Sometimes diners get it wrong. We get wrapped up in the hubbub of a hot new restaurant opening. Bamboozled by the bafflegab on foodie blogs.
Let’s call it the shiny new toy syndrome. We gotta get some of whatever they’re serving and we gotta get it now. Trouble is, not all restaurants live up to the hype machine.
There are two new restaurants in the city with a buzz so loud it could wake the dead — Woodlot and Brockton General.
The question is are they this year’s Zhu Zhu Pets, or the real culinary deal?
Of all the problems a new restaurant could encounter, having a full house every night is a good one. But Woodlot has been so busy they’ve actually cut back their hours, which just added to the buzz.
Woodlot has kept some of its previous life’s bar feel but is still warm and cozy with rustic wood floor and tables as well as a big wood-burning oven that dominates the kitchen. Our table is on the second floor with a great view of the kitchen brigade headed by chef and co-owner David Haman (ex–Luce, Lucien).
It is a bit drafty up here and a little dimly lit. But we are quickly hypnotized by the kitchen team as they work in unison to churn out Haman’s comfort cuisine. They are so close to each other that if one sneezes they all smash heads.
French onion soup ($8) is a steal, with lovingly caramelized onions and a full-bodied beef stock topped with just-melted, earthy Gruyère. A small house-smoked whitefish salad ($9) blends well with potatoes and maple mustard dressing.
So far, the menu feels alpine French, large earthenware baking dishes and all, but the first pasta — a classic carbonara (small $11) — boasts equally good Italian showmanship. Little bits of guancale with cream hugging the sides of perfectly cooked spaghetti — a hint salty. Next we try a housemade red fife wheat papardelle with wild boar ragout (small $13).
The sauce is loaded with flavour but not fatty, and the pasta has a nice al dente feel.
Duck cabbage rolls ($19) offer robust filling — think duck a l’orange meets wild rice stuffing. The signature dish of hunter’s style venison pie ($19) is served on an oval plate with a gigantic marrow bone chimney.
Tender venison stew with fall veggies topped with pate brisee is a rustic work of art.
To finish, sumptuous Soma chocolate pot de crème ($8) stacked with big roasted hazelnut chunks and the trendy salt sprinkle — smooth and satisfying. Apple tart tatin ($8) boasts pastry skills and sweet bitter caramel balance.
As the sounds of the Doobie Brothers waft up to the second floor, it becomes clear that Woodlot’s popularity is well deserved.
They are busy because they cook rustic, simple food as a cohesive team. Chef isn’t trying too hard, nor is he charging astronomical prices, and people find that comforting. That’s what they’re talking about.
293 Palmerston Ave., 647-342-6307, $80 Dinner for two
Post City Magazines’ food critic Christine Cushing graduated from George Brown and Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris. She stars in Fearless in the Kitchen.