Ko Prime   

90 Tremont St
Boston, MA 2108
617-772-0202
www.spirerestaurant.com

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Where Boston's boutique hotels are concerned, few options are chicer than Nine Zero. In keeping with the aesthetic perfected by Ian Schrager, these luxury lodgings come equipped with an in-house restaurant of the over-designed, see-and-be-seen variety. Spire's debut in 2002 was accompanied by the kind of buzz one expects from the opening of a destination dining space, including breathless reviews from national magazines and plugs from the likes of Dennis Leary. Despite its intriguing menu and a minimalist design scheme, though, Spire never assumed its rightful place in the city's culinary stratosphere -- a shortfall it aims to address with the hiring of chef Gabriel Frasca.An alumnus of Radius and Aquitaine Bis, Frasca has a facility for infusing French food with inventive flair. With a less educated palate, such adventurousness might fall flat, but Frasca's experiments with Chantenay carrot soup (served over lobster, heirloom cranberries and hazelnuts) and king salmon (accompanied by citrus salad, braised spinach and endive marmalade) expand the idiom without treading on the grave of Escoffier. From a whimsical 'bloody mary' of scallops, poached mussels and vodka-laced tomato juice to exquisite ice creams and red-bean beignets, the menu here has come into its own under Frasca's aegis, easily eclipsing Spire's futuristic design.