313470 Sun Jul 30 06:04:46 -0700 2006 1 12 Boston Area 0 1776097 I like kitchens that are creative in their own way, and this is a good example. Lots of good deep flavour in the pheasant meatballs. Mildly gamey, a good dash of pepper, it's ostensibly a twist to an Italian dish, but it also brings to mind tsukune (which I love), chicken meatballs at yakitori places. Served with a meaty (pheasant?) gravy with sweet vegetal contrasts from sauteed leeks, a play of textures and flavours that's essentially Chinese. (Not surprising, coming from a chef like Michelena.) Meaty, juicy, tender and generous pieces of rosy duck scallopini fanned out across the plate. I love the crumbly batter on the duck, moist yet crumbly and crispy, a sign of exceptional technique in a deceptively simple dish. A backdrop of corn, moderately sweet, a few kernals perhaps over grilled. Drizzle of balsmic iirc. A devlish dessert: plump boozy cherries soaked in some liquer or spirits top a pedestal of what was likely a semifreddo, also cherry flavoured. Beneath that, a moist, dense and chocolately layer of angel food cake. Definitely one of the most interesting and creative menus in the area. Thoughtful flavour and textural combinations, ably backed up with skillful execution. Main courses in the twenties, except for a $30-something bistecca, very modestly priced for the quality and the real estate. Sun Jul 30 06:04:46 -0700 2006 10076 limster 1 1776343 Michelina's so good, but his tendency to flit around a bit has kept him from really making a name for himself w/ one solid place. Maybe b/c of the space itself, which isn't to everyone's taste, Domani doesn't seem to have gotten the attention it could have. Personally I'd much rather eat there than Sorellina across the way. Anyway, the pheasant balls sound superb. Sun Jul 30 15:11:48 -0700 2006 1776097 11106 tatamagouche