Corner BYOB

I never have to pull Lee's arm to get her to go out to eat with me. The response is always "where and what time?" which is a win-win for both of us. On Thursday night we ventured over to Hampden to try Corner BYOB, a place that looks pretty non-descript from the outside but don't be turned-off by its appearance.

As the name suggests, Corner is indeed BYOB, however they do have some wines by the glass and a few house cocktails for sale, which we didn't realize until we had already purchased our bottle of wine from across the street. Not a big deal but something to be aware of if you choose to visit.

I don't usually read reviews before visiting a new place but more and more I've been checking out Yelp before I go somewhere. Most of the reviews for Corner BYOB were favorable towards the food saying that it was outstanding, but that service could be condescending and unfriendly. Not exactly reviews that make you want to eat somewhere but usually I try a place once to give it the benefit of the doubt. Plus this place is often mentioned as one of the best restaurants in the city.

After an awkward moment of trying to go in the wrong door while the only diners in the place stared at us, Lee and I figured out the correct entrance and were greeted by a very friendly hostess who seated us promptly and went to get our wineglasses. We were off to a good start.

Corner has a fairly exotic menu with things like escargot, beef tongue, and bone marrow, and that's just the appetizers. The menu also changes pretty frequently so don't expect to see the same things the next time you go. After waffling for a few minutes between bone marrow and escargot, I decided to go with the escargot for an appetizer. I've never had it and have always wanted to try it and I wasn't feeling quite so adventurous as to go with the bone marrow.

The escargot was served on a bed of arugula with a lemony vinaigrette, topped with spiced cranberries and fried green tomatoes. My verdict on escargot? It's good but not my favorite. I had no trouble eating it but it's not something I would order regularly. I was a fan of the crunch of the tomato with the tartness of the lemon and the sweet spice of the cranberries. Escargot have their own taste which I'm finding a little hard to describe, but mostly they taste like whatever you coat them with. They're also chewy. If they're done right they don't taste slimy or overly chewy. One day I would like to try them drenched in butter and garlic, which is how they're traditionally served.

We both ordered the same entree, Salmon Kulebiaka, a filet of the fish wrapped in puff pastry and stuffed with creamy spinach and artichokes, served over a mushroom cream sauce and topped with a chicken egg, which you pour over the top of the puff pastry. This dish was absolutely delicious. The pastry was flaky and buttery and made even softer by the addition of the chicken egg, and the salmon was seasoned nicely and not overcooked, flaking off with each bite. My obsession with mushrooms continues so of course I loved the cream sauce.

When Justin and I go out we don't often order dessert but Lee encourages me to indulge my sweet tooth so we opted for the Jamaican Herb Brownie Sundae. It wasn't brought to my attention until I was talking about it with Justin what that name really sounds like, so no this was not a "special" brownie!

This may be one of the best desserts I have ever eaten in a restaurant. The brownie was super chocolatey and gooey, covered with molten cheesecake and whipped cream, and served with the most amazing peanut butter ice cream. Lee and I weren't exactly sure what herbs were supposed to be in it other than what appeared to be a dusting of nutmeg. Regardless, I would love it if they made this a regular menu item because it was fantastic.

We both had a really great experience at this place and I would love to go back and take more people. Keep in mind if you do visit it's very small so if you're planning to go on a weekend night you may need reservations. They also charge for glassware if you bring your own bottle but it was only $5, and they prefer cash and charge a small convenience fee for credit cards. Throughout the whole experience we also found the service to be fine and didn't have any of the problems other people on Yelp had mentioned. If you're in Hampden I recommend checking this place out, along with my other favorite The Food Market. Still on my list to try in Hampden is Alchemy, 13.5% Wine Bar, and Le Garage.