Welcome to The Buzz, a feature where we look at what the Internet is saying about brand new restaurants. It’s too early for a review, but when has that ever stopped anyone?
Persephone offers many reasons to get excited. Part of the new multi-use development The Achilles Project, the restaurant is helmed by the justly acclaimed Michael Leviton of Newton’s Lumiere and showcases local and seasonal foods, with an emphasis on sustainability and eco-consciousness. These are all worthy goals, but how’s the food? Let’s check out the early reports, shall we?
The Good: The venerable Pam of Cave Cibum stopped by and loved her meal. She writes on Chowhound: “Food is delicious. Like Lumiere, there is a focus on local, organic, sustanable product, although it’s not a selling point of the menu. The Lucki 7 Farms Pork Ribs from the bar menu were awesome, delicately cooked with a slightly spicy hoison sauce. The Crispy Gulf Shrimp, from the “Small” section of the menu, were crispy and light - some people might be turned off, though, by the full shell on the shrimp, but they were thin enough to eat the whole thing. The Braised Veal Shoulder, from the “Extra Large” section, was so tender. I’m not a veal fan, but I would order that to share. Overall, good food and drinks at not outrageous prices.”
The Bad: Interestingly, most of the commentary on both Chowhound and Yelp comes from people who haven’t yet tried out the restaurant. Chowhounders, in particular, seemed resistant to Persephone pre-opening and it was derided as the sort of place that would probably offer $15 pomegranate martinis. These worries, however, have probably subsided as the restaurant is offering a drink awesomely titled “The Obligatory Chowhound $15 Pomegranate Martini” for a mere $9. Currently, the only mildly worrying comment from someone who’s actually been to the restaurant comes from ‘hound Fort Point who writes “We have been twice and had a sampling of dishes, all of which were very good, but for some reason we have not warmed up to the spot yet.”
The Decor: Persephone shares its space with trendy clothing boutique Achilles, so the space’s layout has been of some general interest. According to Fort Point, it’s “one continuous space; there are no dividers between the store and the restaurant. However, at least at night the clothing is enclosed in see through modern containers and there is not a lot of it so it does necssarily feel like two different venues. The store is in the front so you walk through it to get to the restaurant.”
Persephone [MenuPages]
Persephone [Official Site]
Persephone - Where Is It [Chowhound]
Pomegranates for Persephone [Cave Cibum]
Achilles Project [Yelp]
