And to think that I saw it on Winthrop Street!

While the Cod literally and figuratively digests phase one of the BosWash Corridor tour, some notes on meals not eaten. Family obligations found me at Om* -- not  the kind of place I generally gravitate to, but the staff and the drinks were excellent. I'd eaten, but the food has been getting much more love than you'd expect from a place that serves Asian fusion  so I flipped through the menu. There looked to be some good stuff going on, but also a

Deconstructed Caesar Salad
hearts of romaine, crispy white anchovies, soft poached egg, parmesan emulsion, asparagus, fingerling potato, lemon confit.

I asked about it, and the bartender praised the execution of the individual elements, but could not help me either on the rationale for the dish, or the presence of asparagus and potato. I've bitched before about the abuse of  the term "deconstructed" in the food world, but this surpasses the usual lazy thinking to embrace an indifference to what a Caesar is.  Based on the rest of the menu, it seemed as if they ought to have known better.

There may be something in the water in the 02138, as across the street, UpStairs on the Square has a similar issue. I've had pretty decent meals at UpStairs, and was curious to see the summer menu, which included

      Spring Vegetable Pot au Feu**
Perfectly Poached Spring Vegetables in an Herbed Mushroom Broth   $22

Memo to the kids in culinary school -- if you want to charge $22 for a bowl of vegetable soup, come up with a fancy name.

*In Cambridge, even though the website identifies it as "Om Restaurant Boston." You don't see places in Brooklyn or Hoboken doing this kind of thing.

** The late Johnny Apple produced a guide to what pot au feu is, as opposed to what it ain't.