Restaurant Review: Stix

Restauraunt: Stix Restaurant & Lounge
Address: 35 Stanhope Street, Boston MA
Website: www.stixboston.com
Rating: C-

Disclaimer: to be honest, I didn't have high expectations for this place to begin with. I've been eating out more than I should lately and am generally not one to enjoy "trendy food". Besides, after you've indulged at Fat Cat in Quincy, a deep fried turkey sandwich is a tough act to beat.

Stix is located on Stanhope Street, which is a one-way alley within a stone's throw of Back Bay Station. The entrance is not clearly marked and I (like most of my friends) incorrectly assumed that the only way to get through was by entering their sister restaurant 33. Much like a tapas bar, the main draw to Stix are the bite sized appetizers (served on sticks...get it?) that each go for an outrageous $9 a pop. Had it not been for restaurant week, I could've dropped a C-note on apps and drinks easily.

The fixe prix menu was completely misadvertised on their website. The hanger steak was listed as part of their $33.08 restaurant week menu, but in reality they upcharged an extra $5. This wasn't a huge deal since I didn't plan on getting the steak but it's still misleading. For my starter I chose the grilled steak tips served with a size of honey bourbon bbq sauce. My appetizer was delicious, and definitely the highlight of the meal.

For my main course I chose the salmon served over vegetable risotto. Keeing in line with most trendy restaurants (because God forbid I walk out of your estbalishment not as starved as I was when I walked in the door), four tiny pieces of ridiculously dry salmon were served over a half cup of undercooked risotto with a slice of zuccini thrown in for color. The trick to making the meal edible was to mix the bone dry salmon with the greasy risotto so as to not choke and wash the whole thing down with hangover-inducing chardonnay. Yum!

For dessert I got the truffle tree which featured four different chocolate truffles served on sticks (the theme never gets old, does it????). The truffles were pretty outstanding, and definitely a welcome change over the main course.

Our attentive waiter was able to make wine recommendations and even let us sample the different bottles before choosing which one to go with. Our party of 7 seven was seated in "Storage B" (Office Space reference) which I thought was more intimate, and definitely allowed us to be as loud and obnoxious as we wanted without disturbing the entire restaurant. While it was fun to try a new restaurant (thank you Restaurant Week!), I am not exactly queueing up to go back to Stix.

Stix is located in the Back Bay and easily accessible by Green Line (Arlington St) and Commuter Rail/Orange Line (Back Bay). Street parking is tough to come by though valet is available for $16.