Commonwealth Cambridge - Nookie Postal's New Digs

This has been a pretty big year for chef Nookie Postal. Between Around the World in 80 Plates and opening two new restaurants in Cambridge, he has been a busy guy! Nick and I wanted to see a movie that was showing in Kendall Square, so while thinking about where to eat over there Nick noticed that Commonwealth had recently opened and made a reservation immediately. To be honest, other than knowing it was opening, I didn't know much else about Commonwealth. Color me shocked when we walked in and there was a bit of a fresh market and counter service in front! The restaurant aims to showcase local and seasonal food both in the traditional dining sense as well as a market.

Note about the photos - they are with my iPhone because I didn't have my camera, sorry they are sort of terrible

The amazing buttery pull-apart bread; this is worth the trip alone!

The restaurant space is broken into smaller, more intimate spaces by pallet walls, which allow light to pass through while maintaining the rustic warm feeling. The cocktail, beer and wine list is extensive - I decided on a glass of Cotes de Rhone that had a generous pour and carried me through my meal.

Short Rib

Looking over the menu, we decided to pass on appetizers in favor of side dishes, so we dove right into our meals. The entrees are simple but the side options are numerous, so you will have trouble deciding how to accent your meal. I went with the short rib, which was delicious. The meat was so tender and fell off the bone perfectly. There was so much flavor packed into this protein.

Duck Fat Biscuits

We did not know about the amazing complementary bread until after we ordered, so an order of the duck fat biscuits were part of our selections. These biscuits were pretty outstanding; light and flakey but still filling and comforting. While there was no poultry flavor, you could taste that they were richer than most biscuits, which can only be attributed to the duck fat!

Brussel Sprouts

In order to mix a little green in there, we also got a side of brussel sprouts. While they did not have the char that I normally like they were tasty.

Venison

Nick went with the gamey venison, which was perfectly cooked.  It was nice to have something a bit different for an entree, and the glaze on the meat was the perfect accent.

The dessert menu has a fun set-up; with a listing of fun ice cream flavors, a list of pairings that include waffles, doughnut holes and brownie, and finally some sauces, there are plenty of combinations to tempt just about anyone into creating their own sundae. We decided on the cinnamon ice cream with salted caramel sauce topped with some whipped cream. It really was the perfect, whimsical cap to the meal.

Dessert!

The whole meal was tasty and the relaxing atmosphere makes the restaurant easy to enjoy. Our main meal was delicious and all came together well, however, there seemed to be a substantial amount of time between our drinks and meals. Our server was aware of the time and apologized and offered us more bread, but knowing what was coming we turned it down. I am sure this was mostly due to "new restaurant kinks" and will get worked out once they are open for a bit longer. Based on the perfect temperature of the meat, we knew the food wasn't just sitting!

Commonwealth is definitely a great addition to Kendall Square. I would highly recommend checking out the market, the bar or a full meal!