Nightshade Noodle - Lynn

Nightshade Noodle Bar:Skeptical at first, but one bite converted me. Rachel Miller 's James Beard Award well-deserved. Incredible meal, worth every penny.Saigon Cigar Club:Banana flavor pairs surprisingly well with bourbon. Banana leaf burnt lime presentation is cool. Aroma enhances as drink progresses.Nightshade Caviar Service:Caviar a bit stingy, but dip is excellent – airy, with garlic and chili powder heat. Served with Cape Cod kettle chips, perfect saltiness. Great with bourbon cocktail.Grilled Coconut Sticky Rice Pops:Warm sticky rice on a stick, topped with unique tamarind-seasoned pork sung. Unusual pork sung, possibly with citrus.Kabocha Squash Bot Chien:Delicious but gone too quickly. Unbelievable crisped duck tongue, balanced by pickled carrot and cabbage. Chili powder, perhaps a bit much. Squash not prominent.Peruvian Uni Brulee:Least favorite, eel pronounced. Chili powder and dill prominent. Temperature difference between eel and puree off-putting. Dish size a bit small to share.Grilled Halibut:Earthly and smoky. Dill just right. Caramelization and glaze on point. Could use more pickled radish.Sungold Tomatoes:Chili powder, no complaints. Toasted peanuts impressive. Excellent tomatoes, pink roe adds flavor. Basic glass noodles. Tomato Water surprisingly good.House-Made Egg Noodles:Served flat, should be in a bowl. Spilled. Whole wheat noodles add substance. Szechuan pepper for chili crisp is refreshing. Beef tender, ratio off. Basil garnish could be mixed in. Some hard bits in chili crisp.Claypot Caramel Foie Gras:Aptly named. Foie gras over seasoned rice, crisped perfectly. Melt-in-your-mouth with goose liver flavor. Viscous sauce. Dill garnish, felt dilled-out.Tiger’s Blood Palate Cleanser:Unique palate cleanser. Aloe vera gelatin with seasoned salt and sugar.Salted Chocolate Mousse:Tiny but flavorful. Sweetness and saltiness balanced. Would prefer darker chocolate.

The atmosphere was great very cozy little place and amazing service however because we were looking forward to the food so much it was dissapointing especially considering the price we paid. Most the dishes they served us and the table next to us was retry much the same except I think 1 dish that was a fried rice cake with pork floss, we just had 2 extra dishes because we went with the 14 course and they went with the 12 course. I felt like because it was the end of the night (9:15 was our reservation) the chef just gave us a very routine tasting experience. Didn't pay much attention to the balance of our meal. Which made me regret not requesting the 2 specific dishes like I was told I could do.Most of the dishes were too salty or too heavily seasoned so the whole experience was not balanced. It was heavy on heavy so for a tasting menu compared to other places we've tried it just didn't make sense. The flavor combinations were ok with some dishes but even with dishes that were meant to be light with a salad was too salty or too over seasoned just making me feel like I needed to almost chase some of it down with water. For example there was a dish that had tomatoes and vermacelli in it that had so much basil you couldn't taste anything but basil. The homemade egg noodles were so spicy and salty and just heavy that I had trouble finishing it. The best dishes that we had all night was the first dishe which was caviar with chips and dip the dip was very light and flavorful but not over powering. Also, the gooseneck barnacles were delicious but the sauce that came with it again was way too heavy. Normally I'm Vietnamese cuisine they would dip seafood or any protein in just a simple salt, lime, and pepper sauce but its meant to be very light taste not heavy.The drinks were delicious and like I said service was wonderful. However, considering we paid like $430 for just two people the food we got was not impressive and I felt like I had to eat it because I paid for it but we will probably not return nor recommend unfortunately.

One of the best dining experiences I've had in months! You can tell they really care about the flavor journey here. We did the 7-course tasting menu, which was more than enough in my opinion (I was stuffed at the end). The plating was beautiful, but the flavors were what really wowed us. We don't live near Lynn but it was very much worth the drive. Great place for a date night or to celebrate something special!

We sampled a variety of tasting menus, but this one was particularly impressive and inventive. As someone who strongly dislikes dill, I was amazed at how Chef Miller skillfully incorporated it into the dishes, making even my least favorite ingredient harmonious with others. I truly enjoyed every course, which I never thought would happen. The service provided by MJ was exceptional. I rated the food 4 out of 5 stars only because, although every dish leading up to dessert was fantastic, the dessert— a rather simple chocolate offering— fell a bit short when compared to the outstanding courses we had throughout the evening. I'm definitely looking forward to returning. Overall, it's a wonderful restaurant with well-trained staff and a thoughtfully crafted menu full of creative twists. I hope for a more impressive dessert that lives up to the rest of the experience during our next visit!

In a nutshell: A refreshing experience. This North Shore restaurant is truly amazing and offered one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Don't come here just to order dinner; come here to be truly served. You won’t regret it! A big shout out to Chef Alex, Shane (sorry if I misspelled), and the entire team!