La Boniche in Lowell MA

My husband wanted to try something new today so we dug up La Boniche in Lowell. It turned out to be a great choice! Along a major street in Lowell, it looked rather unassuming and empty when we got there. Not a good sign, right? Well, about 5 minutes after we sat down, at least 3 other parties showed up.....although my husband liked having the whole restaurant to ourselves, I remarked that more people was generally a good indication when it came to restaurants.

I started out with the Spicy Black Bean Soup and my husband had the Kale, Corn and Vegetable soup special. The black bean soup was a nice thick cup of beans with just the right amount of heat. Topped with some sour cream to cut the heat a bit, it was really perfect. My husband's soup was light and summery with a distinct tang that almost seemed vinegary (but in a good way if you can imagine it). The vegetables were all fresh and all at the appropriate done-ness...very important with potatoes.

My entree was the Spicy Coconut Salmon and my hubby opted for the trout special. The salmon was nice and crispy brown on the outside and perfectly cooked through, but not overdone on the inside. It set atop a crispy Risotto Cake that was pretty darn good. The risotto was slightly aldente and the crisp was really a crisp. On top of that was julienne'd vegetables that were also cooked perfectly. The whole thing was surrounded by a mild coconut sauce that had a bit of heat to it. Very mild heat and coconut, but the flavor was there, nonetheless.

My husband's trout came with garlic mushrooms and some potato wedges underneath. He loved his as well.

We shared a dessert of key lime cheesecake with a mango sauce on top. The cheesecake made my mouth pucker as it should with key lines and it was probably the creamiest cheesecake I have EVER had...and I've had many. Really yummy finish to the meal. My husband also remarked that his coffee was super strong just the way he likes it.
Visit them at:  http://www.laboniche.com/

Our waiter was informative and friendly, but not annoying....actually quite perfect.

I was really pleasantly surprised. It's a little tough to find decent restaurants in the suburbs around Boston, but this is a winner. We'll be back for sure!