Boscos

My cousin and her husband, Dina and Rob, treated me to an early graduation lunch yesterday at Boscos. Oh, for most of you who didn't know... I'll be graduating a week from today (Dec. 15)! Yup, still can't believe graduation bells are ringing already. 

Before I get sidetracked and start babbling about my mixed feelings toward graduation, let me tell you two things about Boscos: good service and even better food. I've only been there twice and I've always left the restaurant with a satisfied stomach. Even their water's good!

Boscos, which ranges from $4 to $20,  is located near the River Market area and serves mostly American food, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta and seafood. It's also well-known for fresh beer brewed in its mini brewery at the back of the restaurant.

The advertised beer on the wall was the Flaming Stone, so Rob gave that a try. 

He said it wasn't too bad. It wasn't his favorite beer, but it was decent enough. I took a sip of it. Above the typical beery bitterness was a tinge of sweetness, which made it unique.

Rob also ordered an oyster po'boy sandwich with a side of fries. You can substitute the fries for fresh fruit, or for an extra $1, have garlic parmesan or sweet potato fries.

Fried oysters dredged in seasoned flour and crisp lettuce with remoulade (similar to tartar sauce) were sandwiched between baguette slices.

The crispy oysters were pretty salty, but that wasn't a problem because the saltiness was easily overshadowed by the lettuce and the baguette. The fries tasted so fresh and enticing, an addiction formed right away.

I had the shrimp scampi, a generous serving of capellini pasta tossed in grated parmesan and juicy gulf shrimps sauteed with garlic butter, white wine and lemon parsley. The shrimps were cooked to perfection.

The menu didn't mention parmesan, so I was in for quite a surprise. I'm not a big parmesan fan, you see. But the strong taste of wine stole the parmesan's spotlight, so the noodles had a rather sour and unique taste to them. Definitely different.

Dina's grilled portabella club sandwich was so healthy, she made the rest of us look like gluttons. Her sandwich was served with fresh fruits on the side. The portabella mushrooms were deliciously marinated and char-grilled, and the provolone cheese, lettuce, roasted red peppers and basil mayo added to the delight.

I'm looking forward to my next Boscos visit. When I'm there again, I'd like to try one of their good-sounding pizzas. Glimpse their menus here.

Photographed and written by Carissa Gan.