The Boston Globe - 11.03.2020

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 The Boston Globe G7

After more than 60 pop-ups,
Nightshade had a home.
The menu changes fre-
quently while remaining true
to its name: This is a noodle
bar, and half of the offerings
feature vermicelli, casarecce,
egg noodles. The other half is
dominated by rice, plus oysters
and a few salads and snacks.
On one visit I love Miller's
version of bun rieu, a crab noo-
dle soup in tomato broth. At
Nightshade, vermicelli steep in
broth with Jonah crab, heritage
pork shoulder, and tofu, topped
with tomato confit, strips of cit-
rus peel, and a riot of green
herbs. (I’d wager Nightshade
Noodle Bar goes through more
dill per capita than any other
area restaurant.) The result is
deep and bright, satisfying and
light. I could eat this weekly,
and I’m sad to find it gone on
my next visit.
Another disappeared dish il-
lustrates Miller’s thoughtful ap-
proach to this food: a seafood
noodle soup made with prawn
broth, pho noodles, mussels
and clams, lobster, and perch,
plus pickled fennel and herbs.
It comes with toast slathered in
saffron rouille. It’s Vietnamese-
style bouillabaisse, a dish that
makes sense in terms of flavor
and history. France occupied
Vietnam for decades, the culi-
nary legacy of colonization in-
cludes banh mi, the beef stew
bo kho, coffee, and more.
The green papaya salad is a
clever construction, crunchy
shreds in a fish sauce-spiked
buttermilk dressing with mint,
peanuts, and ranch-spiced ses-
ame crackers. It’s cookout cole-
slaw, but very much not. I ad-
mire the concept but wish the
flavors were bolder. Bone mar-
row fried rice, on the other
hand, is one of the best things
on Nightshade’s menu. The
bowl of fragrant, savory rice is
dolloped with black vinegar
aioli and flecked with smoked
raisins, a marrow-filled bone
protruding from the center
with a spoon for scooping out

uDINING OUT
Continued from Page G1

the richness. The raisins are

the true genius of this dish,

lending bursts of complex

sweetness, like taking sips of

sherry or Madeira as you eat.

There’s another version of

fried rice made with Dunge-

ness crab, strikingly served in

the creature’s shell, with gin-

ger-scallion vinaigrette and

black garlic. The flavors are

mellow and delicious, but the

taste of delicate crab gets lost in

the composition. The broth in a

duck and bamboo soup with

vermicelli, on the other hand,

is overpoweringly bamboo-

scented. It’s served with a dish

of rare duck, shredded cab-

bage, and banana blossom; as-

semble bites at will. I prefer an-

other vermicelli dish, bun cha,

with pork broth and brown

butter-tamarind pork crepin-

ettes (a French preparation of

ground-meat patties wrapped

in caul fat). It’s so buttery and

luxurious, and the accompani-

ments of crisp lettuce, herbs,

chiles, and prettily cut pickled

vegetables offset that perfectly.

It’s hard to combine dishes

here without encountering re-

dundancy: multiple vermicelli

soups, multiple dishes of fried

rice. It’s a reminder that this is

Nightshade NoodleBar, and

the best thing to do is come for

drinks and a bowl of noodles or

a snack such as bo la lot, fra-

grant packages of curried beef

wrapped in betel leaves — the

way one would as a neighbor-

hood regular. I’ll happily drive

out of my way to eat here on oc-

casion, but if I lived nearby, I’d

come all the time.

I’ve fallen for the verdant,

intimate space; the cushioned

high-top tables and gossipy,

convivial bar scene; the sur-

prise of new dishes and the

constant through line of basil,

dill, rau ram. I appreciate the

funky little wine list from Liana

Van de Water, wine director

and Miller’s partner, showcas-

ing sparkling pét-nat and

whites and light reds that work

well with this food, plus the se-

lection of local beer and cider.

And I’m enamored with bar-

man John Groh’s cocktails,

which incorporate ingredients

truetothiscuisineininnova-

tive, delicious ways: the

Anethum, made with lemon-

grass gin, dill, basil, lime, and

buttermilk-maple fish sauce;

the Saigon Cigar Club, a must-

order potion of bourbon, black

cardamom, and rau ram.

There’s one dessert at Night-

shade Noodle Bar, and on my

visits it’s a hibiscus panna cotta

with black cocoa tapioca, blue-

berry-cardamom pop rocks,

and cocoa nibs. It is freewheel-

ing yet properly made, the pan-

na cotta perfectly wobbly rath-

er than stiff. It tastes like PB&J

and bubble tea had a baby. I am

not surprised, but delighted, to

find myself surprised and de-

lighted.

Devra First can be reached at

[email protected]. Follow

her on Twitter @devrafirst.

NIGHTSHADE NOODLE BAR

YY½

73 Exchange St., Lynn,

781-780-9470,

http://www.nightshadenoodle

bar.com

All major credit cards

accepted. Wheelchair

accessible.

PricesSmaller plates $5-$18,

larger plates $18-$35, dessert

$9.

HoursDinner Wed-Fri 5-

10 p.m., Sat-Sun 5:30-10 p.m.

Brunch Sat-Sun 10:30 a.m.-

3 p.m.

Noise levelConversation, and

gossip with neighboring

barflies, easy.

What to orderBo la lot, bone-

marrow fried rice, bun cha,

the Saigon Cigar Club, any

new menu addition that

catches your fancy.

YYYYExtraordinary |

YYYExcellent |YYGood |

YFair | (No stars) Poor

PHOTOS BY BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF

A botanical jewel box blooming in Lynn

Chef Rachel Miller

serves garlic noodles

(below) and much more

at Nightshade Noodle

Bar.

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A Tribute to All Things Irish

Liam Harney and Dancers, Jennifer Ellis

Jerry Walker’s Side-splitting Stories

The Massachusetts Harp Ensemble

ReagleMusicTheatre.com

617 Lexington St., Waltham ~ FREE PARKING

MARCH 14 & 15 AT 2PM

781-891-5600

L Bi

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Friday, March 13 at 8pm

The Hanover Theatre, Worcester

AcclaimedcompanyreturnstoCentralMAfor

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Tickets: $29+ adults; $25 youth/student

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RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET

Powerful women. Beautiful women. Dangerous

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save 50% in sectionsA&Binallperformances

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Onstage at Citizens Bank Opera House (539

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FIND YOUR PASSION

Commonwealth Chorale, DavidCarrier, Director

Bruckner’s Te Deum was perhaps his greatest

work. Bernstein’s French andLatin choruses

for The Lark reflect on the life of Joan of Arc.

Chilcott’s Jubilatedraws on Latin text and19th

centurypoetry.Soloists:ChelseaBasler,

VeraSavage,NealFerreira,andDavidCushing

Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3:00 pm

SecondChurch in Newton

60 HighlandStreet, West Newton

Tickets:$35/30/25 for seniors andstudents

http://www.CommonwealthChorale.com

BRUCKNER, BERNSTEIN, AND

CHILCOTT BGMC proudly presents the worldpremiere of

“A Peacock Among Pigeons.” Vibrant costumes,

lighting, an original score from a Broadway

composer and200 singers. Music rejoices in

how we are “Born This Way.” The feel-good

concert of the Spring!

March 14 & 15

NEC’s Jordan Hall

Tickets bgmc.org | 617-542-SING

YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY

“Downright Hilarious!” - Huffington Post

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Studentrush&speciallypricedseniortix

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Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton Street

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY!

A Celebration of Classic Country Music

Featuring The Music of Hank Williams,

PatsyCline,JohnnyCash,TammyWynette,

Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn & Willie Nelson

ReagleMusicTheatre.com

617 Lexington St., Waltham ~ FREE PARKING

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 AT 2PM

781-891-5600

THE

COUNTRY

JAMBOREE

Saint Saens Trio No. 1, Op 18

Ravel Piano Trio

??? Mystery Piece

S. Leventhal,violin, R. Hodgkinson, piano,

J. Miller, cello

Fri, March 13, 8 PM. Hamilton Hall, Salem

Sun, March 15, 3 PM. St. Paul’s Church,

Brookline

Tix atdoor or online

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30 $,25$senior,10$student

FRENCH CONNECTION

Boston Baroque is proudto introduce the X-tet,

our periodstring chamber ensemble, performing

a program of Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major

andMozart’s String Quintet No. 4 in G minor.

Fri, March 20 | 6:30pm & 8:30pm | Tickets:$ 50

Fraser Studio | 617.987.8600 | baroque.boston

X-TET: BOSTON BAROQUE’S

FIRST CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Beethoven: Violin Concerto

Vadim Gluzman, Violin

JohnAdams:Harmonielehre

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Aeriality

Easydrive, inexpensive tickets andparking

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SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 7:30PM

ZEITERION THEATRE

The nation’s notoriously successful andwould-be

presidential assassins inspire each other to

dreadful acts in this audacious andalarmingly

funny musical about the underbelly of the

American Dream. Tony Awardfor Best Revival.

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STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S

ASSASSINS

Sleek, artsy andeverything in between.

Jewelry, fashion, home furnishings, painting,

sculpture andgifts in every price range by

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Bring friendsandmake aday of it!

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MARCH 20, 21 & 22

“BEAUTIFUL, FESTIVE & FUN!”

Adisengagedson must rein in his mother’s

cheerful squandering of the family’s assets

inthis surprisingly funny,deeply moving play.

Now thru Mar. 22 Lyric Stage Copley Sq.

617.585.5678 lyricstage.com

“MCMAHONISBRILLIANT!”

“CHEESEMAN,REMARKABLE!”

Sun. 3/22, 3:00 pm at Sanders Theatre

Fanny Mendelssohn Piano Trio in D minor

Kodaly Duo for Violin andCello

Dvorak Piano Quartet in E-flat major

$27,$39,$51,$63; Students:$9; Sr:$4 off

bostonchambermusic.org | 617.349.0086

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