August 11th, 2006
Ivy
The following account of my lunch at Ivy will most likely not do justice to the food. It was a meal where the occasion wholly overshadowed the cuisine; Feng announced minutes before we entered that she and Grant were engaged. Huzzah! Many congratulations to the happy couple.
Located in the Ladder District, Ivy has the distinction of being owned by one of the youngest restauranteurs in Boston. Its menu is primarily Italian Mediterranean with an emphasis on small plates that allow the guest to have "more options and less boundaries." Ahem, I'm sure they mean "few boundaries". Anyway…
I would have liked to order champagne or least take advantage of the fact that Ivy offers over 60 bottles of wine priced at $26, but, alas, I was returning to the cubicle for four more hours of work.
The lunch menu was fairly limited: a handful of paninis, primi piatti (gnocchi sorentina, tiger shrimp linquini, charred tomato soup; $9-12), and standard salads. Feng and I were initially curious about the Crabcake Slide with Cucumber Creme Fraiche ($11), but rejected it after the waiter affirmed that it was one bite-sized crab cake on a miniature bun. We're growing girls and would have none of that.
The Kobe Sliders with Pancetta and Provolone (plural = two) seemed far more appetizing at least to Feng, who finished them in a swift succession of dainty bites. My disappointing Pollo Al Parmigiano ($9) was a tough breaded chicken breast housed between two equally tough pieces of grilled Italian bread and some gluey mozzarella cheese. Herbed French Fries, though a tad oily, were far more delectable.
During lunch on a Thursday, Ivy was quiet, but the downstairs lounge Cava supposedly sees substantially heavy traffic on the weekend. The restaurant is heavily promoting itself as an ideal private party space, and indeed the seductive loft area overlooking the main dining room would be ideal for a small rehearsal dinner or celebratory cocktail hour.
Downtown Crossing is hardly a hotbed of fine dining, so I gather Ivy has the advantage over Wendy's and Sbarro. Its lunch menu is lacking imagination and panini are questionable, but I'll reserve posting a rating until I've eaten there for dinner.
The Info
Ivy
49 Temple Place, Boston
www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com