Tosca winter holiday season 2018
IN THE KITCHEN
Mention something about a dish on Tosca’s menu and chef Kevin Long takes off. He’ll answer questions at length about every single ingredient and how each comes together on the plate. No food stuff is inconsequential: He could write a paper on sugars and salts alone. Long was the chef at Tosca in its golden years — the late ’90s through the mid-oughts — before becoming executive chef for a Boston restaurant group. But Long shouldn’t be running a half-dozen restaurants at a time from his computer (should anyone?). He’s built to touch and taste and feel the food. So, now, as this gorgeous Hingham restaurant celebrates its 25th year in business, Long is back. “Kevin’s got an amazing palette; we’re thrilled to have him,” said Tosca’s general manager, Chris Sugrue.
THE LOCALE
Tosca is a big but intimate space with a soaring dark cedar ceiling, brick walls, deep colors, and floor lamps illuminating fields of white linen and sparkling crystal. Its open kitchen is alive with steam and a big wood-fired oven. The restaurant is a well-oiled, high-functioning fine-dining establishment. And, if you’ve never been, don’t be put off by its high-ended-ness: You can splurge, sure, but you can also go in and have a delicious dinner without spending too much, have a drink at the bar, or dance to live music on the weekends.
ON THE MENU
Tosca’s seared sea scallops
On three recent visits, I loved almost everything we ordered. The kitchen is solidly consistent and the knowledgeable servers have sampled everything and have the time to answer questions. That said, I think I went most crazy (again) over the box of shrimp ($17). A skewer of large tempura shrimp and zucchini, it’s so delicious you lose your mind temporarily. The batter (made with seltzer) is perfectly crispy yet so extremely light that it melts in your mouth. (And they should bottle that caper berry tartar sauce.)
The squash soup ($11) is the hot chocolate of soups. It’s a mix of local blue hubbard squash, onions, garlic, sugar, water, and olive oil that Long somehow almost burns, twice, in the wood-fired oven before pureeing. Warm and soothing, it’s topped with a crunch that includes seasoned sunflower and pepita seeds.
The whole branzino ($33), a frequent special, is seared then baked. The meat is tender and the skin so crispy it’s delicious. Another seafood dish, the sweet seared sea scallops ($35), is perfect. Both dishes are served with very good risottos. Another special, the house-made bucatini ($25), bolsters pasta’s bad reputation (as addictive). It’s a pancetta, butter, olive oil, and parsley sauce, topped with dollops of whipped ricotta. The small rigatoni (all the pastas are house-made) in the bolognese ($24) have a compelling texture I can’t stop wanting. And, the thin-crusted Margherita pizza ($18) is as good as pizza gets for me, with a mix of four oozing cheeses and a bright red sauce. The pressed natural chicken ($28) is a cross between chicken under a brick and chicken Marsala served with an irresistible polenta and a bright, contrasting watercress salad. Don’t sneeze at any of the vegetables: Long never does. His wilted spinach ($9) is seasoned to a depth of flavor. Just like everything else.
Tosca, 14 North St., Hingham, 781-740-0080, www.toscahingham.com
Joan Wilder can be reached at joan.wilder@gmail.com.
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