Nantucket Bay scallops from the culinary team at The Nautilus.
From a staple in the Nantucket dining scene to a gourmet meal delivery service, these local food phenomena are enough to entice any bon vivant.
WATER WORLD
The Nautilus, a Nantucket favorite, opens in Boston’s Seaport District this spring as Nautilus Pier 4. Culinary Director Liam Mackey will oversee operations, while executive chef Stephen Marcaurelle, who has a passion for Spanish cuisine and thrilled gourmands at Tres Gatos and The Boarding House, helms the kitchen. Look for the chef to dish coastal-leaning small plates (think tempura East Coast oyster tacos) and family-style feasts (whole roasted Peking duck) with a nod to Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. The new 5,000-square-foot resto also will feature culinary-inspired cocktails and an extensive wine and sake list overseen by renowned beverage insiders Clinton Terry and sommelier Stephen Bowler. (For fans of The Gaslight Nantucket, this is the part of the same esteemed crew—Mackey, Terry and Bowler—who opened the island hot spot two summers ago.) “The pandemic has been extremely hard on restaurants across the board,” says Bowler, a managing partner in the venture. “While our Boston opening has been delayed, we remain as excited as ever to bring Nautilus’ lively and intimate approach to hospitality to the Seaport, and hope we can be a huge part of a return to normal dining out in the city. We aspire to provide a restaurant that will bring a personal touch, a neighborhood feel and some spirit and soul to the area.” New York City-based Workshop/APD’s inspired design of the new space includes 135 linear feet of waterfront views; the firm also carved out additional square footage for a private dining room and an expansive outdoor patio—making the prospect of alfresco dining this spring and summer nothing short of dreamy. 100 Pier Four Blvd., thenautilus.com
Falafel and homemade tzatziki from Bountiful.
STAYING LOCAL
A year ago, during the second week of the pandemic, Boston entrepreneur Julien Cohen had an idea: Why not find a way to support the local food economy by combining the skills of everyone from growers to creators? He opened a kitchen in Somerville, recruited executive chef Keenan Goodwin and launched Bountiful (bountiful.kitchen), a weeknight gourmet meal-delivery service. The idea has been a delicious smash hit. “Each meal is a collaboration of local farmers, artisans and purveyors,” says Cohen. “We go to great lengths to connect with our community and support chefs, producers, farms, bakers and others through this difficult time. With each dish, we want to showcase the creativity and flavors of Boston.” Last month for Valentine’s Day, for example, the culinary team created meals with ingredients from Wulf’s Fish (hackleback caviar) and Boards by Mo (charcuterie); they added floral arrangements from Nellie’s Wildflowers. “We hope Bountiful can redefine what ‘local’ means for the Boston food community,” says Cohen. “There’s so much going on within this local food economy. We want to give customers the opportunity to understand the journey and community behind their meal. From the local New England fisherman at Wulf’s Fish to the small-batch honey producers at Wild Acres Farm in Chester, there’s exciting dedication and thought that go into every ingredient in Boston’s food system.”
Photography by: From top to bottom, photos courtesy of George Morley; Bountiful.
