There is a time and a place for highly constructed dishes, subtle saucing, evening wear, and quiet conversation.
And there is a time and a place for gravy fries with gooey cheese, house-made pop tarts, pajamas, and a loud funk/soul soundtrack.
Doesn't everything feel too serious lately? Wouldn't you like to be served banana-Nutella pancakes and Tibetan momos by a gentleman in a plaid bathrobe? Or perhaps eat $2 tacos in a room jam-packed with other people who just. Need. Some. Fun. Please?
Tremont 647 has been open since 1996, and it has always served as a steam valve for its South End neighbors. For that, it seems, they continue to be grateful - it's common for people to queue for Pajama Brunch on weekends or for Taco Tuesdays, a recent introduction drawing budget-minded flocks. Chef-owner Andy Husbands likes big flavors and the tastes of the world. You are likely to find satay, flautas, paella, and tzatziki on the same menu, along with American comfort food like lobster mac 'n' cheese and the "grass-fed half pound burger daddy."
And as of this year, you are likely to find new executive chef Isadora Sarto in the open kitchen at the center of the long, narrow restaurant. She has worked at the Ritz-Carlton and Cafe Boulud in New York, and was (briefly) a chef at Clink in the Liberty Hotel. Tremont 647 has a new pastry chef, as well; Kat Craddock came from Excelsior and was previously at Hot Chocolate in Chicago.
Sarto is now responsible for about 60 percent of the menu, Husbands says later by phone, and she brings a lighter touch and a fondness for France to the kitchen. Still, longtime and signature dishes remain the heart of Tremont 647's offerings. Those momos are popular for a reason, and regulars would riot if Husbands removed the fried dumplings filled with juicy pork, served with soy sauce and sriracha. If it ain't broke, why 86 it?
For the most part, the big flavors work. A skewer of grilled lamb is served with a cucumber salad that's like a chunkier version of Greek tzatziki; the meat has great flavor and chew and goes well with the cooling cucumbers. Recently, the traditional Tremont 647 lobster mac 'n' cheese was offered in sphere form, battered with Ritz cracker crumbs, fried, and served with Meyer lemon aioli. The dish was good, but regulars wanted their traditional baked version back, and 647 aims to please.