The Vermilion Club serves up splurge-worthy dishes and cocktails.
The bar beneath the stunning Dale Chihuly sculpture “Vermilion Fiori,” for which the restaurant is named.
Walking through the glass doors of the large modern building in the center of Boston’s financial district, through the industrial lobby and up the stairs to the well-heeled Vermilion Club reminded me of a time in my early twenties when I visited Manhattan. I was recently of legal drinking age, and my sister and I treated ourselves to a fancy martini at the storied Four Seasons restaurant in the iconic Seagram building.
The Clover Club cocktail.
The Vermilion Club has the same allure of opulence and the promise to elevate the ordinary. Sitting at the over 100-foot bar beneath the stunning Dale Chihuly sculpture “Vermilion Fiori,” for which the restaurant is named, I ordered a signature dirty martini, not unlike my New York City order decades before. It was poured perfectly balanced and arrived with a crystal bowl of appropriate garnishes. My friend’s Harvey Wallbanger, also a signature, tasted like a refreshing creamsicle without being too sweet.
Several dishes from the menu, including the veal chop pizzaiola.
After getting classic with our cocktails, we decided to veer a bit unorthodox in our meals. The Vermilion Club is billed as a steak house, and our controversial decision not to order steak is a compliment to the menu, with many unique-sounding dishes too alluring to pass up. One of these was the French onion dumplings, dotted with truffles and served in a shitake broth topped with tiny pieces of baby corn and Gruyere; it is an elegant reinterpretation of the popular soup. Another was the roasted canoe-cut bone marrow topped with buttered littleneck clams and pickled shallot, theresult reminiscent of a New England clams casino.
Starters and appetizers including a loaf of the softest bread served with pineapple butter.
The most surprising thing we tried was the foie gras Boston cream pie. Four small cakes are stuffed with foie gras and drizzled with chocolate. Existing somewhere between an appetizer and dessert, the taste was decidedly delicious. We did dabble in a more typical steakhouse experience by trying the whole roasted Dover sole prepared piccata-style and the veal chop pizzaiola, which is like a giant meat pizza topped with mozzarella, marinara and spicy soppressata. The crispy artichokes and the olive oil tots did not disappoint as sides. But the standout dish for me was the king crab tagliatelle appetizer. The wide, silky noodles were tossed with a generous portion of crab with confit garlic for a bit of crunch and cherry bomb peppers for a touch of spice.
The Pina Colada
From the first sip of martini to the last bite, we were expertly cared for and catered to. This is the place to come when you’re celebrating a milestone, want to impress clients or simply want to treat yourself with warm food, a cold drink and an escape from the ordinary.
Photography by: THE VERMILION CLUB
