Dan J.
Yelp
La Morra is a restaurant that the saying "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" very accurately applies to, in that everything on your plate should be enjoyed together rather than separately. Tucked away in quiet Brookline Village, it's a small two-story joint that I must have passed by countless times without knowing - I almost walked right by this time as well!
For our first course, the "Antipasti", we went with the smoked corn salad and the beet and endive salad. True to its name, the corn had a smoky punch to it, almost overpowering if it wasn't paired with the soft, creamy tomatoes. The beet and endive salad brought sweet and soft beets and crunchy, peppery endives together, and although milder than the corn, still started the dinner on a nice fresh note.
It was at this point that our server pointed out the small plates, the "Cicchetti". We opted for the pate and the arancini. The pate was good, albeit a little too liver-y for my taste. The bread was nice and crunchy though, and it offset the creaminess of the pate. As for the arancini... To be honest, it was probably the highlight of the dinner. After our first bites, my friend and I looked up from our plates in stunned silence. The braised beef and cheese melted together with the velvetty risotto rice to form a delightful little ball of wonder. Definitely, definitely get these.
Our second course, the "Primi", consisted of the tomato risotto and the fettucelle. Although the fettucelle was nice, with salty chicken sausage bits and soft kale leaves joining together harmoniously, the tomato risotto was a bit plain. Still nicely balanced, but I felt as if it was missing something.
For our third course, the "Secondi", we ordered the Cornish hen and the bluefish. Both meats were grilled and seasoned perfectly, with the hen being far from dry and the fish being nice and flaky. The potatoes the Cornish hen came with were really interesting, and I found myself taking a couple forkfuls before really figuring out the flavor. The corn for the bluefish managed to be even smokier than the corn in our first course, and in small quantities added a depth of flavor to the milder fish.
By the time dessert, the "Dolce", came to our table, we were almost too full to keep going. However, the peaches and cream and chocolate banana torta in front of us were too tempting to resist. Both were wonderfully sweet and cold, a nice change of pace from the hot, savory dishes we had loaded up on. The peaches and cream in particular warranted high praise from both of us as we dug in, and it wasn't long before we sat back in our seats to clean spoons and empty plates.
La Morra isn't a restaurant that will challenge your conceptions of Italian cuisine. It isn't flashy or complicated. But with its warm, friendly service and comforting menu, and the idyllic summer evening playing its part through the window as we dined, I couldn't help but feel a sense of home starting to form. I'll have to come back a few more times to see what that's all about.