Sophisticated Nightlife – Todd English

Todd English’s new burger joint

Hub chef to open Theater District bistro

Celebrity chef Todd English plans to open a burger joint in Boston’s Theater District later this year.

English says he’s in final lease negotiations to take over the former Dominic’s Restaurant on Tremont Street, next to the W Boston Hotel & Residences slated to open in October.

The restaurant will focus on moderately priced, upscale burgers paired with wines and microbrews in an American bistro atmosphere. Open at night, the second-floor “gastro-lounge,” will have a hipper vibe, with a sushi bar, sultry lighting, couches and upscale drinks.

“I’ve been working on this for three years,” said English, who was in Los Angeles yesterday meeting with actress Eva Longoria, his partner at Beso in Hollywood. “I don’t think Boston’s really gotten it yet – a place that just sells burgers. And who doesn’t like a good burger? It’s the steak of our time.”

English counts the burgers at Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Conn., where ketchup and other condiments are a no-no, as among the best. The 114-year-old institution broils its burgers vertically in original cast-iron grills and serves them on toast, with cheese, tomato and onion as the only toppings.

“You can’t try to make them be too fancy,” English said. “Burgers need to be pretty basic and made with good quality meats.”

But English’s menu – which will include burgers made with ground chuck and ground short rib, as well as turkey and fish – will feature toppings. They’ll range from American cheddar and caramelized onions, to different bleu cheeses, parmesan fondue, fried eggs, smoky bacon, various pickles and sauted wild mushrooms.

The burger restaurant will be the fifth Boston eatery for English, whose culinary empire started in Charlestown with his flagship Olives in 1989.

As of Aug. 31, the chef no longer will be affiliated with Bonfire, the steakhouse that opened eight years ago at the Park Plaza Hotel. The hotel will change the concept and menu. “Times have changed and they wanted to move in a different direction,” English said.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1190688

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