A special bond

Chef offers new tastes and an inviting atmosphere

February 09, 2011|Devra First, Globe Staff

It’s the end of a wonderful meal, and the staff at Bondir is tiptoeing past our table, arms full of woolens. They stop in front of the fireplace, where they unfurl our coats, holding them before the flames until the garments are toasty. It’s a cold night we’re heading into. They want us to take some of the restaurant’s warmth with us.

It’s one last thoughtful gesture at this most thoughtful restaurant, a reflection of its chef-owner, Jason Bond. When you’re seated by the fire having a glass of wine before dinner, some little nibble appears at your elbow — perhaps periwinkles to be extracted from their shells with a golden paperclip. Servers are unfailingly solicitous, more friendly than polished. The check comes with macarons to sweeten the deal, the French cookies flavored with black sesame — although when you look at the bill, you may be surprised to find how reasonable it is.

Above all, Bond is thoughtful about food. His menu changes each night. Bread is baked daily, in varieties such as sepia-nori and caraway-currant. Most dishes are available as generous half- or full-portions, so you can tailor your meal to suit your mood. Ingredients are largely local, seasonal, and sustainable. This can be a hazard for a New England chef in February, but here you never find yourself thinking, “This is amazingly delicious for a meal based on roots and winter greens.’’ You simply think, “This is amazingly delicious.’’

For instance, in one dish you might find all those roots shaved into delicate ribbons and served with a bounty of South Shore shellfish — mussels out of their shells, seared scallops, and oysters. It’s dressed in pistachio vinaigrette, the nuts dense and almost meaty. (An accompanying flatbread is incidental, adding little in terms of flavor or texture.)

Or roasted squash could be paired with an explosion of baby radishes, turnips, and carrots, cooked in butter until they are meltingly tender, with a little cake on the side made from teff. You probably know it best as the base of the Ethiopian bread injera, but Bond prepares it like polenta.

This restaurant is the chef’s first solo venture. He was previously at Beacon Hill Bistro, where he took French food and made it his own. You could eat perfect steak frites there, but also the likes of duck cured in smoky Hu-Kwa tea with guanciale and salsify. At Bondir, opened in November, underpinnings of French technique remain. But the restaurant flies no specific flag, and Bond is freer than ever to experiment with flavors, ingredients, and methods.