I was thrilled that my friend Christine was in Boston for a conference. She let me pick the restaurant for dinner, so I decided Coppa would be fun. However, as we circled the South End for parking, we passed the Gallows and decided that since we already had had Italian (Gran Gusto) for lunch, we were going to hit the Gallows instead.

 

The Gallows is situated in the old Sage space, but the dark, warm, bustling interior is a world away from the cold, stark feel of Sage. We started with the bacon caramel mix, which is a generous bowl of popcorn, cheerios, bacon and pretzels coated in caramel. So addictive, a perfect bar snack. Next was the arugula, beet and orange salad. It was a little overdressed but the sweetness of the beets against the sweet-tart oranges was a nice combination.

 

At the Gallows, you can have the poutine many different ways: simple, vegetarian (mushroom gravy instead of chicken), rabbit confit or out of control (I think this selection changes from night to night). We went with the simple; crispy fries, savory chicken gravy and fresh creamy cheese curds. Delicious! But the star of the meal was the Choucroute Garnie platter. R used to hate getting charcuterie – he felt that we could just go to Russo’s and get a better assortment of cured meats for less money. But this was, hands down, the best charcuterie plate I’ve ever had. There was beef tongue, house made pastrami and a unctuous pork belly, all unbelievably delicious but the house-made sauerkraut stole the show. The cabbage was so tender and flavorful, I wasn’t sure it was actually cabbage. I could have just eaten a giant bowl of the sauerkraut and been really content.

 

Sadly, dessert was a disappointment. I was stuffed, but Christine wanted something sweet so she ordered the Fluffernutter Foster brulee. It was a layered dessert with peanut butter mousse, banana, and chocolate, topped with Marshmallow Fluff. It was much too sweet. I had one bite and I was done. She lifted the inch-thick fluff layer and ate underneath it.

 

Food: A- (minus points for dessert)
Service: B+
Value: A-
Overall: A-

 

www.thegallowsboston.com