Where to Tasting Counter, a 20-seat restaurant serving one multi-course menu a night, located inside the Aeronaut Brewing Company space near Union Square. Rather than paying the check at the end of the meal, diners purchase all-inclusive tickets ($150-$165 per person) through the website beforehand.
What for Chef Peter Ungar has worked at Aujourd’hui as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. He may be best known locally for creating the Dining Alternative, serving elegant tasting menus in people’s homes. Tasting Counter, his first restaurant, offers a similar experience in a public setting. Its philosophy: to strive “toward a zero-carbon footprint, source a minimum of 50% of its products from within Massachusetts, and offer only all-natural foods and wines.”
What you’re eating Foie gras and black olive macarons. An eggshell filled with custard made with kelp, black truffle, and sea urchin. A diver scallop in its own shell with citrus and avocado-oil cream (pictured). Hand-rolled seaweed pasta in bonito broth with mushrooms and anchovy. Sea bream prepared with a variety of red ingredients: rhubarb, Campari, beets. Monkfish with milk jam fennel. Miso-cured duck. Dry-aged sirloin cap with red curry. Lime curd and ginger ice cream. Bittersweet chocolate with guava, macadamia, and candied kumquats. Beet-pomegranate marshmallows. None of the above. Whatever Ungar is making that night.
Care for a drink? Pairings are included with each meal. When you purchase your ticket, choose among wine, beer (all Aeronaut’s), sake, or nonalcoholic beverages.
Overheard Ungar narrating the food: “It takes days to make the eggs.” “These are super-special scallops.” “The chocolate is truly, truly local.” Commentary about the space, a factory-turned-entrepreneurial hub, with an area devoted to culinary ventures. “The city made it easy for trendy businesses to come in,” a woman informs her neighbors. Commentary on the decor: “I want my whole house to be shelves like this.” “The counters are PaperStone.” A recently arrived out-of-towner is not feeling Zen. “I tried meditating in the airplane and discovered it’s a bad idea,” she says. Her friend agrees: “The airplane is for drinking and watching bad movies.” A man tastes a dish and exclaims, “The mouthfeel is just fabulous.” “I like this beer,” a woman says, taking a sip. “It tastes like armpits.” A guest enthuses to Ungar, “I thought I knew what to expect flavorwise, but it’s so much more!”
14 Tyler St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-299-6362, www.tastingcounter.com.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst.