Anyone who goes to college near Harvard Square has probably brought their parents or professor to Park, Russel House Tavern, Grafton Street or Temple Bar at some part. But Grafton Group Hospitality's best restaurant actually lies outside of the Square: State Street Provisions, conveniently in Government Center right by TD Garden.
State Street Provisions is the perfect place to get a quality meal on your way to a Celtics game, and the ambiance and quality are totally date-worthy. The restaurant is dimly lit and richly furnished, with a bit of an upscale speakeasy feel.
A quality bread basket — or lack thereof — can make or break a restaurant. My meal there started out on a fantastic note with a basket of bread and butter — the rolls were yeasty, soft, and still hot from the oven.
As someone who considers the greatest meals to consist purely of appetizers, I was quite pleased with the selection: in addition to a mix of traditional and unconventional fare ranging from lobster bisque to beef cheek pastrami toast, there were also full raw bar and charcuterie menus. I chose the octopus mortadella, the warm farro salad, and a cheese plate featuring a local Prufrock. All were quite good, but the octopus mortadella was an absolute standout. The mortadella component was sort of like an octopus salami, combined into a roll with seasoning and sliced thin--sounds weird, but tasted excellent. The dish was served with a side slaw of apple and crunchy roasted chickpeas and topped with the showstopper, a portion of smoked octopus, perfectly crispy on the outside and teeming with rich smoky flavor.
The Prufrock was rich and creamy, and came with candied almonds, a melon jam, and even more bread.
The warm farro salad balanced a wide range of flavors, from the tang of the feta and za'atar to the sweetness of the dried apricots and roasted squash to the nuttiness of the faro.
The entrees featured a good range of options, including both Boston classics like a lobster roll and burger as well as unique options like the daily house-made pasta special and grilled quinoa fritter. The prices were also very reasonable considering how high quality the food was.
My lobster roll was superb, and I've had more than a few lobster rolls since I moved to the East Coast. I liked how the lobster was in pretty large chunks — in the picture, you can almost see a whole claw! — and the aioli was light enough to let the lobster flavor shine through. The unsung hero of all lobster rolls, the bun, was buttery, salty, and toasty — just how I like it. The caesar salad was also rather impressive, considering it takes a lot for a caesar salad to be memorable--buttery housemade croutons and quality parmesan made this dish memorable.
The quinoa fritter was also memorable — it came with roasted brussel sprouts and carrots, a ginger-squash puree, and and harissa aioli. A lot of complex flavors and textures, but they blended together well to create a truly unique dish — and a standout vegetarian option.
Whether it's a first date or a playoff game, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend State Street Provisions to anyone that finds themselves near Government Center!