html> Breathe Easy: Dinner Review- The Top of the Hub!

Dinner Review- The Top of the Hub!

       

        I mentioned before that I was going to start giving you reviews on all of the restaurants I go to (and trust me, I go to a lot...). There is just something about going out to eat, the ambiance, good conversation to match a good cocktail, the (hopefully) amazing food... decorated so attractively on the plate that you can't resist the urge to snap a few Instagram photos- that I enjoy far too much. I grew up in a family where we went out to eat often, and those memories are surrounded with good friends, loud laughter and good eats... so i've forever related going out to eat with happiness. Even when things got difficult, I remember distinctively when things with the kidney transplant, Ashley's death, lung transplants, got difficult, our first instinct was to go out to eat to talk about the issues at hand! It is just my families go to.
        
      And no, it doesn't mean you have to grub on unhealthy foods every time, I like to think I eat relatively healthy, so with moderation in mind- go OUT TO EAT when you get the chance! Especially if you live in a city, go explore and find some hole in the wall places, a lot of the time those are the best! Plus, there is every genre of food you could ever imagine when it comes to city restaurants... seriously! I've walked by some interesting cuisines I had never heard of prior, and ended up walking in and tasting some amazing things! 

         This most recent out to eat excursion wasn't to a hole in the wall restaurant, no, it was to one of the most well known restaurants in Boston- The Top of the Hub.
I felt like a bad Bostonian since I had yet to ever eat at this Boston staple! I had heard people rave about the view, of course... I mean it is on the 52nd floor of the Prudential center, which to date, is the 2nd tallest building in Boston... so yes, the view was absolutely breath taking to say the least. Before I get into that, I need to make note of the hospitality of the staff and all the people who work to make The Top of the Hub as successful as it is... they were so accommodating, and just plain wonderful... I can't stress enough how much they enhanced my experience dining there. They even gave me some SkyWalk tickets to give to my readers (read more about that at the end!

          I took my mother with me to dine here, I knew that just like me she had wanted to go here for awhile, so when the opportunity presented itself- I knew she would be excited! Our reservation was at 7:30, we got there around 7:15 and were greeted with a smile by the two gentlemen standing behind the host desk! I gave him my name, and was told our table was about to be cleared if we just wanted to sit on the couches in a little area near the bar. I love that they have this area for people with reservations- usually restaurants just have you standing awkwardly near the entrance waiting for your seat. My mom and I decided to grab a cocktail while we waited- I usually go with a gin and soda water, but for blogging purposes I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and taste their Strawberry Basil Lemonade (Plymouth gin, basil, strawberry puree, and lemon..) I loved it.. it wasn't too sweet, just perfect... plus, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with gin! Mom didn't venture out, she got a gin and tonic.. but we sat there enjoying our drinks on the comfy couches, looking at the fabulous view! 


 Shortly after we got our drinks, the manager, Ted, came over to bring us to our seats... He took both of our drinks and walked us over to a perfect table in the lounge, right by the window! Again, it was breath taking.... and it was also right near where the band was set up.. so we were excited about that! We enjoy sitting in the lounge area of most restaurants as opposed to the dining area, it always tends to be more fun- plus, I was with my mom, had it been a date I think the dining area would have been more appealing. 


     After browsing the menu, we decided to start with two appetizers.. the Tartar of yellowfin tuna (avocado, cilantro and pickled ginger) my mom and I like to think that we are tartar  connoisseurs, its our go to at most restaurants... and to quote my mom, "this is one of the best tartars I have tasted..." so I think that gives an indication on how much we liked it. It was perfectly textured, and the whole thing didn't just fall apart once you dug into it- the chip on the top went along great as well, and of course I inhaled the seaweed salad, which had the perfect crunch! They also had a sliver of this spicy mayo on the plate that was a wonderful addition. I definitely recommend this dish! But, our FAVORITE dish of the night was, hands down, the Brie and Walnuts baked with dried fruit compote (artisan double cream, and aged fig sauce..) I am still dreaming about this deliciousness. The compote was soaked into the bread it was laying on, making it the perfect amount of sweet to go along with the brie... I mean, I could possibly live off of this stuff.. 


       We shared our main courses, we got the baby spinach salad (roasted walnuts, goat cheese, port wine reduction, lemon vinaigrette...) and I added grilled shrimp onto it! I love shrimp, and you can never go wrong with goat cheese (unless you are a lactose intolerant... than you can go wrong) the dressing was fabulous! And then the George's Bank Haddock "Rockefeller" (gruyere, Swiss Cheese, Spinach Herb Crumbs), the fish was cooked to perfection, you could tell how fresh it was. We recommend both of these! 


        And then the band started to play right as we finished our meals, and so we sat back, enjoyed the view and listened to some great music! I cannot wait to go back- I recommend everyone go! It is a perfect place for a romantic date as well... so maybe if I ever get a boyfriend he can take me here... yeah right. 




      The wonderful people at The Top of the Hub also were generous enough to give my readers tickets to the skywalk! So you can comment under here, or go like the status on my Facebook page talking about this post, Facebook.com/breatheeasywithme (make sure to like the page too), to be entered in the giveaway! I will pick a winner to win two tickets to see the beautiful views at the top of the pru! Hope you enjoyed the review, and if you dine at the Top of the Hub let me know what you think!

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