Commerce Inn
“This may be the most beautiful lettuce I’ve ever seen,” my husband remarked as our shared salad arrived. He wasn’t exaggerating: it was the green of spring, with each leaf perfectly shellacked in dressing. More than that: it tasted like what it was, which was a collage of tender greens, fava beans, peas and little nibbles of farmers cheese. The dressing didn’t mask the veggies but rather made their natural flavors pop in a way that was unusually refreshing. It’s that way with all the dishes at this accomplished new restaurant from Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, the team also behind the iconic French restaurant Buvette ★★★ and Italian eateries Via Carota ★★★ and I Sodi ★★★.
Commerce Inn is inspired by the powerful simplicity of Shaker cooking and hospitality, meaning the food and atmosphere are truly unique. The space, set on a leafy, bendy Village side street, and adorned with rough-hewn beams, and white-washed walls, is the platonic ideal of a colonial tavern. And the food—from the spoon bread to the cod cakes to the cocktails to the rhubarb crumble—is usually delish, though can be pricey (more so than at the pair's Italian restaurants).
Two tips: This is one of the few top flight restaurants that offers breakfast, and its really, really good. And almost all plates are large enough to share, so under-order.
“This may be the most beautiful lettuce I’ve ever seen,” my husband remarked as our shared salad arrived. He wasn’t exaggerating: it was the green of spring, with each leaf perfectly shellacked in dressing. More than that: it tasted like what it was, which was a collage of tender greens, fava beans, peas and little nibbles of farmers cheese. The dressing didn’t mask the veggies but rather made their natural flavors pop in a way that was unusually refreshing. It’s that way with all the dishes at this accomplished new restaurant from Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, the team also behind the iconic French restaurant Buvette ★★★ and Italian eateries Via Carota ★★★ and I Sodi ★★★.
Commerce Inn is inspired by the powerful simplicity of Shaker cooking and hospitality, meaning the food and atmosphere are truly unique. The space, set on a leafy, bendy Village side street, and adorned with rough-hewn beams, and white-washed walls, is the platonic ideal of a colonial tavern. And the food—from the spoon bread to the cod cakes to the cocktails to the rhubarb crumble—is usually delish, though can be pricey (more so than at the pair's Italian restaurants).
Two tips: This is one of the few top flight restaurants that offers breakfast, and its really, really good. And almost all plates are large enough to share, so under-order.
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