Escape to Scampo

February 2, 2009 10:02 am

The combination of mouth watering food and a vibrant social atmosphere are my eternal obsession. Mix this with one of the coldest winters I have been through in recent memory, and the urgent need to find new, inviting places to enjoy culinary excellence takes on added importance. Heading out with my husband, my partner in crime when it comes to eating out, we braved the cold and landed at Scampo in downtown Boston.

If you love food and socialize in Boston, then you have heard of the new Liberty Hotel. A cleaver renovation of the old Charles Street Jail, this place has taken the jail cell theme to task. The restaurants inside the hotel, which share their entrances with the impressive 90-foot central rotunda and cupola built in 1851, are called CLINK, Alibi and Scampo.

I wanted to try Scampo because it is the creation of Executive Chef/Owner Lydia Shire. She is a Massachusetts culinary institution in and of herself and she is known for combining tastes from around the world in untraditional fashion. Indeed, the eclectic menu at Scampo did not disappoint.

Thankfully, we called ahead to make a reservation for Scampo. They could take us in their lounge section which has raised shared tables and a great social atmosphere. We walked into a jailhouse rock panorama. An open kitchen for brick oven pizza, wine racks coming out of the brick walls encased in glass and copper spherical light fixtures over the large center bar. It made for a bustling scene. They successfully landed the prison theme. And Chef Lydia Shire was on hand throughout the night darting from reception to table and back again making sure all was running smoothly.

On came the creative drinks menu delivered by first-rate service. Their "Italian Mojito" with Bacardi white rum, prosecco and plenty of fresh mint hit the spot. It was a nice compliment while working our way through the complicated main menu. They have everything. I was torn.

From the homemade breads of naan, foccacia and roti, to the housemade mozzarella menu, to the lamb pizza, to the spaghetti starters I was instantly overwhelmed. It is an Italian restaurant, so I was not expecting the Indian influence. But I love combining different tastes so the more the merrier I thought. The result, I over ordered. Again.

We went with the roti, with curried chicken to share, the tandoori fried large sea scallops on white whipped eggplant for me, and my husband went with the fresh mozzarella and prosciutto. And those were the starters. A vibrant red coral, the tandoori sea scallops looked fabulous. I found that they needed the accompanying whipped eggplant for a little extra taste, but I was pleased with my order nonetheless.

Making the switch to a crisp Pinot Grigio for dinner, I went with the "brick chicken" as my entrée. The meat was hammered out to a perfect tenderness, the skin was perfectly crispy and the combination was juicy and flavorful. Woefully mistaken, I thought a brick chicken alone would not be enough, so I ordered the side dish of fried meatballs and baby brussels sprouts. Quite possibly the best meat ball I have ever enjoyed! Drizzled in an incredibly rich sauce the baby brussels sprouts made for a perfect combination with the calorific bit sized meat balls. Very creative.

If I could have found an inch to fit it in, I would have ordered the homemade butterscotch custard for dessert. Alas, it was not humanly possible to eat another thing. We did manage to enjoy a night cap as we people watched and took in Scampo's social hot spot atmosphere. Whether you are a Bostonian looking for an excellent meal, or a visitor to Boston seeking gastronomic goodness, Scampo is a great place to escape to.

Scampo
The Liberty Hotel
215 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-536-2100

Nancy W. Gleason