With the MBTA green line coming to Union Square and buildings going up left and right, the already dense intersection of Washington Street and Somerville Avenue has become a nook of culinary destinations (Bronwyn, Ebi Sushi). More are tucked away nearby in cozy enclaves such as Bow Market (Rebel Rebel, The Eaves) and the Sanborn Court alleyway and pavilion just off Washington (The Jungle nightclub, Backbar cocktail lounge).
The Sanborn Court group includes Field & Vine, the farm-to-table concept that feels spot-on as white tablecloth sit-downs and massive main dishes trend the way of the dodo. Diners want to know more about where their food is sourced and to sample complex textures and flavor combinations in small portions rather than plopping all their eggs in one culinary basket, so to speak. Formal linens have their place, but it no longer is the calling card of fine dining.
When you walk into Field & Vine, you know you’re in for something different. There are literally vines crawling up the walls, and an artistically woven lattice that forms a box hood of sorts above the countertop bar and kitchen pit. There, as at the tasting bar at Urban Hearth, you are inches from the creative – and buzzing – crew of chefs preparing your meal.
The name says it all: fresh, locally sourced and housemade everything. For my visit, when I noshed on yellowfin tostadas and a piping bowl of Wellfleet clams, I was thinking the name could as aptly be Field & Brine. Beside a grilled fish of the day and a steak, the menu is mostly small plates and shareables. The melon with prosciutto and chilled beet salads I saw being assembled as I awaited my tostadas had such juicy, ripe orange and purple red lushness to them you could practically sample the plates with your eyes. Those yellowfin treats – single bites of lean tuna carpaccio on a corn crisp with a bit of oil, green garnish and roe – were simple, high-quality nibbles that went down too fast. The clams came in a broth bowl akin to your more typical ale-steamed mussels or a bouillabaisse. It’s a slurp- and sop-up event with rewards. The broth, a green crab curry with onions and cabbage, has a bit of a spicy chili punch to it. It came with grilled housemade focaccia to soak up the last of that briny curry.
I debated a third dish, but on the dessert slate spied a chocolate coffee sorbet. Light and guilt free, I thought. Wrong. I’m not certain of the calorie count, but what came up was a generous serving of creamy decadence. I’ve never had a sorbet this dense, rich and cakelike. It was like a classic fudge pop made from the finest chocolate mousse. It was bold, accented with a sesame seed sprinkle that add a piquantly subtle, salty offset, far from the usual palate-cleansing sorbet. Penning this now, I’m still awed by it. What’s even more amazing is that it’s nearly half the price you’d pay for a scoop at Van Leeuwen.
Going solo, I couldn’t imagine dining anywhere other than the kitchen counter, but Field & Vine has plenty of rustic seating for date or family night. I’d call the vibe “Soho artist loft with verdant, countryside kisses.” There’s a quaint, woodsy patio on Sanborn Court, free of car exhaust, should you want to dine al fresco.
Given its adored reputation, it’s hard to believe Field & Vine began as a pop-up whim in 2017 of co-owners Sara Markey and chef Andrew Brady (who also run the wood-fired pizzeria Junebug around the corner and helped launch Dear Annie). The service is nearly as impeccable as the food. Do know that a 20 percent gratuity is built into your bill – par for good service anywhere, and you get a cut above that here. (Plus, sitting at the counter you get a free minieducation in cooking that people pay big dollars for elsewhere.)
As you might expect, the menu at Field & Vine rotates with the seasons and availability of high-quality ingredients. Things to try before the ostensible fall shift include that melon salad, and crispy potato cakes with cucumber tzatziki and smoked trout roe. Count me in for the housemade cheddar biscuit too.
Field & Vine, 9 Sanborn Court, Union Square, Somerville
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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