Craigie Street Bistrot
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 497-5511
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Concord Avenue
- Best of Citysearch:
- French Food 2007, French Food 2006
- Hours:
- Tue-Thu 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm, Sun 5:30pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Craigie Street Bistrot – by Citysearch Staff
The Scene
Chef/owner Tony Maws' bistro may be the best fit yet in this basement space west of Harvard Square. A yellow-red-black decor and intelligent lighting transform the T-shaped room into cozy quarters. Mom runs the dining room and Maws does the cooking, just like the back-street bistros in provincial France.
The Food
Maws has cooked in some of Boston's best kitchens, but his succinct menu comes straight from his year in Lyon. Duck terrine exudes the richness of pâté without the organ-meat heaviness--and cornichons and pickled onions prick the taste buds. Skirt steak with a smear of broiled marrow captures the taste of real beef. Bitter-braised turnip greens provide a perfect foil to briny sea scallops. Homemade ice creams dress up chocolate mousse terrine and lively fruit crisp. Good house wines support a smart list of less-familiar French bottles.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
The ExtrasFor a culinary adventure, stop by Wednesdays and Sundays after 9pm, when the restaurant offers a "Chef's whim" menu ($40 for four courses, $55 for six).
Save MoneyThe restaurant offers a three-course, $36 prix fixe "Neighborhood Menu" after 9pm on Friday and Saturday (and all night Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday).
User Reviews for Craigie Street Bistrot
04/23/2008 Posted by stella3156
I just went to the Bistrot for a Passover dinner where the Chef tried to feature different inrteresting dishes. The email I received from their website was pretty misleading as well as the menu when we arrived.My email stated the dinner would be paired with wine. In my world it means the wine comes with dinner. If it didn't it should have said there will be wine suggestions. I made the reservation a month in advance and let me warn you do not come to this restaurant with 3 people or you will get stuck in a corner were the accoustics are terrible. The choices were interesting. The waitress suggested to try the bone marrow and who would think that soup bones would cost you ten dollars. The Amuse Bouche he served was wonderful as well as the appetizer. The wagyu beef brisket would have been great except there was so much fat on it it made my mom sick later in the evening. The halibut was lacking any taste but salt and it said it came with a crispy potato salad. It came with an essence of potato. The waitress never returned to our table during the meal to ask us how everything was . I won't even tell you about what happened when we questioned our busboy about the potato salad. (4 people came over to convince us that indeed there were julienned potatoes there) The chef gave us complimentary sorbet which was wonderful and dessert was ok. All this for $75.00. All I can say Chef you are far from being Thomas Keller . I had the pleasure of eating at the French Laundry so I guess I do compare other chefs to him.The good news for the chef is we will never return.
Pros: Fresh ingredients
Cons: Tasteless
12/27/2007 Posted by hartzdog
Everything here is fabulous. The tiny dining room has a wonderful art-deco feel and is like nothing else in the city. The food is amazing - the panna cotta is simply perfect, as are the terrines. The chef also does amazing things with pork (his pork belly is very satisfying). The food is adventurous, and the menu small and ever changing; I can see how some would have a difficult time finding something they would eat. The wine list is extensive, and the wait-staff has a tremendous knowledge of most of the selections.
Pros: Fabulous food at a good price
Cons: Sometimes intimidating menu
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