03 December 2010

Worth Every Penny: T.W.Food

Maybe not the greatest name for a tiny little French inspired fine restaurant, but well worth spending a couple of hours there.
Nestled in a hidden corner of north Cambridge in a first floor shop front beneath some apartments, you'll find this unassuming place. The decor inside is simple, faintly modernist, classy but unassuming, kind of like the best clothing. White table cloths, comfortable grey leather chairs, Walter Gropius style silvered light bulbs and good jazz played at an unobtrusive volume. Score points for atmosphere.

Nine small tables, and a waitstaff that absolutely will not hurry you. Once in your seat,you can expect to be treated to a leisurely 2-3 hours of comfort. Score points for service,and a knowledgeable waitstaff who knows how to leave you alone.

And then the food. All the ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, and the menu changes frequently. House made charcuterie is a particular feature here. While there isn't a dud t be seen on the well assembled menu, the real snap is the grand tasting menu. $65 gets you six courses, $39 adds six wine pairings. If you're gonna buy $100 worth of dinner, that's how you do it.

Tonight's menu featured:
-Beet soup with creme fraiche/ Alsatian Gewurztraminer
-Rhode Island fluke, dredged in flour and lightly fried over orange infused potatoes with a beet and Banyuls syrup/ Tourraine Sauvignon Blanc
-Charcuterie course of pork rillettes, chicken liver mousse and jamon persille/ Grenache-Syrah blend from Southern France (actually this wine, Mas du Guiot, is one of my current favorite good cheap bottles down at the shop)
-Scottish Woodpigeon Gateau, with foie gras in puff pastry (sort of an over the top gourmet mini chicken pot pie) with Autumn vegetables/ Portuguese Tempranillo-Touriga Nacional blend
-French Camembert, Twig Farm cow/goat milk blend hard cheese from Vermont with apple slices and toast/sweet Normandy sparkling cider ( a nice, unexpected  touch)
-Dark chocolate custard with candied hazelnuts, sea salt and olive oil/ tawny Port (a good dessert, but perhaps a pinch overdone with the olive oil)

Tell me that, plus the company of your wife and a break from the shouting wee ones, is not worth a hundred bucks? Happy Birthday to Me.


Sartorially speaking, I kept it classy but comfortable with a grey herringbone tweed jacket, blue university striped shirt, and a new black silk knit tie (courtesy of Lands' End, post coming soon). Down below, charcoal flannels, and since the jacket has brown leather buttons, a brown belt and brown suede shoes. The perfect foil to the modernist/comfy vibe of T.W. Food.

Check the place out on a special night, but be sure and reserve a table.T.W.Food is worth every penny.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

i junk so i dont skimp on food. better off finding NOS and a good tailor and a good meal than noodles and new shit. boston skins

Anonymous said...

Suede shoes? lace ups or loafers?

Rebecca said...

Happy Birthday. You've definitely unwrapped a treasure here! I'd love to stumble on such a spot within driving distance of our home!

Giuseppe said...

Allen Edmonds "Bradley", split toe lace ups.

Claude said...

Happy Birthday! It sounds like you and your wife had a very nice outing! As a new parent of 9 months or so, I admit it sounds wonderful-an inspiration. What a great use of a nice (affordable) wardrobe. Tres bien!

spoozyliciouzz said...

That´s how life should be...great food, great company, great garb...Happy Birthday, Guiseppe!

tintin said...

I'm surprised you didn't wear white bucks. Sounds like a great place. Maybe now that you're getting older and more mature you'll stop this white buck with tweed nonsense. Happy bday.

NCJack said...

Lovely, and a happy B-day. Fully agree that a really good restaurant is worth the time and money. I'll travel with tent and sleeping bag in order to have the $$$ available for dinner.

The Red Velvet Shoe said...

My kinda place. Best wishes to you and the Mrs.

Young Fogey said...

How nice to have adult time with your wife. I'm sure you had a wonderful evening, and that your subdued wardrobe made an excellent background for her beauty to shine.

Happy birthday, and may you have many, many more!

David M. said...

I second that motion on the Lands' End silk knit tie; they're the bomb, and very affordable when they're on sale which is most of the time.

Scale Worm said...

Happy birthday to you sir, and many more to come!
Thank you for the wonderful (as always!) post.
If I resided on your side of our continent, a much needed anniversary dinner celebration would happen here. Many Happy Returns!

Chenners said...

Fellow Sagittarius, mine was the 2nd. Was yours the 3rd?

PS your nemesis, he of An Expensive Wardrobe, is also a centaur.

Yeah, I keep track of bloggers' astrological signs.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Sir!
A Toast to you from Napa, CA!

Ian Gilmoure said...

Buon Compleanno Guiseppe, sounds like one heck of a dinner! I look forward to future posts.

jason said...

Happy Birthday. Glad to see that you also appreciate the finer things food wise as well. As with all things in life, quality not quantity win out.

Anonymous said...

Bit worried about the 'chicken liver mouse' - how many of those does it take to feed a growing family? Probably better to stick to the larger edible rodents (rats, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, squirrels), but thanks for doing food again; no one does it better than you and Mr. Trad.

Fatfriend.

Giuseppe said...

Fatfriend,

Between my questionable writing skills and the limited usefulness of spell-check, you should be thankful for what you get.

Trd and I do like to eat well, all fatty and European. Thanks for the compliment.

Clevo said...

This is one of, if not my absolute favorite restaurants in town. And for what you get it really is a deal. Bronwyn is super nice and always remembers us when we go in there. I need to get back soon.

Lacroix said...

Oxford university stripes, Knit-tie, Herringbone tweed and white pocket square. Can't get any better...
-Lacroix