A Little Taste of France: Brassiere Jo
February 23, 2007
Not all hotel restaurants deliver a bad meal. Unusually good, Brassiere Jo deserves a round of applause, making it one of the few stellar hotel restaurants where I’ve had the pleasure of dining. Located at 120 Huntington Avenue (next to the Colonnade Hotel), Brassiere Jo wins points for its exceptional service and authentic French menu. There’s none of this French-Chinese fusion, or French-Moroccan, or French-Afghan, or whatever crazy concoction chefs think of these days. Although fusion cuisine rarely lets down the pallet, I find it unusually hard to find a purely French restaurant. I’m talking Duck Confit and Coq Au Vin (both of which are excellent, by the way). Brassiere Jo hit me with flavors that were rich and traditional yet also full of surprises.
Some may consider Brassiere Jo a bank breaker, at approximately $40 per person. But in all honesty, patrons get the most bang for their buck at this French restaurant than in most others in the Boston area. Plus, there are plenty of ways to reduce the bill. You could certainly avoid the killer cocktails, skip out on the sinful hors d’oeurves, and turn a blind eye to the desert menu (try the Crème Bruele, it’s heavenly)—but to maximize your dining experience, I would suggest going all out and dining in style like the French are famous for.
To start off my Brassiere Jo meal, I went for the Smoked Salmon hors d’oeurve. If you’re not a fan of raw fish, there is no need to worry. The salmon is prepared to perfection and isn’t too salty, which was surprising. It’s topped with capers, which give the dish the right amount of saltiness. Yet the best part is the horseradish cream. It may not sound too appetizing, but the horseradish cream gave the salmon an extra kick. Whipped very lightly and topped with crispy potato shavings, the cream in combination with the salmon melts in your mouth. I made sure to ask about all of the other hors d’oeurves, and for those of you feeling particularly adventurous, Brassiere Jo has many great French delicacies, including fois gras terrine and escargot. But beware, like most French items, they come in small portions at a relatively high cost.
A word about the Plats Principaux: I would suggest sticking to the French specialties. The menu is rather safe and boring and doesn’t have many cutting- edge dishes. So, if you see something that doesn’t scream “Francis,” I would pass. For instance, the Sautéed Sea Scallops with Angel Hair pasta paled in comparison to my friends’ Duck Confit and Coq Au Vin. There were a lot of mysterious vegetables in the dish and I think I’ve had juicier scallops at Legal Sea Foods. If you do want something authentically French that hails from the sea, I would try the Sautéed Skate Wings, a French fish that is very light and flaky. Like most French items, skate will satisfy your hunger without making you have to unbutton your pants. And although the menu isn’t too big on variety, I have to admit that there is something for everyone. For the hardcore meat lovers, I hear that steak frites come highly recommended (although I don’t know how happy you’d be paying $30 for a N.Y. Strip and getting a very minuscule piece of steak that supposedly amounts to 12 oz.). Overall, I found portion sizes to be just right, so it’s best if you come hungry, but not starving.
And now for the deserts. The French are known for these delicacies. I went a little experimental and tried the “Floating Island”—a marshmallow concoction the size of a small haystack, surrounded with a pool of crème and almonds. A word of advice: don’t get it, it’s awful. The word marshmallow was mistaken for ice cream in the dish’s description, but the desert is airy and light, and is nothing but a disappointment for your pallet. I would have preferred to dine on roast marshmallows by a campfire than to pay $8 for a cotton- tasting desert. Lucky for me, my waiter was kind enough to spot my unhappiness and abruptly substituted my “Floating Island” for an orgasmic Crème Brulee. The desert was so creamy with the right amount of caramel sweetness—there was no better item on the entire restaurant’s menu. My friends who were dining with me both remarked that they were “feeling the lemon tarte”—a lemon pie adorned with confectioner’s sugar and fresh berries. It was almost too pristine to eat.
Brassiere Jo has very good food, although décor and service could use some work. The bar, which looks like something out of nineteenth century Japan, does not do an exceptional job with blending into the rest of the restaurant. Also, it was hard to put on my game face while the lights were so bright, so indeed décor could use some work. However, overall, the service was good. I asked my waiter about every single item on the menu and he never grew impatient or gave half-hearted answers. I had never had a waiter dote on me when it came to deserts (my favorite). So, if you’re wondering about great food with great service, Brassiere Jo is the place for you. Be sure to make reservations, but keep in mind my reservations. Bon Appetit!