My husband and I really enjoy Saturday afternoon cocktails in The Oak Bar. They have a full bar menu, yet specialize in 1920 NYC style cocktails which are distinctive and expose your pallet to something refreshing from the normal bar menu. We like the bar mid-afternoon when the energy downtown is fabulous with shoppers milling about and tourists tired out and relaxing. You can often get a coveted seat along the windows and on the couch able to view the stunning bar decor and Copley Square outside. This is a wonderful way to take pleasure in a Saturday. Bring deep pockets though, 2 drinks will often run $30.
Enjoying the bar as much as we do, I have long been anticipating going to the Oak Room for dinner. The decor in the restaurant is very similar with its grand oak paneling. I know, you never would have guessed that! The energy in the dining room was flat at 6:30 on a Thursday. In the bar, you participate in the vibe. In the dining room the atmosphere is something akin to a diner during the early bird special hour. When you are enveloped in atmosphere, tranquil and exceptional or lively and loud, you know you are in a solid food establishment. In the Oak Room, that is completely missing. There are very kind and attentive staff, but that is not a sign of distinction, just a mandatory requisite.
As our meal began we had high hopes for what was to come. The bread was a sensational multi-grain with a sweet bite, very soft and piping hot from the oven. The accompanying roasted red pepper humus was spectacular with a very lively note that made it irresistible. There was not too much pepper in the humus, as there can be for my taste, which helped its soft finish. There was also a sampling of marinated olives, which were overly oily and had no heat to them like the waiter warned. As dinner began it was obvious The Oak Room was attempting fusion and trying to escape its reputation as a traditional establishment. This attempt simply failed on most fronts. It was unsuccessful because fusion is not fusion by giving the same old dish new service ware or take the same ingredients and place them in a new arrangement. It was also futile because The Oak Room itself simply breathes tradition and it would be very difficult to make the transition from traditional to modern successfully and still please your guests. Here the attempt at fusion simply took away from the experience I had come for.
As an appetizer I had the BLT Salad. Butter lettuce drenched in a flavorless vinaigrette. We are in the middle of the season for farm fresh vegetables and the tomatoes in this dish were not farm grown and had a bland and watery taste. (The irony is the best farmers market in Boston is directly outside the front door in Copley Square.) The salad was layered like a burger, with one piece of each element in order, nothing chopped into accessible bites. I can not remember the last time I did not finish the plate in front of me. After just three or four bites, I passed the plate along relieved of its mediocrity.
Todd had the tuna as an appetizer. It had an interesting texture with the soft tuna providing the salt that complemented the sweetness from the caramelized onions very well. There was no wow factor, but he was not as disappointed as I was with my selection. Keeping up with the fusion theme, the dish was served in a martini glass.
The entrees too were served on a plate with modern angles and curves. My crispy seared sea bass was well cooked, being tender and flaky. The problem was its complete lack of flavor. The bed of potatoes it sat on was much better then the actual fish. They were buttery, creamy, and well seasoned. The roasted fennel on the side actually possessed outstanding flavor and texture. The only memorable flavor I can recall when finishing was cilantro. Maybe the large puddle of water the whole dish sat in captured the flavor that was meant for my taste buds.
Todd’s New York Strip Steak was not a choice cut of meat at all. It was cooked well though. The greens that accompanied the steak were nice. He characterized the dish as fine and something you could find at any establishment.
The highlight of the meal came in Todd’s dessert selection which I tried my best to help him polish off, trying to ignore my dish. Good thing he does not mind my invading fork onto his plate! He had the Boston Cream Pie, which was very inaccurately named, being more of a savory cake concoction then the classic definition of a Boston Cream Pie. More fusion I presume. The dessert was yellow cake layered multiple times with sweet light cream and covered in lots of shaved white chocolate. A drizzle of chocolate was a lovely complement. The absolute highlight to this already stellar dish was the side cream and raspberries which played so well with the cake, chocolate, and filling.
The ice cream puff I selected was a blunder compared to Todd’s selection. My ice cream puff had a weak coffee flavored ice cream, already melting by the time it reached me and drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce. As much as the ice cream was forgettable, the chocolate sauce was notable and very yummy. The puff that encompassed it was completely devoid of any flavor and did not even provide flaky goodness as it was chewy. It was obviously frozen and mass produced prior to that day’s preparation. The flavors combination remind me of a Tiramisu turned wrong.
To finish we were given a martini glass of cotton candy, at least they are consistent in the modern fusion element. The candy was whimsical and brought a fun finish. I would have appreciated this more in other establishments, but it brought a smile to my face in a meal where there were not many smiles.
Though our meal was fine, it did not live up to its reputation. I found myself leaving disappointed and regretful The Oak Room was our selection for the evening. Cross it off my list of places I would return to. If you looking for something of similar caliber and stature, I would highly recommend Parker’s at the Omni Parker House Hotel. It has very similar ambiance and a classic New England menu where the flavors, taste, and texture of the cuisine live up to its reputation on a consistent basis. Ask for table #40 if you’re a Kennedy fan, that is where Jack proposed to Jackie. Famous for their invention of the Boston Cream Pie, Parker House Rolls, and Cod, you won’t be disappointed.
