Monteverdi

There are a lot of great Italian restaurants around here. And there are a lot of cool waterfront restaurants in and around Boston. But there aren’t a lot of great Italian restaurants that also have a water view. So let me show you a place that has it all: Monteverdi in Cambridge. Monteverdi is located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, so it has these really incredible waterfront views overlooking the Charles River and the Boston skyline.

It’s a big and sophisticated space with seating for two hundred twenty people throughout the dining room, bar, and lounge. And in the nice weather, they have one of the city’s best outdoor patios with couches and umbrellas and a bar and those views, it’s really tough to beat. Inside, you’re looking at floor to ceiling windows with a twenty foot high ceiling… modern chandeliers, bronze mirrors, lots of Earth tones. There are tons of wine bottles on display… And there’s a long quartz bar where they’re shaking up craft cocktails.

Now as for the food, we’re talking about a mix of both traditional and contemporary Italian dishes. So let’s start out with some seafood, and check out the Clams Casino.  This is one of my favorite old school dishes… and as the legend goes, Clams Casino was actually invented in Narragansett, Rhode Island back in 1917. And over a hundred years later, it’s been perfected here at Monteverdi… with littleneck clams, Calabrian chiles, fresh herbs, and some focaccia breadcrumbs. These are awesome.

Or, you could opt for the Calamari. And let me tell you, this is THE squid, kid. Super fresh calamari that’s lightly breaded, and gently fried… along with some fennel, cherry peppers, and lemon. It’s a generous portion, served right in the skillet, and you’re probably gonna ask for an extra side of the creamy, spicy remoulade for dipping.

I think the top antipasti here though is the Whipped Ricotta. It has some fresh, housemade ricotta cheese that’s nice and fluffy. That’s plated up with a current and date salad, some crushed pistachios, olive oil, and silan (see-lahn) honey. And it’s served with some grilled focaccia, so it’s crunchy and creamy and nutty and incredibly yummy.

Now, it’s time for the pasta course. Just check out the Pappardelle. It starts out in the sauté pan with some roasted local mushrooms.. They add in some melted leeks, which are like caramelized onions but with a more mild flavor. Plus, a white wine-miso cream… toss in the fresh, long, flat noodles with some parmesan cheese and fresh herbs, and it’s just beautiful.

And on the heartier side, you have the classic Rigatoni Bolognese. This is just Italian comfort food done right. They use a blend of beef, veal, and pork that’s slow cooked for hours. The pasta is nice and al dente. Plenty of parmesan on top. And there’s plenty to share with the whole team… if you so choose!

On the casual side of things, Monteverdi is firing up some really tasty flatbread pizzas… and these are definitely designed to be shared, they’re nice and thin. My favorite is the Sausage and Ricotta flatbread. So this has crumbed sweet Italian sauce, broccoli rabe, tomato, ricotta, and cherry peppers. So it’s sweet and spicy and savory, goes great with a nice glass of wine.

And for all you salmon lovers out there, you’ll definitely love the Pan Roasted Salmon here. The fish is certainly the star of the show, no doubt. But the supporting cast deserves some accolades as well. I mean, we’re talking corn, fava beans, red bell peppers, pistachios, fresh herbs, and it all compliments the salmon perfectly.

Monteverdi serves brunch on both Saturday and Sunday. And one of the most popular choices is the Steak and Eggs. You get an eight ounce Bavette steak, sliced up nice and tender. It’s drizzled with some housemade charred tomato bearnaise. It comes with a couple sunnyside eggs, and a big pile of home fries. And you don’t have to search for the crispy ones, they’re all crispy! So just let that yolk start to drip, use it like it’s a sauce, and you’re starting your day the right way.

Now I know you want dessert, I certainly want dessert. So let’s do it… and we’re gonna go with the Ricotta Donut Holes. Basically, you want to order anything that has ricotta in here. The dough is made fresh daily, they’re light and airy, topped with some lemon zest and cinnamon and sugar. Dipped into some chocolate and creme Anglaise, this is tough to beat.

But the Tiramisu might actually beat it! They’re using a classic recipe here, but the presentation is pretty stunning. You have the long espresso soaked ladyfingers. Layers of cream. Fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings, every fork full is a masterpiece.  So you got the food. You got the views. And now you’ve got to go check out Monteverdi in Cambridge.