Deliciously Sinful at Church

On Friday night, Bret and I headed over to Church for dinner.  While I've listened to some great live music on the nightclub side, I've never ventured inside the restaurant portion of this unique space.  When the restaurant invited me to come taste their new fall menu, I was excited to have an excuse to finally check it out.

If I lived in this neighborhood, Church would definitely become one of my favorite neighborhood spots.  Everything about this restaurant seems cozy as it incorporates both traditional restaurant tables and large leather couches seamlessly in its floor plan.  Throughout the two hours we dined there, the restaurant was always busy but you never once felt rushed and it was never loud.

After such a long week, Bret and I were both in search of a nice cocktail to unwind.  Church cleverly has unique cocktails named after the seven deadly sins and the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  The cocktails all sounded so interesting so I asked our server Ariel for her advice and she guided me towards the Conquest cocktail, which combined bourbon-barrel aged tequila with agave nectar and rhubarb.  When I told her that I'm not a huge tequila drinker, she told me that this was a really smooth drink with just a hint of sweetness.

This drink was everything Ariel promised it to be and I definitely enjoyed sipping on this throughout the evening.  This was the first of many times that Bret and I put ourselves in Ariel's good hands and to be honest, her advice and knowledge of the menu really made all of the difference in our dining experience.  Bret opted for one of the seven deadly sins and chose Wrath.  This spicy Sazerac cocktail had hints of basil and peppercorn. 

While sipping our cocktails, Bret and I perused the menu.  I knew that the menu would have lots of great comfort food dishes since Chef Laura Henry-Zoubir is also the chef at Church's sister restaurant, the Regal Beagle.  Bret and I dined there this past spring and really enjoyed the hearty dishes there.  I really loved the layout of Church's menu as it was organized in categories of origin, such as the garden, sea, or farm.  Each section started out with small plate offerings and then moved down into larger entree portions.  The menu was extensive and with much consultation with Ariel, Bret and I selected some small plates to share.

After putting in our order, we were give a bread basket filled with spicy crackers and bread.

For me, the real gem of this basket was the herb butter served with the bread. 

We were treated to a delightful amuse bouche of a deviled egg with smoked paprika, olive oil and a piece of bacon candy.  Yes, you read right...bacon candy.

This bite was as delicious as it looked and I was happy that the candied bacon didn't overpower the dish. 

Shortly thereafter, our first plate arrived - a mixed green salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, red onions, goat cheese and cranberries tossed in a maple-sherry vinaigrette.  I loved all of the great ingredients in this salad but found it to be a little over-dressed and it could have used just a little less red onion.

Our second small plate, a tuna tartare, was definitely my favorite the entire evening.  The tuna was served with spicy sambal chili and soy-ginger sauce and topped with fresh chopped cucumber.  Crispy wontons were served with the tartare but it was so delicious that I could have eaten it just on its own.

We were informed that Church served a taco version of this dish that was wildly popular but for me, this dish was an absolute home run and I wouldn't change a thing.  The refreshing tartare contrasted heavily from our other small plate - decadent bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Gorgonzola.  This dish was a special for the evening and one we were glad we didn't miss.

At this point, Bret and I were both on our way to getting full and we were worried as we had two additional small plates coming.  We were even more worried when the manager brought us over complimentary tastings of the butternut squash risotto served atop a beet vinaigrette and slices of aged Parmesan cheese.  This photo doesn't do this risotto justice as the beet vinaigrette added a nice layer of flavor to the risotto and this was the perfect dish for a cold autumn evening.

At this point Bret and I were ready for another round of drinks and we both decided to check out Church's extensive beer menu as we dived into our heartier fall dishes.  I chose the Rapscallion Honey Ale.

Bret opted for the Harpoon Leviathan.

Our beers went wonderfully with the house cheese and meat plate, which included a Champlain tripe creme, Massachusetts blue goat cheese, sopresseta, braciole, pickled vegetables and fried olives.  Although a simple plate, this dish felt so indulgent with the creamy cheeses and fried olives. 

Our final plate was a delicious flat bread topped with goat cheese, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes.  A lot of places will call their pizza a flat bread but this was a true grilled flat bread filled with lots of hearty fall flavors.  I could only manage one slice as I was obscenely full but I noticed that this flat bread was definitely a popular dish among diners as both an entree or a plate to share.

At the end of the evening, the manager once again convinced us to try one more plate - a white chocolate creme brulee topped with the most addictive whipped cream and cranberries.

In addition to the dessert, we were given smaller versions of the Gluttony cocktail - a Thai coconut milk, rum, banana and chocolate mint concoction. 

And perhaps ending the evening with a cocktail called gluttony was fitting because we definitely over-indulged.  Church is place where it is easy to be deliciously sinful - whether it is in their selection of seasonal menu items or perfectly crafted cocktails.

Church is located at 69 Kilmarnock Street, Boston, MA.

Full disclosure: Our meal was fully complimentary from the restaurant but as always, my opinion is honest and completely my own.