Sam’s at Louis

Wednesday night I attended a party on the patio of Sam’s at Louis to celebrate the arrival, finally, of patio-weather and to check out some new menu items. Sam’s is located on Fan Pier, not far from the ICA. The restaurant, without about as much patio space as indoor space, offers sweeping, stunning views of the water. A bright green lawn extends from the building down to the water where it meets a narrow path bordered on one side by a low stone wall. The water was teeming with bright white sailboats.

Several bloggers and I got to take in the gorgeous scenery while sampling some small bites from Sam’s menu. Upon arriving, I was greeted with spoons of a quinoa salad made with both white and red quinoa, blueberries, orange segments, feta, and almonds.

My favorite of the tastings was the pancetta-braised endive with grapefruit and sesame brittle. I’ve only ever had endive raw and I was delighted to see the wonderful texture that results from braising it. It was succulent and velvety. It reminded me of the velvety texture that eggplant gets when roasted or grilled.

The grapefruit segment added a juicy touch of sour to the sweet endive and the sesame brittle lent an earthy sweet crunch.

Gorgeous photo courtesy of Bridget

The mixed drink being served this evening was a cocktail consisting of tequila, cassis, grapefruit juice, club soda, and muddled cucumber and mint. It was refreshingly bubbly and not at all too sweet.

Jalapeño and crab rangoons with sweet and sour plum gastrique.

Pulled pork nachos with a pickled red cabbage.

The patio offered a beautiful and serene setting in which to catch up with friends and enjoy wonderful food. I definitely plan to return to Sam’s throughout the summer and I look forward to trying more their menu offerings.