Two words: tomato honey.
Drizzled on a baguette with sobrasada, or spicy, spreadable andouille sausage, it was easily my favorite bite at ZURiTO, chef Jamie Bissonnette’s new restaurant in Beacon Hill. Inspired by his travels to San Sebastian, ZURiTO recalls the pintxo bars of Basque Country, or Spanish taverns that serve small snacks.
The restaurant, opened by Bissonnette and restaurateurs Babak Bina and Andy Cartin as part of B3BC Hospitality, opened in November. It celebrates the Basque ethos of “eat a little—but often,” featuring red and green touches throughout the space that nod to the Basque flag.
“I've always loved Beacon Hill. It has an old-world European feel,” says Bissonnette, who previously co-owned South End tapas bar Toro with chef Ken Oringer, as well as Coppa and Little Donkey. In March, B3BC Hospitality debuted Somaek (one of Time Out's recent Best of the City picks), Temple Records and Sushi @ Temple Records in Downtown Crossing. Bina previously operated Bin 26 Enoteca, so when he suggested the team do something new in that space, pintxos “just seemed like a no-brainer, because [the neighborhood] reminds me of Parte Vieja," Bissonnette says.
During my recent visit, ZURiTO was a beacon of warmth on a frigid winter evening, with a communal table, high-tops and a lively pintxos counter. I sat at the counter and started with a splash of txakoli. The dry, acidic and relatively low-alcohol white wine is central to Basque Country culture, which inspires the robust wine program led by Nader Asgari-Tari. There’s an impressive cocktail menu from spirits director Oscar Simoza, focused on low-ABV drinks, which also take cues from Northern Spain. I opted for the Campapi. Made with Empirical Plum, orange wine, strawberry-fused Campari and citrus, it’s finished with paprika and basil oil; it was an herbal take on my favorite cocktail: a negroni.
The staff helped guide my ordering from a selection of pintxos, jamón and raciones, or slightly larger portions. The croissant de iberico among the pintxos is just what it sounds like—and was a simple pleasure. “It’s something that I had for the first time at a bar called Ganbara, probably my all time favorite pintxo bar in San Sebastian,” Bissonnette explains. “I was blown away with the simplicity of a fresh-baked mini croissant and jamón iberico. That was it.”
Anchovies are another must-order here—start with a plate of the gildas, or “the OG,” with Cantabrian anchovies, guindillas peppers and manzanilla olives. The gildas, among four anchovy options on the menu, is a good intro to an ingredient which Bissonnette says is still underappreciated in the U.S. He makes an analogy to Americans’ familiarity with apple varieties. “You might say, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go get an apple.’ Now it’s like, what kind of apple? A Honeycrisp, a Gala, a Macoun? And I love that we can do that with anchovies,” he says. “You can have four dishes of anchovies, and they're all different.”
Asgari-Tari, the wine director, recommended I try the carrillera de terna among the raciones. It’s braised beef cheek over potato purée with scallion oil—and I’m glad I took the rec. It was ideal for the chilly Boston night. Another highlight? The garbanzo con chorizo, a chickpea and chorizo stew topped with a boiled egg and green onions.
ZURiTO is open for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5pm–10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5–11pm. Plans for expanding weekend service are also in the works. For menus and reservations, visit zuritoboston.com.