LAY OFF ME- IM STARVING: COOK- 825 Washington Street, Newton, MA

I finally did it! I've been eyeing this place for a few weeks, and after calling 5 days in advance,I secured my reservation for 8:30 last night. I knew from the minute I saw the menu online that this place was going to be the new hot spot in the Greater Boston area. The restaurant is located on the busy Washington Street in Newton, about 1.5 miles down the street from the infamous Buff's Pub. They did not have a designated lot, but we easily found street parking on one of the many side streets nearby. Immediately walking in, the place had a warm and casual feel to it. With enough seating to fit about 80 people, the restaurant had a unique industrial design with its high ceilings and brick walls, but exuded the warmth of an American Bistro with its cozy booths and low chandeliers.

The bar was along the left side of the restaurant and could probably fit about 20 people. Beer/Wine selection was decent, but they did look to have some pretty good "specialty drink" options. Unfortunately, those are wasted on me. I ordered my typical Bud Lite, as we continued to wait for our table. Unfortunately, this wait was a little longer than expected (at least 20 min), but we were updated by the hostess throughout our wait. FINALLY we sat down, and were greeted by our waitress. Soon after ordering more drinks, we were surprised to see the hostess bring over a Wild Mushroom Flatbread on the house, due to our unexpected wait. CLUTCH MOVE COOK. The bad taste immediately left my mouth (pun intended), and I was ready to begin my journey toward as satisfied palette. The flatbread was covered in mushrooms, fontina, ricotta cheese, caramelized onions and truffle. It was an amazing balance of flavor without being overpowering.

The actual menu at cook is pretty small compared to most restaurants. But somehow I still seemed to have 3 or 4 entrees that I could not choose between. They have a section for "snacks" that I could have literally ate every single thing on the menu. I decided to get some truffle fries for the table, as I had been eyeing them on the menu for a few weeks. They absolutely did not disappoint. The crispy fries were covered in Parmesan cheese, truffle and fresh rosemary. It was also paired with the dipping choices of rosemary aioli and ketchup. Needless to say, these fries were gone in less than 3 minutes. They were a fan favorite of the table, and we could have easily gone through two baskets.

Now....when it came to the ordering I decided to go with the lobster sliders. These were technically a starter ($6/each), so I decided to order two of them to make it a little more hearty of a meal. These sliders were on buttery and soft rolls and filled with a mix of tender lobster, lemon, mayo and tarragon. I could have had 15 of these. My other dinemates were equally pleased with their dishes, which you will see below.

If I could do it again: I would probably order a flatbread, as the mushroom one was quite impressive. I would also consider getting more of the snacks for the table. They had a lot of intriguing choices including popcorn with caramel and bacon. I would 100% order the truffle fries again, as they were by far my favorite dish of the night.

I would absolutely recommend this place for a fun Friday or Saturday night out. Definitely make a reservation first (as so few places even take reservations anymore), and get there about 10 minutes early to find a spot on the street. I would say this is a good place for groups of 2-8, as it doesn't look like it can accommodate much more than that. Overall, great experience with awesome food and a attentive staff! http://cooknewton.com/