5 Corners Kitchen in Marblehead
Let me preface this by saying it takes a lot to move me off my couch. So when I am roused to eat, I tend not to stray much beyond Boston and environs. Given the quality and variety of restos in the area, why would I need to go further afield?
Well, now I have a reason.
The fabulous Trevor, genius chef who introduced me to JJ and her ONCE dinners, for which he created such amazing dishes as the lamb's tongue Reuben (with from-scratch Thousand Island dressing), has a new job.
So yesterday we drove up the coast to 5 Corners Kitchen in Marblehead, where he's working with Barry Edelman, formerly of Aquitaine.
This is all you need to know about Marblehead:
Yes, I would like to stay here, thank you.
The restaurant is on an intersection and has huge windows, so it's great for people-watching.
It also makes the interior light and airy; it's a small space, so that's important.
Most of 5 Corners Kitchen is dining room, with a small, cozy bar (behind the wall in the above shot). On Saturday night, it seemed as though most people were coming in to sit at the bar (like Jen! Hey, Jen!). Unlike Jen, who was there early, most people had to wait.
But we were not there for a glass of wine and a small plate of something at the bar. We had come to eat. Everything.
First, a cocktail; for The Boy, a Belgian Lemon (with St. Germain, lemon and prosecco); for me, Rosemary's Baby, made with pisco and rosemary syrup.
Then came some fabulous bread with whipped butter; then came appetizers.
A multi-textured beet and watercress salad with fennel and ricotta salata:
And an insanely good example of Trevor being Trevor: pork terrine with pickled veggies:
Look at it for a moment. Check out the sprinkle of salt; note the delicate fat marbling and the flecks of fresh herbs. Imagine its soft, yielding pinkness, and contrast that with the sharp bite of pickled carrot. Understand that it came with thin slices of bread brushed with olive oil and salt.
Hey — stop drooling. Pay attention.
For entrées, we both chose fish. The Boy had a perfectly pan-seared salmon over a salad of chickpeas, bulgur wheat and arugula, bright with fresh mint and a garlicky vinaigrette:
I went for the skate, done in a traditional French style with velvety pommes purées and caper butter. Check out the gorgeous presentation.
5 Corners Kitchen doesn't have a huge dessert list — last night, there were two options: chocolate pot de crème or blueberry-rhubarb-almond tart. We asked for the latter and Trevor, bless, sent out both.
Puff pastry below, crème fraiche above, and a delicious summery flavor in between.
The chocolate has a little ground coffee bean blended in; it's a subtle note, and very effective.
One other thing about 5 Corners Kitchen: the staff are completely lovely, friendly and attentive. Even when the place was busy, they took time to check in and chat a little, and service was graceful and seamless.
After dinner, we drove to Lynn and watched the water — the perfect end to a perfect evening.
And we realized we need to make a few more trips to Marblehead.
Well, now I have a reason.
The fabulous Trevor, genius chef who introduced me to JJ and her ONCE dinners, for which he created such amazing dishes as the lamb's tongue Reuben (with from-scratch Thousand Island dressing), has a new job.
So yesterday we drove up the coast to 5 Corners Kitchen in Marblehead, where he's working with Barry Edelman, formerly of Aquitaine.
This is all you need to know about Marblehead:
Yes, I would like to stay here, thank you.
The restaurant is on an intersection and has huge windows, so it's great for people-watching.
It also makes the interior light and airy; it's a small space, so that's important.
Most of 5 Corners Kitchen is dining room, with a small, cozy bar (behind the wall in the above shot). On Saturday night, it seemed as though most people were coming in to sit at the bar (like Jen! Hey, Jen!). Unlike Jen, who was there early, most people had to wait.
But we were not there for a glass of wine and a small plate of something at the bar. We had come to eat. Everything.
First, a cocktail; for The Boy, a Belgian Lemon (with St. Germain, lemon and prosecco); for me, Rosemary's Baby, made with pisco and rosemary syrup.
Then came some fabulous bread with whipped butter; then came appetizers.
A multi-textured beet and watercress salad with fennel and ricotta salata:
And an insanely good example of Trevor being Trevor: pork terrine with pickled veggies:
Look at it for a moment. Check out the sprinkle of salt; note the delicate fat marbling and the flecks of fresh herbs. Imagine its soft, yielding pinkness, and contrast that with the sharp bite of pickled carrot. Understand that it came with thin slices of bread brushed with olive oil and salt.
Hey — stop drooling. Pay attention.
For entrées, we both chose fish. The Boy had a perfectly pan-seared salmon over a salad of chickpeas, bulgur wheat and arugula, bright with fresh mint and a garlicky vinaigrette:
I went for the skate, done in a traditional French style with velvety pommes purées and caper butter. Check out the gorgeous presentation.
5 Corners Kitchen doesn't have a huge dessert list — last night, there were two options: chocolate pot de crème or blueberry-rhubarb-almond tart. We asked for the latter and Trevor, bless, sent out both.
Puff pastry below, crème fraiche above, and a delicious summery flavor in between.
The chocolate has a little ground coffee bean blended in; it's a subtle note, and very effective.
One other thing about 5 Corners Kitchen: the staff are completely lovely, friendly and attentive. Even when the place was busy, they took time to check in and chat a little, and service was graceful and seamless.
After dinner, we drove to Lynn and watched the water — the perfect end to a perfect evening.
And we realized we need to make a few more trips to Marblehead.
Labels: 5 corners kitchen, dining, food, marblehead restaurants, pork
posted by LimeyG at
7:54 AM
2 Comments:
Wonderful running into you, as always, my dear! Your description of the terrine was right on, and the pictures are all making me salivate. We opted to try the fried soft shell crabs with jicama-fennel kimchi (yum) and the steak frites. I had a great vantage point from the bar and was watching Trev, totally in his element. I didn't see a place go by that he didn't personally check and hand to someone. He's quite amazing :-)
More trips to Marblehead for sure.. I happen to know a Ms. Gonson who needs an excuse. Let's plan something for the near future, no?
The place looks nice and clean. It looks like a very homey place. I also like the food on their menu.
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