If you live in Boston, you know the entertaining chef with the blue hair, the one making headlines since his appearance on the seventh season of Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay. Since then, Chef Jason Santos has created a restaurant after his colorful hair: Blue Inc. located on Broad Street, and has recently opened his second venture, Abby Lane Food & Spirits.
The theater district hot spot, formerly Dominic’s Restaurant, now pays a special tribute to the history of the area with its beautiful interior designed by HGTV & Food Network designer Taniya Nayak. A step inside reveals rustic wood walls, an open kitchen, comfortable banquettes and a cozy upstairs lounge with fireplace.
I recently visited the new establishment to see what this new venue could offer. The menu focuses on comfort food with a twist, like burgers with smoked Gouda, horseradish mayo and fried red onions. Staring off we were served a complimentary bowl of addicting blue barbecue chips and side of buttermilk French onion dip. Following the chips were tasty grilled chicken taco appetizers topped with shredded lettuce, queso fresco, avocado and black bean refrito along with juicy Kobe sliders with flavorful smoked onion aioli, pepper-jack cheese and lettuce.
For the main course, the spit-roasted chipotle-rubbed half chicken was incredibly tasty and sat atop a cool potato salad. The sweet Chinese-style baby back ribs were also a nice find and came with a flavor-filled combination of mango scallion salad and a scallion pancake. Every item presented was masterfully created and offered a top-notch dining experience. Upstairs, the comfortable lounge provided a great place for a Wolf on Your Noggin nightcap, their fun take on the traditional Moscow Mule.
Abby Lane’s concept pays “homage to nostalgic storytelling, experiences and history of Boston's Theater District.” And after visiting its cool, vintage-glamour setting, we are happy to have a place that is not only a place for great food but also one that makes us Bostonians feel right at home.
