Petit goûters ($5/each) at Sel de la Terre (255 State Street, Boston, 617.720.1300)
Sel de la Terre’s bestknown baker may have flown the coop for his own roost (B&R Artisan Bread in Framingham), but he apparently taught someone at the inhouse boulangerie a thing or two beforehand. The famed breadbasket is as good as ever. Generally, it contains slices of at least three varieties: sourdough, black olive, and figanise, for instance, with a crock of oh-so-sweet butter — though it might seem too gluttonous to sample them all before the ink on your waiter’s ordering pad even dries. Which is where the petit goûters — little dishes that make an honest appetizer of the breadbasket — come in. The eggplant-goatcheese purée tastes more like a new-and-improved form of creaminess than distinctly like either ingredient, especially as it starts to blend in with its drizzle of olive oil; a few black walnut halves lend texture. Meanwhile, balsamic-roasted shallots and garlic — so soft they’re virtually spreadable — deliver a blast of jammy-earthy contrast. More power to you if you can throw the assortment of French olives into the mix: hey, you really are a bit of a glutton.
— RUTH TOBIAS
PHOTO BY KELLY DAVIDSON