Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/84881
SO MANY DINNERS... SO LITTLE TIME Del Frisco's wine list features 1,500 selections... ABOVE PAR ... like this 1986 Château Lafite Rothschild. continued from page 68 calamari, which is more accurately a Thai-style treat of toothsome squid, sliced cherry peppers, slivered scallions, crushed peanuts, and sweet chili sauce. You could happily make a meal out of side dishes like creamy lobster macaroni and cheese, sherry-scented sautéed mushrooms, and spinach supreme, a wickedly decadent blend of spinach, cheddar, bacon, scallions, and mush- rooms that might be described as the hole-in-one of creamed spinach. Above all, servings are of Flintstone proportions. A single order of lemon cake—a six-layer wedge of cake, buttercream frosting, and lemon glaze—weighs 1.8 pounds. The wine list is a 23-page, leather-bound tome featuring 1,500 selections. If you're in the mood to splurge, a 1986 Château Lafite Rothschild will cost you $8,550. As befits an establishment with an inventory of more than a million wine bottles, Del Frisco's employs four full-time sommeliers, so there are always at least two on the floor to help you choose the perfect vino. On a weekend night, the restaurant can feed as many as 700 guests. Lunch is becoming almost as busy thanks to an in-and-out-within-30-minutes menu that emphasizes sandwiches, salads, and light entrées. It's designed for people who work in the neighborhood, many of whom will stop back in for a cocktail on their way home. Paul Pierce and Patrice Bergeron The best place to sit? It's dead center in the middle of the room at Table 51, where you can see everyone and everyone can see you. At Del Frisco's, it's not about being coy, it's about bigger is better is best. 250 Northern Ave., 617-951-1368; delfriscos.com BC MAJOR LEAGUER If you know Gregg Rinaldi, the general manager at Del Frisco's, it's no surprise that so many professional athletes make this steakhouse their regular hangout. Rinaldi walked the walk himself: At the age of 19, he was signed to the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitched in the major leagues until he was sidelined by an elbow injury at 22. "When I left baseball, I had to find a second passion in my life, and I realized that was making people happy," he says. "So when I went back to school to finish my degree, I wrapped it around hospitality." Rinaldi believes his ball-playing days give him an edge with his famous patrons. "They do not want to be treated like superstars; they prefer to be treated like the everyday person who walks into the restaurant," he says. "They stay away from places where they know they can't sit down with their friends—who are other players—and relax and have a good time like everyone else." Though he was born in New York, Rinaldi is a lifelong New England sports fan. "I have always loved this area, and I have always loved the Patriots," he says. So much so that he named his son Boston, his daughters Providence and Haven, and his yellow Labrador Brady. General manager Gregg Rinaldi What do eagles have to do with great steak? Del Frisco's borrowed the golf term Double Eagle, which means a score of three under par on any individual hole. Although there's no green in sight at Del Frisco's, the tag accurately describes the perfection of the steaks here. 70 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY RYAN (FOOD, MENU, RINALDI); HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES (BERGERON); JOHN M. HELLER/GETTY IMAGES (PIERCE)