that this is the only time I wish Yelp had the "sixth" star!!!
This is the Best Italian in the Boston Area, hands down! I was born and raised in Italy and have lived in MA for over 5 years now. Whenever I miss the Italian cuisine I come here, it is like being in Piedmont or Tuscany... In the white truffle season they have simply the best of the best, the white truffle from Alba. I have tasted it in every possible way, with the hand made tagliatelle and in the souffle style, simply amazing. Hard to beat even for the best chefs in the world.
Having had dinner in 16 of the world's top 20 restaurants I question myself on how these judgments are made, since Chuck (the chef of Erbaluce) should be in that list... Their wine selection is also very good, they have rare wines that are even hard to find in Italy, you can imagine in the US, and especially in MA which for wine isn't NY.
Joan, Chuck's wife is a great host, and regularly check with all the tables in the room how the guests are enjoying their meals. This is a typical Italian way and I simply love it!
The restaurant has every single tiny detail thought of. For example when you sit they bring this white bean mousee with olive oil that you eat with fresh home made bread, delicious! At the end after having desert they bring homemade chocolate truffles with a rose flavor that are amazing! In the winter they also bring Chestnuts (Castagne) freshly grilled which are also very tasty.
I came here at least 10 times in the last year, and every time it gets better! The menu changes daily, based on what the chef finds on the market in morning, with some classics that are like evergreens and are always there.
It is definitely a place that one time, probably soon will have 2 or 3 Michelin stars and is a MUST if you are in Boston! -
Review from J L.
Chelsea, MA
5/5/2012
HEY JOSEPHINE L.?
i've been reading your reviews for a while and have come to the conclusion you haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. every review you post on here is total pants, and this one is no exception. as you have no knowledge of northern italian cuisine, what business do you have critiquing the food? i'll let you in on a little secret...it IS your palate. you have no taste. peppercorns mistaken for "strange little minty berries"? horseradish sauce is "blech"? no it isn't. especially not in northern italy. but don't blame your palate; it has nothing to do with whether or not the food is interesting, creative, innovative or original (the same way the pricing of the a la carte menu has no bearing on whether or not the dishes are "boring" or "uninteresting"). either they are or they aren't. just because you don't understand what's going on on the plate or the flavor profiles of the cuisine doesn't necessarily make the food dull or subpar. it just makes you a ponce. i did, however, enjoy the review of hamersley's you wrote after turning up smashed at the restaurant. how classy.
keep up the good work...it's hilarious if not slightly underwhelming.
and it's pollock, not pollack. you bozo. -
Review from Sarah M.
Brookline, MA
3/21/2012
Food was ok but over priced for quality that you received. The worst part about it is my debit card was over charged and when I called ( after 10 times of reaching an answering machine) they said it happens all the time and the banks add an extra charge. I have never had my bank include an extra 20% gratuity after I have signed my name. Women was not helpful. Not recommend at all better off with buttoni from stop and shop
Comment from Charles D. of Erbaluce 4/5/2012
As a point of clarification: As we mentioned to Sarah M.-… More » -
Review from Vlad V.
San Jose, CA
11/9/2011
Ah, the pretentiousness!
"This dish is named Cappelletti di monache, I named it myself!", the sophisticated chef tells us, while reciting a slew of specials with ingredients that would require a dictionary to capisce.
$12 for a salad consisting of 5 greens and a piece of burrata cheese?
$24 for "boar pasta", made with - I swear - what tasted identically to ground pork that you can buy at Whole Foods for $5?
The rabbit wasn't special either.
However, the panna cotta was GREAT. Highly recommended.
Plus for the dinner atmosphere though, dim lighting with a candle on whitecloth table, and a... succulent potted plant on the table as well. Minus for the acoustics, which made conversations from 2 tables away be easily audible. Unusually, the host looked just like a patron (I'm used to restaurant staff wearing uniforms so you don't accidentally ask another patron to bring you a new fork).
By the way, the host asked us "Do you have a reservation?" After I answered that unfortunately we didn't have one, the host replied "Well you should". I was a bit baffled by that. A moment later she invited us in.
Tip: don't stay near the counter in the back, unless you want to listen to Verdi's symphony of utensils in CLACK major. -
Review from Jeff M.
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am finally writing my review of Erbaluce after about three months of holding off because I was torn on my rating. The tasting menu at Erbaluce was one of the best tasting menus I have had, even some of my favorite spots have greatly disappointed when I ordered the tasting menu, and was one of the better dining experiences I had in 2011. Tasting menus are better than anything when done right but will make you never want to go out to eat again when done poorly. My plan was to return to Erbaluce for another tasting in order to base my review on more than one exeperience at the restaurant.
The chef takes unbelievable pride in his food and had a story to tell for each dish that was presented to the table. Besides the soup my girlfriend and I each got different dishes that allowed us to taste over a dozen dishes the evening we dined at Erbaluce. The ingredients in every dish were of very high quality and the execution of style was done well. I just was left hanging on many of the dishes wanting something more. Erbaluce, I like your style and want to fall in love with you, so, will soon give you another opportunity to blow my mind.
Also, the crowd here was unbelievably pretensions for no good reason. I hate people like this. Its why I live in Cambridge/Somerville and not Bay Village or whatever the hell its called.
I'll be back for another shot at love. -
Review from Coco K.
Boston, MA
At long last I was finally able to try Erbaluce. After rave reviews from my friends they insisted I try it and I gladly obliged. We started our dinner here with a glass of sparkling rose at the bar, we then moved to a table near the window, still in the bar area. I prefer the ambiance over the white table clothed main dining room.
Our waiter suggested a great full-bodied wine to pair with our dishes and he was spot on. I wish I had remembered the name of the wine because I'm craving it as I write this. First up was the bread and white bean puree drowning in delicious olive oil goodness. Then we started with the Sunflower appetizer. A SUNFLOWER!!?? Yes, indeed I am correct in saying it was a sunflower and it was delicious!!! I later learned that the sunflower is in the same family as the artichoke. YUM! We also shared the heirloom tomato salad, which was fresh, simple, and delicious. I love how the chef let the tomatoes really sing in the dish.
For my main course I ordered the meatballs. OH MY MEATBALLS! They were so delicious that if I was in the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs I would totally pick Chef Charles Draghi's meatballs to rain down on me.
Yes, this place is that good. I'm not even gonna get into the desserts because they were so god damn good. I'm talking the perfect balance of sweet and somewhat savory. No matter what dessert you choose you will not be disappointed. If you can't make up your mind the panna cotta is divine! -
Review from Angela W.
Quincy, MA
2/23/2012
5 stars for services. I have never experiences with this good services before.
FIRST TIME EATING ITALIAN.
I GOT.
The lobster soup i got was good but just lito bit salty. There is beans and other stuff in it but definitely has more than few pieces of lobsters.
Steak was juicy, it doesn't taste like the steak we usually get in outback or some other steakhouse.
Ice cream was creamy and tasteful.
Cappuccino is strong and its good.
The price is average not what i expected to be. I actually thought its more expensive.
WORTH 20% tips. !!!!!!!!!!! -
Review from Hellen W.
Cambridge, MA
Updated - 3/23/2012
I have decided that this crappy place deserves no stars due to the fact that the owner, Charles D is FAT LIAR! Why don't you take the time to teach your waitstaff about customer service instead of surfing the internet like a slumlord who does nothing with their business or investment. Than you wouldn't have this problem of getting 1 or no stars for your haphazard waitstaff whom I had to call over on several occasion to get bread, water, my wine, and than my food. Secondly, whoever my server was, he RIGHTFULLY deserved a 10% tip seeing that not only is he an atrocious server, he LIES just like you, Charles D. He never once mentioned that the lamb and rabbit ragu wouldn't be good for my daughter. Finally, to the readers of Yelp, if you would like to know what modern Italian cuisine with fantastically tasting food and impeccable service, you guys should go and dine at Sorellina or No. 9 Park especially Charles D.! Than he would finally understand why he, his restuarant, and his waitstaff deserves no stars!
Cheers to all the foodies out there in Boston!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/14/2012
So it's valentine's night and i'm sure all the restaurants are excited that they are going to make… Read more »
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Review from Lisa L.
Somerville, MA
10/27/2011
My 3 stars is really 3.5, but I couldn't quite get up to 4.
Went here with two foodie girlfriends at the recommendation of one of their friends, who is a regular here. She mentioned him to the hostess and as a result, we got a little bit of the royal treatment, which was quite nice!
Selecting a wine was a bit of a process, but what we ended up with was fabulous. We wanted something similar to a Zin, so our server brought out something for us to taste. We weren't loving it, so he talked to the bartender and the chef, and came out with a second wine. It took a while but was worth the wait!
The menu at this place is a little overwhelming. Almost every dish had a word I didn't recognize in it. When the server went through the specials, he had to explain so many ingredients that I started to laugh. And while deciding on our meal we had to pull out our phones and Google several words!
We ordered 3 appetizers: a mushroom salad thing, the roasted cauliflower, and the seared calamari. While we waited for those, the chef brought out small bowls of a lobster soup that was out of this world!!! He explained it as a bisque without the ingredients all pureed together. It was a broth with some greens, croutons, and a nice chunk of lobster. It was so good, I would have been happy with this as my dinner!
The apps came out, and my favorite was the calimari...the meat was tender and the flavors were nice. However, overall I wasn't thrilled with the apps. There was too much going on and the flavors just didn't gel for me. A lot of the veggies in the dishes seemed raw and were too "pokey" and crunchy for my taste.
For entrees, my friend had the bavette steak (which Google told us was a flank), the other had the Nasello fillet (which is an Atlantic hake), and I had the flounder. We all LOVED our meals. The presentation was lovely and the flavors were just right.
For dessert we ordered the chocolate hazelnut thing. The chef also brought us a panna cotta. OH. MY. GOD. These desserts were decadent! The panna cotta had concord grape sauce that was the perfect complement to the light, lemony cream, and the hazelnut thing was so rich and fudgy....mmmm.
The check came with some chocolate truffles that were infused with some herbs (I can't remember which). Also delicious! My friend didn't eat hers and it took all my strength not to snatch it.
I would definitely go back to Erbaluce, but next time I will skip the appetizers.
P.S. I've worked 2 blocks from this restaurant for 11 years and never heard of it until my friend mentioned it last night. What's up with that!? I think I'm pretty "in the know" about Boston restaurants. Do they need to do more marketing, or did I just have a blind spot? Hmmm! -
Review from Aashna S.
New York, NY
4/9/2012
Amazing food, amazing service, good wine if you like italian wine. Try the mushroom risotto. And dessert is a must have.
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Review from Kiki F.
Boston, MA
11/7/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Overall, it was disappointing... For my entree, I had the special, guinea hen, and that was cooked superbly. Beyond that, all of the dished were just OK. Not nearly what I expected after seeing the menu and hearing reviews. Oh well.
The waitstaff was excellent, however. -
Review from Justin I.
Belmont, MA
4/12/2012
Have dined at this establishment about 20 times, and it continues to impress. Everything from the house made pasta, the perfectly cooked seafood, and bright vegetable dishes shine. This food is Italian, not Italian-American, so don't expect spaghetti and meatballs with a can of crushed tomatoes. What you will get is the best Italian wine list in the city, a dinner that's cooked with skill and love, and hosts that are knowledgeable and friendly. A true hidden gem in Boston's Bay Village.
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Review from Stephen M.
Winchester, MA
2/4/2012
Hands down one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. From the excellent and friendly service (starts with a very warm welcome from Joan at the desk), to the delicious and very authentic italian food, to the outstanding wine list (i love that I know hardly any of the wines), you really can't find a better and more relaxing dining experience here in Boston. Chef does a great job with all of the courses and I love the fact that he is ALWAYS there. We always get the cheese plate for dessert (best in Boston by far) and chef always comes out to describe all the cheese and even the honey!! Probably been a couple months since we have been there so we need to get back there asap!!!
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Review from Helen L.
4/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Hidden but cute and cozy. The place was very clean and that take pride in that. Lighting was dim and perfect for dinner. Staff was nice and super friendly. Timing was great but of course there weren't too many people there at the early hour of 6p on a Tuesday.
The white bean and olive oil dip for the soft bread was tasty. It was salty but balances the blandness of the bread well. The olive oil was rich.
The arugala salad with apples and goat cheese was tasty as well. I suspect a layer of salty was sprinkled on top. The dressing coated the greens perfectly.
The lasagnette with porcini and mushroom sauce was good but left me craving for something more. -
Review from Fred D.
Brookline, MA
1/16/2012
A very solid four. The dining room was remarkably pleasant given how simply decked it is and how busy it was, service was joyful and efficient, and the food was excellent and executed with care. Strong wine list too. I will be back.
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Review from Brian T.
Salem, MA
12/15/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Great service, and great, elegant food. The hostess was very accomodating when we wanted to get our check quickly, as we had somewhere to be.
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Review from Patrick M.
Boston, MA
4/15/2011
The complimentary bread and white bean puree' are indicators of how thoughtful Chef Chuck Dragi is. I asked Nick, the bartender to email me some details: "Our fresh focaccia is made with live cake yeast(not mostly-dead packet yeast), filtered water, sea salt, unbleached flour, and olive oil. We put it in in a high oven, and spray it occasionally with water from a spray bottle to help form the crust.
The white bean pureé is made from Peruvian gigante beans, which are cooked in water with salt, a little sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh bay leaves. After being strained out, the beans are pureed with olive oil, fresh marjoram and fresh oregano (during the summer months, these herbs are largely coming from Chuck and Joan's garden)."
I also loved the razor clams(a special the night I went):
"The razor clams are prepared in the style of Trieste.
We take green peppercorns, fennel seeds, thyme leaves, garlic, and olive oil and mash it all up into what is essentially a pesto. To make the clams we put a generous spoonful of this in a pan, add the clams, about 1c of white wine, shaved leeks and fennel bulb, and steam it all together. To plate, we put some croutons (which are made from the day-old focaccia, above, which has been toasted with a little olive oil) on the bottom of the bowl(in Trieste they traditionally use grilled rye bread), add the clams, and pour the broth over everything. The garnish is a little drizzle of olive oil, some lemon zest and fennel fronds."
Erbaluce is an under-the-radar gem, and Chuck is one of the most knowledgeable and thoughtful chefs I have ever met. Enjoy. -
Review from Tony S.
Boston, MA
6/12/2011
I am Sicilian. I have eaten all over Italy and Sicily.... Saying that don't expect much...
I ate there two months ago so things might've changed...
Let's start off with sitting in a broken chair. I almost fell over... The eating utensils are from the '70s and falling apart....
The servers were polite and courteous but they were serving french style bread badly in an Italian restaurant... They were dropping bread all over the place..
I have not had one good plate of gnocchi in Boston and they are no different. They can't make it either... I had it as an appetizer... don't bother if it's on the menu...
They did get the wild boar very right!!!!! The chef knows how to do it... -
Review from Stazh F.
Brooklyn, NY
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent! I do not usually indulge in white truffles, but the egg pasta with white truffles was amazing and entirely worth it here. The appetizers and main courses were also outstanding, although I would suggest sharing a main course if you are also having appetizers and a pasta course. The food is far too good to waste, and the courses were too big for me to get through everything.
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Review from Kathleen A.
Cambridge, MA
1/3/2012
...each dish beautifully showcased the flavors and textures of the actual meat, vegetable, seafood component of the dish- w/ just enough fresh herbs, touches of honey, and appropriate spices to accent and not overpower. An impressive wine selection, too. Desserts weren't an afterthought- same caliber as the savory plates...
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Review from Mark S.
Boston, MA
11/30/2011
Simply put, this is a phenomenal restaurant. The negative reviews from some people just baffle me. The food is as true to Piedmont as it could possibly be, with great ingredients and as careful an interpretation of northern Italian cooking as you could hope for. The wine list is as good an Italian wine list as you can find anywhere in North America outside of New York City, and happily represents fantastically interesting varietals in addition to classic Nebbiolos and such.
I used to travel extensively in western Europe on business, and the only thing I miss about the travel is being able to eat food like this. I live up the street from Erbaluce , and over the last three visits have enjoyed sauteed sunflowers (yum), giant Mediterranean sardines grilled and served drizzled with a chef-made lemon infused olive oil, Porbeagle, Parmesan crusted bavette, and best of all, shaved fresh white truffles over homemade tagliatelle mixed with a raw duck egg for extra richness.
So...if you're looking for the usual American interpretations of Italian cooking, are coming in from the too-safe suburbs or aren't comfortable with what's non-traditional by American standards, this probably isn't your place. If you're looking for utterly amazing and genuine Piedmontese food with brilliant, fresh, vibrant flavors mixed with skill and subtlety, you've found one of the few places in the USA doing it right.
Service is relaxed and extremely helpful, the Chef is always coming out to explain dishes or chat with people who want to learn more about the food, and the prices are great value for what they are. And the wine list is not only as thoughtful and interesting as they come, but is a bargain by Boston standards.
It's my favorite restaurant in Boston hands down, my Italian friends living in Boston come only here when they're homesick, and I've never been disappointed or had a less than stellar time. -
Review from Charlie K.
Wenham, MA
11/8/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I will start by agreeing with previous reviewers that our waiter was attentive, knowledgeable and very pleasant. Because we were pre-theatre, this was quite appreciated. Perhaps because of the somewhat "rushed" nature of our visit, that would account for the roasted cauliflower appetizer that I could barely get a knife through. Unfortunate, as it might have actually been good if it had been given enough time to, well, roast!
On to the main course of my sole...oh my soul! Soggy, overcooked and tasteless wrapped around steamed greens that begged for seasoning. Alas, the cappuccino arrived, and was at least quite delicious. Honestly, I don't know what al the fuss is about - we were left wanting. -
Review from Dean C.
Needham, MA
11/21/2011
Can't quite understand all the positive recommendations here. I mean "Best Italian Restaurant in Boston"? You gotta be kidding. While the service was attentive and the chef did come out of the kitchen with some added specials, the menu was not at all attractive. I finally settled on the sole which was overpowered by fennel. The calamari appetizer was nothing special. My wife's dish which was some pasta with pumpkin in it was also not appealing. Glad I got it out of my system but unfortunately, it's off my list.
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Review from Michelle N.
Cambridge, MA
3/15/2012
Love love LOVE this place. Classy setting, fantastic food, super nice waiter. I mean really. We had the risotto and the veal and four glasses of red wine on V day. Everything was fantastic. I was a little confused by the 9:30PM closing time since our reservation was at 9 and the food came out around 9:20, but everything was fine. We stayed til late.
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Review from togs w.
Boston, MA
1/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The best aspect of this restaurant is the unique dishes on offer -- the chef plays with different or unexpected flavors to come up with fun variations on traditional dishes. For some chefs, this is a terrible idea, because they can't pull it off. This one can, with delightful results.
We've been here twice, and the food is always inventive. Their wine selection, too, is fantastic -- not choices you normally see on the menu. The restaurant is small, and feels a bit like you're eating in someone's dining room; very cozy and romantic. The table setting is simple, with a little vase of herbs or small flowers.
The first time we went, the waiter was pretty condescending, saying he was sure we wouldn't understand anything on the menu (we did). I gave him a pass; I look young and I'm used to getting arched looks sometimes. He suggested we order the special. The husband and I both ordered the bavette steaks instead, since we rarely cook steak at home. The waiter clearly disapproved of our choice. Clearly, he has never eaten the steak.
I say this without exaggeration: the bavette steak is basically the best steak either of us have ever eaten in recent memory. Per-fect-ly medium rare, a little crispy parmesan on top. It melts in your mouth. The waiter also recommended a perfect red wine to pair with it. It was kind of a transporting experience.
Then, the owner came round to see us after the meal and left us with rosewater truffles they make in house, which were incredible.
The second time we went, our waiter provided us with what I'd consider perfect service: he was knowledgable, attentive and also made great wine recommendations. We started with a bouillabaisse, which was saffrony and delectable. The husband ordered the steak again, and I broke off and chose the duck trio, which I enjoyed immensely. I had the saffron-infused pear for dessert and it was nice, but had a bit too much caramel, I would say.
Again, we got a visit from the owner and the tasty truffles. Gosh those truffles are amazing. It was a really wonderful evening, and we will definitely come back again. -
Review from Renee G.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2010
I feel kind of bourgeois admitting this because the types of people whose opinions I trust in all things food-related seem to be so smitten with this place, but I just couldn't quite appreciate it. Two girlfriends and I went here for my birthday dinner back in August, and while I will admit that it was Restaurant Week and things may not have been quite up to their usual standards (it is a blessing and a curse to have a birthday that always falls during Restaurant Week, let me tell you), I still expected more.
I wasn't that keen on the bean puree served at the start of the meal. It had a sweetness to it that I just didn't cunderstand or care for. For my starter, I had the chicken liver bruschetta, which I did quite like, although it was nothing transcendent, and then moved on to the white fish filet with escarole, lobster coral sauce, and anise hyssop, which, like the puree, had a strangely sweet element that did not to my palate go all that well in a savory dish. And I have nothing against sweet/savory combos!
I was rather fond of my dessert, the local peaches stuffed with mascarpone and marzipan and baked with an amaretti crumb topping, and mentally bookmarked it as an easy dessert to make at home for hypothetical future dinner parties. But then I would eat basically anything if it was stuffed with marzipan (except, apparently, white bean puree and escarole/white fish dishes). We also had a lovely red wine, the varietal of which escapes me, and I was quite sorry when I accidentally (clumsily, not drunkenly) spilled half a glass of it on the wall.
The service was fine, though not overly attentive, and the decor was spare and honestly kind of boring, although the bar was cozy and comfortable. -
Review from Angel D.
Cambridge, MA
2/17/2011
I wanted to give this place 4 stars, but my entrée was barely touched therefore I just can't give it 4....it's almost there.
We went for V-day dinner but on Saturday night. Apparently my husband couldn't get a reservation earlier than 9pm, however when we arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule to grab a drink at the bar - the place had about 4 - 5 tables open. Def a pre-theatre restaurant.
They were able to seat us when we came in so we both had a wonderful glass of white wine that the waiter recommended, hence the recommendation came with a $12/per glass price tag. So we picked our own bottle of red and I must say my husband did well! The bread and white bean/olive oil dip was a nice addition.
We decided to start with the Potato Gnocchi and split it as an appetizer, unlike other reviews we both agreed that the gnocchi was excellent. It was just the right consistency and the boar and beef ragout was delicious.
Entrées - this is where it went downhill for me. I wish I remembered the name of the "N-something filet" but it was basically white fish but what they did to my fish was unfortunate. It was served with swiss chard, huge lima beans, and something in there was pine-ish and it even had small tiny red balls (berries?) in the dish - I felt like I was eating a Christmas wreath. Way too much flavor going on that overwhelmed my fish. Very disappointed. My husband ordered the veal short rib which was delicious and I basically helped him eat his entrée. It had nice tangy honey flavor and the collard greens that accompanied the dish had just the right contrast.
For dessert we ordered two cappuccinos and the gianduja truffle, it was average. We just wanted something sweet at the end of our meal. We probably would've held out for the chocolates that the chef brought us at the end of dinner.
My husband found this restaurant because it was written in Boston Magazine as one of the top 50 or so restaurants...It was nice to try a different restaurant outside of Cambridge. A good pre-theatre restaurant but definitely not on my list of must-try-again. -
Review from Christina R.
Boston, MA
8/22/2011
Oh Erbaluce, I had such high hopes for you.
I had come to Erbaluce on the recommendations of two separate friends, who had come on two separate occasions, and similarly raved about their delicious food, I couldnt wait to try it.
Naturally, when I found out Erbaluce was participating in restaurant week, I figured I would jump at the chance to try them out. What happened?
Well, we were seated at 7:35 on a thursday night. We had reservations so there was no wait - great! However it took probably a solid 20 minutes before we were given any attention after that. We ordered a bottle of wine and it seriously took half an hour before they found it and brought that up. We realized it had been a solid 50 minutes before they took our food order.
We ordered off the restaurant week menu. My roommate had the bread and tomato salad - what came was really kind of appalling. Why would you put this on the menu? It was seriously just cubed tomatoes, cubed cucumber, and a disproportionately large number of croutons seemingly scattered haphazardly on a solitary leaf of lettuce in the middle of the plate. My friend and I ordered egg white frittatas which came but were just so very salty. Almost unbearably so. When the waiter came he did notice that we all barely touched our appetizers. We said we were just eager for the entrees.
Two pork dishes (i believe it was Roast pork on a bed of beet greens with potatoes) for me and the roommate and a squash blossom risotto for my friend. My roommate had a hard time taking the pork dish, saying she thought it was simply too fatty, but I was so ravenously hungry I finished it all. My friend was underwhelmed by her risotto and didnt finish it either.
Dessert came, the panna cotta was so-so and the summer peach puree with ricotta (i think?) and dark chocolate was good, but definitely lacked texture and left something to be desired.
While waiting for the bill we realized none of the food was that great. Not even good. We were all so disappointed.
Now, when I've told people about this they always shake their head and say "yeah... its because you went during restaurant week..." which really dont understand. If EVER there was a time to bring your A-game, it would have to be restaurant week - when people who otherwise would not have tried your restaurant out are coming to see what it's like. Restaurant week is voluntary. If you aren't going to bring your A-game, dont particpate.
I left the restaurant with the sad realization that if Erbaluce had never participated in restaurant week, I probably would have tried them out at some point anyways, and perhaps would have been as pleased with the results as my recommenders were. But after this experience I just dont think I would want to spend even MORE money on Erbaluce on the gamble that it might be just as bad again. -
Review from Matthew G.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011
I'm not sure what restaurant the one- and two-star reviews are referring to, but it ain't this restaurant.
The white bean puree is so wonderful you'll swear it's got butter in it, although it doesn't. I have a rule: go to a restaurant and try the bread. Bread is a giveaway, so many restaurants give away bread they couldn't charge for.
Something else I really loved about my experience is that I couldn't decide between three pasta dishes. When I asked the waiter for advice, he offered to do half-portions at half price. I still had trouble picking the two I wanted, but it was much easier to pick two out of three instead of one out of three. -
Review from Chris A.
Boston, MA
7/29/2011
I did some debating about this but decided there was no way I could not give this place five stars. I'm more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so this place wasn't exactly my normal fare. However....
First, the wait staff was spectacular. Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable of all the food on the menu and I left the wine for him to choose for me which he did and it was perfect. The "busboy" or whatever you might call him, was fantastic. Extremely polite, always clearing our table, always refilling our water.
As far as the food, you begin with the courtesy bread with some white bean paste and olive oil. Couldn't have been more delicious. For an appetizer, we ordered the calimari. No expert on that, but others at our table exclaimed it was some of the best they had ever had. For dinner, our meals consisted of mostly boneless rabbit, grilled shark, seared bass and a pasta with lamb and pork ragu. Sorry about the layman terms for the meals, but I can't remember all the details. Anyways...Not a single bad word was said about any of the dinners. We followed that with some cups of coffee. Very strong, extremely good coffee. The owner (I believe) also brought out a small tray with chocolate truffles infused with rose geranium (?) and some berries. A perfect ending to the meal.
Prepare yourself to spend about $50 a person, but let me finish my review with this..... we were with another couple who exclaimed that from start to finish, this may have been the best anniversary dinner they had in their thirty years of marriage.
Kudos to Erbaluce. -
Review from Ajda S.
Cambridge, MA
2/15/2011
My boyfriend and I tried Erbaluce for our Valentine's Day dinner. We went based on a friend's recommendation, as we had heard rave reviews of the rack of wild boar. The place has an open air feel, and there were candles on every table. All tables but ours also had little African violet plants on them, too. The lighting is great, not too bright and not too dim. I like the white walls with abstract art. I felt like I was in a seaside town or something, as opposed to Boston mid-winter.
Unfortunately, when we first sat down, we discovered my boyfriend's chair was broken. No one came to help us as we struggled to get another chair from an adjacent table. We ordered arugula salads, his with bresaola and mine with goat cheese. They were good enough, though a little bland. I noticed lemon zest on my salad. It turns out, lemon zest would also on be my entree, the veal short rib.
The first server who brought bread could barely get it out of the basket because he was using 2 forks instead of tongs, and visibly struggling. We all joked about it with him, but I felt bad for him. Then when the second round of bread came, our proper server had the same problem with serving the bread, barely able to get it out of the basket. Laughable! Excellent bread though...could taste the olive oil in it.
The flow between salads and our second course of potato gnocchi was good, but it took forever for my entree (veal short rib with rosemary potatoes) to arrive. When it did, the plate looked messy, with sauce all over the place, there were 3 little pieces of potato, and it was almost not even warm. My short rib was steaming hot in some spots in and barely warm in other. It had like a half an inch layer of fat on top, and the sauce was so sweet and tangy, it left my lips feeling like I had eaten too much sweet candy. The greens, however, that accompanied the meal, were excellent.
The food here is rustic, and tangy. The chef uses a lot of honey and lemon zest in his dishes. Too much for me. I found these flavors repetitive after a few courses.
The potato gnocchi was a big disappointment. The boar and beef ragout was excellent, but there seemed to be no potato in the gnocchi, and the pasta was pasty.
We initially ordered sparkling water, and throughout the night there was confusion between the 3 different people who served us water as to whether we wanted the tap water or not.
For dessert, we ordered the orange gelato and the gianduja truffle. Both were delicious, and special. I like the touch of mint in the desserts, which is classy and classic, IMHO.
One of the managers, I think, brought some additional treats with the check - some pieces of chocolate that tasted a bit like rosewater (yum) and some fruity candlies coated in sesame seeds which I did not try but my boyfriend seemed to enjoy.
I was so excited to try this place, I made the reservation a month and a half in advance. But this meal was far from seamless, and I was disappointed in the food and somewhat in the flow of service. However, I know it's new, so I might go again after awhile, in the hopes they improve. -
Review from Velina L.
9/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
As you walk up to the corner where Erbaluce is located, you expect to enter a charming, cozy little place decorated with the same bright colored flowers that adorn the brick building. You enter into a small dining area with soft music, until the hostess leads you to the ugly back room, which turns out to not only be a decorated with unlatching, grey colored paintings, but a cacophonous atmosphere as well.
I was turned off by the decor, the bad acoustics, and the fact that the dining area wasn't separated from the kitchen, not even by a curtain. I could see the cooks moving around inside and the pots and pans, preventing a nice dining atmosphere, not to mention the fact that I could here the plates banging against each other in the back of the house.
The menu changes daily and seems to reflect the season. My sister and I ordered the sardines with olive vinaigrette and the prosciutto with nectarines as our appetizers, followed by the wild boar with lavender sauce and concord grapes and the steamed white dish filet with escarole and lobster sauce. None of them particularly impressed me with their flavor, although I appreciated that the boar and fish were nicely cooked. It would be nice if the fish were seasoned, though. Just a little salt would have been nice.
We ordered two desserts to share. The first, a tomato and mint sorbet, sounded interesting but was a little bland and had a horrible, very icy texture. The second, a honey panna cotta with dried cherries and a slightly tart fruity sauce, was the only dish that I truly enjoyed, even though presentation was sloppy. I also liked the flat-ish oddly shaped chocolate truffles we got at the end.
Overall I was disappointed with the food but even more disappointed with the atmosphere.Listed in: Boston
