Boston Globe
October 18, 2003

FRESH STARTS

Trying out the latest place is a little like donning that just-purchased fall outfit when the weather turns nippy -- an exciting leap into the season. Here are three culinary new outfits: Union Bar and Grille is the starlet on the emerging Restaurant Row of Washington Street. The renovated warehouse space, designed by Peter Niemitz, features dishes by executive chef and co-owner Seth Woods, such as lobster fricasee with corn, chanterelles, and potato gnocchi and roasted pork loin with molasses-mustard shell beans. Stephen Sherman is chef de cuisine. Downtown, Vinalia has opened in the old Dakota's space on Arch Street. Co-owned by former Boston Harbor Hotel food and beverage director Ed Costa, Vinalia aims to showcase wines, with nightly four-course tastings and 40 wines by the glass. Dishes by chef Justin Villa include sweet-potato ravioli over broccoli rabe and truffled cream sauce and veal picatta over lemon-scented basmati rice. In Somerville, Toast is a new casual bar-cafe with a small-plate menu all under $10. Some of chef Petal Joseph's world-cuisine dishes are potato pies with mango sauce, oxtail with spinach dumplings, and hangar steak with salad.

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