Gaslight's Patio Is Open And Waiting For YOU!

I would like to personally thank everyone who I met last night at Gaslight for confirming that I am not crazy.

Wait.  Let me back up and explain my point.  I don't want you getting the wrong impression here..

For years, I felt like I was crazy about food in a way that was, well, unusual.  My first thought when I wake up in the morning is not about what I have to do, but rather, what I'm going to eat.  When I'm bored, tired, angry, mad, sad, happy (really any emotion I guess) I turn to cooking and the art of food.  My kitchen (or any kitchen for that matter) is where I feel most myself and most at home.  It's a sort of joy in the purest of forms that I had never knew even existed.  At this point, it's safe to say that I am obsessed about my passion and what I do. and looking back, I think I was a little naive to think that I am so special to be the only one who has this level of commitment to such a delicious action: the art of creating food and enjoying it to the fullest.  Boy was I wrong and how glad I am that I was!

Last night I got the tremendous opportunity and exclusive invite to Gaslight (http://www.gaslight560.com/) to celebrate the opening of their patio.  Talk about a fun event, what a crowd!  There I met the most amazing people who, similar to me, had that unshakable passion for the art of food and all that entails.  What is it about food that brings people together so closely and so quickly?  While sipping on a citrusy beverage (pictured below) and enjoying Gaslight's beautifully spacious patio, I found myself talking about what else, but food.  I was right at home and in my glory talking about lamb confit, French Fries served in cones (so much better that way) and crepes in Paris (the best ones are from the street carts).

After catching some bites that floated by on large square platters (my favorite was the Cubano sandwich square, yum!) the evening brought a group of us indoors to further sample Gaslight's offerings.  What a great place!  I had no idea.  It's one of those places that has been on my radar for quite some time but I hadn't made it there yet.

Nestled in a tiny little corner of the South End (near where they hold the SOWA), walking into the Gaslight is like walking into a restaurant in Paris.  Shiny tile floors and sort of an quaint, yet classy old world quality about it. It's the kind of place where you can go for any occasion; a nice meal, a couple of drinks out, or brunch (I cannot wait to go back and try their brunch!)

The menu itself was fantastic.  While French in cuisine, it wasn't unapproachable like some French places can be.  Everything on the menu sounded fantastic and we had an extremely difficult time just choosing one dish, so I didn't, and opted to share a couple of appetizers (best move ever!)   I also had the pleasure of meeting Chef Keenan Langlois who walked us through the menu and made suggestions, all wonderful ones might I add!  I was swooning over the fried artichokes. So crispy on the outside yet giving way to a somewhat velvety artichoke center.  I could have eaten two servings of them myself.  My next favorite was the steak tartare (my first tartare experience to be honest).  It was deliciously soft and oh so flavorful when sitting on a slice of crusty baguette.  (I can now say that I like steak tartare!)  Next came the cheese platter with three different cheeses and two jammy spreads and then a deliciously fresh pear salad.  Just in case that wasn't enough, we balanced out the sampling with an order of the Fondue Piemontaise, which was a mass of cheeses melted into a cast iron skillet and served with baguette sticks for dipping.  My only complaint (or lesson learned should I say) is that the cheese melts quickly so you've got to get in there fast!

Overall, the evening was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Special thanks to my good friend Fiona at A Boston Food Diary for the invite, what an incredibly enjoyable evening!  Here's to good food, new friends and another outdoor eating location!