Add that to the list...

Warning: Not everything that is great in Boston can be cheap, so this weekend I decided to splurge.

So I have a new restaurant to add to my (fairly lengthy) favorite's list. Although it's fairly new, I was very surprised I hadn't heard much about it. However, the one friend who had been highly recommended it, so we decided to check it out for ourselves this weekend. The name of the restaurant is Rustic Kitchen, and it replaces the old 57 Restaurant attached to the Radisson Hotel on Stuart Street.

I have to be honest though. Even if the food was atrocious it would probably still make my favorite's list on the ambiance alone. When you enter the large restaurant with multiple bar areas, you are first impressed with the large woodstove that sits at the far end of the restaurant. After that, the high ceilings featuring wine labels are a unique touch and even more impressive are the light fixtures varying in different areas of the restaurant give you a nice feeling that you are no longer in Boston.

After being seating in a section I didn't even realize was still part of the large "kitchen," we were given an extensive wine list along with bread and olives and a hummus-like mixture with olive oil. For an appetizer we decided to get some of the brick oven pizza which was tasty but nothing spectacular. For dinner we had veal, linguini with crab and butternut squash tortellini. We were all more than pleased with our dinners. The service was great and not rushed, so after our meal was done, we decided to enjoy our surroundings for awhile longer.

The entrees include a variety of meats, fish and pastas that average about $20 each. While not too expensive, the combination of wine, appetizers and drinks made it a definite splurge. If you're looking for something new, this is the perfect date place as well as for a group of friends. So next time you're in the neighborhood of PF Changs and Legals, take a little detour and try something new. Bon appetite!