It’s hard to miss the illuminated “Audubon Boston” sign as you drive towards Audubon Circle. The new restaurant, located in the former Audubon Circle restaurant space, opened last Friday, welcoming Red Sox fans and neighborhood diners alike.

And the result? A packed house. But given that Audubon is brought to us by the same team behind Trina’s Starlite Lounge and Parlor Sports, the restaurant’s popularity shouldn’t be too surprising.

I ventured through the Fenway game day traffic to check out the new Audubon Boston restaurant last night – and what I found was an energetic, comfortable and friendly environment. The staff was all smiles, the ambiance was upbeat and the food was quite tasty.

Can’t lie – I’m more of a snack-oriented person, as it is. So when I saw Aubudon’s menu for the first time, I knew I wanted to taste as many “bites” as possible. The menu divides its offerings into six sections, including bites, lighter fare, more than light, burgers, full fare, and grilled. There really is something for everyone on this shareable dish menu, created by Chef Suzi Maitland.

My dinner partner and I tried some of their homemade spreads including the pea ricotta and red pepper goat cheese (below) –both delicious. The red pepper goat cheese reminded me of my all-time favorite southern spread – pimento cheese.

We also enjoyed the pork potstickers, which were pan fried and accompanied by snow peas, lotus root, red bell pepper, and water chestnuts (my fave). Audubon’s carrot salad came with a poached egg, an interesting and tasty combo.

My favorite dish on the menu – tough decision – was the relish plate “bite.” The plate was perfect for sharing and came with pickled cauliflower, radishes, kumquat jam, mustard (the real deal), and (of course) cheese.

Needless to say, we scraped the plate clean with our grilled crostini.

If you haven’t paid a visit to Audubon Circle’s newest addition, we recommend checking out the bar and restaurant soon. The tasty snacks and drinks make the Red Sox traffic-laden area completely worth the trip – even on game day.

Images via author