Dining Out Boston

I had hemmed and hawed about trying Stephanie's On Newbury because I've heard and read such mixed reviews. Its concept (gourmet comfort food) always greatly appealed to me as I'm definitely the sort who prefers a meal that will stick to my bones. Particularly attractive to me were the Lobster Quesadilla and Macaroni and Cheese entrees.

My friend Deborah, in town last night on a last-minute business trip, blithely suggested Stephanie's when I suggested we meet up in town, so I decided to do some preliminary investigative tasting before committing to a full meal. While Deborah ordered dinner, I sampled the Cupcake Duo, two over-sized yellow and chocolate cupcakes, each respectively stuffed with chocolate ganache and vanilla cream, and sprinkled with white-dark chocolate shavings.

The golden cupcake was marvelous. The yellow cake was moist and dense and the accompanying chocolate ganache icing sweet but not overpowering. In stark contrast was its chocolate cupcake partner, whose dry cake and flavorless frosting made it resemble a Hostess treat on steroids.

After spying on Deborah's and our neighbors' dishes, there's little doubt that I will return to do a full review. I received an ample clue as to why Stephanie's, despite its seemingly delectable cuisine, receives harsh comments online and elsewhere. The waitstaff is huffy and disorganized. After we placed our orders for drinks, another (different) server took them, and finishing our dishes, the waitresses asked three times in the fifteen minutes thereafter if we'd like anything else (re: get out!). Perhaps Stephanie's has some bizarre policy whereby servers cannot collect tips if a table has not left by the their of their shift; there's little else that could justify such impatience.

The Info
Stephanie's On Newbury
190 Newbury St., Boston
www.stephaniesonnewbury.com