Chef Aaron Chambers has been caring for his sourdough starter for more than a decade. This precious bundle of yeast and flour was given to him by a pastry chef working for multi-Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, who had been nurturing his for some 40 years prior. Chambers carefully transported Cynthia (he named the starter after his grandmother) from a job as the opening chef at Boulud Sud in Manhattan, to Bar Boulud in Boston, to his own tiny restaurant on a side street in Salem. There, it serves as the base for the chef’s prized sourdough bread, which is baked fresh daily and delivered wi ..read more

It’s a tough time for the craft beer industry. Brewers remain in a recovery state from the COVID-19 pandemic; material costs have risen over two years of inflation; consumers are drifting toward beer alternatives, like nonalcoholic beer and hard seltzer, whether for health reasons, monetary ones, or both. Faced with this combination of market forces, breweries are either shuttering or merging with other companies to sustain their businesses. Beverly’s Matt Smith has approached this volatile environment with an innovation: taking beer to his customers instead of having his customers bring thems ..read more

The exterior of Taku is unassuming—a tidy storefront on a not-trendy block outside Beverly’s downtown strip. The interior is small, with a couple of booths, a couple of tables, and a sushi bar. A TV in the corner is perpetually on the Bob Ross channel—the soothing work of the legendary TV painter creates a calming ambiance while nodding to the artistry in each dish at this sushi spot.  But the real show is on the plates. Each delicacy is a work of art, presented to be as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. Take the sakura smoked hamachi, for example: It arrives tableside in a black orb ..read more

I watched a couple slip down a neat alleyway alongside a white fence and decided to follow them, at a distance of course. I was on a mission on behalf of Northshore readers to investigate a speakeasy, The Hidden Door, that had appeared mysteriously on social media a few months back, with dark, moody pictures of alluring cocktails and no address. Anywhere. By the time I turned the corner, they had vanished! I spied a pair of sad plastic patio chairs and a matching table. They were not giving off trendy cocktail bar vibes, but lights were on in a vestibule at the end of the walk. Peering through ..read more

It’s Proustian, the way he’s describing it: food memories and time-travel and nostalgia, everything but the actual madeleines. I have driven to Salem on an arctic Monday afternoon in January to meet with Keenan Langlois, the chef/partner of Garçon SuperSlice Pizza Pie Parlor, which officially opened its doors to customers one month earlier. With seating for 50 and an ebullient vibe—cherry-red metal stools; a flatscreen television tuned into a burning fireplace; blackboard paint boasting cheerful facts about pizza—the space, Langlois says, is meant to live out a lifelong ambition: to bring to M ..read more

New England-style clam chowder – there’s no need to talk about about that tomato-based impostor to the south – may be the region’s perfect comfort food. It’s briny and creamy and crowned with oyster crackers for a crispy textural contrast. It is so beloved, in fact, that February 25 has been declared (though we’re not sure by who) National Clam Chowder Day. And here on the North Shore, we have no shortage of places to indulge in this regional specialty, whether you want to spoon up a thick chowder from a paper cup while sitting at a picnic table or sip your briny soup as the appetizer to an up ..read more

Are you ready for it?  It doesn’t matter if you’re a tried and true NFL fan or a Swiftie who is only tuning in to catch glimpses of Taylor cheer for that guy on the Chiefs – you’ve all got one thing in common: when the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers face off against the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday, you’re all going to need a front row seat to take in the action. Pick your spot, call ahead to see if you need reservations, and let your roster of friends know where to meet up– these are some great places on the North Shore to watch the big game. Longboar ..read more

Consider carefully the components on any restaurant dish, and you might notice far more than initially meets the eye—in terms of technique, plating, and care. Certainly, that is the case with the Coffee & Cacao-Crusted Venison Loin at Brown Square Bistro in Ipswich. The farm-raised venison is tender and flavorful, standing on the plate in thick slices, held in place with a wood-fire-roasted chestnut purée. But, honestly, that is just the beginning of this earthy dish. For between the slices of venison stands a rectangle of sweet potato pavé. Look closely: Each piece is composed of impossib ..read more

Fireplaces? Check. Stylish décor? Absolutely. Impeccable service? Categorically. Whether your true love is an adventurer happiest dining on Thai street food or a traditionalist who just wants a perfectly roasted chicken, we have the spot for you. We’re getting butterflies just thinking about this list! Read on to find your ideal romantic restaurant. Bar25, Newburyport Exposed brick, chic lighting and a menu of Persian-inflected meze add up to vibe that’s perfect for conversation and canoodling. Vegetarians and carnivores alike will be pleased by the sophisticated small plates that range from ..read more

We explored three eateries that serve up some of the best hot chocolate in the region. Whether you prefer your hot chocolate rich and luscious or dry and refined, there is a cup out there for you. With the long New England winter ahead, there’s no harm in trying them all. DeVille Cafe & Market, Beverly On a recent and chilly afternoon, I stopped in at the newly opened DeVille Cafe & Market in Beverly, a sweeping, curated space that was, until just a few months ago, home to Frank McClelland’s critically acclaimed restaurant FRANK. I had come on a mission: to sample hot chocolate (other ..read more