Testing the Waters at Allston Yacht Club

********THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.******** 

Last Wednesday, I met Mr. and Mrs. sinosoul, Rants and Craves, and The Roaming Belly at Allston Yacht Club for a hosted dinner.

Named after a neighborhood in Boston, Allston Yacht Club is the brainchild of Beantown natives Charles Kelly and Bill DiDonna.

And that's pretty much all I can tell you about the odd moniker for the Echo Park eatery.

Bright primary colors adorn the walls.



We dined beneath Hokusai-like whitecaps.

I didn't get it. Yacht club? Japanese waves? What kind of food were we about eat?

Apparently, small plates of various origins.

I still didn't get it, but I went with it.

I tried a Tourniquet, which was infused with housemade grenadine.

The grenadine was made from real pomegranates, which I loved. I felt like I was sipping perfume during my first few sips. Extremely fragrant. Creative and delightful drink.

Frico -- three crisps of Parmesan cheese and sliced shallot.

A chip made from fried cheese? Yes, please.

Mussels special.

Mrs. sinosoul seemed to like these, so reports this anti-bivalve girl.

Arancini -- risotto stuffed with peas and mozzarella rolled in panko, deep fried, and served on tomatillo salsa crudo.

Golden balls o' gimme-more. As awesome as they look.

Shrimp and feta gratin -- spice-rubbed shrimp, roasted tomato, and feta.

While the shrimp was a tad rubbery, I enjoyed the flavor. The feta was fabulous.

Scorched shishito peppers -- cooked quickly over high heat with a shot of ponzu and a pinch of bonito.

Blech. Just. Not. Good.

Duck confit, goat cheese toasts, roasted figs.

Nicely done and worth ordering, but I've certainly had better.

Pork belly -- braised then seared and served with an inebriated cherry salad.

I like all pork belly. This was no exception. However, this Allston Yacht Club version must be eaten immediately because it is not merely unctuous; it is super-duper fatty. My hot bite was great. My later cooled-off bite was not-so-great.

Merguez sausage -- lamb with garlic, cumin, and paprika served with a smoked corn succotash.

Are you thinking of certain puddy tat named Sylvester? Just me? I dug the succotash. It did not make me suffer. Quite the opposite. Oh, and the sausage was tasty, too.

Braised short rib, root vegetable puree.

Delectable. The meat was lovely, but methinks "root vegetable puree" is just a fancy way of saying "mashed potatoes."

Grilled cheese of the day.

Good crusty bread, but the abundance of green onions overpowered what little cheese was hidden inside. When I eat a grilled cheese sandwich, I want cheese. Lots of it. Boo.

Beef, skewered and grilled with chimichurri, garlic, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and chili.

This dish's seasoning rocked. Like the pork belly, this dish should also be eaten as soon as you get it, as the cubes get progressively tougher as they cool.

Polenta with greens and gorgonzola -- sauteed seasoned chard, disk of crisped polenta, and a dollop of gorgonzola cream.

Welcome to Bland City. This was rather sad. That's all I've got.

Sweet potato fritters with minted yogurt.

Deeeeelicious but ruined by the yogurt. If you like donuts, you'll love these. But I'm a girl who likes her sweet donuts actually sweet, not wading in a pool of tzatziki. By themselves, awesome. In minted yogurt, eww. It just didn't match. I wish these had been on sticks like big donut lollipops and accompanied by some kind of syrup or cream for dipping. These were a good bridge between savory dishes and dessert.

Chocolate chip bread pudding, caramel, cream, berries.

Yay for yummy! Not too sweet and just to my liking. Happy warm finale.

Allston Yacht Club has heart. Allston Yacht Club has potential. But, at the moment, Allston Yacht Club doesn't have identity, at least not one that was evident to me.

Once Allston Yacht Club figures things out, it will be smooth sailing -- a damn good place to frequent, especially for groups. Even in its current state, however, the place is still worth a visit, especially on Wicked Wednesdays, when every dish is only $5.