The Butcher Shop - Another great Barbara Lynch experiance

Last summer a friend gave us a gift card to The Butcher Shop, but hadn't had a chance to use it - the restaurant doesn't normally take reservations and we couldn't get ourselves to head down there randomly if there was a chance we'd have to stand around and wait.  Lucky for us they DO take reservations during Restaurant Week, so we went for it.  We could order off the regular menu, but if the special menu looked good, even better.

Walking in, I was surprised at how small the actual interior is.  There is a small bar with its own seating as well as higher tables along the perimeter.  In the back, however, is a large butcher block table where a big group or a bunch of different parties (about 10 people) can gather and have some wine and appetizers.  In the back of the restaurant in a large refrigerator where they store all of the antipasti meats and cheeses among other things.

They started us off with some good bread that came with a honey to spread on it that was AMAZING, to the point where I almost bought some when I found out it was for sale!  They also sprinkled sea salt on the butter, which I thought was a nice touch.

Bread and Butter

For a drink I ordered a sparking red wine, something I haven't had since I was in Italy ages ago.  I think it was a Lambrusco but I cannot be sure.  Regardless, it was a fun drink - a little sweet and fun.

Lambrusco

For a starter we went with the Antipasti della Casa.  For an appetizer it was a bit pricey at $19, but it had so many great flavors.

Antipasti

The variety of meats was really great.  There was a mortadella, prosciutto, and some different salamis all so fresh and the of a quality that you only see at specialty shops.  In addition there was some red pepper hummus, some Parmesan cheese and pickled vegetables. 

For the main courses Nick went with the merguez, which came with a roasted tomato jam.

Merguez

The merguez was tasty and satisfying.  There was a great spicy flavor that set this apart from being a traditional sausage dish.  The tomato was sweet and added a nice contrast to the spice of the meat.

I decided to go with the coulotte, and chose to have it with their own red wine sauce.

The Coulotte

The beef was cooked to perfection and had great flavor.  While it did not need the sauce, it added even more flavor to the beef.  This cut of beef was well marbled but in no way too fatty.  I liked that it was something that you do not generally see at the more traditional steak houses, even the less traditional ones.

Potato Side Dish

Even though we did not need a side, we could not resist.  We chose the potato galette, which was grated potatoes oven roasted and browned on top.  I think there was some cheese and cream in there that made the side even better!

For dessert we shared a the Creme Caramel with Tahitian vanilla.

Yummy!

The creme carmel was good, but really the vanilla sauce was out of this world.  I flipped every bite around so that it was completely coated in the sauce.  Once it was gone, I was sure to wipe up the rest of the sauce with my spoon - I even tilted the plate to pool it all up!

Another Barbara Lynch restaurant, another fantastic meal.  I would highly recommend heading to The Butcher Shop to anyone looking for a tasty menu with some great surprise items.