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| - Fresco is located right on State Street, right above the Museum of Contemporary Art and adjacent to the Overture Center. Have you ever wanted to see the iconic Orpheum sign from above? Make a reservation at Fresco. Better yet, the great view comes with great food. In the summer you can sit outside and dine under the stars, but Fresco is worth visiting any time of the year. If you go right after an Overture performance, I hope you've made a reservation. You'll also need patience, but it's all well worth the wait. Ask for extra bread (the bread portions are small), and ask your server not to butter the top. The bread is served warm and it's tasty. We started with charred broccolini with pepitas and parmesan; an exceptional dish. The niçoise salad with peppercorn-crusted tuna was close to flawless. We had the pan-roasted chicken with arugula and pine nuts; we'd order it again anytime. We saw a burger served at another table with thick-cut fries identical to those served at Ladurée in Paris, and made a mental note of it for our next visit; it looked irresistible. And then, since our main courses took a bit longer to serve, Fresco offered us complimentary heirloom potatoes and crispy brussels sprouts served with bacon and russian dressing. Now, I can't stand brussels sprouts, but these were delicious; they were perfectly roasted and tasted great even without the [wonderful] sauce. This was an unnecessary gesture; we went to Fresco immediately after a sold-out performance of Carmen at the Overture, and so did many others. The wait wasn't terribly long, but the gesture itself was classy and a sign of great service. It's not surprising: I recognized the manager, Danielle; she had been my favorite server at another restaurant. Here she was, hustling, bringing food to the tables, checking things in the kitchen, being in three or four places at once. A manager who doesn't stand around when the going gets tough but still manages to look friendly instead of frantic, sets the standard for the staff and the restaurant soars. Give Fresco a shot; you'll enjoy both the food and the service!
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