Grezzo Was Great!
Posted on May 6, 2008 - Filed Under Food, Non-Genetically Modified, Organic, Products/Foods, Raw, Reviews, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
As I mentioned in a previous post, TGH took me to Grezzo Restaurant on our anniversary. I was so happy that he was willing to try an entire meal of raw, organic, vegan cuisine for my sake. Although I don’t fall in to any strict food category, I do enjoy many raw foods and love learning and experiencing as much as I can, so to have the man who fears mushrooms and broccoli go along with me meant a LOT. Please note that I’m more of a writer than a photographer, so I will tell you about our experience, but please excuse the unprofessional photographs.
A Little Background
The Grezzo Restaurant is owned and was created by Alissa Cohen, famous in the raw and vegan worlds for trailblazing in the ways of raw foods. She has written cookbooks and also has created the forum, Raw Food Talk for people to share ideas and information about raw food diets and health. I would dare to say that Ms. Cohen has become an empire in her own right. But she is no snob as she was one of the several young women who waited on us and spoke with us. I had no idea she was my age as she looks so young. Also, although she appears larger than life in images on her website, in real life she is a tiny thing. So maybe there is something to all this raw food diet business? Hmmm?
In the kitchen of The Grezzo is Leah Dubois, an accomplished, respected chef who is missed at her earlier posts. The presentation of her dishes was almost flawless. I wish my photos could do them justice. Raw food is food that has not been heated above 112 degrees Fahrenheit. It is thought that to do so will damage any living enzymes and healthy bacteria in the food, thus rendering it “dead” and not healthy for your body. But using tools like food dehydrators and blenders, Leah is able to create concoctions that most of us would never think of or think possible.
The exterior of the Grezzo Restaurant is quite pleasing. It’s small, yet clean and unassuming. But you can tell you are in the North End of Boston when you look down and see this embedded in the cement in front of the establishment:
I love little details like this. Ahem, back to the Grezzo Restaurant.
The interior was also small but again, clean and unassuming. It was nicely decorated and the space was used wisely. I didn’t take interior photos but you can see better ones than I could take anyway if you visit the restaurant’s About Page. TGH and I were the first ones there that particular night and we ended up scoring the best seats in the house for a couple dining together - a small table in the window area which did NOT impart the feeling that you were on display to the rest of the world. It was cozy and close but comfortable and attractive.
The waitstaff at Grezzo Restaurant was very attentive and friendly (and attractive as well, LOL). Several modestly and cleanly dressed young women waited on us and each was friendly and informative, answering questions we had about each course, and sharing sentiments about the weather. A dirty glass (dishwasher remnants) was noticed and immediately removed from our table and replaced. The menu was explained to us and questions were encouraged.
The menu contained several items that I wanted to try so TGH and I decided that I would order the Chef’s Tasting, which provided smaller portions but more variety and choices for the price. I would get two soups, two appetizers, a salad, an entree, and a desert for one set price. TGH, being less adventurous than I (and much more frightened), admitted he was out of his element but would also “endure” a full meal, from appetizer to dessert.
We started our meal with drinks and that is where I became worried. Because while I ordered the blackberry and sage spritzer, made with kombucha tea and Grezzo’s own-grown herbs (no alcohol), TGH ordered a **gasp** water. I was afraid he wasn’t going to be adventurous if he was starting off with something as un-adventurous as water, but he later surprised me.
This was our first course, sweet white corn soup. It had bits of jicama, avocado and cayenne. After we got beyond the initial reaction of the soup being only warm and beyond TGH’s joking that he was going to complain that the soup was cold, we were really pleasantly surprised. The combination of flavors and temperature took only a spoonful or two to adapt to and then we decided we liked the sweet flavor of the corn soup and the added zing of the cayenne with the silky texture of the avocado. It was a hit. TGH had a larger serving of the corn soup and I had a smaller serving because I also got the sweet potato and pink grapefruit soup, pictured below.
It was certainly one of the most colorful and pretty soups I’d ever seen. It also contained red chili and Thai basil. TGH tasted it but the citrus rubbed him the wrong way. I believe that is just a personal taste thing for him though as I enjoyed the citrus and sweet potato combination. But I honestly think I was spoiled by the first soup and my childhood love of corn chowder, so the first one was my personal favorite as well.
This was my house salad. TGH and I both ordered this type of salad as the other choice was a seaweed salad, and that was a little out of both of our comfort zones. But this salad was wonderful - it had baby lettuce, cauliflower, parsley, radish and the most amazing croutons. Normally, I’m not a big fan of croutons in salads, but these were really perfect. They possessed a wonderful blend of sweet and savory in themselves, and introduced a nice crunch to the greens. The salad was served with a green goddess dressing that was just right, in my opinion.
This was one of my appetizers. It was called Gnocchi Carbonara The little dumplings were tasty, little bites served with English peas and eggplant and pea shoots. The eggplant was hardly noticeable in this dish but the sauce (RAWmesan, get it?) was quite good. It was then that I became amazed at how filling these raw dishes could be.
TGH ordered these tomato ravioli for an appetizer. He was extremely concerned that they contained truffles (a type of mushroom and TGH HATES mushroom) but he needn’t have worried. With the house-made boursin cheese, parsley and mint, the tastes mingled and swam together so wonderfully that he couldn’t notice any mushroom flavor. TGH let me have some to taste as well, and these were one of my favorites.
This was another of my favorites - Grezzo’s version of sliders, which are the little mini burgers that have become popular in so many establishments. See the sesame seeds on top of the tomato to make it look like a sesame seed bun? They have a little fun with their food at Grezzo and it turns out well because the sliders were a yummy and fun meal, from the house-made patty to the “blue cheese” dressed watercress. They even served it with pommes frites. Interestingly, the pommes frites were the item I enjoyed the least. I thought they would be my favorites since I’ve been known to be a french fry hound. But it was merely a personal taste issue and I just wasn’t into them, although I think they were well done in a raw kind of way. 
But I loved the sliders enough to let them know I thought that they would be a great entree.
Speaking of entrees, I ordered this lovely star anise crusted papaya steak. It was served with creamy dill vermicelli and marinated cucumber and olive salad. The papaya steak was a total surprise. It had the texture of a sweet potato but didn’t taste as sweet as I expected. This was a relief because I didn’t want a sweet entree (had to save that for dessert). The dill vermicelli (which was really just spaghetti cuts of fresh veggies in a sauce) was a comfortable side dish. It was not overpowering in flavor which is what I feared with the dill, but it also wasn’t anything to write home about. It was okay, but then again cooked real vermicelli doesn’t have a lot of flavor either. The marinated cucumber and olive salad, which came shaped in a neat circle that I neglected to get a good photo of, was more flavorful and had a nice crunch - a bit of salt from the marinade and a bit of sweet from the pine nuts. I enjoyed that combination and though it was more flavorful than the vermicelli, it still wasn’t overpowering so it made a good complement to the papaya steak.
TGH ordered this lovely vegetable lasagne. It contained squash and other winter vegetables, was layered with béchamel, fresh oregano and a house-made pomodoro sauce. It was accompanied by a long “breadstick,” which I imagine was a nut and herb based creation made in a dehydrator. TGH didn’t fancy it (he is afraid of new textures, LOL) but I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it made a nice addition to the lasagne dish.
Of course, we were getting really full from all of this food. I laugh now because I thought we would end up running across the street to the sub shop later but I realized there would be no need for that. Raw food really can fill you up! We HAD to try dessert though so we sucked it up (I know, poor us, right?).
TGH ordered this lovely rich brownie sundae. Now this was made with a house-made “gelato” and although I didn’t really see much in the way of a brownie, it was an awesome dessert. It was delicious and came with what they called a brazil nut crumble, some coconut, and a chocolate truffle sauce (amazingly, this type of truffle does not scare TGH in the least - in fact he loves it) , plus a bit of fruit. It was heavenly.
My dessert was a “cheese”cake with berries and a lavendar agave sauce. It was beautiful and delicious but was really overshadowed by TGH’s sundae. I was drawn to the cheesecake by the berries, but I think that also being a chocolate lover, made me envious of my mate’s dessert. Lucky for me, he is the sharing type of husband.
As you can see by the post title, my overall impression of the Grezzo Restaurant is positive. I was really impressed with how the flavors of the foods were enhanced and harmonized, and how it almost seemed like eating cooked food with all those little sauces and marinades.
As far as the prices of the menu items, I would say it was a bit more expensive than a night of COOKED fine dining in Boston. So, if you already know you love raw foods, this is a great place to come and have all the work done for you. If you want to try raw cuisine, then the Chef’s Tasting at Grezzo is a good way to do it. If you have no interest in raw or healthy foods, then you may not find it to your liking. But even for just a special, fun night out - it was a wonderful experience that I think many would enjoy. Another nice thing is that they post their menu online including prices so you won’t be surprised and can plan ahead. Remember, this is raw cuisine so the menu changes with what is in season. Check the site for the menu before you go! And enjoy! 
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17 Responses to “Grezzo Was Great!”
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I have no idea why you think your photos are not fabulous, because they are! What a well written review! I’m a droolbag.
srsly.
Wow. Thanks, Witchypoo!
Wow, that food is so pretty it seems a shame to eat it. It made me t hink I might even be able to try it.
WC
Yeah, it really is pretty and colorful. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised if you tried it. Everything was good. The things that I didn’t love were just due to personal taste issues.
FABULOUS review, Teeni - I’m glad that you had a positive experience!
Thanks, VeggieGirl. I know you would have loved it there!
Your photos are GREAT!
I would definitely be scared to eat at such a restaurant! I am not a *huge* lover of raw/cold food, and I sure do love my meat. Sad, I know.
Nevertheless, I am pretty sure I could order dessert from that place - TGH’s brownie looks AMAZING!!
LOL. Yes, his brownie WAS amazing. I was glad to get some of it. And I totally understand about the meat and cold/raw foods. But you’re still one of my favorite bloggy buddies, no matter what you eat so don’t think you’re getting out of that. LOL.
mmm everything looks so tasty!! yum yum. The white corn and avacado soup looks ’specially delicious!
I really was pretty sure I wasn’t going to enjoy cold soup, but it was more like room temperature and it was pretty darned good!
You should write restaurant reviews Teeni! Your description is amazing. I’ve never tried raw food cuisine before or been to any restaurant like that but now that I see what it’s all about you’ve peaked my interest! I love that you are into putting your feelers out there and trying new things. That’s an exciting way to live and I admire that about you….. Looks like you had a delicious time! Congrats again on your anniversary!
Thanks, JQ! Hey, we only live once so if you see something you want to try - go for it! You may not like it - so then just don’t do it again. But you may find you like a lot of things you never would have known about. And really, trying new things makes life more fun!
Thanks for the compliments on my review! You are sweet. 
This was an amazing post! That was a fantastic review and your photos are wonderful, you should give yourself more credit! I want to go there and have EVERYTHING. They’re presentation looked perfect and extra points for noticing a glass was dirty!
Oh, I would have loved to have you there with me, Paige! I know you wouldn’t have been afraid to try anything. I think you would have loved it.
The dishes all look wonderful. I think the photos are pretty decent for an amateur.
Hey, thanks! That means a lot coming from you!
Teeni, those were fabulous descriptions, I am now hungry!
I am not that adventurous but after seeing and reading this, I would try it. I’ll have to see if we have anything like this around here.
Of course a trip to Boston sounds like fun too!
I think you would have had fun trying it, Kami and if you ever come to Boston, we’ll take you out to dinner wherever you want to go!
Yum, that food looks very nice and yummy! I too would have thought it couldn’t possibly fill you up. Glad to know that idea is wrong!
So, do you try to make “raw” dishes at home? I have always wanted to try incorporating the raw idea into my cooking but it is very much out of my comfort zone and I am skeptical about how much I would actually like the food (I am a picky eater).
I am glad you took these photos and shared them, it makes me want to eat raw tomatoes now.. Yum!
Oh, you had to say that? Raw tomatoes? There is nothing better in this world than a nice sun - warmed tomato from the garden, except a nice sun-warmed cherry tomato from the garden. YUM!
I do make SOME raw dishes at home - I use the veggie spiral slicer to make raw noodles out of zucchini and summer squash and I like raw brownies and nut milks. But a lot of the raw food I eat is just chopped up veggies added to mac ‘n’ cheese or cut into sticks to snack on. But there is so much more you can do like these soups and dehydrating nut meals and herbs to make crackers and things, plus all kinds of sauces and marinades as Grezzo does. I’m interested in it but I’m not strictly raw or even strictly vegetarian. I’m a VAGUEtarian! LOL I think that just means I love food but like it to be healthy.
Wow, your meal looks amazing! I’ve never heard of this restaurant, but it definitely sounds like a place worth investigating.
I think the restaurant is relatively new, opened in February this year. But the owner has been advocating raw foods for many years. One of the things I found interesting was they don’t use nutritional yeast and I didn’t see any soy products on the menu when I was there. But they are totally vegan and as organic as they can possibly be. I think you’d enjoy it, Hannah. Maybe for a special night out sometime.
I am back well sort of cant stay on the computer long as it hurts still to sit up but, I am glad that this restrauantr was so good
Thanks. Hope you’re feeling well in no time.
“Bravo!!” [stands up and rapidly claps hands]
I’m so glad to read about your positive experience. Raw foods do you fill you, huh? [wink] You did a fabulous job conveying every nuance. Thank you!! Now, I really can’t wait until my chance to go. It’s wonderful you had the chance to meet Alissa. I hope she’ll be there on our trip up. [crosses fingers] And, Teeni, the pictures are beautiful
Congratulations on your anniversary!!!
Aw, thanks for everything Blaqberry! And don’t forget to get in touch with me if you are going - I’d gladly go again!!
Hi Teeni! I had to take a week off from blogging. I got so stressed out last week, I just turned my computer off and spent some time outdoors. It wa wonderful!
That looks like one fancy meal and it’s making me hungry for non-genetically modified, organic cuisine…haha! Are you saying you don’t like to eat science experiments?
I’m glad you took some time off if you needed it, Bobby. I don’t like to think of you being stressed out, although I know how that can be. I loved your latest post on identify theft and hackers. Can’t wait to see part two!
And yeah, no science experiments for my belly. I’ve eaten my share of those things in the past but I’m going to take as much good care as I can from now on because there are many benefits from eating healthy stuff.
wow, what a man you guy is. A hero.
The food actually looks really good. I would be happy to eat raw food some of the time but I just don’t think I could ever give up on cheese - I love it so much.
You know, usually when I go to blogs I feel like a real healthfood zealot - I don’t really eat any processed foods - but here I actually feel like a food slob. It’s a rather pleasant change for me.
I really admire your veganism- I just know I could not do it myself.
Hey RB - I have a real hard time with cheese myself and since I am avoiding soy, it is hard to find good substitutes so I just go for the organic and cruelty-free real cheeses and eat less of it.
But I’m not a total vegan so I don’t want to mislead you. I’m only a VAGUEtarian. I now eat MOSTLY all veggies but still have some meat and dairy, maybe a couple times a month. I drastically changed my diet when I was diagnosed with breast cancer to try and eliminate sources of hormones.
I don’t judge anyone for their diets. I love all my bloggy buddies regardless of what they eat. My diet was my choice for me to try and live healthier and longer, but it is not a religion and I won’t try to convert anyone. However, I do think life is more fun when people try new things. So that’s where I stand.
Wow. . you make that food look and sound so wonderful!
But truth be known, my innerds wouldnt like it at all .. so much ruffage!
LOL. I wonder what you eat all day? I know you are not doing wheat as much and you love pop-tarts. I remember that.
I have to admit I’m not really a fan of cold food so would find it very hard to take up a raw food diet. And I loathe CHILLIES - ugh! But I must say some of the dishes looked delicious and I wish we had such a restaurant where I live where you can try these things out at the hands of a genius chef in the field! Think becoming that geni Chef (and presumably having no other hobbies!) would be the only way to enjoy a raw food diet/stick to it, though I have no doubt it would be good for me if I could tolerate it.
Well, you don’t have to be a genius chef to enjoy some raw fruits and vegetables - those can be enjoyed plain and simple just the way they are. But it is interesting to try these new ways of having raw food - I imagine if you were going to try and make it your regular diet, it would be good to switch things up and eat like this sometimes so you don’t get tired of it.