Why Mooo Is One of Boston’s Finest Steakhouses
If you’re looking for a great steak in the city of Boston, Mooo is the best spot in town. Chef Jamie Mammano opened the restaurant in 2007, and for more than a decade, Mooo is one of the top spots to dine in Boston. The classic yet modern steakhouse is as relaxed as it is sophisticated. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, Mooo has exceptional food and exceptional service. Here is why Mooo is one of Boston’s Finest Steakhouses.
Chef Jamie Mammano
Mooo’s owner and chef Jamie Mammano has a history of creating classic menus with modern twists. He is hands-on in all parts of the restaurants that he owns from the menu down to the table settings. The graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York City began his career at Washington DC’s The Jockey Club and La Pavillion Restaurant. He also was the chef for the United States of America’s Ambassador to Spain. For a decade Chef Jamie Mammano worked as a chef for The Four Seasons Hotel Company. He worked in Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, and Boston. While serving as chef at Boston’s Four Seasons’ Hotel restaurant Aujourd’hui during the 1990s, Chef Jamie Mammano transformed Aujourd’hui into one of the most talked about and awarded restaurants in Boston, Massachusettes. The Four Season’s Aujourd’hui received many accolades including the #4 restaurant in the country by Condé Nast Traveler.
Chef Jamie Mammano opened his own restaurant, Mistral, in Boston with partners Paul Roiff and Seth Greenberg as The Columbus Hospitality Group in 1997. Mistral, located in Boston’s South End, was an immediate success. With a warm inviting atmosphere and seasonal ingredients, the restaurant reminds one of dining in Provence. In 2003 Roiff and Mommano and Chef Robert Jean opened the casual Italian bistro, Teatro in Boston’s trendy Ladder District. The open kitchen concept restaurant was also a hit. Two years later The Columbus Hospitality Group opened The Federalist next to the XV Hotel, a 5-star boutique hotel located at 15 Beacon Street near the Boston Common and Faneuil Hall Marketplace. A year later the company opened the Italian Mediterranean restaurant Sorellina in Boston’s Copley Square. In 2007 Chef Jamie Mommano and his team transformed The Federalist into Mooo.
Modern Steakhouse
As with all of his restaurants, Chef Jamie Mammano oversees everything at Mooo. Not only does he create the menu, but he also plans the décor down to the table settings and the service. Mooo is very chef driven and it’s a success. The restaurant is classic American style steakhouse with a creative modern twist. It’s relaxed and sophisticated. Although pricey with meals averaging between $45 and $60, it’s worth the cost to enjoy an extraordinary meal in a great atmosphere. Mooo is open daily serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and brunch on Sundays. The restaurant also features a comfortable full bar and an extensive wine list. Mooo has received several awards since its inception in 2007. This year the restaurant received the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Mooo’s wine cellar features 460 selections and over 3,700 bottles available. Mooo was named in Gayot’s top ten list for Boston area restaurants, steakhouses, brunches, and wine lists.
Décor
In turning The Federalist into Mooo, Chef Jamie Mammano transformed the space adjacent to XV Hotel into a warm, sophisticated, classic style American steakhouse with modern elements. The result is an inviting dining area, bar, and private dining areas. The main dining area warm lighting from chic chandeliers, dark wood, leather seating with large armchairs, pictures of calves, and sophisticated table settings. This décor extends into the restaurant’s bar and lounge. Mooo features a private dining area, “The Wine Cellar”, that seats up to 50 guests. The room is also available for receptions of up to 65 guests. Located in Mooo’s wine cellar, this private dining area has elegant décor with dark wood, natural flooring, and wall mosaics. Mooo also has Parlor Suites for private dining for up to 12 guests.
Menu
Along with Chef Jason Maynard, Chef Jamie Mammano has created a classic menu with creative modern twists. Mooo’s kitchen uses fresh seasonal ingredients throughout its menu. For starters, the menu includes chilled seafood, salads, bisque or chowder, escargot, Mooo meatballs, and steak or tuna tartare among many other appetizers. Of course, the main item on Mooo’s menu is steak. The beef is aged and hand-cut. The menu includes several á la carte steak options of sirloin, ribeye, porterhouse, and filet mignon. There are several sauces, including Mooo’s special steak sauce, and toppings available. Mooo’s menu features several seafood options available including lobster, salmon and shrimp scampi. Specials include Wagyu steak fries, rack of lamb and Cornish game hen. Sides range from asparagus, broccoli and creamed spinach to whipped potatoes, truffled parmesan fries, and Maine lobster and mac and cheese. Don’t forget dessert. Desserts include chocolate cake, milk and cookies, ice cream or sorbet, the Mooo sundae, strawberry cheesecake, bananas foster, and créme brûlée.
While dinner at Mooo can be pricey, lunch is a great option with a great menu. The lunch menu features a variety of chilled seafood, appetizers, soups and salads. You can opt for steak, a sirloin burger or a classic chicken club, Reuben or BLT among other sandwiches. Mooo’s lunch offers a variety of sides including truffled parmesan fries, whipped potatoes or potato tots. Of course, there are also decadent desserts. Mooo also offers a three-course Prix fixe lunch. There is also a bar menu available.
Sunday brunch is a treat at Mooo. The restaurant plays acoustic music, crafted cocktails are available, and the menu is filled with a variety of options. The brunch menu features freash pastries, steak and eggs, and fresh seafood. Other options include blueberry beignets, French toast, Belgian waffles, griddled pancakes, frittata Florentine and Maine lobster Benedict. Brunch at Mooo is a great way to spend your Sunday with friends and loved ones.