Sel de la Terre

Best of Boston 2003 Restaurant, French

French culture hasn't had any easy go of it this year in America, but that hasn't softened the draw of Sel de la Terre. In fact, chef Geoff Gardner's food just gets better and better in the face of Francophobia. With great attention to ingredients and detail, Gardner offers a Provençal-focused menu of affordable first courses ($9 each) that includes a smoky bacon tart with Swiss chard and earthy oyster mushrooms, and a cream of fennel soup with grilled shrimp, spinach, and fig- and anise-flecked croutons. Entrées are just as ambrosial: local cod with a sweet and crunchy hazelnut coating, served with green beans and roasted potatoes. Even the bar snacks are above par: Gardner's rosemary-scented pommes frites are, quite simply, required eating.

255 State St.
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
617-720-1300
seldelaterre.com

774 Boylston St.
Boston, Massachusetts 02199
617-266-8800
seldelaterre.com

1245 Worcester Street, # 3032
Natick, Massachusetts 01760
508-650-1800
seldelaterre.com