Committee Coming to The Innovation District

Photo provided

Thanks to chefs like Michael Serpa (Select Oyster Bar), Jamie Mammano (Ostra), and Michael Schlow, with his upcoming Doretta Taverna and Raw Bar, it appears Greek taverna fare is having a bit of a moment. Now comes another promising entree to the category courtesy of veteran restaurateurs George Aboujaoude (Cafeteria and Bijou Nightclub) and Demetri Tsolakis, who are set to open their latest concept, Committee, in the heart of the Innovation District later this spring.

Located at 50 Northern Avenue on the ground floor of the glass Vertex headquarters, the 5,500-square-foot restaurant will feature a Mediterranean-focused menu designed by executive chef Geoff Lukas (Oleana, Sofra Bakery) and consulting chef Diane Kochilas, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Greek cuisine. Set to open on June 15, Lukas says the 230-seat restaurant is meant to present a “very honest perspective on how this type of food is meant to be approached—traditional, but unfamiliar in the West.”

At Committee that translates to sprawling, 10-seat communal tables, a walk-in lounge near the front entrance, shareable small plates, and a meze-style menu that touches upon Greek, Northeast African, Tunisian, and Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. Lukas’ seasonally-driven, seafood-focused menu is a Mediterranean greatest hits of sorts, with classic dishes like tzatziki, hummus, and grilled haloumi joining coastal fare like “sardines plaki,” the Turkish/Northern Grecian version of escabeche with grilled bread and a celery and fennel relish.

“Committee is traditionalist with a modern mentality, so a little more refined, but in keeping with the spirit of the respective cuisines,” Lukas says. “What first drew me into Middle Eastern cuisine was the philosophy behind it, which expresses your place in the world and a communal atmosphere representative of how we interact with the earth. It’s very deep, but it’s also nothing too fancy or overwrought. I’m going for a very distinct feeling with the restaurant, where you can come in and the food won’t necessarily distract you from the company that surrounds you.”

Committee will serve lunch and dinner Monday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., with a 60-seat outdoor bar open late night.

COMMITTEE MENU

Arhi (αρχή)/ Cold Meze

• Olive salad – anise, coriander, preserved lemon
• Tzatziki – braised local greens, Greek yogurt
• Baba ganoush – Charred eggplant, whipped tahini
• Taramosalata – Local roe, new potatoes
• North African-style hummus – mashed chickpea, baharat
• Piperia gemisti – roasted red pepper, tyrokafteri
• Kibbe naya – Spiced raw lamb, emulsified harissa, herbs
• Fatoush – spring greens, sumac-cured onion, roasted apricot vinaigrette
• Grape leaf Dolmades – rice, sumac, pine nut
• Sardine plaki – grilled baguette, celery and fennel salad
• Salt-roasted beets – tahini, mint
• Cretan sympetherio – mixed bean salad, scallion, dill, lemon zest
• Politiki salata – cabbage, spring vegetables, parsley

Pioteros (πιότερος)/ Warm Meze

• Saganaki – kefalotyri, apricot compote, Metaxa
• Batata meshi – cumin-scented pork, tamarind, Aleppo pepper
• Beef keftedakia – oregano, tomato gravy
• Souvlaki – Greek yogurt, rigani, lemon
• Grilled octopus – orange, fennel, olive confit
• Moorish shrimp skewer – piperade, saffron
• Grilled haloumi – blistered grapes, retsina
• Artichoke moussaka – artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, three-cheese bechamel
• Calamari kerkenaise – stuffed squid, shallots, capers
• Manitaropita – spring mushrooms, green garlic, phyllo
• Ikaria wild green pie – variety of seasonal greens
• Lahmajun – spiced lamb, charred tomato, nigella
• Basturma kaisarias – pan fried basturma pie
• Yogurt marinated chicken skewers – spicy honey dipping sauce
• Gigantes – dill, tomatoes, orange, petimezi
• Eggplant – braised chickpea and eggplant, clay-baked, sweet tomato sauce
• Fried smelts – sauce romaikos
• Fried pickled green tomatoes – skordalia
• Zucchini crisps – roasted sweet onion soubise, labne

Dessert

• Rice Pudding – Dad’s recipe, seasonal fruit compote
• Galaktobourekakia – custard, phyllo, honey
• Ma’amoul thumbprints – mahleb, sour cherry jam

50 Northern Ave., Boston; 617-737-5051 or committeeboston.com.