Locke-Ober, Reinvented

Photograph by Jared Kuzia

1. Chimichurri
2. Ají panca chili paste
3. Salami
4. Rolled-then-grilled flank steak
5. Beef-rib jus
6. Vintage platter
7. Microgreens from Watertown-based Greens Above Ground

Taking over a century-old icon like Locke-Ober, the storied Downtown Crossing restaurant that was shuttered in 2012, is a high-pressure endeavor. No one knows this better than Lolita Cocina co-owner Chris Jamison, who, along with business partner Mark Malatesta, will be transforming the eatery into Yvonne’s, slated to open this month. “At first it was intimidating to look at the space and the history and do it justice,” Jamison says. Their solution? To honor Locke-Ober’s past while reinterpreting it for a new generation. The resulting restaurant will be a “modern supper club” complete with a secret entrance at the back of a blow-dry bar and a glamorous library bar with stunning cut-glass cocktail towers from Drink alum Palmer Matthews. Oh, and a serious menu, too, presided over by chefs Tom Berry (Nantucket’s Proprietors) and Juan Pedrosa (Glenville Stops). Together, they’ll present eclectic dishes that pay homage to Locke-Ober’s classic yet internationally informed fare. Case in point: this dramatic flank-steak matambre, an Argentine-inspired platter designed to sate a (well-heeled) crowd.