There is something different happening at Pigalle, a Boston mainstay in the theater district – live music, an Asian flair to the menu, $1 oysters on Fridays.

It has been many many years since I visited Pigalle and then I had the good fortune to dine there twice just recently.  To be honest I had forgotten about it and shame on me for that.   Last month I took one my teams there for an impromptu dinner.  10 of us descended on this cozy little restaurant and I have to say everyone and everything about or evening was wonderful.

Well, just a week ago I was honored to be invited by Pigalle to taste their new Fall menu.  I immediately said yes and then picked up the phone to invite fellow blogger, BosGuy.

Greeted by a very friendly host, we were seated at the tiny little bar that snuggles in a little square corner on the restaurant.  No sooner had we sat down when Ian, our bartender, immediately started to look after us.  He informed us that the idea was to bring dishes out for us to taste throughout the evening; we were to enjoy a wonderful sampling of what Pigalle is doing with their new menu.  By the end of the evening, I am not sure how I managed to leave by walking.  I felt I needed to be wheeled out.

They have made a few updates to the restaurant itself, especially with creating more seating in the bar area.  Looking around the small space, the place is still intimate with a romantic, relaxed, unrushed vibe.  A perfect place for a date but now also a cool place to go on Monday nights with friends after work for bar bites and live jazz.  I was lucky enough to be at Pigalle on a Monday.

Where some bars offer nuts to munch on, Pigalle was offering strips of crispy bacon and house made spicy chips.  I could have just eaten these all night.  I loved the spicy chips.

Our next taste was the Clams Casino.  A bit messy to eat but intensely flavorful, sitting on a bed of some serious rock salt.

Trout Fried Rice.  Really quite different but again nicely salted with a kick of spice.  It reminded me of paella but with a twist.  I would absolutely order this dish.  The Sancerre wine I was enjoying paired with it perfectly.

 Blue Point Oysters from Long Island Sound were up next enjoyed with a taste of their excellent house made mignonette.

A ginger beer cocktail was delivered to us.  Far to ginger tasting for me but BosGuy powered through both our drinks and seemed to enjoy them.

A smaller version of their Angus Burger came out next.  I am not a beef lover but tried just bite and thought it was quite nice.  BosGuy devoured the rest of mine and his with vigor and obvious delight.

As we were eating the four piece jazz band played softly in the background and added something special to our dining experience. 

Okay, so I said I don’t really eat beef but their Beef Short Rib Shepherd’s Pie could absolutely change my mind on this.  Juicy chunks of fantastically flavorful beef topped with creamy and cheesy mash potatoes served in its own little pot.  This dish is worthy of a big shout out.

Chef Marc Orfaly, a multiple time nominee for the James Beard award came out to meet us and to see how things were going.  What a really nice guy he is.   We insisted that we were so full we couldn’t possibly eat more but he insisted back he wanted us to try just a few more things.  It is such a tough life :).

An order of Shrimp and Grits in its own little jar with an egg on top to mix through.  Not my favorite of all our tastes, however this is more because I don’t really like the texture of grits.  It was also a little cold, which Marc profusely apologized for.

The Duck Tacos however were sticky sweet goodness in crispy shells and a perfect way to end our seriously over indulgent evening.

Pigalle is back on my radar and I can imagine walking over there after work during our cold winter months on a Monday to listen to music and enjoy the atmosphere and food of this warm and welcoming little restaurant.