ref=”https://thinktasty1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/bhhb-logo.gif”>Last Sunday I was invited to dine at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro.  Bringing my husband as my dining companion, we headed to Boston on a cold and blustery February afternoon.  The warmth of the food, staff, and atmosphere definitely helped erase the memories of the cold outdoors.

We arrived in Boston early and spent some time shopping on Charles Street.  However, with the cold temperatures, we decided to cut our shopping short and head to the restaurant early.  They graciously seated us 30 minutes earlier than our reservation.  This didn’t seem like an inconvenience, as we were the first party to arrive for dinner.  In fact, we wondered if we might have the restaurant to ourselves.  Within 30 minutes we discovered that this restaurant is quite busy on Sunday nights.

The Sunday night crowd may be typical of all nights, or it may be because Sunday is a special night at BHHB, the aptly named Fondue Sunday.  As regular readers know, both my husband and I adore cheese in all varieties, so this is how we started our dining.  The delightfully melted cheese is served with homemade sausage, baby potatoes, cornichons, crusty bread, and cauliflower.  The one-person order made the perfect sized appetizer for two.

For his entrée, my husband ordered the “Sandra Jean” Scallops with Lardo, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, and Herb Coulis.  The scallops were perfectly cooked and tender.  The black trumpet mushrooms were a delightful change to the typical portabella mushroom that is seen on menus everywhere.  The only disappointment to this dish was its size.  When it arrived I asked my husband if he had ordered an appetizer.  Without a grain or starch on the plate, it didn’t seem like a full-sized meal.

I ordered the Buckwheat Pappardelle with Braised Chicken, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon, and Black Pepper Ricotta.  My entrée was a generous portion, which allowed me to share quite a bit of it with my husband.  The pasta was cooked al dente, as I like, and had a great amount of chicken, ricotta, and brussel sprouts combined with it.  There was a lesser amount of bacon; however, I preferred the dish that way.  Too much bacon would have overwhelmed the other flavors.

We were quite content at this point, so we asked our waitress if we could wait a few minutes before ordering dessert.  She gladly acquiesced to our request but did check on our water glasses and deliver coffee that we ordered.  The restaurant was nearly full at this point, and I noticed that the staff did a fine job of keeping all diners happy with prompt service.

For dessert, we each found an item that was appealing. My husband ordered the Lemon Meringue Pie, which was served with a raspberry sauce.  This dessert was served as an individual pie, giving a nice ratio of crust to pie.  The lemon curd had a great balance of sweet and sour.  My dessert was the Baked Apple Tian, which was a shortbread crust topped with apples and served with vanilla ice cream and apple syrup.  The dessert was delicious with apples that were tender from baking without being soggy.  The ice cream and syrup added a nice element of sweetness to the dish.

Our evening at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro was a wonderful end to the weekend serving us the dining trifecta of delicious food, great service, and a comfortable atmosphere.

Editor’s note:  Our evening of dining was provided at no cost to my husband and myself.  That being said, this review accurately reflects the quality of our experience at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro.