T.W.Food

Somewhere, hidden in a largely residential section of North Cambridge, lies an unexpected gem.

I know - sounds familiar doesn't it? But no, I'm not talking about that famous restaurant (which, incidentally, has since moved from that leafy location). I am, instead, talking about T.W. Food, a cozy little place right on Walden street between Harvard Square and Alewife.

Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann are the owners of T.W. Food, a small, intimate restaurant serving dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.  The menu changes daily depending on what's available that day.  Chef Tim Wiechmann exhibits creativity that's also grounded in solid, classic French training. He's not afraid to experiment and definitely plays around with molecular gastronomy. Don't be surprised if you see some foams (among other interesting things) here.

T.W. Food is inviting right when you walk in -  the exposed brick, tiny bustling kitchen, and small cozy dining space beckon one to sit down and just relax.

The menu is set up in two ways. You can either order the Grand Tasting, which consists of courses and costs $75. Or, you can order from the a la carte menu, which allows you to choose a starter, entree, and dessert for $41. Everything is a fixed price menu here.

For a great deal, you can also try their Tuesday Wine Series, which is a 4-course meal paired with 4 glasses of wine for $55. It's great fun because each week they explore wine from a different region. In the next month or so, they plan on exploring Argentina & Chile, Bordeaux, French Riviera, and Sicily (just to name a few).

We went on a Saturday with Bryan's old co-worker from years past. This is the same co-worker who first introduced us to one of our favorite casual dining spots. Chatting with him is always a pleasure, as he constantly gives us new ideas about cooking, shopping, and eating.

Because it was summer, we started with a beautiful amuse bouche of fresh corn and a creamy, custardy cake. The bite was delightful, and definitely whet our appetites for more.

I decided to start with the smoked fish pate with house pickled cucumber and red onions. The smoked fish was nice, perfectly salted and infused with a beautiful smoky flavor. It went well with the accompaniments.

Bryan ordered one of their signature dishes, the "Fois Gras Creme Brulee".  It's an unusual mixture of savory and sweet - the rich, savory umami of the fois gras is topped with a hard, candy coated shell from the creme brulee.

"Summer Lettuce" is a compilation of seasonal, summer greens, fruit, and other fresh produce.

Whole Wheat Pappardelle 
heirloom tomato, bucheron goat’s cheese, spelt grains, escarole and basil 

Though Bryan does not typically like whole wheat pasta, he was intrigued by the idea of fresh, homemade whole wheat pasta. The verdict? He very much enjoyed the flavor of the sauce, but maintains that whole wheat pasta just does not have the same texture (and thus just isn't as good), as white flour pasta. Having said that, he conceded that the texture of this homemade pasta was quite good, and he was still perfectly happy eating it.

Both of our favorites from the evening? - this lovely summer corn ravioli with house smoked ham. The ravioli itself had amazing pasta texture (much better than Bryan's whole wheat pasta!), and I absolutely loved the intense flavor of corn that dominated each bite. The sweetness and creaminess of the ravioli contrasted perfectly with the salty, smoky ham. The dish was perfectly balanced and absolutely delicious.

Dessert was really really interesting. We ordered beignets with tobacco infused chocolate sauce. The tobacco flavor was subtle but it was definitely there. It added an interesting smoky element to the chocolate sauce.

What a nice touch!  We ended with some complimentary mignardises that wrapped up the meal nicely.

General Thoughts
I had a fantastic time at T.W. Food trying the various dishes. Everything is executed with precision and lots of care. The ingredients are top notch and the menu is creative.

Unlike most French-inspired upscale restaurants, T.W. Food serves rather generous portions. We actually took quite a bit of food home, which we didn't mind at all. The leftovers were still very, very enjoyable!

I would love to stop by on a Tuesday and try their wine series. I tried their grand tasting several years ago but frankly, it was so long ago I don't remember it that well. Maybe it's time to go back and try that as well!

All in all, I'm enjoying the interesting dishes at T.W. Food and I will definitely be back.

T.W. Food
377 Walden St
Cambridge, MA 02138