Dinner at Mistral
The first time I went to Mistral two years ago, I was so blown-away that I immediately told as many people who would listen that Mistral is a perfect dinner place: business-y enough but very classy and surprisingly relaxing. I had the tuna tartare appetizer then, and up until now, I can’t try any other tuna tartare without thinking of Mistral’s version.
So when I decided to arrange a small get-together dinner for a few fellow Boston food bloggers, I knew that Mistral would be a great choice. Last night, I met up with Daisy of Indulge Inspire Imbibe, Megan of Delicious Dishings, Meghan of Travel, Wine, and Dine and Elina of Healthy and Sane. In spite of the horrible weather, all fabulous ladies showed up and we enjoyed a night filled with good food and great company.
Our server for the night was very knowledgeable, and Mistral’s charming general manager, Mark D’Allessandro, also took care of us, explaining each item on the menu and giving us some good recommendations since we all decided that we just want to share a few of appetizers and a couple of pizzas – mostly because we want to try multiple items on the menu (that’s what happens when you get a bunch of food bloggers together!).
I knew our dinner was off to a lovely start when Megan announced, as soon as we sat down, that she will be ordering dessert after the meal (woohoo!). Well, she was definitely with the right company because all of us unanimously agreed. My sweet tooth is no secret – in fact my parents like telling the story of how when I was a kid and we would eat at restaurants, I would immediately flip over to the back of the menu to check out the desserts first. I may or may not do that up to this day.
Last night’s dinner consisted of four appetizers, two smallish pizzas, one side dish and four desserts (!). We also ordered individual drinks and shared a bottle of wine that Meghan, our wine expert, picked for the table. We were stuffed and satisfied:
Mistral's tuna tartare is still my favorite - Sorellina's is a close second, but it's owned by the same restaurant group so that's no surprise
Maine crab ravioli
No, it's not a muffin - it's foie gras! On top of a brioche filled with duck confit. Can you say c'est si bon?
The most expensive mac and cheese I've ever tried: White Alba & Black Burgundy Truffle Macaroni with Madeira & Parmesan for $48
I’ve never met a mac and cheese I didn’t like, but it is impossible not to gush over a dish with freshly shaved truffle. And whoever said that mac and cheese is down-home comfort food hasn’t tried Mistral’s version yet. There is nothing simple and homey about this – it is SEXY. This dish was pure luxury, earthy and seductive. When the five of us saw this on the menu, we all made remarks on how expensive it is. Then a second later, another unanimous decision: let’s get it. I love it when (food-loving) minds think alike.
Beef tenderloin, mashed potato and white truffle oil pizza
Elina hates onions – and I’m no onion-lover myself – so I’m glad we were able to get (half of) this pizza without onions. I must admit that I didn’t have high hopes for this pizza (beef tenderloin and mashed potato aren’t exactly pizza combos I would pick myself) but I really liked it.
white cheese, whipped ricotta, hot pepper, sea salt & arugula pizza
After the tuna tartare, this was my favorite dish. I will come back to Mistral just for this pizza – I love how spicy it is with the jalapenos and red pepper. There was just enough cheese too, and I usually like pizzas with peppery arugula on top (like the quattro funghi pizza at Stella).
We all raved about this brussel sprouts side dish. In fact I was so excited to dig in that I didn't bother taking a better-looking, less-blurry photo ;)
And of course, dessert!
chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream
creme brulee with raspberries and a linzer cookie
huckleberry tart with Meyer lemon and vanilla bean ice cream
the dessert special - Belgian chocolate mousse topped with graham cracker and homemade bruleed marshmallow
Mark generously sent out a few items on the house, as well as all the desserts, and of course we were very happy with that (thank you!). Both chocolate desserts earned very high marks from our group. As always, service at Mistral was impeccable. The ambiance was subdued and sophisticated, and the whole dinner experience was enjoyable.
It is so nice to finally meet Megan, Meghan and Elina, and to see Daisy again. Thank you ladies for the fun night! I am looking forward to seeing you again and meeting my other favorite bloggers in the future!
Hi! I’m Bianca Garcia. I love food, running, yoga, sangria, and my job. I'm an advertising professional, social media enthusiast, blogger, freelance writer, and obsessive list-maker. I think about dessert constantly. 
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