Join us today at 11 AM for a special Restaurant Week-themed chat with food critic Ann Limpert. Want to know which places are worth booking, and which you should skip? Looking for pro tips? Leave a question below, and Ann will get to as many as she can (and if you’ve got a non-Restaurant Week-related question, feel free to ask that, too).
Ann: Good morning, chatters! Hope you’ve had a great week. I’m excited to talk Restaurant Week—the good, bad, the meh—and whatever else is on your minds.
But first, let’s talk about the newly revamped Mirabelle. I slipped in for lunch this week, and the only thing that feels similar about the place is that formal, maroon-and-brass dining room. Keith Bombaugh’s menu pulls in lots of different influences (including a Moroccan chicken tagine), but my favorite plates were the New England-accented ones. The lobster roll vol au vent feels more Versailles than beach-shack (no hotdog buns here), but it’s wonderfully decadent, with plenty of sweet lobster meat, a flaky pastry shell, and a super-rich custard at the bottom. But the dish I can’t wait to get back there for is the duo of clams—that sounds a lot fancier than it is—with perfectly fried ones on one side and steamed ones on the other. Plus, a trio of sauces, an extra-herby tartar, an Old Bay aioli, and drawn butter for the steamed guys. Incongrous with the luxe space? Totally. But close your eyes and for a second you feel like you might be in Gloucester (the peppy, funked-up soundtrack helps).
Onto your questions! Ask them below; the chat transcript shows up underneath.
