N.B.: This article has been corrected thanks to the astute eye of Lauren Berman who caught my egregious fiscal error. Our dinner bill was $240 for 4 people, not $120. Still, the food and service were worth it and that is what an upscale Italian restaurant costs these days, but maybe I will visit a bit less often than I originally anticipated!
I hesitate to write this restaurant review for extremely selfish reasons since I want to be able to book a table at MIDA Newton anytime the spirit moves me; nonetheless, my inherited moral code keeps me from such a self-serving motive. It’s only been open a couple of weeks, but from the excellent service to the top quality of the food, you would never be able to discern that fact. Award winning Chef Douglas Williams of MIDA in Boston’s South End has repeated his winning formula here in Newtonville in the new Trio building. I only got a glimpse of the interior of the restaurant as four of us were quickly escorted to the outdoor patio to be seated.
That glimpse made a most positive impression as I can still visualize the beautiful flooring and the open and comfortable and large dining area indoors. Someday, when COVID makes me less vulnerable, I will eat inside again and enjoy those surroundings for myself. But, until then, I will recount my nearly Parisian experience on the patio, people watching while enjoying a first-class Italian meal that was in the “Reasonable-Value-For-A-Saturday-Night-Out-With-Friends” Category. Four of us spent $240 for two appetizers (two frito mistos), four entrees (2 veal chops, ½ deboned roast chicken and 1 pasta carbonara), two glasses of wine, a Coke and a water. Not cheap, but definitely worth it and your choices could bring the bill in much lower, since pizza is also available. We also asked for bread and recommend you do so, too, since the bread we were served (with dipping oil) was a delightful treat while we waited for our food. In fact, we had a second order of that delightfully, delicate, crusty aliment during our meal. I highly recommend MIDA, but please leave me a table!
Are they offering special pricing? I just checked out their online menu (which looks great by the way), but the dinner you described comes out closer to $170 before tip, bringing the bill over $200 with tip. Perhaps pizza can bring the bill lower, but the least expensive one is an $18 (what!) cheese pizza. Personally, I’m more excited about the new CLOVER Food Lab opening with the George Howell Coffee bar and their “pay what you want” weekend on July 9 & 10!
Oh, and I neglected to mention that all proceeds from CLOVER’s opening event are being donated to the Newton Schools Foundation! How great is that?
@Lauren: Thanks for catching my error. I will check out CLOVER, but think the comparison is apples to oranges. For a special occasion meal MIDA is definitely top class.
A view from dining INSIDE MIDA: Exceptional food. The “North Shore Fritto Misto”, (fried oysters and calamari) were the best fried oysters I have ever had, just not enough of them in the dish. For the main courses, we had the veal chop and eggplant parm. Both terrific.
I’m less enthusiastic about the ambience. For the price point I would expect more character than cafeteria chic. The bar has more of a Howard Johnson’s vibe than fine dining. I want a bit more romance for my money. Lower the lighting, add some color.
Considering the newness of the place and the difficulty of staffing a restaurant in the post covid world I’ll give the friendly and enthusiastic bartenders a pass for their inexperience and hope for improvement.
The next Newton restaurant opening I’m looking forward to is in Auburndale next week. “Ward 4”, a more casual pub on the site of the legendary “AC” (Auburndale Café). Those walls can tell tales! I’ve been inside during construction and it’s a great looking place.
Only in Newton would there be such consternation and hand-wringing over the opening of a new upscale restaurant. Given the pandemic’s impact on the restaurant industry and the fact that Newton has done such a terrible job supporting its restaurants compared to neighboring communities like Waltham, I’m excited that there are new venues opening now. Surely they’ll work out whatever usual early kinks they experience, so I look forward to giving them a chance. Does anyone know of any restaurant planning to move into the old Lumiere space on Washington St. in West Newton Square? Once the never-ending construction project in the Square is complete here’s hoping that a great new restaurant will open there that we can all support. Maybe after Washington St is re-paved the city might pave some of the crumbling side streets on the north side of West Newton, too, but even in a mayoral election year and with the city expected to be swimming in federal bailout cash, I fear that’s probably too much to ask.
Gerry,
The $45 veal entree (after taxes, tips) pairs well with the 4k a month rent for 2BR upstairs
Its a good match. How does the food compare to the moderately priced fiorellas 1 mile away?
@Gerry, last I heard the Blue Bird Bar & Wood-Fired Grill was moving into Lumiere’s space. At least that was the pre-pandemic plan. Oh, and on the Waltham front, the Phantom Gourmet has chosen Waltham’s Moody Street as the site of it’s annual food festival, to be held this September: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10165038527775244&id=187104770243
@Bugek: I love Fiorella’s, too. But I will submit that there is room in Newton for another Italian restaurant, one with food that is more inventive, delicious and thoughtful than the comfortable offerings at Fiorella’s. Don’t get me wrong…they each have their place in our City and I will continue to frequent them both, but MIDA even made Bucatini carbonara delicious (I tasted my husband’s entrée) and my deboned roast chicken was not ordinary, but delectable on its bed of perfect risotto. Did I mention the bread? Worth the visit alone, even at twice the price I originally thought we paid per couple!
(Even the $4,000+/month rent paying tenants of Trio need a place to eat!)
@Terry Malloy: I’m also looking forward to Ward 4’s opening. Incidentally, when reading Amy Sangiolo’s excellent weekly newsletter, I came across an item on the Newton Board of Licensing Commissioners Agenda for June 15:
“Request for a New Common Victualler and Annual Entertainment License for a new common victualler and annual entertainment license to be exercised at Tatte Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Tatte Bakery, 1241 Centre Street. The hours of operation will be M-F: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. There will be 80 seats inside and 25 seats in the patio.”
I Googled their menus and am excited to try their patio, too.
Let’s not forget Tartufo in Newton Centre-delicious, upscale Italian food in a lovely setting. Very professional waitstaff and bar service. They have been part of Newton Centre for quite a long time. I Have been to MIDA in the South End and I look forward to trying it here in Newton when we have a special occasion to celebrate.
I hope Bluebird (or something) goes into the Lumiere spot soon. There are so many empty storefronts in West Newton, especially with BSC and Harris Cyclery being gone. Sounds like The Local has been suffering too since they reopened so they may not be around much longer if things don’t pick up. Definitely doesn’t feel very likely in West Newton. Newtonville on the other hand feels very lively.
(lively not likely)
harris is still in business
@joe— Harris’ website states they closed yesterday: https://www.harriscyclery.net/
First of all, kudos to Sallee for the positive post and the pun of a title.
Second, I think some of the posts posting on this thread need to take a step back from the fellowship of the miserable. After the events of the past year, we’ve got a new restaurant opening, in fact a GREAT new restaurant opening, in Newtonville. With outdoor seating (and yes the Pike is noisy but I’m fine with it. Lots of folks are). Not only that, but a restaurant run by one of the best new chefs in America. Don’t take my word for it, Food and Wine Magazine said it. I haven’t tried the MIDA in Newtonville, but I’ve heard great things about its sister restaurant in the South End.
Third, for those who grumble “why not just go to Fiorella’s” at this point if you are what you eat, at least one of my limbs and maybe my entire gut is Fiorella’s Gnocci Fra Diablo. I love that place. But it is a different establishment, with a much different menu. I will continue to eat and get take-out from Fiorella’s. I look forward to a date night at Mida too. Why can’t we have both?
Fourth, we don’t acknowledge enough when things actually go right. When Trio was being built, there was a ton of negativity about the retail space on the forum. All banks and nail salons. No one will agree to live above a restaurant, so no way the developer will put one in. I recall one or two folks mentioning that hundreds of Boston residential buildings seemed to survive with restaurant retail, but still, the negativity was strong. We’ve now got a high end Italian restaurant and a terrific veggie friendly fast casual establishment at Trio, with likely more to follow. Oh, and a terrific coffee shop at Austin Street (great place to work for a few hours with my laptop). Is Trio perfect? Nope. Is it a overall a positive for Newtonville? Yep.
Fifth, there are a lot of empty retail spaces in Newtonville and West Newton. My prediction is that once we get beyond Covid, a lot of those are going to fill up with new restaurants and fast dining establishments. Newtonville is posed to get a whole bunch of new retail.
Sixth, Mary Mary Quite Contrary is correct regarding the feel of Newtonville these days. More folks are hanging out in the village. Those benches are often occupied, and the patio over Bram way is a huge success. Now if they could just put in the flowers in the flower pots, and finish the street markings (and crosswalk designs they promised)!
Nothing is perfect. But c’mon, it is a huge improvement. Look on the bright side once and a while.
really really a sad day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
started out as a hardware store
branched out to bike store
end of an era
it was a 5&10 at one point
bsc was a first national
Loved MIDA! So thrilled Newtonville is getting a shot of life lately with the Bram Way plaza, fun art work and a celebrity chef restaurant and cool dining space. My husband and I sat at the bar the other evening and with the exception of the lighting (dimmers please, I’m over 50!) we loved the space, food and service. We created our own “surf & turf” and split the North Shore Fritto Misto and Veal Chop. Both excellent. We’ll be back, but maybe wait till the dimmers are working.