Fine dining in Stoughton? Yes, there is longtime Italian favorite LaStoria situated near the town’s center, but despite its consistently appealing cuisine, its interior and charm have lost their luster over the years. Recently, however, the answer to this question has shifted to a resounding and refreshingly surprising yes. In the space once inhabited by the antiquated Albert’s (largely reserved for an older crowd) and more recently, Greek eatery X&O, Amelia’s brings an excitement to Stoughton that is long overdue. With cuisine resembling a Northern Italian trattoria along with farm to table ingredients, the restaurant is run by the owners of Dedham’s well-regarded Sofia’s, and the same level of sophistication and attention to detail that can be experienced at the flagship site is on full display here.
The days of Albert’s stale atmosphere are long gone, only to be replaced with a spacious, sleek, contemporary layout accented by a dark, stylish mahogany finish. A stunning lounge area with plush sofas is located behind a large bar, vibrant and cozy all at once, as evidenced by reclaimed skip planed oak, stone walls, and an antique fireplace. This is what you envision a nice night out in the suburbs looking and feeling like. Also a nice touch: while the restaurant is clearly busy on a Friday evening, the hostess tells us to take as long as we’d like ordering drinks in the lounge and that our table would be waiting for us. A special occasion restaurant that also makes you feel, well…special.
The menu at Amelia’s is as accessible and inviting as its atmosphere. For starters, calamari fritti ($10) are delightfully chewy and coated with minimal breading which allows one to truly enjoy the fish itself, cooked with sweet chili sauce and mixed with banana peppers for a nice burst of heat. The result is one of the finest versions I’ve tasted in recent memory. Also noteworthy is a special of tuna tartare ($14), the fresh fish expertly sliced and nicely plated.
Entrees are equally strong, including exemplary seafood offerings, such as Wild Atlantic cod ($22), which I have always found too mildly a flavored fish. Here, however, the well-seasoned fish shines in creamed corn with smoked bacon, Graham cracker crumbs, and beurre blanc. Also well executed are beautifully seared, meaty sea scallops ($22), whose sweetness is punctuated by sweet corn risotto and accompanied by a lovely chilled green bean salad with charred heirloom tomato vinaigrette.
Pastas also rate highly, including the zesty Spaghetti ($23), in essence a glorified version of frutti di mare, featuring perfectly cooked al dente pasta packed with generous amounts of Scituate lobster, mussels, and shrimp topped with a light, spicy tomato sauce.
Wood-grilled items also impress, such as a massive portion of double-cut Australian lamb chops ($24), two hunks of meat playfully stacked atop one another and layered with a delectable, innovative pomegranate fig demi that nicely compliments, but does not overpower the lamb. While the au gratin potatoes were adequate, the dish would have benefitted from a touch of restraint, swapping out the heavier starch or a vegetable.
Desserts also impress, including a house-made molten chocolate lava cake that is well worth the ten minute wait as it is prepared. The cake’s moist, yet not too dense exterior breaks at the slightest tap of the fork, leading to an interior overflowing with rich, bittersweet chocolate. It’s simply decadent and rivals the best of any lava cakes I’ve tasted in either Boston or Providence.
Outside of an isolated, awkward moment in which our waitress (Camille, who I’d ask for over and over again) asked me about the preparation of a pork chop I had not ordered, service overall was relaxed, prompt, and attentive (example: my wife’s spilled martini resulted in her sighing what a long week it had been, prompting our waitress to immediately order her a new drink while wittily replying, “Think of this as the start to a great weekend”), as polished as one would expect for Boston, not the suburbs.
Cocktails are well crafted and potent, particularly a beverage blended with Maker’s Mark and Cointreau, a much stiffer version of a Mai Tai. There are over four dozen intriguing, yet reasonably priced wine selections available by the bottle, ranging across France, Italy, and Napa, while two dozen wines are also available by the glass ($6-14). You can enjoy a bottle of vibrant, light Angelina Reserve pinot noir at just $38, or be bold and splurge for a more robust flavored, pricier Caymus at $114.
At the conclusion of the evening, I remarked to our dining companions what a pleasant surprise Amelia’s was. Given its reasonable price points, superior service, and well executed cuisine, it’s just the fine dining establishment that Stoughton desperately needed. There, I said it: fine dining and Stoughton are indeed now synonymous.
The days of Albert’s stale atmosphere are long gone, only to be replaced with a spacious, sleek, contemporary layout accented by a dark, stylish mahogany finish. A stunning lounge area with plush sofas is located behind a large bar, vibrant and cozy all at once, as evidenced by reclaimed skip planed oak, stone walls, and an antique fireplace. This is what you envision a nice night out in the suburbs looking and feeling like. Also a nice touch: while the restaurant is clearly busy on a Friday evening, the hostess tells us to take as long as we’d like ordering drinks in the lounge and that our table would be waiting for us. A special occasion restaurant that also makes you feel, well…special.
The menu at Amelia’s is as accessible and inviting as its atmosphere. For starters, calamari fritti ($10) are delightfully chewy and coated with minimal breading which allows one to truly enjoy the fish itself, cooked with sweet chili sauce and mixed with banana peppers for a nice burst of heat. The result is one of the finest versions I’ve tasted in recent memory. Also noteworthy is a special of tuna tartare ($14), the fresh fish expertly sliced and nicely plated.
Entrees are equally strong, including exemplary seafood offerings, such as Wild Atlantic cod ($22), which I have always found too mildly a flavored fish. Here, however, the well-seasoned fish shines in creamed corn with smoked bacon, Graham cracker crumbs, and beurre blanc. Also well executed are beautifully seared, meaty sea scallops ($22), whose sweetness is punctuated by sweet corn risotto and accompanied by a lovely chilled green bean salad with charred heirloom tomato vinaigrette.
Pastas also rate highly, including the zesty Spaghetti ($23), in essence a glorified version of frutti di mare, featuring perfectly cooked al dente pasta packed with generous amounts of Scituate lobster, mussels, and shrimp topped with a light, spicy tomato sauce.
Wood-grilled items also impress, such as a massive portion of double-cut Australian lamb chops ($24), two hunks of meat playfully stacked atop one another and layered with a delectable, innovative pomegranate fig demi that nicely compliments, but does not overpower the lamb. While the au gratin potatoes were adequate, the dish would have benefitted from a touch of restraint, swapping out the heavier starch or a vegetable.
Desserts also impress, including a house-made molten chocolate lava cake that is well worth the ten minute wait as it is prepared. The cake’s moist, yet not too dense exterior breaks at the slightest tap of the fork, leading to an interior overflowing with rich, bittersweet chocolate. It’s simply decadent and rivals the best of any lava cakes I’ve tasted in either Boston or Providence.
Outside of an isolated, awkward moment in which our waitress (Camille, who I’d ask for over and over again) asked me about the preparation of a pork chop I had not ordered, service overall was relaxed, prompt, and attentive (example: my wife’s spilled martini resulted in her sighing what a long week it had been, prompting our waitress to immediately order her a new drink while wittily replying, “Think of this as the start to a great weekend”), as polished as one would expect for Boston, not the suburbs.
Cocktails are well crafted and potent, particularly a beverage blended with Maker’s Mark and Cointreau, a much stiffer version of a Mai Tai. There are over four dozen intriguing, yet reasonably priced wine selections available by the bottle, ranging across France, Italy, and Napa, while two dozen wines are also available by the glass ($6-14). You can enjoy a bottle of vibrant, light Angelina Reserve pinot noir at just $38, or be bold and splurge for a more robust flavored, pricier Caymus at $114.
At the conclusion of the evening, I remarked to our dining companions what a pleasant surprise Amelia’s was. Given its reasonable price points, superior service, and well executed cuisine, it’s just the fine dining establishment that Stoughton desperately needed. There, I said it: fine dining and Stoughton are indeed now synonymous.
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