Bone & Broth

The old adage that a chef cooks what he wants you to eat and a cook cooks what you want to eat does not apply to Bone & Broth, at least not for me. No doubt whatsoever, there is a chef in this kitchen — the steaks, the pasta, the bourbon-glazed salmon, and grilled pork belly sing of a cultivated cuisinier who knows what he’s doing. On the other hand, I want to eat everything on the menu; and everything I have eaten is extraordinary.

Meat’s the main thing, the steak menu including a 16-ounce ribeye, a 40 day dry-aged Kansas City Strip, and filets mignon — all from Grand Isle, Nebraska — as well as a bison strip steak from North Carolina.  These are top-flight steaks, the filet butter-knife tender and yet radiantly flavorful, the strip steak as richly marbled as a slab of meat can be, oozing juice when you lightly press it with a utensil. And by the way, the hamburger is special, too, made of short-rib, brisket & chuck, and cooked as rare as you want it. A medium-rare cheeseburger, garlanded with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and Dijonaise, is rose-red inside and soft as velvet.

The menu beyond meat is compelling. One Tuesday night, I enjoyed a weekly special of macaroni & cheese, the creamy pasta crowned with plenty of juicy brisket. Chef’s specials include shrimp & grits, mojo-marinated chicken, duck-breast frites, and rosemary-roasted lamb chops.

Located in the Chestnut Hill area north of downtown, Bone & Broth is a stylish place. But you’ll get no hipster attitude from the staff, who are truly hospitable and eager to guide guests through the compelling menu.