Five things to remember if you ever decide to eat at Mandrake, found on Beverly's nascent Restaurant Row in the downtown section of Cabot Street:

1. The online menu may not match the one they're using. It was pretty close, but they didn't offer at least one of the apps we were considering (the duck confit). It also appears that clicking on any link but the one for the bar gives you the dinner menu.

2. The chicken skewers that were on the live menu are huge. Two people could easily split it.

3. Whoever came up with the idea for gouda-chorizo scalloped potatoes deserves some sort of medal.

4. Try not to be dismayed by the art on the walls. We have an art college in town, and I assume the semi-erotic photography on display will rotate out eventually.

5. The waitstaff is good if a little slow, and they're very willing to comp mistakes, such as when an order for pinot noir turns into a very nice glass of champagne.

All that being said, we enjoyed our meal quite a bit, and would go back without hesitation.