What’s in Store at Allston’s The Glenville Stops

The Glenville Stops in Allston is set to open on April 5. Photo by Alex Lau

The Glenville Stops is truly a labor of love for owner Mike Chapman and executive chef Juan Pedrosa. Since joining Chapman in the fall of 2013, after leaving his position as sous chef at Trade, the two (along with a general contractor) have completely renovated the space from the ground up. Formerly four rundown storefronts on Glenville Avenue, Chapman and Pedrosa did everything from tearing down walls, to re-tiling, to even building their own wine cellar and sound system.

That same type of effort has been put into conceptualizing the menu with its striking combination of Asian, Latin American, and Mediterranean flavors. As is the trend with most casual fine dining spots today, the menu is divided into bar bites, small plates, and shareable entrees like Pedrosa’s whole fish (a rotating selection sourced from Rocky Neck Fish Company in Hingham), which is brined in tea then served roasted with herb tomatillo relish and fried yucca. The neighborhood tavern and restaurant is a departure for the Allston area as it abstains from televisions and spirits, instead focusing on Chapman’s love of music, local beers (20 on tap from likes of Notch and Jack’s Abby), and wine (five on tap, as well as an extensive bottle list).

Set to open on April 5, Pedrosa was kind enough to share a large portion of his menu with running commentary about the ingredients and influences behind each concept. Two dishes that Pedrosa is particularly excited about are his vegetarian masa burger and the Beets and Beans. Regarding the former, he says, “I feel like I haven’t had a good veggie burger in a long time. I usually find these burgers that are like pâté in the middle. They have no texture. I developed one where I take a mirepoix of red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, roasted poblano peppers, celery, and garbanzo beans and cook  them until tender. I then mix it up with masa—which is normally used to make tortillas—as a binder. You get actual textures unlike the monotone consistency veggie burgers are typically known for.”

Here’s a preview of the rest of The Glenville Stops menu:

BAR BITES

Salt Cod “Bacalaíto”
hearts of palm, white anchovy, shiso leaf

Pedrosa: “This is a play on a childhood favorite paired with some flavors I came to love as a young cook. It is a cross between fritters and traditional deep fried street vendor foods.”

Griddled Cheese
quince honey, garlicky croutons, chili oil

Pedrosa: “I am using queso de freir, which is a semi-soft white cheese used throughout the Caribbean. I drizzle quince honey over it and serve it with crispy garlic baguette slices.”

Stops Burger
Regular: crisp lettuce, red onion, sherry pickles, hand cut fries
Asian-style: house hoisin, crispy onions, Asian pickles 

Pedrosa: “We are offering our Stops burger in two preparations. Our house burger will feature an all-natural patty with some killer Grafton cheddar reserve from Vermont, sherry, and red wine pickle chips, Boston bibb and red leaf lettuces, shaved red onions, tomato (when in season), all on top of a flaky potato bun.”

Masa Burger
herb aioli, arugula, fennel & carrot pickles, hand cut fries

Pedrosa: “I may have reinvented the veggie burger, hence why I call it the masa burger. I am kidding, however, it’s a really good vegetarian burger. A mirepoix of red onion, garlic, poblano, bell peppers, meet masa harina. I form them into patties and griddle them off for a nice crunch. Think a heavily stuffed pupusa. I slather a herb aioli over it then top with fennel & carrot pickles and arugula.”

SMALL PLATES

Quick-Seared Shrimp
sofrito, chorizo aioli, celery pickles

Pedrosa: “In the Caribbean sofrito is used as a base for stews, rice, and marinating meats. The nice pureed herb-and-pepper mixture accompanies sweet, jumbo U-15 shrimp, which is served with bits of chorizo, aioli, and celery pickles.”

Fluke Ceviche
avocado, plantain crumble, grapefruit vinaigrette 

Pedrosa: “This is pretty straight-forward. I love raw fish paired with citrus and aleppo pepper. Fluke is a great fish in this type of preparation because it absorbs so much flavor. The dried plantain crumble adds a nice, nutty, and crunchy component.”

House Longanisa Sausage
cheesy pimento grits, crunchy corn, scallions

Pedrosa: “A traditional fresh Puerto Rican sausage made of coarsely ground pork, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic, and annatto seed oil. The crunchy corn is actually a fried hominy.”

Beets and Beans
roasted beets, spring beans, toasted sesame, miso

Pedrosa: “This really highlights my love of Asian flavors. It’s a nice and light bean salad made with spring fresh favas, green beans, and wax beans. For the beets I’m using either baby golden beets or candy-stripe beets. I top them with a white miso dressing, toasted sesame seeds, and togarashi shallots.”

SHARED PLATES

Bar Harbor Mussels
lemongrass-coconut broth, pickled ginger, herb sourdough

Pedrosa: “I’m using awesome Dutch-style mussels out of Maine that are super plump and meaty. The mussels are the star here, and I just feature them with a really aromatic broth made with ginger, fennel, onion, lemongrass, coconut milk, and vegetable stock. I serve it with herb sourdough bread, micro greens, and chopped pickled ginger.”

Crispy Statler Breast
confit thigh, braised white bean stew, puffed wild rice                                

Pedrosa: “Think rice and beans with fried chicken, which is something my lovely mother served at least a couple times a week when I was growing up.”