It is that Good

I love being surprised and shocked by a restaurant meal. And I love it even more when that meal is an impromptu double date with good friends.

This past weekend we randomly called up some friends and met at Tosca in Hingham for dinner. With great reviews and a "Best of South Shore" rating we knew it would at least be a well-deserved night out. I'm always very skeptical of those restaurants that get great reviews, finding that the food is second thought to everything else happening in the restaurant. However, Tosca has changed my mind. It fulfilled my need for a city dinner close to home.

Image from Tosca

I love how when we first entered Tosca, Chef Brian Hennebury greeted us at the door. No this isn't his usual position, but chefs that come out of the kitchen to check things out put a smile on my face. We ordered a bottle of wine (holy deliciousness) and took in the rustic dining room that was neither a scene nor an event. It was just a cozy, "feels-like-home" type of place. And then we ate..and I then fell in love with the South Shore.

Tosca offers northern-Italian inspired cuisine with New England's local flavors and ingredients - you know me and local ingredients, big fan. But the food was right, really right. There were dishes that took a risk (Wild Boar Bolognese) and classics that were just done right (Angus Sirloin Medallions) all that made me realize, this is what dinner should be. Silky textures, rustic vegetables, rich meat and delicate pasta.

Image from Tosca

There was lots of sharing and tasting and an overall amazement and sentiment shared amongst the table - Tosca really is "that good". And we moved on to dessert. Something that I've told you before is not high on my restaurant love list. Until I tried Chef Kristin Beaupre's ricotta creme brulee. I don't even like creme brulee and two days later here I am dreaming about this dessert. For a chocolate lover to say this about a non-chocolate treat is rare, but it tells you something. The creamy texture, sweetened cheese and caramelized torched top came together to create a perfect surprise for my tastebuds.

I rarely rave about restaurants as a whole. I tend to love a concept, a dish, a chef - but when they all come together, it's truly worth writing about!