Incanto’s “Leg of the Beast” dinner is like a tribal dinner, with a community coming together to enjoy the spoils of the hunt. It helps that rather than gather around a fire, we sat sit in Incanto’s newly redone dining room.  Still, the sense of community and fun that comes from eating family-style is great, and the presentation of this meal really brings it out.

The meal starts as just as you might expect – with a large plate of housemade  and Boccalone charcuterie, accompanied by their standard bread plate.  (Sidenote: they have great bread at Incanto, and always including olive tapenade is a classy touch.)

While everything on the plate was good, I’ve developed a profound love for Nduja. It’s a spreadable, spicy salami that has a killer flavor that unwinds in your mouth with layers upon layers of spice.  Next time you’re in the ferry building or at Incanto, I’d highly recommend picking up some for dinner. Pair with some pickles, crusty bread and a local IPA for an outstanding instant appetizer at home.

Next up was the salad. While tasty, this rustic salad featured too-large pieces of bitter chicories, without any sweetness in the dressing to balance it. But we’re not here for rabbit food.  Where’s the good stuff?

This would be a good time to warn you, that if you’re a vegetarian, look away.

That’s what I’m talking about.  The one item not served family style were the marrow bones.  they were served individually, dropped onto each plate still sizzling.  Accompanied by a stellar plate of fixings, including raw horseradish and a microplane, it’s as if Chef Chris could read my mind.  This dish handily won “favorite dish” status from most all of the table, including many who had never tried marrow before.

Our sides: White beans, served with fried sage and braised tendon.  I loved the tendon, and found it’s texture and mild flavor delicious.  Eli wasn’t such a fan of the tendon.  Everyone agreed on the Broccoli Romanesco, cooked in duck fat. Always a good thing.

And finally, the namesake leg:

The meat was braided to fall apart perfection, and served with a rich gravy of it’s own juices. We ate the entire thing, which leads to the leftover bone being passed around the table, like a trophy.  Eventually it was wrapped up for someone’s very happy dog.

Finally, there was dessert.  I opted for the classic specialty, Bay Leaf Panna Cotta:

Unfortunately for me, it was generally agreed upon that it was bested by the perfectly cooked flour-less chocolate cake.

We left very, very full. In conclusion: get the leg of the beast.

Besides being delicious, it’s a fun, adventurous way to eat, in a style that draws a group and community together.  Plus, the cost is extraordinarily reasonable, with prices starting at $49 for the food.

Of corse, now I can feel the ham cooked in hay calling my name.

Tags: beast, incanto, marrow

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 2:32 pm and is filed under Reviews, Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.