I wasn’t impressed with Gaslight‘s restaurant week menu.
But before I get to that, let me tell you about the first half of my Tuesday.
Instant oatmeal for breakfast, a little on the watery side, but I did add extra raisins for flavor and to up the filling-factor.
Homemade ice coffee!
Dried apples slices for a morning snack.
For lunch I used my leftover quinoa. I mixed it with broccoli, chicken, and salsa and then melted some cheddar cheese on top. I also snacked on 2 more squares of a Lindt dark chocolate bar that I opened while at home on Monday.
I hit the gym around 2:45 pm, after I had plenty of time to digest. I ran 2 miles for speed, running at 7.5 mph, and then walked for 4 minutes to cool down. I used the foam roller and the myo-release ball. But the highlight of my workout was spending 10 minutes in the sauna reading a gossip magazine! 
Showered and changed. Back in my work attire!
I snacked on a Special K bar around 4 pm because I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat dinner right away.
I met Jared and his coworkers at Gaslight around 6:30 pm. Apologies in advance for the lousy photos. I didn’t want to use the flash and make a scene so everything looks slightly blurry.
I started with the Spring Dug Parsnip Bisque with Shaved, House Cured Jambon de Gaslight. Smooth and creamy with a slight hint of flavor from the ham. This bisque was decent, but I wish it had been served warmer. After a few bites, the lukewarm temperature was a bit of a turnoff.
Each restaurant week meal came with a complimentary glass of red or white wine. I chose the Chateua Abbaye de Saint-Ferme Merlot.
For my entree I chose Smoky Braised Beef Brisket with Ratatouille Stuffed Cabbage Leaves and Sauce Braisage. I thought the brisket had a nice flavor and it paired well with the Braisage sauce, but was a bit dry. I didn’t eat the cabbage, but I enjoyed the vegetables in the ratatouille filling.
The Lemon Fool with Brandy Macerated Fruits and Crème Chantilly was too bland and dry for me. I didn’t even notice a hint of lemon. I ate most of the fruits and bites of the cream, but I left the “fool” in the dish.
Jared ordered the Chocolate Ganache Tartlette with Peanut Butter Mousse and Caramel a la Crème. This was the star of the meal! It was rich, indulgent, and reminded me of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. I only had a few bites and was 100% satisfied. Delicious!
I felt a little rushed to place and order and eat the first two courses, but waited a long time between the entree and dessert. The waitress actually brought the check before dessert had even been served. Overall, I probably would’ve enjoyed Gaslight more had I come for a regular meal and not for restaurant week. I normally enjoy French food and would’ve been happier with an order of Steak Frites for dinner and Profiteroles for dessert.
COMMENTS
14 Comments
1. Julie
March 17th, 2010 08:32 AM
I feel like a lot of places don’t give 100% during restaurant week. Not that I’ve ever been, just as I’ve heard. Jared’s dessert looks amazeballs.
2. Heather
March 17th, 2010 08:46 AM
Your lunch looks delicious!
Matt and I went out for restaurant week once and decided we would rather eat off the regular menu. I hate being forced to choose from a selected menu…I would rather spend the money on something I really want!
3. Lauren @ Eater not a runner
March 17th, 2010 08:54 AM
Restaurant week is definitely hit or miss. Jared’s dessert does look pretty amazing though!
4. Katharine
March 17th, 2010 08:56 AM
I hate being disappointed by a restaurant week outing. It’s nice they included a glass of wine though
5. Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine
March 17th, 2010 09:37 AM
I’ve found they always rush diners on restaurant week menus, probably because they know they won’t get a huge tip on a smaller bill!! Hate that. Love what you did with the quinoa for lunch though, what a great use of leftovers!
6. Daisy
March 17th, 2010 10:23 AM
Melissa – That is very interesting to hear about Gaslight. You are the second to report some not-so-great things about their restaurant week. I love your comment (i saw it on Travel Eat Love) about how you are too lazy to take the T over to Cambridge – that was how I felt for so long too!!My first post ever i wrote about how I never go to cambridge and then I ended up there like 3 times in the last month. it’s worth a T ride!
7. Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly
March 17th, 2010 10:41 AM
I agree with Julie in that I think during resturaunt week resturaunts tend to be so overworked and busy that they just don’t always offer the best service.
8. Nicole, RD
March 17th, 2010 12:28 PM
Bummer! We don’t go out much during the week so I’m probably not a fair judge, but what the other posters mentioned does make sense!
9. Naomi(onefitfoodie)
March 17th, 2010 12:41 PM
I have heard mixed things abotu gaslight, some peopel love it others don’t think much of it, i think i will have to try it out for myself!!
i want to do a blogger dinner soon!! maybe mid april?!?! what do you think!!?
10. chocolatepickle
March 17th, 2010 12:46 PM
Sorry to hear you had a less than stellar dining experience:(
11. Kelly
March 17th, 2010 01:33 PM
I feel like restaurant week can be absolutely hit or miss. The restaurants I have enjoyed the most are the ones where the restaurant week menu is closest to the real menu.
12. Shannon
March 17th, 2010 04:46 PM
I’m picky at restaurants and always have to make dietary requests. I wouldn’t like having to order off of a limited menu.
Sorry dinner wasn’t the best…but your lunch looked really yummy!
13. Kelly
March 17th, 2010 05:53 PM
I am the worst restaurant week person- I am too picky of an eater to pick off a selected menu, and I rarely order multiple course meals anyway so it’s usually not even an amazing deal for me.
That dessert does look AMAZING though!
14. Crunches for Cupcakes » Boston Restaurant Week: Union Bar and Grill
March 18th, 2010 07:54 PM
[...] for a restaurant week re-do. When I made the reservations, I didn’t realize that Union and Gaslight are both owned by the same company. Uh [...]