coronavirus

Eastern Standard Is Closed, Maybe for Good. Its Chef Told Us the Dish He Misses Most.

Chef Nemo Bolin, who'd eaten the dish for years before he starting serving it, also talked about the uncertain future of Eastern Standard and the possibility the restaurant's future may rest in its iconic location

Brian Samuels

Eastern Standard, the beloved Kenmore Square brasserie, may be closing for good due to the coronavirus shutdown and ongoing disputes with their landlord.

Owner Garrett Hawker told The Boston Globe that his landlords “don’t seem to acknowledge that there’s anything special about these restaurants."

In the latest episode of "The Dish I Miss" podcast, Chef de Cuisine Nemo Bolin says that he isn't sure what the future holds for Eastern Standard. But he is sure about the dish he misses the most.

It's the steak tartare, a dish that he used to order as a customer of Eastern Standard before joining the staff less than a year ago.

Photo Courtesy of Brian Samuels
The steak tartare at Eastern Standard.

Now, since the Kenmore Square staple temporarily shut down in March due to COVID-19, he says he hopes Eastern Standard will come back but that, right now, it's out of his hands and up to the owner and landlords.

"I think everybody thinks of Eastern Standard as that particular space on Commonwealth Avenue right in the heart of Kenmore Square, but who knows?" he said. "The biggest part of ES is the people, the people that run it and the energy and the feeling that you get when you come in, so I wouldn't say that could never be in another space."

To listen to the full interview, click play on the episode above or download it on your favorite podcasting app.

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