Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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18 | APRIL 2016 nshoremag.com While Gaslight Lynnfield is the new- est restaurant in the very trendy MarketStreet lifestyle center, it exudes the aura of a charming old European bistro. From the warm welcome at the door to the tiled walls, antique mirrors, and arched ceilings, the space is bustling and comfortable, inviting customers to relax in a padded chair at the bar or in a cozy booth. A wide-open kitchen, brightly lit along the back wall, draws the eye like a stage, attracting attention to more than a half-dozen cooks chop- ping, mixing, grilling, and plating. For box seats at the "performance," request a table "in the 50s" (staff code for one of the four booths that line the low wall separating the kitchen from the dining room). The "50s" booths, and those throughout the restaurant, are inti- mate without being exclusive, much like the restaurant itself. Though fans of South End sister restaurant Appetizers Vegetable Salad $12.75 Hand-Sliced Petite Board $18.25 French Onion Soup $11.50 Entrée Roasted Loin of Venison $33.75 Dessert White Chocolate Mousse $7.25 Lemon Chiffon Cake $9.75 THE MENU Clockwise from top left, French onion soup; vegetable salad; chef Steve Morlino; roasted loin of venison Gaslight Brasserie in Boston might miss the snug, low-ceilinged appeal of that spot, they will appreciate the roominess of the Lynnfield locale. The Boston–based Aquitaine Group intends their Lynnfield ven- ture to be the American cousin of the original, sharing some traits, though not the heavily French-influenced menu. While some favorites like the French onion soup, escargot, and a vast raw-seafood selection appear in both locations, the emphasis is on hearty portions of meat and seafood, carefully prepared and sourced lo- cally whenever possible. Peruse the menu while snack- ing on some offerings from the "Hand-Sliced" section—a collection of charcuterie and cheeses. Try the country-style pâté, a rich and smoky blend of pork, chicken livers, ham, and fatback ground and cured in- house and wrapped in bacon. Or the duck rillettes, an opulent mixture of house-cured duck confit, grain mustard, and thyme. Moving on to the impressive selection of salads, one is espe- cially eye-catching. The vegetable salad, rather unusually described as "roasted, shaved, steamed, and puréed," lives up to its name, offer- ing a variety of textures and flavors to great effect. While the salad changes often, with the seasons or with chef Steve Morlino's whim, it is consistently delicious. On a recent visit, it featured a medley of roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and carrots, along with crisply steamed haricots verts, on a bed of cauli- flower purée, and topped with a bright red wine herb dressing. Order it with a cup of decadent French onion soup for a perfect early spring Come spring, Gaslight will start making use of a large terrace. Featuring an outdoor fire pit and bar, it is the ideal spot in which to enjoy the last few sips of your oh-so- delightful Les Pins Monbazillac.