Lala Lamb

Boston's Restaurant Week is one of the best weeks of the year. Hundreds of restaurants around town come up with new creations for a three-course meal that costs a mere $33.09. (Small caveat: This amount does not include alcohol, which can quickly turn your $33.09 meal into $103.09)

My goal is to try two new restaurants during Restaurant Week (which, incidentally, is a two-week period). The first was Lala Rokh, a Persian restaurant in Beacon Hill. I love the spices and smells of Middle Eastern food so I was looking forward to this meal. I met my friend, Public Relations Guru Tara, at 7:30 and we were promptly seated at our table. First up: the wine menu. We choose a nice Pinot Noir and eagerly awaited the cork being pulled out of that gorgeous black glass bottle. Following our first sip, we ordered our meal.

• Eggplant appetizer salad with chickpeas, mild goat cheese and a sauce so good you would lick it off the floor


• Tara's dinner: beef saute with spiced rice and couscous


• My dinner: Lamb shank.

Quick point: I don't eat lamb. But I wanted to try something new and I was feeling brave, so I ordered the lamb. I did not know the "lamb shank" was the muscle, thus creating a work-for-your-meal episode when attempting to get the mean from the bone into my mouth. I'll admit, I gave up. The Lala Lamb, in theory, was a bold choice. But I turned in the lamb leg for a nice piece of salmon. Sometimes, it's just best to stick with what you know.