Among them, there was the Eton mess riff, the vanilla-bean tart-shell concoction, the grapefruit confection plate with brandy caramels and grapefruit meringue kisses and the six-layer grapefruit cake extravaganza.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Plaintains with smoked beans; corn tarts with black beans; fish tacos; grilled chicken with lime and chipotle; roasted pork shoulder with achiote paste; seared shrimp.
If you want greenery, get Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, or watercress with a tart bean cake sauce.
That said, Bean tops his tart with goat's cheese, which competes with the asparagus – perhaps the one I used was too strong.
WHAT WE LIKED Arancini, mustard greens with poached egg, tuna crudo, cured meat plate, artisanal cheese plate, clam pizza, pappardelle with lamb sugo, chicken with salsify, monkfish with cockles, prawns with pancetta, lamb mixed grill, gigante bean gratin, pignoli tart, biscotti with vin santo, sheep's milk cheesecake.
The food, despite an occasional undercooked bean or overcooked tart, was always good and sometimes lovely: a potpie of chicken, rabbit and mushrooms ($12); blue cheese in a pool of honey ($7); oily-soft bread with crisp shreds of bittersweet onion on top (free).
WHAT WE LIKE Spinach, split pea and mushroom soups; quiche Lorraine, chicken cobb salad, chicken curry salad tartine, sautéed shrimp and chorizo salad, sesame-crusted salmon with miso glaze, shrimp and avocado salad, black bean hummus tartine; lemon tart, apricot crumble, almond-apple tart.
Among the specialties of the current crew: tuna tartare with taro root ($9), rack of lamb roasted to pink perfection and served with mashed barlotti beans and a tomato tart ($28) and Tahitian vanilla bean parfait with poached mango (222 Adams Road 413-458-9611 413-458-9611 413-458-9611
Drum roll please... Warm feta, pea and asparagus tart, broad bean, tomato and mint dressing, pea shoots Grilled sea bream, stir-fried vegetables with lemongrass and ginger, champ potatoes, oriental jus, sliced spring onion and red chilli Grand Marnier creme brulee, caramelised oranges, lemon sorbet Coffee and petits fours "Oriental jus"?
Apricot soufflé had the edge over my pear tart with tonka bean custard (the bean, a research mission to the kitchen discovered, is used only to infuse), thanks to the alarmingly sensuous way in which a waitress plunged a spoon into the soufflé before inserting a small scoop of amaretto ice cream.
