Food rating: 91
Sycamore: Good food (keeps getting better), excellent drinks
Update as of Winter 2016:
The trend has continued. Sycamore is really now an excellent restaurant. It is far superior to any of the other Newton or Waltham restaurants. A great place for a meal, or for a drink and appetizers at the bar.
Update as of Spring 2014:
We've been to Sycamore twice more quite recently, and on both visits the food was substantially improved. We were there last week, and started with drinks that were, as in the past, wonderful. I had a parsnip soup that was made with foie gras, and although hard to picture how that would work, it was subtle and delicious. I had a very good chicken for a main, and others at the table had a very good squid dish. We had sides of curried cauliflower and of broccoli with bread crumbs and cheese that were also very good. The desserts were good but not amazing.
Most good restaurants, once they've plateaued after opening issues, seem to typically decline slowly over the years. Sycamore hasn't done that, and while still fairly pricey is now a reasonable value for that price. The drinks are better than almost anyplace around, and the food is now a cut above that of the other good restaurant in Newton Center, Farmstead Table.
Definitely worth a visit if you've never been there, or haven't been there recently.
Update as of Summer 2013:
We went to Sycamore for a second time, after going to an early movie in West Newton. The restaurant was energetic and buzzing, and they were playing rock music loud enough that it was noticeable while talking.
Our waitress was again attentive and willing to make recommendations. On her advice we got a peach and herb appetizer made with pistachio butter that was delicious and interesting, though it failed to mention that it included prosciutto, and also a mussel ragout that was smokey and also delicious. The bread that came to the table was only average. The drinks were again excellent, different from what was offered on our last visit, and larger than the overly small drinks from that visit.
For a main course, I got bluefish that was prepared with andouille sausage. The waitress told me the bluefish was fresh, and it was certainly cooked perfectly, but the spicy sauce of the preparation, though tasty, overwhelmed the bluefish so that I'm not sure I would have noticed if it were older and fishy. My wife got the steak, which was good but nothing special. A side of roasted carrots was good.
The listed desserts didn't seem that interesting, so we walked up the street to JP Lick's (hard to go wrong there...).
Overall, again, the drinks were excellent and the food was good, though the appetizers were far better than on our last visit. The main dishes were a bit over and under seasoned, respectively, but tasty. The overall experience was probably about as good as you can get anywhere in Newton, but the price is relatively high.
At this price point there are restaurants reasonably nearby with at least as good food for less money, such as Strip T's in Watertown, and for a similar price there are restaurants with better food in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. The geographically closest good restaurant is Farmstead Table, which is quieter and simpler, but has similar quality food for less money. Sycamore, though, has as good or better mixed drinks as anyplace I've been in the Boston area.
Original review:
Sycamore has been getting a lot of buzz recently, including a positive review in the Globe, and with an unexpectedly free evening we decide to go there early. It is in Newton Center next to Bill's Pizza, and though small has a fair number of seats for couples and small parties, a small bar, and has a nice friendly feel.
Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable and willing to make recommendations, which I always appreciate.
The list of cocktails had a number of unusual creations, and we got a drink special made with blood-orange vodka that was excellent, and one of their regular drinks, a "Persephone" that was made with tequila, egg whites, and, as expected given the name, pomegranate. It was also excellent though pink/purple enough in color that I wasn't sure I would want to be photographed drinking it. Our only complaint about both drinks was that they were relatively small.
We ordered two "snacks": the warm gougeres (they describe as "alpine cheese puffs") were not very interesting cheese puffs, but were fine. The salt cod with mashed potato was served with toasted bread and was quite tasty.
For an appetizer, we split the garlic soup, which included a 5-minute egg to be mixed in. This was a perfectly good soup but less interesting and less garlicky than it sounded.
For mains, we got the za'atar spiced chicken, which was perfectly cooked and tender but again not as flavorful or spicy as it sounded. We also got the squid with tagliatelle (made with squid ink) that also was tasty but not wonderful. For sides, we got cauliflower with raisins, pinenuts, and capers that was good, and asparagus with bacon that was very good.
We split the pot de creme dessert, which was good but pretty straightforward. It was served with peanut brittle.
One disappointment was that a couple of things I'd been planning to get based on the online menu weren't offered, including the seafood cassoulet entree and the chocolate-cranberry bread pudding dessert.
All in all, this was a good, though fairly expensive meal. The expense in part was because we got a second round of drinks because they were delicious but small.
Having Sycamore and Farmstead Table as new restaurants in Newton Center is really expanding the upscale food offerings in the area. Also, Sycamore is apparently open late for drinks, snacks, and desserts, which creates a nice option for going out after a movie at West Newton Cinema; there have been very few places open in Newton for a late drink, coffee, or dessert.
The trend has continued. Sycamore is really now an excellent restaurant. It is far superior to any of the other Newton or Waltham restaurants. A great place for a meal, or for a drink and appetizers at the bar.
Update as of Spring 2014:
We've been to Sycamore twice more quite recently, and on both visits the food was substantially improved. We were there last week, and started with drinks that were, as in the past, wonderful. I had a parsnip soup that was made with foie gras, and although hard to picture how that would work, it was subtle and delicious. I had a very good chicken for a main, and others at the table had a very good squid dish. We had sides of curried cauliflower and of broccoli with bread crumbs and cheese that were also very good. The desserts were good but not amazing.
Most good restaurants, once they've plateaued after opening issues, seem to typically decline slowly over the years. Sycamore hasn't done that, and while still fairly pricey is now a reasonable value for that price. The drinks are better than almost anyplace around, and the food is now a cut above that of the other good restaurant in Newton Center, Farmstead Table.
Definitely worth a visit if you've never been there, or haven't been there recently.
Update as of Summer 2013:
We went to Sycamore for a second time, after going to an early movie in West Newton. The restaurant was energetic and buzzing, and they were playing rock music loud enough that it was noticeable while talking.
Our waitress was again attentive and willing to make recommendations. On her advice we got a peach and herb appetizer made with pistachio butter that was delicious and interesting, though it failed to mention that it included prosciutto, and also a mussel ragout that was smokey and also delicious. The bread that came to the table was only average. The drinks were again excellent, different from what was offered on our last visit, and larger than the overly small drinks from that visit.
For a main course, I got bluefish that was prepared with andouille sausage. The waitress told me the bluefish was fresh, and it was certainly cooked perfectly, but the spicy sauce of the preparation, though tasty, overwhelmed the bluefish so that I'm not sure I would have noticed if it were older and fishy. My wife got the steak, which was good but nothing special. A side of roasted carrots was good.
The listed desserts didn't seem that interesting, so we walked up the street to JP Lick's (hard to go wrong there...).
Overall, again, the drinks were excellent and the food was good, though the appetizers were far better than on our last visit. The main dishes were a bit over and under seasoned, respectively, but tasty. The overall experience was probably about as good as you can get anywhere in Newton, but the price is relatively high.
At this price point there are restaurants reasonably nearby with at least as good food for less money, such as Strip T's in Watertown, and for a similar price there are restaurants with better food in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. The geographically closest good restaurant is Farmstead Table, which is quieter and simpler, but has similar quality food for less money. Sycamore, though, has as good or better mixed drinks as anyplace I've been in the Boston area.
Original review:
Sycamore has been getting a lot of buzz recently, including a positive review in the Globe, and with an unexpectedly free evening we decide to go there early. It is in Newton Center next to Bill's Pizza, and though small has a fair number of seats for couples and small parties, a small bar, and has a nice friendly feel.
Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable and willing to make recommendations, which I always appreciate.
The list of cocktails had a number of unusual creations, and we got a drink special made with blood-orange vodka that was excellent, and one of their regular drinks, a "Persephone" that was made with tequila, egg whites, and, as expected given the name, pomegranate. It was also excellent though pink/purple enough in color that I wasn't sure I would want to be photographed drinking it. Our only complaint about both drinks was that they were relatively small.
We ordered two "snacks": the warm gougeres (they describe as "alpine cheese puffs") were not very interesting cheese puffs, but were fine. The salt cod with mashed potato was served with toasted bread and was quite tasty.
For an appetizer, we split the garlic soup, which included a 5-minute egg to be mixed in. This was a perfectly good soup but less interesting and less garlicky than it sounded.
For mains, we got the za'atar spiced chicken, which was perfectly cooked and tender but again not as flavorful or spicy as it sounded. We also got the squid with tagliatelle (made with squid ink) that also was tasty but not wonderful. For sides, we got cauliflower with raisins, pinenuts, and capers that was good, and asparagus with bacon that was very good.
We split the pot de creme dessert, which was good but pretty straightforward. It was served with peanut brittle.
One disappointment was that a couple of things I'd been planning to get based on the online menu weren't offered, including the seafood cassoulet entree and the chocolate-cranberry bread pudding dessert.
All in all, this was a good, though fairly expensive meal. The expense in part was because we got a second round of drinks because they were delicious but small.
Having Sycamore and Farmstead Table as new restaurants in Newton Center is really expanding the upscale food offerings in the area. Also, Sycamore is apparently open late for drinks, snacks, and desserts, which creates a nice option for going out after a movie at West Newton Cinema; there have been very few places open in Newton for a late drink, coffee, or dessert.
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