An Old Standby in the Q
We love Alba. We’ve loved Alba for almost as long as we’ve loved each other.
Dramatic? Yes. Accurate? Also yes. Check out our older blog posts raving about Alba’s roof deck or their incredible sacchetti dish, both of which no longer exist because we are now old.
But our recent move deeper into the suburbs makes it difficult to go to Alba as frequently as we used to, so I’m dedicated to spending time in Quincy whenever I possibly can. This Friday night, Phil had to work late, so I found myself happily sitting at the wide, white-stone bar top at Alba as the restaurant quickly filled up with weekend restaurant-goers. A full glass of Montepulciano before me, I held out the familiar menu to decide what to order.
It’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. The Steak Tartar and Carpaccio combo is as good the tenth or so time you order it as it is the first, an excellent representation of what makes Alba great: elegance, accessibility, service, and damn good food.
The Steak Tartar and Beef Carpaccio combo at Alba
The tartar is crowned with a raw quail egg that soaks into the tartar before it’s served. The texture has the needed crunch of raw white onions, and each bite has just the right mustard-lemon flavor to counter the savory beef. The carpaccio is thinly sliced and a pleasing companion for the denser tartar. It’s a great life lesson that counters the old “less is more” standard - the best companion for raw beef is, apparently, more raw beef.
What really makes this dish sing, though, is the generous helping of pickled vegetables (usually carrots and cauliflower, but it various each time you order) and the lightly dressed, acidic greens. Both help break up both the flavor and feel of every bite.
The only feedback I have for my dear friends in the Alba kitchen? More crostini please! I had to ask for a second helping. Generally speaking, this dish is a great option both for people looking to get more comfortable eating raw foods at restaurants and for those who seek out great raw meat on every menu. But everyone always wants more bread.
There’s plenty more passionate Alba content where this came from - trust me. In the meantime, I’ll leave you all with two important statements:
When you find that restaurant or dish you love, DO IT and EAT IT. Don’t feel like you have to vary it, or try new places, or order something different. You have plenty of time to do that later. Eat what you love.
If you’re living in the deep, south-of-Boston suburbs like we are, get excited for Alba 2.0, Hanover version.