John L.
Yelp
I'm a nearby Rozzident -- about a 10-minute walk away -- and recently paid my first visit to this much-anticipated new spot in Roslindale.
AMBIENCE
We were warmly welcomed by the owner, Virginia, who seated us at a banquette 2-top. The brick-walled space with high ceilings is warm and inviting. The music selection was fine; the volume would have been fine too if the room had been full -- but, with only four parties at 7 on a Sunday night, it was a little loud. We weren't fans of the three giant bright digital art screens, which -- especially with the Ramada Inn-quality art on display -- worked against the otherwise-wonderful ambience of the room to create a somewhat antiseptic effect. In fact, we since have learned that there are plans to add two more of these giant screens, to which we say: Abort! Abort! There simply are too many wonderful artists in Roslindale and environs to excuse littering the walls of this space with this canned digital art solution.
SERVICE
The waitstaff were very friendly and seemed to be knowledgeable -- and genuinely enthusiastic -- about the menu. The dishes arrived promptly -- and our server circled back at timely intervals to ask about our needs and how we found everything.
There is not yet quite the confidence and polish and, dare I say, swagger in the service to match the obvious ambitions of this restaurant -- but, hopefully, that will come.
FOOD & WINE
We generally start with a cocktail but were not sufficiently inspired by anything on the menu.
We split octopus to start and had scallops and steak frites for our mains.
The steak frites and the octopus were wonderfully and flavorfully prepared. Worth noting: I asked for the steak to be medium rare -- and it was precisely that! Often not the case. The scallops were good -- just not quite as successful as the others.
We both had an Oregon pinot noir that I would describe as "fine but not great." In fact, there were only three reds by the glass -- and one of them was unavailable. I hope the restaurant will significantly expand their wine selection -- but, if there are only three reds by the glass, then obviously all three should be in ready supply.
We did not opt for dessert -- too full! -- but, I was enticed by the pumpkin-maple semolina cake. And, as a lover of amaro, I was heartened to see three high-quality amaros -- including Fernet! -- among the offerings.
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A final note...
Midnight Morning's website and its communications / social media in general is pretty awful.
Note to the owners: You have a great story to tell. Please do a better job of telling it.
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Midnight Morning is a restaurant with promise.
Indeed, looking at how Midnight Morning has tweaked its menus over the first few months, it's clear that this is a restaurant that is willing to evolve and grow. That's a good thing!
I am giving Midnight Morning a solid 3 stars -- so as to give myself room to bump it from a 3 to a 4 in six months time!