A new restaurant this time focused on meat, where plant-based offerings have their place, but do not take all the stage: the turnaround of John Fraser, who has also changed target audience.
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A widespread Italian proverb reads "going from the stars to the stables," to mean what in English is the saying "going rags to riches." However, in this case, the proverb in its Italian version has an entirely different meaning: John Fraser was known for getting a Michelin-star at his previous restaurant, the Nix in New York (closed in 2020, during the pandemic, and never reopened), complicit with a 100% vegetarian gourmet offering. Now, however, he is opening a new restaurant that takes its cues from Boston's more classic steakhouses, featuring rare tomahawks and other "carnivore-friendly" delights, as Eater reports.
We are talking about the Vermilion Club, a 120-seat restaurant that opened its doors on June 11, inside the Winthrop Center, the billion-dollar skyscraper located at 115 Federal Street. While The Lineup, its other sign located also in the well-known building, targets primarily office workers for their lunch break, the Vermilion Club focuses on a more sophisticated dining atmosphere, hoping to attract customers looking for a place to enjoy a steak and fries during the week or celebrate special occasions on the weekend.
The menu ranges from steakhouse classics, such as filet mignon, "dry" matured tomahawk, and spicy prime rib, to more playful reinterpretations, such as a Boston cream foie gras pie and a tartare made in three variations: tuna, tomato, and a "Bourdain-style" sirloin, prepared with cognac in homage to the great chef Anthony Bourdain. Diners can choose to pair it with baguette croutons, salad, Hawaiian sandwiches with pineapple butter or fries. Fraser -this must be said- will also highlight vegetables on the menu, with dishes such as cardoncelli carpaccio, French-style onion gnocchi, and a sumptuous cauliflower tarte tatin.
Therefore, this is not a proposal totally "in contrast" with the previous 100% green format, however this new project values animal protein first and foremost. Also on the menu is tomato tartare, where semidry tomatoes are mixed with dried olives and capers and laid on a tomato-based aioli room. "We are trying to replicate, in this way, the umami of a beef tartare," says Fraser, "in which, however, the lightness and juiciness of the tomato prevail." The Vermilion Club also features a rich parterre of fresh seafood, including chilled lobster cocktail, buttermilk-fried calamari, and a sumptuous selection of seafood. Dessert is no different, with delicacies such as a caramelized puff pastry cake with almond mascarpone and blueberries, decorated with edible flower petals.
Amy Racine, beverage director and group partner, offers nearly 70 drinks presented in a menu "reminiscent of a Betty Crocker cookbook," Fraser says, with sections divided by type of spirits. The bar itself is decorated with a giant glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, inspired by floral motifs, immediately hinting at the idea of luxury. Fraser acknowledges that steakhouses are a relatively new type of restaurant for him, but he feels this challenge is in his grasp. "Our approach to veggies and vegetarian cuisine has always been to provide different options-we're not protest signs and red paint types," he says, somewhat justifying the concept. "Our idea has always been this: 'What if you tried tomato tartare instead of beef tartare tonight?' We find it just as delicious." Customers will be the ones to choose what they prefer!
