Saturday, December 6, 2008

Locals find room for one more course of gourmet dining


By KC Cohen

BEACON HILL—On a recent Saturday evening, Jocelyn Riley extended a long fingernail to tap the flat screen of a computer resting on a tall, wrought-iron table. Her fingers expertly conjured a long list of reservations for the night.

“Right now, our Fridays and Saturdays are booked a week and a half in advance,” Riley said.

As Americans cut back on luxuries with a recession looming, Beacon Hill's gourmet steakhouse, Mooo..., remains packed. The restaurant, attached to the four-star XV Hotel, continues to fill its dining room with patrons hungry for Mooo…’s expensive modern steakhouse dishes.

“We attract a certain clientele that is freer with its money,” said Diego Rivera, general manager of Mooo…. “If someone was going to spend $120 on our plate of Kobe beef before, they’ll still do it.”

In July, national restaurant chains, such as Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale, closed because of decreasing income. While casual dining restaurants continue to suffer from the poor economy, gourmet restaurants appear to be flourishing on Beacon Hill, said Donna Petro, president of the Beacon Hill Business Association.

Jamie Mammano, owner of the South-End bistro Mistral, opened Mooo… last August. The restaurant, which offers steaks ranging from the eight-ounce Filet Mignon for $38 to the plate of Kobe Beef for $120, was named one of Boston.com’s “Best of the New” this year.

Mooo…’s dining room, which seats up to 66 guests at a time, sees 150 customers on a typical Saturday night, said Michelle Strand, the reservations manager at Mooo…. But the restaurant is not immune to the failing economy.

“The change isn’t in the volume of diners, but the amount of courses they order,” Rivera said. “Instead of ordering five courses, someone might order three.”

Executive Chef David Hutton has not added more moderately-priced items to the menu, and the restaurant’s gourmet plates remain in high demand.

“Mooo… is successful because its owners are…profoundly aware that the customer experience is paramount to their success,” said Benson Willis, general manager of Flat Iron restaurant in the West End’s Bullfinch Hotel. “Customers’ discretionary spending plays a significant role in the success or failure of a restaurant.”

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