Get a sneak peek at the revamped menu at Cunard Tavern, crafted by renowned chef Tony Messina, who has received multiple awards for his culinary expertise.
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Tony Messina, who’s lived in sunny Los Angeles for the past few years, did not appreciate the snow that was falling when he landed in Boston ahead of the holidays. But the chef, who originally hails from East Boston and was named Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation during his tenure at Boston’s illustrious Uni, was nevertheless thrilled to be back in his hometown in a new role: Consulting chef and partner at the neighborhood’s Cunard Tavern.
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"East Boston has transformed significantly since my childhood, and I believe these changes are positive," remarks Messina, who has partnered with restaurateur Philip Frattaroli of Filmark Hospitality to revamp the menu at the group's gastropub in East Boston.
After weeks of long-distance menu development, hiring a local chef de cuisine and engaging in some fast-and-furious training around the holidays, 20 new dishes from Messina are now on the menu at Cunard Tavern. There’s more to come, including a completely revamped brunch menu later this winter.
The partners’ shared Italian American heritage colors many new dishes on the current menu (see below), such as grilled broccolini with an ingenious pepperoni vinaigrette, smoked mozzarella and basil; fried provolone with arrabbiata sauce; and "Homage to Jeveli’s Chicken Parm," a large plate inspired by Eastie’s bygone original red sauce eatery.
But Messina and chef de cuisine Nathan Wester are also taking cues from around the world to offer eclectic dishes meant for sharing. “I think the best way to describe it is more of a fun gastropub than anything else,” Messina says. In his first kitchen-leadership role, Wester highlights Cunard Tavern's new lobster poutine, doused in a a Singapore-style black pepper gravy; as well as the grilled street corn and the winter citrus salad blanketed in fragrant, Thai-style herbs.
