Harvard Farmers Market

A few days ago, Les Femmes Fraiches happened upon a chic restaurant just off the highway in Chelmsford, MA.  We could hardly believe from the outside that a hip California-ish mood-lit bar and restaurant awaited. Lunch was quiet that Thursday, but we got a sense of what Moonstones was about.  Most importantly, the food was creative and delicious and warranted a quick return.

Two days later, I brought the family back with me.  Luckily, I got to witness not only the busy bar scene happening on a Saturday, but I also had the honor to meet both the friendly general manager Steven Simone and the very welcoming owner Scott Plath, who also owns Cobblestones in Lowell.  Now in the second year, and having spent time building a strong ‘foundation’ with Hawaii native executive chef Enx Dadulas, the folks at Moonstones are now embracing the local food scene. Moonstone’s spectacular seafood, illuminated by the gorgeous marble raw bar, hails primarily from New England.  Similarly much of their beef and produce are sourced from several local farms and farmers’ markets.  And while the menu draws inspiration from global cuisine, once the growing season gets underway, more and more menu items will celebrate local sources.

Our favorite appetizers included local mussels in a tomato-wine-garlic sauce and the curried butternut squash-goat cheese pakora.  The special soup of the day, a lamb provencial-style soup, was a great beginning on a cold rainy evening; the wasabi made for a bloody mary with a kick; and the ricotta zeppoli for dessert was truly divine.  We told Scott we would spread the word…please help us with this grassroots effort!  It’s definitely worth the quick drive up the highway; Les Femmes Fraiches are looking forward to visiting again soon!