Best New Restaurants 2015

From left, chefs Peter Ungár and Marcos Sanchez cater to guests at Tasting Counter, their 20-seat Somerville restaurant.

Best New Restaurants 2015 From a bistro channeling the best of 18th-century New England to a cutting-edge “think tank” slinging some of the city’s finest French food, these are Boston’s most exciting new dining destinations.

By CHRISTOPHER HUGHES With additional reporting by Jacqueline Cain, Brittany Jasnoff, Scott Kearnan, Corby Kummer, and Catherine Smart

hese days, a truly memorable restaurant experience is no longer defined merely by luxurious trappings, squeeze-bottle flourishes, and an endless parade of demure small plates. Instead, it’s about T the details. Think Sam Cooke’s “Night Beat” crack- ling on vinyl or a design-savvy restaurateur who commissions a one-of-a-kind mural. It’s a beverage program helmed by a progressive somm stashing rare beers alongside the Rhônes and Burgundy. PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE CREDIT GOES PHOTO HERE CREDIT GOES PHOTO

90 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPH BY JARED KUZIA BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 91 Most important, it’s about WHERE THE PROS GO the personal touches, like 1. a chef who ventures out- Michael Scelfo, chef-owner, Alden & side the sanctuary of the Tasting Counter Harlow (#11, Best Restaurants 2014), on kitchen—something the Bar- 14 Tyler St., Somerville, Banyan Bar + Refuge: bara Lynches and Ken Oring- 617-299-6362, ers of the dining world have tastingcounter.com. Phil Tang’s approach been pulling off for more than to Chinese cooking is really a decade. Since March 2014— To get to Tasting Counter, unlike anyone else’s. Everything is well bal- our cutoff for last year’s 50 ticket-holding guests slip Best Restaurants issue—doz- through an unassuming side anced and flavorful without being too over the ens of debuts have attempted entrance of the Aeronaut top. I think he has a profound understanding for to match those esteemed Brewing building, in Union what he does.” predecessors. Sometimes Square. Once there, chef innovation comes from the Peter Ungár and chef de cui- bottom up, as in boundary- sine Marcos Sanchez—both pushing food trucks, sprawling adorned in tall toques and crisp revolutionizing the tasting Becker, of Hi-Rise Bread downtown markets, and craft- chef’s whites—shepherd up to menu format. Next year, the Company, and James Beard beer bars that think beyond 20 guests through nine exhila- chef plans to fully customize Award winner Susan Regis, frites and Buffalo wings. Sev- rating courses: briny urchin- his lineups for repeat custom- of UpStairs on the Square— eral high-profile newcomers and-kelp custard served in a ers, so they’ll never see the reads flashy or ostentatious. have also stormed onto the chiseled eggshell; dry-aged same thing twice. Welcome to Its French-by-way-of-New- scene, from local luminaries to sirloin cap shingled over red fine dining’s new frontier—per- England spirit is built on Michelin-starred interlopers. curry sauce and burdock-root sonalized yet exquisitely pre- earthy fare and primal cuts The most successful and pas- purée; and a sublime sous vide pared, and endlessly surprising. of meat cooked over an open sionate of this new class deliv- duck breast marinated in miso hearth. But when Regis com- ered highly tailored concepts and dashi, easily the best piece 2. bines her technical precision presented with a strong sense of fowl we had all year. Consid- with just the right amount of of purpose, nailing the dining- ering the slew of spontaneous Shepard whimsy, her reinvented clas- out zeitgeist in compellingly freebies (duck-liver macarons), One Shepard St., Cambridge, sics are unmatched. Take unique ways. Herein, we pro- generous wine and beer pair- 617-714-5295, the fra diavolo. You’ve seen file the 25 breakout spots that ings, and personal-chef-like shepardcooks.com. it before, but never like this, inspired, challenged, and made service, Tasting Counter’s with a house-made, beet- us believers in a city that is price tag (starting at $165 At first blush, nothing about stained cappellacci tossed finally, finally taking its food as per person) seems like a bar- this very Cantabrigian with smoky red sauce, candy- seriously as its sports teams. gain. And Ungár isn’t finished newcomer—created by Rene striped beets, and generous

Destination Dishes Four tantalizing offerings we’ll come back for again and again.

Torta Ahogada Jumbo Soft-Shell Buttermilk Fried Ice Cream at Naco Taco Crab Bao Chicken Wings at Cha Yen Thai Cookery A Latin twist on the classic at Dumpling Daughter at Moonshine 152 Some of the best ice cream is French dip, the torta combines Too bad this seasonal bao— Chef Asia Mei shows off her being crafted at a Thai res- bacon, avocado crema, pickled soft-shell crab, sriracha slaw, southern chops with these taurant? In Watertown? With corn telera bread, and a seared and a pillowy Chinese milk fall-off-the-bone chicken flavors like coconut-jackfruit patty of shredded pork cheek. bun—only comes around dur- wings, which are butchered and Thai tea—all made in the Dunk into a pool of guajillo ing the summer. A $12 order in-house, brined in buttermilk “old school” method with eggs A feast of steak au poivre, bone-in Black Angus filet, chili au jus for a completely comes with two, but trust us, for two days, and dredged in a and heavy cream—the answer and pastrami-cured smoked

over-the-top experience. you won’t want to share. top-secret blend of spices. is a resounding yes. FISHER SARAH BY PHOTOGRAPHS ERIC MONGEON. BY ILLUSTRATION HERE CREDIT GOES PHOTO salmon at the Bancroft.

92 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPH BY NAME GOESHERE PHOTOGRAPHBOSTONMAGAZINE.COM BY NINA GALLANT 93 hunks of lobs ter. The tomato is a series of pitch-perfect salad’s fat heirloom slices riffs: The lobster roll is WHERE THE PROS GO gain an unexpected crunch upgraded with honey-miso Jamie Bissonnette, chef and from house-popped heritage butter and pickled sea beans; co-owner, Coppa and Toro (#10 and corn. A whisper-light, smooth Korean fried chicken swaps #18, respectively, Best Restaurants ricotta is imbued with cham- the typical sticky glaze for 2014), on Hojoko: omile and honey, an alluring a dried-lime chimichurri combination that somehow and a side of Kewpie-mayo I always eat way too works well outside the tea- potato salad; and a New York much food there, but it’s super-awesome— pot. The beautiful fare, not to strip is reborn as a massive, luscious and fatty, and the kind of thing where mention the pragmatic peg- shareable DIY platter served board visible from the open with scallion pancakes, ssa- you look down and your fingers are sticking to kitchen, makes us feel like mjang, and kimchi butter. everything.” we’ve stumbled into a Julia With its beer slushies and Child dinner party, com- tamarind-infused spirits; plete with tables heaped with Tang’s progressive menu; and hearty, soul-nourishing plates. owner Rebecca Roth Gullo’s has ambitions that are both the pleasantly pung ent organic, living space [see page appetizing and artistic. Yes, cheese cart. It’s a 3. 98], Banyan has officially van- you’ll find some of the pains- personal touch that adds quished the specter of its cel- taking molecular gastron- earnestness to an already Banyan Bar + Refuge ebrated predecessor. omy they’ve implemented enticing arsenal. 553 Tremont St., Boston, at their first restaurant, 617-556-4211, 4. Journeyman—but here the 5. banyanboston.com. dishes are more substantial Study and satisfying. Case in point: Hojoko To transform Hamersley’s 73 Ames St., Cambridge, a dollop of foie gras sprin- 1271 Boylston St., Boston, Bistro’s buttoned-down bras- 617-374-0700, kled with dehydrated pars- 617-670-0507, serie into one of Boston’s studyrestaurant.com. nip powder for a saturated hojokoboston.com. buzziest restaurants, the Gal- umami explosion. More lows Group gave chef Phillip What was once the city’s important, Lim and Kudaja- At Tim and Nancy Cushman’ s Tang free rein. In turn, the most forward-thinking pop- rova have found their hospi- rollicking izakaya in the former East by Northeast up has become a vanguard tality footing, stepping out Fenway, there’s only one chef spiced up his largely Chi- brick-and-mortar in Kend- from behind the line to serve rule: If it’s too loud, you’re nese repertoire with Japa- all Square. Led by husband- guests themselves—whether too old. That mentality nese, Thai, and even eastern and-wife team Tse Wei Lim it’s whisking away place extends beyond the garage- Russian elements. The result and Diana Kudajarova, Study settings or wheeling around rock soundtrack [see page

Whether steamed, fried, or swimming chefs now using wonton skins to wrap Year of the Wonton in broth, the dumpling was everywhere everything from street-cart fusion to this year. And why not? Its appeal goes southern-tinged spinoffs. Here, three far beyond dim sum Sundays, with innovative dumplings to seek out.

Corned-Beef-and- Fried Flat Dumplings Carnitas Dumplings Cabbage Dumplings at Meju at Koy at River Bar These spicy dumplings are a wel- Opening chef Sebastian Martinez Jewish deli meets Asian pot sticker thanks come crash course in South Korean dreamt up this succulent nod to old to Patrick Gilmartin, who subs out sweet soy food-court fare. The key: chef-owner Mexico, featuring wine-braised pork Rose-scented ice for a schmear of grainy mustard and a dip- Young Kim’s chewy handmade shoulder, black vinegar, and a drizzle cream in a nest of honeycomb brittle ping sauce made from rye bread and the pan dough flecked with chopped chive. of crumbled queso fresco.

at Study. HERE CREDIT GOES PHOTO TRINH (KOY) FISHER (RIVER BAR, TOAN SARAH MEJU); BY PHOTOGRAPHS ERIC MONGEON. BY ILLUSTRATION drippings from his house-cured corned beef.

94 BOSTON | MONTH 20XX PHOTOGRAPHPHOTOGRAPH BY BY NAME NINA GOESHERE GALLANT BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 95 101]—which they’ll never, Daniel Bojorquez was like ever turn down—to an a culinary Icarus, drawn WHERE THE PROS GO interior that feels as much to the flames of his elabo- Cassie Piuma, chef and co-owner, Sarma Big Trouble in Little China rate, custom-designed Blue (#6, Best Restaurants 2014), on Select as Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Barn wood-fired oven and Oyster Bar: with plastic pink flamingos, overwhelming his menu street art, and vintage Asian with misplaced ambition. Michael Serpa’s food movie memorabilia. What Was it French? Pan Latino? always inspires and reminds about the food, you say? Korean? The recent addi- Executive chef Hart Lowry tion of Ribelle alum Dan me to let the ingredients shine. His dressed goes punk, using his flaw- Amighi as the inaugural chef lobster is probably the most delicious thing I less Japanese techniques de cuisine has had a sta- ate this summer. I didn’t even miss the bun. to create the most irrev- bilizing influence. Amighi Or the mayo!” erent drunk food around. has refined the menu and Sushi rolls are stuffed with drawn on La Brasa’s greatest foie gras “Spam”; a “weed” strength, namely the piquant salad combines briny nori flavors of Bojorquez’s Mexi- hours, wait times can be end- and cucumber; and a robata can homeland. Beets are now 7. less—a cruel depravation con- (grilled) program incor- destination-worthy, thanks sidering Serpa’s skills with all porates everything from to crunchy quinoa and a Select Oyster Bar manner of raw fruits de mer. whole prawns to traditional sauce made from maple 50 Gloucester St., Boston, Armed with some of the East yakitori. If O Ya’s formal syrup and chile de árbol. 857-239-8064, Coast’s most pristine seafood, omakase service was the Pork loin is carved tableside selectboston.com. Serpa breathes new life into Cushmans’ Dylan-esque and dressed with ancho chi- crudos, ceviche, and tartares: acoustic phase, Hojoko is michurri and an incendi- Like Neptune Oyster, where paper-thin slices of halibut are where they go electric. ary au jus. Even the humble chef Michael Serpa toiled garnished with pickled pump- chicken wing gets the royal for years, Select is a tiny fish kin and espelette, and hamachi 6. Mexican treatment, with in a heavily trafficked pond. is laced with a snappy dress- a nuanced, 12-ingredient Off tourist-friendly New- ing of ginger and Warren pear. La Brasa Oaxacan mole. Most restau- bury Street, diners descend Entrées such as Serpa’s thick 124 Broadway, Somerville, rants need a little time to get into a tiny, borderline-twee Gloucester swordfish steak 617-764-1412, their bearings, but it’s almost space decorated in a nautical stippled with rose harissa and labrasasomerville.com. unheard of for one to quickly mélange of Jacques Cousteau cucumber raita are informed reassess and reinvent itself, and Steve Zissou. Since res- by the same clean, never- When he first opened his and immediately become ervations are limited to par- mundane conception East Somerville restaurant, one of the city’s best. ties of six or more during peak (Continued on page 101)

You Can Take It with You Original postcards from venues around town complete the experience.

Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar Woods Hill Table Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar Notable drawings and memos, sketched This Concord newcomer tells the restau- As if you weren’t tempted enough by the on the back of Loco’s seasonally changing rant’s story—including its philosophies display case–cum–hostess stand at the selection, are tacked to the restaurant’s on sprouted grains, fermentation, and front, baker Kim Chapel’s enticing array Chef Michael Serpa shows off “Wall of Fame.” grass-fed beef—on keepsakes that of pies are depicted on a series of his seafood bona fides in the

accompany each bill. illustrated postcards. ERIC MONGEON BY ILLUSTRATION kitchen at Select Oyster Bar.

96 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPH BY NINA GALLANT BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 97 The sounds “The refrigeration Sinewy willow-branch of dancers, singers, was antiquated. There light fixtures and and other upstairs was no fryolator; there reclaimed wood from neighbors at the Boston were 36 burners,” Gullo a Kentucky horse farm Center for the Arts are says of the kitchen over- replaced wrought- now muted, thanks haul. “It wasn’t the type iron chandeliers and to $75,000 worth of of cooking we’re doing, painted beams. Tectum soundproofing which is very panels. à la minute.”

To create a “living” space, Gullo lined the walls with white and yellow birch trunks, and decked the dining room with orchids, ter- rariums, and ferns.

To make room for a six-seat chef’s counter, wine refrigera- tors and two kitchen entrances were ripped out. “Having three doors into a kitchen is a luxury these days,” Gullo says.

Before Gullo had to lobby hard for her furniture of choice: chairs and banquettes sheathed in faux snakeskin. “This was a huge fight between me and the architect,” she says.

French Provincial vibe, she collaborated with Banyan’s Sousa Design (Alden & Harlow, Sweet Cheeks), Extreme Makeover swapping wainscoting and white linens for salvaged wood and faux snakeskin. “We have the Exorcising the ghost of a gastronomic landmark utmost respect for Gordon [Hamersley] and requires more than a new coat of paint. That’s what he did for the area,” Gullo says. “We could Colorful dragons salvaged Hidden in this triptych by Somer- what Rebecca Roth Gullo discovered when her never replicate what he did here, nor would we from the bow of a Thai ville artist Markus Sebastiano is a sailboat grace the private photo of Gullo’s two daughters and Gallows Group purchased the legendary Ham- want to. I mean, it was eponymous. We had to dining room. the blackbird logo from the Gallows ersley’s Bistro space in 2014. To jettison the start over.” Group’s neighboring doughnut shop.

98 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED KUZIA BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 99 and execution. The only chal- a barrel-aged blonde with Lemon Pavé: Crusty shortbread lenge? Making it through the crisp maple-glazed pork belly strikes a balance door to experience them. or mussels bathed in a beer- Pump Up the Volume between sweet and and-tasso-ham broth—each savory with tangy lemon curd and a drizzle of churned out of an impres- Before hunting for real estate or even sweating the menu, tarragon pesto. 8. sive 700-degree Le Panyol Hojoko’s Tim Cushman created an exclusive mixtape of favorite wood-burning oven. Or sip tunes for his Fenway rock ’n’ roll–themed izakaya. The eclectic The Backroom on a tulip glass brimming soundtrack—which meanders from obscure college-radio finds at Moody’s with Berliner Weisse, a per- to ’80s hair metal to Tarantino selects—has grown to more than 468 Moody St., Waltham, fect complement to one of 2,000 songs, all carefully calibrated for maximum Cushman- 781-216-8732, Paine’s pillowy, char-blistered approved ambiance. Below, a selection of his raucous (and hilari- moodyswaltham.com. pies (the sweet butter-and- ous) jams, now in regular rotation. To listen to the playlist, go to sugar corn with salty ’nduja bostonmagazine.com/hojokomusic. Muddy Buddies: For years, Joshua Smith’s still haunts our dreams). Not Chex cereal is tossed “There are a couple of house-cured, smoked, and a fan of the suds? How about with melted chocolate Shot the ’80s hair-metal power and peanut butter, then otherwise coddled meats at a bottle of bubbly from the EX-CULT Beehive ballads on there that peo- dusted with powdered Moody’s Delicatessen have Languedoc, or some funky ple kind of scratch their sugar. It’s childhood heads and go, ‘What?’ been landing on the char- Normandy cider to savor mornings, reimagined Cum on But it works. I’m trying as a grownup after- cuterie boards of top restau- alongside an expertly pre- QUIET RIOT Feel the Noize to mix in some goofy dinner snack. rants around town. With the pared tuna crudo? In today’s straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll, which I really like.” opening of his dim and dap- quaffing climate, you can have My Baby THE GANTS Don’t Care per wine-bar refuge next it all. Man, are we spoiled. “The Rutles is kind of door, Smith is finally able to making fun of the Bea- Chocolate tles, which I love. It’s Eric “Salami”: Olive-oil- explore the full spectrum of 10. BEASTIE Slow Ride BOYS Idle from Monty Python brushed, sea-salt- his talents, which he polished at his irreverent best.” speckled ganache is in the posh kitchens of the BISq mixed with dried stone fruits and nuts. Chunks Four Seasons. Flatbreads— 1071 Cambridge St., THE RUTLES Ouch! “That’s Van Morrison of white chocolate mimic like his deconstructed Reu- Cambridge, 617-714-3693, before he was Van the look of pork ben loaded with pastrami, bisqcambridge.com. Morrison, so to speak.” fat. Oink. Baby Please Swiss, and sauerkraut—are THEM Don’t Go “That’s actually an old cranked out of a wood-fired Could the student have sur- song that I grew up lis- copper oven. A red-sauce- passed the master? Chef Dan THE ELECTRIC I Had Too Much tening to as a little kid soaked iron skillet deliv- Bazzinotti makes a compel- to Dream on a transistor radio my PRUNES (Last Night) grandmother gave me ers “Never the Same” Wagyu ling argument at BISq, the for Christmas. I used to meatballs, hefty and hand- Inman Square offshoot of THE Have I put it under my pillow the Right and listen to it at night.” Pâté de Fruit: built from a blend of high- Somerville’s Bergamot. No HONEYCOMBS Dainty blackberry jellies quality scraps. And whole, longer under the tutelage “There are two reasons offer mouth-puckering slow-smoked rotisserie of his mentor, Keith Pooler, bites bursting with citric VANILLA ICE Ice Ice Baby I like it. Part of it is just acid. File under: Fancy chicken, served with spaetzle Bazzinotti takes a deep dive the beat and the feel of Sour Patch Kids. and a pour-over of balsamic, into his offal virtuosity, dis- the song. Another reason: Jim Carrey was on bears finely crisped skin that playing an expertise with April 29, 1992 SUBLIME (Miami) the TV show In Living gives way to a meltingly ten- charcuterie and small bites Color as Vanilla Ice and der bird. Fancy? No, just that are as much résumé as did ‘White White Baby.’ Eight It takes me back to the awesome artisanship. repast. To wit: “N’awlins” bar- THE PEBBLES of Magic hilariousness of that.” becue shrimp toast, a dim- sum-by-way-of-Big-Easy Summertime “They’re super-alleged Chocolate- 9. MICK FARREN Salted Butter amalgam that pays homage Blues pot heads, and that kind Covered Cherries: Caramel: of fits into this whole Husk cherries, nature’s Brewer’s Fork to the chef’s first culinary gig, Bazzinotti’s sticky, thing. One of our original great Frankenstein fruit sweet house-made 7 Moulton St., at Brennan’s, in New Orleans. THE What a Girl ideas was putting these (think tomatillo mixed caramels are the high- HANGMEN Can’t Do big bongs behind the bar with pineapple), are Charlestown, 617-337-5703, Or the salmon tiradito, with end version of the and having dry-ice smoke coated with a shell brewersfork.com. cubes of purple potato and penny-candy-store coming out of them.” of Guittard white The Dipsy classic. chili aji amarillo, a dish influ- chocolate. BUDDY COLE Doodle The line between good eating enced by his wife’s Peruvian “I wanted a cool, jazzy and better imbibing is, thank- heritage. Each inventive, organ song as an ode to SUZANNE Fenway Park. You’ll hear fully, blurring, and no place thoughtfully composed small VEGA/DNA Tom’s Diner something that’s really better exemplifies that ambi- plate (we suggest the soy- hard-driving, punk rock, Anatomy of BISq’s Dessert Charcuterie guity than John Paine and and-ginger-soaked king- Comment Te Dire and then this organ song FRANCOIS comes on and it kind of At Dan Bazzinotti’s temple to all things charcuterie, even the confections look like their smoked Michael Cooney’s Charles- oyster mushroom carpaccio) Adieu (It Hurts to HARDY Say Goodbye) breaks everything up and

and cured counterparts. Here, a breakdown of the chef’s cheeky dessert board. —scott kearnan HERE CREDIT GOES PHOTO town hang. Here you can pair is perfectly complemented keeps everybody alert.”

100 BOSTON | MONTH 20XX PHOTOGRAPHPHOTOGRAPH BY BY NAME NINA GOESHERE GALLANT BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 101 by general manager Anne those Benedicts and Bel- Thompson’s intriguing collec- gian waffles: With upgrades WHERE THE PROS GO Café ArtScience’s tion of vinos, easily navigable like house-made doughnuts, Tiffani Faison, chef-owner, Sweet Cheeks Todd Maul Builds with the help of BISq’s crack buttery drop biscuits, and (#39, Best Restaurants 2014) and Tiger staff of oenophiles. a pancetta-and-peperonata Mama, on the Backroom at Moody’s: a Cocktail breakfast sandwich, there are 1. Orange peel, apple 5. Maul ignites cinna- drinking vinegar, and mon and orange peel 11. now even more reasons to join I think the bar—with the apple cider are flash- and traps the residual the weekend faithful winding infused in a charged smoke in a rocks glass. Centre Street Café two meat slicers in the middle— whipped cream canister. down Centre Street. 6. He adds Willett rye, 669A Centre St., Jamaica really connects the delicatessen 2. After it steeps for orange bitters, and Plain, 617-524-9217, to the restaurant. It makes that bridge palpable 30 minutes, Todd Maul Soberano Spanish 12. pours the elixir into brandy. centrestreetcafejp.com. and inviting. It’s a good example of a chef find- carefully weighed cen- The Bancroft trifuge cartridges. 7. Nutmeg is grated ing a spot that fits well for them.” over a negative-40- A Jamaica Plain fixture 15 Third Ave., Burlington, 3. A centrifuge spins the degrees-Fahrenheit renowned for its Sunday 781-221-2100, liquid at 10,000 revolu- ice cube. brunch, Centre Street Café the-bancroft.com. tions per minute, sepa- rating out the solids. 8. The “Apple of My has been transformed by the mezzanine stocked with rare a baffling mix of Beijing Eye” cocktail is gar- Tres Gatos team into the type ’Burbs, say hello to the vintages of Margaux and tro- opera masks, stray Christ- 4. Using a handheld nished with orange sieve, Maul filters out the peel and marigold. of neighborhood spot that swankiest of steakhouses. phy pinots from the West mas decorations, and a mural clarified cider mixture. ➊ ➋ draws regulars every day of With high-end touches like Coast. Because hey, if you’re of staid Victorian brown- the week. The petite space Carrara-marble counter- going to spring for a hulking stones, Chef Chang’s looks is as comforting as cash- tops, enormous Oriental Tomahawk chop, why settle like a mash-up of a London mere, with service that is vigi- rugs, Parisian flea-market for a glass of merlot? We’ll take tearoom and the Chinese lant, never cloying. Not sure finds, and even an Andy War- ours with a bottled Hub Punch restaurant in A Christmas about that Greek xinomavro hol room, the Bancroft feels and a sidecar of Coravin- Story. Sure, it serves take- on the wine menu? You can like a Gatsby-era chophouse dispensed Amarone. out standards like General sample a splash before com- of yore. Chef Mario Capone’s Gao’s, but if you ordered mitting to a half carafe. Pair dry-aged rib-eyes and bone-in 13. that, you’d be missing out on it with excellent starters or filets only add to the occasion- owner John Chang’s expertly a range of hand-rolled and dining attitude, with haute Chef Chang’s rendered dishes from the -extruded pastas from chef accoutrements like smoked on Back Bay Xinjiang and Shaanxi prov- Brian Rae (who trained under black salt, hot Roquefort but- 30 Massachusetts Ave., inces: bites of Bashu-flavored Rialto’s Jody Adams), all of ter, and charred avocado. For Boston, 617-236-1888. fried chicken with green cap- which easily compete with a real treat, take a turn on the sicum chilies, and a show- the Ribelles and Giulias of the steel catwalk and peruse the Tucked into a Back Bay base- stopping whole fish braised proverbial block. And about glassed-in, 3,000-bottle wine ment and decorated with in black-bean gravy studded

Three of the most highly anticipated restau- plagued by hubris, unfamiliar terrain, or lack of ➌ ➍ ➎ Who Didn’t rant debuts, helmed by some of the East Coast’s focus, these high-profile chefs left us wanting. Make the Cut best talent, stumbled out of the gate. Whether Thankfully, there’s always 2016.

Townsman Bar Boulud Juniper Über-talented chef and overall gastro- Global heavy-hitter Daniel Boulud seems Dave Becker halfheartedly jumped on nomic sponge Matt Jennings muddied to have walked away from his Boston out- the eastern Mediterranean bandwagon, his New England–revival concept with post far too soon. The result: muted food with predictably lackluster results. trendy influences from outside the region. and inconsistent service. Monsieur Bou- Amateurish service and a disturbingly ➏ ➐ ➑

We wish he’d sharpen his sights. lud, please finish what you started. loud dining room don’t help, either. (BOULUD) DALMORE/AP PRNEWSFOTO/THE BECKER); (JENNINGS, SALAFIA DAVID BY PHOTOGRAPHS ERIC MONGEON. BY ILLUSTRATION

102 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPHS BY NINA GALLANT BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 103 under $15. There’s a reason why the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality empire is, well, an empire. And it’s not the Molto Mario–approved sou- venirs lining the foyer.

16. Café ArtScience 650 E. Kendall St., Cambridge, 857-999-2193, cafeartscience.com.

With all the hype surround- ing Café ArtScience, Cam- bridge thought it was getting an up-to-the-minute, if icy, food lab with some boozy, tech-bent interludes in between. And sure, it got that. But it also got the most expert French food Boston has seen in years, thanks to Eastern Standard alum Patrick Campbell, whose immaculate menu features a Chef John Delpha’s Asian bar- Cart service includes rib becued hog’s head with kimchi, roast and pork loin carved beautifully flavored foie-gras relish, and biscuits at Rosebud tableside at La Brasa. terrine and the best roast American Kitchen & Bar. chicken since Hamersley’s closed its doors. A stripped- down lunch service harbors with star anise. Who knows, ton’s rich culinary history, is Mario Batali’s Crocs and one of the city’s great under- era flashback. Everything dimensions—have plenty of to hand-pulled Shanghainese maybe there is some logic to bringing so much more than larger-than-life persona, the-radar burgers—tallow- in the glitzy marbled space 18. elbow room to spread out and noodles. This summer, Bos- the Christmas lights after all, hoary historical food. Pastry you can’t deny that he has basted ground chuck and Old is for sale, from T-shirts to blithely slurp down bowls ton joined that growing move- since it’s impossible not to feel chef Adam Ross’s use of heir- a knack for building a pro- Bay aioli are involved—and the $90,000 purple chan- Dumpling Palace of fiery Sichuan flounder fil- ment with the opening of the like you’re on holiday (at least loom grains is resulting in some ficient, well-oiled machine. a minor gastronomic rev- delier hanging over the cir- 179 Massachusetts Ave., lets. Even better, the restau- Boston Public Market, a year- from the norm) at this tiny slip of the richest-flavored bread Babbo is flush with attentive elation (drumroll: a Greek cular foyer bar—a preferred Boston, 617-266-8888, rant stays open until 3 a.m. round, all-local farmers’ mar- of a restaurant. in Boston. Sheehan’s champi- servers and kitchen staffers salad…with pommes frites). watering hole for bougie dumpling-palace.com. for post-post-post-symphony ket that also serves as a rich oning of long-ignored herbs adroit in the canon of mod- And oh, those elaborate bev- tipplers. Yet the food sings. munchies. That means mas- and varied food hall. Nosh 14. and pickles dovetails seam- ern Italian classics. Just as erages. Like he did at Clio, Greed is good, but gluttony At the Back Bay sibling of terful salt-and-pepper shrimp on some of Matt Baumann’s lessly with today’s house-made soon as you take a sip from cocktail savant Todd Maul is better, and chef Rachel Chinatown’s Dumpling Café, and golden duck buns until smoked-haddock tacos, the Loyal Nine mania. And some of those a stiff Negroni, your rame- proves that centrifuge-driven Klein’s marvelous, globe- servers wield platters of the fat lady sings. fish serving as a toothsome 660 Cambridge St., Cambridge, weirder-sounding options, like kin of chili-spiked Sun- concoctions aren’t just par- spanning menu has earned the same garlicky pea-pod juxtaposition to the crunchy 617-945-2576, fried soldier beans, smoked golds and marinated tuna lor tricks. the adulation of well-heeled stems and cleaved ginger- 19. lime-cumin slaw. Dive into loyalninecambridge.com. mackerel, and soused mullet on appears alongside the com- tastes. Among her com- scallion lobsters. But here one of Red’s Best’s fresh-from- Boston Public Market lush Boston brown bread, are plimentary basket of crackly 17. munal roasts, Green Circle they hustle to the rhythm of the-boat yellowfin tuna rolls Well versed in 18th- and 19th- improbably addictive. bread. Begin sampling chickens are fattened from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 100 Hanover St., Boston, shrouded in Maine-sourced century New England cook- from a menagerie of local Liquid the fancy scraps of high-end 5 in E minor, a nod to nearby bostonpublicmarket.org. seaweed. Then brace yourself books, Loyal Nine chef Marc 15. cheeses, such as Wolf Mead- Art House restaurants like Per Se. Main Berklee. And that isn’t the for Jasper Hill Farm’s raclette, Sheehan is taking the admi- ow’s tangy caciotta, and the 100 Arlington St., Boston, courses such as pork loin only difference between Peter At destinations like L.A.’s a bubbling sheaf of Alpha Tol- rable yet frightening first step Babbo twirl of the area’s sunni- 617-457-8130, with Chinese sausage and Wang’s two eateries. The Grand Central Market and man scraped onto steamed fin- toward reviving a once-proud 11 Fan Pier Blvd., Boston, est carbonara is already hit- liquidarthouse.com. Tokyo turnips are artfully Palace’s flurry of chefs cinch Gotham West Market, in New gerling potatoes. With almost regional cuisine that had been 617-421-4466, ting the table. But perhaps presented. And Klein’s pier- xiao long baos behind a fabu- York, “food court” means 40 highly curated kiosks, BPM reduced to chowder and baked babbopizzeria.com. the biggest surprise here This high-concept art gallery ogies with corn and pickled lous glassed-in dumpling sta- savvy chefs hawking every- offers unique dining options beans. His brand of “East Coast is the value, with most piz- meets fine-dining restau- watermelon rind are exem- tion, while patrons—spared thing from Chemex-steeped every day of the week. Revival,” an homage to Bos- Even if you’re skeptical of zas and pastas clocking in rant feels like a Reagan- plars of the form. the typical sardine-can-like cold brew to mackerel sashimi (Continued on page 123)

104 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015 PHOTOGRAPHS BY NINA GALLANT BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 105 Best New Restaurants CONTINUED FROM PAGE 105

20. Santouka Ramen One Bow St., Cambridge, 617-945-1460, santouka.co.jp.

This Hokkaido-based chain excels at Japanese comfort foods like crispy chicken karaage, luscious gyoza, and tender takayaki. But let’s be honest, at Santouka it’s really about the ramen. Embodying the old bromide that if you focus on one thing, you can perfect it, Santouka runs a staunch in-house cer- tification program that requires each of its chefs to stage under its ramen masters abroad. The result is a silky shio tonkotsu ramen—laden with buoy- ant noodles, pickled plum, and succulent char-siu pork cheek—that’s damn near perfect.

21. Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar 381 Summer St., Somerville, 617-629-9500, rosebudkitchen.com.

Joe Cassinelli resurrected the for- merly seedy Rosebud Diner by reup- holstering the booths in deep, rich, tufted red leather, installing dark wood flooring, and painting the walls black. Voilà! The Davis Square spot has gone insanely upscale. Now a 140-seat behemoth, Rosebud Kitchen employs the skills of chef John Delpha to tackle the sweeping terrain known as “Amer- icana.” That means the jambalaya of the Louisiana Gulf Coast; the milk- shakes and griddled cheeseburgers of Rosebud’s greasy-spoon roots; and the St. Louis ribs and bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers of the competitive- barbecue circuit. But Delpha really shines when he wanders farther afield, such as with his lusty, Sichuan- inflected dry-fried green beans and barbecued hog’s head lacquered in gochujang—a hedonistic exclamation point on a menu that offers something for everyone.

BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM 123 22. 24. Woods Hill Table Josephine 24 Commonwealth Ave., 468 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, 978-369-6300, Boston, 617-375-0699, woodshilltable.com. josephineboston.com.

Never has the farm-to-table boast felt For biotech maven turned restaurateur so fresh. In fact, at owner Kristin Can- Samuel Gosselin, Josephine is much more ty’s rustic debut in Concord, it’s prac- than a passion project. It’s personal. That’s tically a religion. Chef Charlie Foster, evident in the tables he helped carve from an alum of Daniel Boulud’s New York slabs of Claro walnut and Big Leaf maple; empire, helms an oft-changing nouveau in artist John Gonnella’s painting of Gosse- New England menu using meat sourced lin’s mother, the eponymous matriarch of straight from the Farm at Woods Hill, the space; and, most important, in his hos- the restaurant’s 260-acre sister prop- pitality—a presence far warmer than the erty in New Hampshire. From a punchy faux flames in the campy digital fireplace. fluke-and-kohlrabi crudo to the baked- Michelin-starred chef Stefano Quaresima to-order epi baguette served with maintains that same scrupulousness in whipped butter and maple pork fat, the kitchen, turning bistro fare into Gal- everything is caught, raised, and har- lic works of art. The only dilemma: how to vested from local farms and waters. choose between star dishes like mussels Nowhere does that ethos slip, not in steamed in lemongrass-scented red curry sommelier Andrew Rich’s biodynamic- and merguez-stuffed squid over saffron heavy wine list; not in the microbrewed taglioni. Fret not: Gosselin will be there in Vermont kombucha on draft; and not in his bespoke suit to guide you toward the pastry whiz Douglas Phillips’s delicate right selection, and chances are he’ll come mousses, tarts, and sorbets. bearing an amuse-bouche or two.

23. 25. Comedor Committee 105 Union St., 50 Northern Ave., Newton Centre, 857-404-0260, Boston, 617-737-5051, comedornewton.com. committeeboston.com.

In a sea of small plates, Comedor’s share- Committee hails from the same crew able fare stands out from the pack. Credit behind the fist-pumping nightclub Bijou, so that feat to husband-and-wife team Jakob it should come as no surprise that it attracts and Fernanda White, who weave the fla- some of the same cologne-drenched cli- vors of their homelands (hers Chile, his entele. Add to the mix a dose of throbbing the good old U.S.A.) into plates as bright international house music, and this Seaport and beguiling as the space’s Day-Glo, spot can feel as subtle as an EDM banger. kaleidoscopic murals designed by the Yet beverage director Peter Szigeti’s cock- Couto Brothers. Here, flaky empanada tail program, with its flair for ornamenta- shells enrobe bay scallops and gooey tion (candied bacon!) and aromatic mists, is rivulets of fontina; spicy-sweet chicken magnificent. And the modern eastern Med- wings get a sprinkle of pistachios and a iterranean meze menu, developed by Greek palate-cooling dab of whipped avocado; chef Diane Kochilas, is executed by Com- and papas fritas get the five-star treat- mittee’s kitchen with energy and verve. ment with fried Kennebecs and Yukon Hits like roasted red pepper stuffed with Golds dusted in cotija and merken, Chile’s garlicky, chili-flecked feta, andlahmajun — signature spice blend. Outside might be a pizza-esque disk topped with lamb and a stodgy stretch of Newton Centre, but charred tomato—take the more-is-more inside is a vibrant respite suggesting approach to layering vibrant spices, all with bolder things to come. killer results. Surprised? Join the club.

124 BOSTON | NOVEMBER 2015