FIGO

"The slang word “Figo” originated in the northern part of Italy and it has been used in the Milan area for the last few decades. Figo has become teenagers’ favorite word to identify some thing that they really appreciate and love, or they use it to express things they see for the first time or that stands out – like a new idea, new attire, or a new concept." There were pros. There were cons. There was certainly a new concept. When approaching the restaurant we saw the outside patio & automatically knew that's where we wanted to sit. We were abruptly stopped at the door by a line. A line not for a table, but to order the food. This threw me off. I figured we'd have a nice sit down- time between courses to re-evaluate the menu & order the next course kind of meal. Well we went with it & spent time standing in line looking at the menu. When it was our turn, we opted for 2 orders of crostini as our appetizer. One, simple- Bruschetta: Homemade toasted bread brushed with garlic, topped with vine-ripened fresh chopped tomatoes and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. The other, Goat cheese with caramelized onions and dried apricots over toasted bread. For our main courses, I opted for the Corn & Truffle oil ravioli in a light lemon Parmesan cream sauce. Nope, it was 86'd, so Chris ordered while I scrambled up my #2 choice. Chris ordered Whole Wheat Fuisilli with a ragu of lamb with kalamata olives & rosemary with pecorino cheese. I settled for Crab Meat raviolis with the lemon, pecorino cream sauce. We also ordered a bottle of Chianti. Total price? $50! With tip? $60! We were handed a creatively painted pepper mill and brought to our outdoor table. Seconds later a quirky middle-aged woman approached us as our waitress. She poured our water & gave us bread, she chatted up a bit, left the table & shortly came back with our wine and did the full wine presentation. She missed a step or 2, but all in all, I was satisfied. She appeared again, this time, with apps in hand. The simple bruschetta was truly refreshing. The goat cheese, apricot, caramelized onion version was lovely. It was sweet, but gentle. It reminded me of whipped cannelloni beans with olive oil. Those, shortly disappeared off our table. We had time to sip our wine & chat about the whole "ordering at the counter" concept when our entrees appeared. His, in a deep, colorful bowl, mine, also in a big, colorful dish. We indulged. The cream sauce, was very light which went well with the crab meat ravioli. The lemon zest in the sauce definitely came through and the pasta was cooked al dente as I like it. Chris's ragu, was phenomenal, a serious lamb flavor was present. Only thing was, it was missing the kalamata olives! Wicked bumma. One bite into our dishes, the manager of the restaurant came strolling over to chat. Great table touch, great conversation, but come on lady, my food's getting cold! Timing is everything. We got back to eating and were satisfied with our meal, though still lingering over the concept. The manager came back over and shared with us her favorite restaurants in the area, she accommodated us with a written list! Very helpful. She asked us if we had room for dessert. Of course. We ordered Tiramisu & Key Lime Pie. Minutes later they appeared. I am a Tiramisu critic, because growing up, my parents owned a bakery, where Tiramisu was their signature dessert. Bella Dolce. This Tiramisu was good. Just good. The lady fingers could have soaked in the espresso a bit longer, and the top layer of Marscapone was too thick. The Key lime pie, I wasnt a huge fan of, it kind of tasted like window cleaner, but Chris liked it. It was a one time thing- worth the trip. Looking forward to hitting up the list the manager wrote out for us... But no matter where I go, I carry with me the fact that pasta is precious. Near & dear to my heart, and is never as good as my beloved Monica's in the North End..