restaurant review; boulevard restaurant

i have had the gift card to this restaurant for almost half a year. hindi namin maisip ni paul kung kelan maganda magpunta until last night when we went out to dinner to celebrate our belated valentine's.

i made reservations for 5:30 pm. we got to the restaurant at around 5:20 and sat at the bar where i ordered one cosmopolitan martini. nung pag pasok namin, there were several people ahead of us and i noticed that the hostess was less than friendly towards them. the people who came looked like they came from a convention and didn't really know what type of restaurant they were going in to. pero kahit na ganon, i think the hostess could have done a better job asking them if they had reservations or whatever it is that hostesses should say in a situation like that. there was not one smile on her face. i mean come on! the restaurant is expensive, but an average american can afford to eat at that place. when it was my turn to let her know that we arrived for our reservation, she still had that semi-rude expression on her face. gusto ko sabihin, 'dude, crack a smile! you're in the hospitality business!' but of course, i didn't. so ayun nga, paul and i sat at the bar to wait until our table was ready. paul's not a big drinker so hindi sya nag order ng drink at the bar. at 5:30 pm sharp, our waiter appeared next to us, took my drink and sat us at our table.

for starters, paul ordered the calamari stuffed crab and i had pheasant and wild mushroom ravioli. i was in a search to find a ravioli dish that will rival the ones i had at jevon's wedding at the four season's hotel. boulevard's ravioli didn't even come close! it was good, but it wasn't great. nothing to write home about.

PHEASANT & WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

Shaved Black Truffles, Parmesan Cheese

paul's calamari was fresh but just ok. it came with tempura of baby leeks and fennel which to me was the highlight of the dish kahit na it's meant to be more of a garnish. the tempura batter was so light and crispy. it make the leeks and fennel oh so tasty.

LOCAL CALAMARI STUFFED with CRAB

Tempura of Baby Leeks & Fennel

Green Garlic Herb Aioli

for our main dish, paul had the duet of angus short ribs while i had the suckling pig which was prepared three ways. i didn't like my dish. maybe i made the mistake of ordering pork when i'm not really into pork. but i was curious as to what suckling pig tastes like (i've never had lechon de leche!) and how it was going to be prepared. i was terribly dissapointed. the pig tasted funky to me. (mapanghi is what i told paul hehehe).

SUCKLING PIG (MANTECA, CA)MULTIPLE PREPARATIONS

Roasted Chop, Slow Cooked Shoulder with Gnocchi Bolognese, Crispy Belly

Pancetta, Asiago & Tomato Stuffed Mushroom, Braised Erbette Chard, Natural Jus

DUET OF ANGUS SHORT RIBS

GRILLED with BOURBON SYRUP & CLASSIC RED WINE BRAISED

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, Smoked King Trumpet Mushrooms

Mariquita Farms Carrots & Roasted Cipollini Onions

i tried his short ribs and wasn't thrilled about it either. the only part of my dish that i enjoyed was the 3 pieces of gnocchi on my plate and one lonely stuffed mushroom. neither of us finished our entree but i was very pleased with waiter's suggestion of riesling to go with my entree, and an italian red wine (a nebbiolo and barbera varietal) called bricco manzoni that paired so well with paul's dish. since paul doesn't really drink, i finished both glasses but was craving more of that red wine. i'm not really a fan of rieslings since i like my wines more dry. the riesling is too sweet for my taste but it was good nonetheless. but again, the bricco is just heaven! i will look for this wine and buy some to enjoy at home.

like the wines we had, the dessert was also excellent. we shared the sticky toffee pudding with a caramel custard top.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with a Caramel Custard Top

Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream

Candied Kumquats, Almond Biscotti

this was a great finish to an otherwise mediocre dinner. the custard wasn't too sweet, the biscotti was great. the ice cream had a hint of lavander that made you go, 'hmmm, i feel like i'm eating flowers!' and the candied kumquats are like candied calamansi minus the tartness.

overall, i give boulevard a 2 out of 5 spoons. the two spoons are for the the excellent wine list, the great dessert, and the excellent wait staff (except for the hostess). it was good that we only had to pay an extra $30 for our dinner because of our gift card. i wouldn't come back to this restaurant if i had a choice. i would rather walk the extra 50 feet and dine at ozumo's where i am guaranteed to enjoy each bite of whatever i decide to get.

parking is 10 bucks and don't forget to tip your valet.

summary: 2 spoons out of 5; bad hostess, though excellent waiters; excellent wine and dessert.