One of the best ways I have found to keep track of the many restaurants I want to try is to follow them on Instagram. If I want to follow a place that is not tantalizing would-be customers with glorious photos of food and drink on Insta (there are hold outs), then I opt to save an image from their website or a press piece to my two Pinterest Boards for Boston and New York based restaurants. Between these two methods, it’s pretty certain I will remember all the places on my list, without an actual list in hand.
That’s exactly what happened over Labor Day weekend when my husband and I found ourselves with a free night and yours truly in need of a vacation from the kitchen. Once again, our nest was recently emptied and we wanted to head out and explore.
Insert Instagram and The Maiden, a new restaurant that I had been following since before it opened to the public last December. Located in South Boston, aka Southie, the restaurant is owned by Esti Parsons, her husband, Drew Parsons and Drew’s brother Jon, the team behind the now closed Sam’s at Louis that my husband and I had the good fortunate to visit on a few occasions. Esti has been referred to as a hospitality guru in the press thanks to her time as general manager and partner at Radius and subsequently at Sam’s. We were delighted that Esti was at The Maiden to greet us and interact with us throughout the evening which made the experience that much more fun…
As it was a holiday weekend, we were able to get on street parking, but that might be a challenge on a busier evening so leave yourself some time. Thankfully, the red line’s Broadway T-stop is directly across the street if you have access to public transportation.
If you take a look at The Maiden’s website, you will see that they are a very witty bunch so it came as no surprise to find this little limerick outside to get things started…
The restaurant seats about 80 and includes an L-shaped bar that seats 16 or so, several high top tables and a room at the back that has additional four tables that seat six. The back room would be a wonderful place to have a private event or dinner for a larger group. Contact the restaurant if you are interested…
The kitchen is home to chef Tyler Potter (KO Prime, Eastern Standard) and is open for viewing. We took a stroll by to first take a look at the fresh seafood and selection of oysters that were on display…
I appreciated seeing chef’s cookbook collection filling the shelves, waiting to inspire…
My husband and I were seated in the bar area at a high top table in front of a large window that was open to the street which was particularly a good location for photos. Along came this delicious bread (Iggy’s?) with a little cast iron pan of olive oil and a bowl of salt and pepper…
The menu is lengthy with lots of options, making it a suitable place to visit for any budget or food preferences. Oysters ($3.25-3.50) from near and far are offered as well as Cheeses and Meats ($8-10) with the latter largely sourced from New England Charcuterie in Waltham, affiliate company of Moody’s Delicatessen which you should also visit if you haven’t! We were in the mood for oysters and Esti recommended the ones we selected that were from Eel Lake in Nova Scotia and Pemaquid from the Damariscotta River in Maine. Served simply with a mignonette sauce and some horseradish, these were both spectacular…
Clothespins indicating which oysters were which are attached to the place which we thought was a fun (and helpful) touch…
From there, we moved on to a “board”. You can choose a 3 or 5 item board consisting of cheeses, meats and The Maiden’s housemade items such as bluefish pate or chicken liver mousse. We chose a Tomme Crayeuse cheese, Soppressatta and Coppa that were served with a chutney and assorted pickles. Beautifully plated and absolutely delicious not to mention a real indulgence…
The rest of the menu consists of Appetizers ($10-16) such as Steamed Mussels and Shrimp & Avocado Salad and Entrees ($16-29) such as the cleverly named “The Ghost of Sam’s Burger”, the only vegetarian entree of Ricotta Gnocchi and a Roasted Chicken.
We weren’t hungry enough to order entrees, but felt as though we hadn’t sampled any of chef’s original dishes so we debated our options. We decided to stick with the menu’s “Snacks” category ($6-14) so we could sample a few more dishes. We were very happy with our selections that included this Marinated Cauliflower. Served cold, the cauliflower was seasoned with za’atar, lemon and parsley. We happen to both love za’atar and parsley so this was a light and flavorful complement to the heavier charcuterie…
We also ordered these BBQ pork ribs that were seasoned with gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), black bean paste and cilantro. These were meltingly tender, falling easily off the bone and completely delicious. Love them as a snack, but they would do equally well as an entree I believe…
We took a pause at this point, but felt that we needed one more dish to finish things off. We decided on this melted fontina with bacon crumble and fried garlic that was served with the crispiest potatoes I think I have ever had in my life! Perfectly fried and salted, the potatoes alone would have won me over, but the melted fontina took them over the top…
Throughout the meal, Esti came over to check on us as she did with all of her guests. From our conversations, we learned a couple of interesting things. Most importantly, The Maiden is located in the building that once housed Triple O’s, notoriously one of Whitey Bulgur’s shakedown bars. I think in those days it wasn’t good news if you were taken upstairs for a chat. If those walls could talk! We also learned that the name of the restaurant, The Maiden, was a play on Jon Parson’s character name in a favorite game, World of Warcraft!
Our server who was attentive and informative about the menu herself, brought us this dessert at Esti’s request which we were delighted to receive. Who says no to a Deconstructed S’more? Not even my husband. Graham cracker cookies, roasted marshmallows, whipped cream, powdered sugar and a pool of chocolate? Yum…
A closer look…
Our view from our table out to the streets of South Boston…
The Maiden is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday evenings. Brunch is served beginning at 11:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. Check out the restaurants Events Page on their website for special additions to the menu and information on Tuesday Trivia and Wednesday Wine nights!
When we asked why she chose to open their new spot in South Boston, her answer was that they wanted to bring a fun, casual but sophisticated eatery to their neighborhood. We think they succeeded in doing just that and more. If you visit, please let them know The Kitchen Scout sent you!
And in the meanwhile, follow The Maiden on Instagram for some mouth watering views into their kitchen.
Until next week!
One Year Ago: Review of The Blue Ox in Lynn, Massachusetts
Two Years Ago: Salted Chocolate Caramel Brownies
Disclaimer: The Maiden did provide us with a complementary dessert. However, I was not paid to write this post and all opinions written are my own.
