Off The Menu: Cold-Smoked Filet Mignon At The Blue Ox

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This week we brought you a look at 9 Secrets of the Boston Food Scene, including a host of off-the-menu orders. But you’ll have to head to the smaller nearby city of Lynn to find one of our favorites: the cold-smoked filet mignon ($32) at The Blue Ox. Chef-owner Matt O’Neil recently made our list of 7 Must-Follow Social Media Stars, thanks to the help #ChefTips he posts from the restaurants Twitter handle. And other toques may want to take notes when it comes to this dish, which isn’t on the menu but is treated as a “permanent special.” The fabulous, juicy filet has quite the complex flavor from being cold-smoked over the staves of old whiskey barrels from Ryan & Wood Distilleries in Gloucester. The aged, oak-y quality is pretty sublime, especially sitting in a port wine sauce with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Lynn isn’t known for its dining scene, but this plate is a perfect example of why The Blue Ox (which also boasts a locally famous “Sin Burger”) has emerged as one of the North Shore’s major dining draws. (191 Oxford., Lynn; 781-780-5722)