Orta in Pembroke, Mass.

Before last year, I had never been to the South Shore. But, for some reason, several of my jobs have taken me to the South Shore a handful of times in just the last few weeks.

A blogger dinner at Orta in Pembroke was one such occasion that brought me to this side of Massachusetts. Two-year-old Orta is named after the 8-mile long Lake Orta in northern Italy. Chef/Co-owner of Orta, Brett Williams, discovered Lake Orta while working and traveling throughout Italy 10 years ago.

Over the course of our dinner at Orta, we sampled several appetizers as a table, ordered our own entrees, and shared two desserts. One of the first appetizers we tried was the Prince Edward Island Mussels ($10).

The P.E.I. Mussels were swimming in leeks, smoked bacon (I ate around this), and roasted garlic thyme butter. Grilled focaccia was served alongside for dipping, which I was glad for, as I couldn't get enough of the addictive wine and butter sauce. Several shells were missing their mussels, but we thankfully found most of them swimming in the sauce.

The second appetizer we tried was the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare ($12), dressed with a soy-ginger reduction, wasabi aioli, and served with crispy chive crackers.

I loved the presentation of this tartare, and the tuna was fresh and seasoned well. The chive crackers also added a necessary saltiness and crunch to this dish.

The third appetizer we sampled was my personal favorite of the night, the Orta Arancini ($8). 

These large, plump arancini were stuffed with fresh mozzarella and served in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. They were delightfully crispy (without being greasy) on the outside, and full of gooey cheese and risotto on the inside. Dipped in the well-seasoned tomato sauce (which had a kick to it thanks to Tabasco and crushed red pepper flakes), these were wonderfully comforting. 

Between our appetizers and entrees, Orta also had us try some of their signature brick oven pizzas. Like the rest of the kitchen, their brick oven is in full view for patrons in the main dining and bar areas to see. 

I tried a slice of the Margherita ($14), which was topped with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.

I'm kind of a snob when it comes to pizza (I eat way too much of it), but Orta's Margherita was fantastic. The brick oven did wonders for the crispy, airy crust, and the cheese to sauce ratio (which is very important to me) was spot-on.

For my entree, I went with the Fresh Linguine ($19), which was topped with black truffle cream, roasted wild mushrooms, and fresh chives.

Unfortunately, Orta does not make their own pasta in-house, although they do have their pasta specially made for the restaurant. The linguine did taste surprisingly fresh and homemade, and the black truffle cream wasn't overly heavy and possessed a nice, subtle truffle flavor. There were also plenty of mushrooms, allowing each bite to have at least one. As you can see, though, the portion size was tremendous (as were all of the entrees at our table). I took half of this bowl home and Z and I ate the leftovers over several days. 

Somehow, we all saved a little room for dessert. We tried the Mini Black Bottom Cheesecakes and the Warm Pecan Pie (all desserts at Orta are $8).

The black bottom cheesecakes were unfortunately nothing too special, although I did love the mini chocolate chips baked inside the cakes. The pecan pie, however, was a great way to end our meal. Made with a shortbread crust and topped off with caramel and vanilla gelato, the warm, sticky-sweet pie was so delightful on such a cold "spring" evening. 

Our server poured us several wine pairings that evening (Orta has a variety of wines to choose from, glasses and bottles), but they also offer cocktails (all $11) and a few bottled beers. 

The atmosphere at Orta is casual yet sophisticated and comforting. I loved how they have several booths tucked away in the wall, if you're looking for a more private dining experience. 

My only gripe would be that I found some of the dishes to be a little too expensive, and the portion sizes (for the entrees, at least) to be way too large. I think the entrees could be more affordable and more appropriately portioned. 

All in all, though, I enjoyed my meal at Orta, and if/when I find myself on the South Shore again, I'd definitely go back - especially for some more of that arancini (and to try a cocktail or two).

My meal was complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Also: We have a winner for my $25 gift card to b.good + four-pack of Sir Kensington's condiments giveaway! The winner is (chosen via Random.org)...

Bianca!

"What a great giveaway! I hope I win, I'd love to use these condiments on picnics and cookouts this spring/summer - on sandwiches, salads, and burgers of course!"

Congratulations, Bianca! Please email me within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Dinner at Rialto

Last week, Z and I braved the freezing cold...and wet, falling snow...for dinner at Rialto Restaurant in Harvard Square. We may or may not have walked from our house in Porter Square, which normally would be fine, but - as I mentioned before - it was freezing and snowing. Thankfully, we made it to Rialto alive.

We had a gift card to Rialto, which gave us a chance to finally try this highly acclaimed restaurant. The prices are a bit high for a "normal" evening out, but with James Beard Award-winning Chef Jody Adams in the kitchen, it's no surprise why.

Z and I sat in the bar area, which was still an elegant and romantic spot to dine in. (Also, the bar menu had a few more vegetarian options for us). 

My meal began with a glass of pinot noir ($12).

After we placed our order for dinner, our slightly over attentive yet very knowledgeable waitress brought us some fresh, crusty rolls with dipping oil - made with some of the best olive oil I've ever tasted.

For our meal, Z and I decided to split a bunch of small plates so we could try a little bit of everything. First up: the cheese plate ($16), which came with three different types of cheeses and accompanying fruits and handmade, rustic crackers.

Z and I are tough critics when it comes to our cheese plates, but Rialto's version did not disappoint. There was more than enough cheese for the two of us to split, and the almond-stuffed dates, fresh grapes, and tangy fruit "jelly" (it was more like a grown-up Fruit Roll-Up) were all fantastic complements to the cheeses.

I'm a terrible blogger and didn't write down the name of these chickpea cakes ($5), but trust me when I tell you, they were much more delicious than they look. Somehow, a ton of flavor was infused in these little cakes, and the accompanying herb sauce was a fresh and necessary addition to the dish.

Next up was the arancini ($5), which was chocked full of perfectly cooked risotto and melty, delightfully salty taleggio cheese. The breading on the outside was wonderfully crisp without being greasy, and the sweeter tomato sauce underneath it all made for a divine dipping sauce.

We also ended up dipping our arancini (and, well, everything else) in these saffron peppers ($5).

Chocked full of golden raisins and pine nuts, these sweet, saffron-infused peppers were borderline addictive. Honestly, you wouldn't think a bowl of soft peppers would be so good, but they were. Sometimes, the simplest dishes - when done well - can be the best, and this was our favorite dish of the night. 

All in all, we had an incredible meal at Rialto, and we were both so glad we finally got to try this place out. Trying just a few small dishes in the bar area also made the meal somewhat affordable, while still being special.

Have you ever dined at Rialto before? If yes, what's your review?