Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1292368
98 when restaurants were abruptly shut down in the midst of the public health crisis, Jay Murray, executive chef at Ellis Square Social in Beverly, knew he needed to make a change. With a menu that consisted primarily of small plates of delicate, pretty food, offering it as takeout was just not in the cards. "Our old concept was very precise and labor-intensive, and we wouldn't have been able to execute it properly," Murray says. "It simply wouldn't have translated to in-home dining." Murray's solution was a complete flip— Ellis Square is now a barbecue joint, with classics like ribs, pulled pork, and shrimp and grits, and a full complement of sides influenced by his fine dining background. "I'm trying to reframe the familiar," says Murray, who spent most of his career in white tablecloth spots, including 18 years at Grill 23, an award-winning restaurant in Boston with meticulous service and a classic steakhouse menu. "We figured that there would be yet another comfort food revival." And he's not planning to switch back.