Boma Restaurant + Bar Opens On Washington Street In Boston! Celebrated Boston Chef Chris Bussell Returns To The Neighborhood With An American Gastrol

BoMA Restaurant + Bar, the highly anticipated collaboration from restaurateur Shane Manfred and Executive Chef Chris Bussell is now open. BoMA Restaurant + Bar is an American Gastrolounge located at 1415 Washington Street in Boston's South End, serving a wide selection of comforting, seasonal dishes prepared with utmost care and respect for ingredients.

The name BoMA Restaurant + Bar is a double entendre. It not only stands for Boston, Massachusetts, but the word "boma" is also an African word of Persian decent meaning "safe haven"-which is the atmosphere and ambiance Manfred set out to evoke. The restaurant is located in the longtime space of the late Pho Republique, but don't look for any traces of the previous tenant; the room has been completely gutted and totally transformed. "We wanted to have our own identity," say Manfred. The completely redesigned space helps achieve that goal.

ABOUT THE CHEF
BoMA Restaurant + Bar Executive Chef Chris Bussell is no newcomer to the Boston dining scene. Chef Bussell, who landed his first cooking job in high school at Meier & Frank department store in Portland, OE (where James Beard began his culinary career) has been a familiar face on the local restaurant scene for 25 years.

In the early 1990's, Bussell cooked at the Harvard Street Grill in Brookline, followed by a stint at Icarus in the South End. Bussell then opened Hibernia, a "grown up" supper club in the Financial District, and then Butterfish, an "American bistro" in Cambridge in 1999-where he was featured by the James Beard Foundation as a "Rising Star of American Cuisine."

After selling Butterfish, Bussell went back to school, receiving a degree in Environmental Science and was hired by the Environmental Protection Agency to do Clean Water Act compliance strategy. But you can't keep a chef away from the stove-Bussell returned to cooking in 2004 at Terramia in the North End. Most recently Bussell was with The Foundry in Davis Square.

ABOUT THE MENU
BoMA Restaurant + Bar's inaugural menu emphasizes small plates and light fare, with a focus on local ingredients whenever possible. The restaurant is open for dinner seven nights a week and will soon offer brunch in early December 2012.

Small Plates include: Slow Cooked Short Rib Tacos with Cabbage and Queso Anejo; Roasted Clams with Chorizo, Cranberry Beans and Crostini; a Warmed Medley of Roasted Beets with Vermont Goat Cheese and Frisee; and Duck Fat French Fries with House Made Catsup.

Lighter Fare include: BoMA Burger, LTOP, with Vermont Cheddar and Duck Fat Fries; Linguine Vongole, Pat's Clams, Spicy Clam Broth, Parmagiano Reggiano; and Risotto, Wild Fall Mushrooms, Sage, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, Shaved Pecorino Romano.

Large Plates include: Grilled Swordfish with Crispy Shrimp, Artichokes, Gnocchi and Lobster Jus; Chestnut Ravioli with Duck Confit, Rabe and Pistachio Cream; Pan Seared Filets of Trout, Charred Cauliflower, Saffron Cous Cous, Sultana Raisins, Brown Butter; Grass Fed Hanger Steak, Texas Hash, Winter Kale, Chili Garlic Butter

Desserts include: Chocolate Ganache Torta with Pecan Cookie Crust and Warm Caramel Sauce; "Purple Cow" House-Made Grape Crush with Vanilla Ice Cream, Pistachio Florentina cookie.

ABOUT THE BEVERAGE PROGRAM
BoMA Restaurant + Bar bar manager JR Candida has put together a beverage program to please as many palates as possible. The New Hampshire native has spent much of the past decade working in and around Southern Massachusetts including 7 years with the Ruby Tuesday chain and a stint at Davy's Locker Seafood & Martini Bar in New Bedford. JR couldn't be more excited to be in Boston's South End. His beer list ranges from American class