Bernadette Brings Farm-to-Table, French-Inspired Fare to Salem This Fall

A spread of food at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

As Salem’s October crowds stream off the train and push down the city’s Washington Street main drag, Aaron and Shanna Chambers are getting ready to open their second restaurant in the heart of it all. Steps away from their first restaurant, Settler, the married couple will open the French-inspired Bernadette in November—and it feels inconsequential that they’ll miss this year’s Halloween rush. Bernadette, like Settler, seems poised to bolster the argument that the North Shore city is a worthy dining destination year-round.

Aaron Chambers prepares a dish in the open kitchen at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

While Settler is broadly inspired by Mediterranean cuisines, Bernadette zeroes in on France, thanks to Aaron’s long background with French cooking. It began when he was 19, working at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford, England, run by acclaimed French chef Raymond Blanc. “My eyes were opened to what food could be,” says Aaron, who was awed by the precision and skill involved. “That was my wakeup to French cuisine.”

Lucky Lips oysters with rosé and pink peppercorn mignonette and caviar at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

He went on to work at a Mediterranean restaurant in a luxurious Dubai hotel and a French-Indian fusion restaurant in Washington, D.C., before returning to a more strictly French path, first as an executive sous chef at Café du Parc, a French bistro in D.C., and then moving to New York to move up the ranks in Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire. Ultimately he landed in Boston to open Bar Boulud as chef de cuisine. “Between bread, butter, and pâté, I think French food was a destiny for me,” says Chambers.

Belgian endive salad with local beets, apple, Roquefort, and sherry vinaigrette at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Think of Bernadette as French-inspired, emulating the “comfort and approachability” of a bistro, says Shanna. There’s warm hospitality, an all-French wine list, and fresh sourdough bread. The food won’t always look classically French, although you’re sure to see dishes such as tarte flambée (“I’ve made them everywhere I worked; I love them,” says Aaron) and pâté en croûte now and then. (Making pâtés is another of Aaron’s culinary favorites.) But it’s always seasonal and market-driven, showcasing the Chambers’ partnerships with local farms such as Iron Ox in South Hamilton and Wildly Rooted in Essex.

Pâté en croûte with heritage pork chicken liver, foie gras, and pistachio at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Looking toward a mid-fall opening, Aaron is preparing dishes such as a Belgian endive salad with local beets; butter-poached Marblehead lobster in a sauce américaine; and local sole meunière with sprouting cauliflower for the opening menu. He plans to start small—a few made-to-share starters, four or five appetizers, and a handful of entrées—but will expand the menu once the team gets into the swing of things.

Bernadette’s beverage program lead, Lex Cerino, stands behind the bar. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The Chambers, who have lived nearby in Swampscott for years, love the Salem community, whether year-round regulars or new and repeat visitors during the Halloween rush. Locals were swift to support Settler when it opened in February 2020 and had to quickly pivot to takeout due to the onset of the pandemic. “[Settler] was some place they really hadn’t been to yet as we had just opened,” says Shanna. “But so, so many people were supporting us through takeout. That’s really how we got through that time.”

Tarte flambée with Vidalia onions, house-made pancetta, fromage blanc, and watercress at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The bar at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

So, a second restaurant in Salem—and so close to the first—felt natural. “We found such success at Settler that we were like, ‘Let’s just do it again,’” says Shanna. “And have fun with it.”

Local sole meunière with sprouting cauliflower, capers, and brown butter at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

It’s also an opportunity to expand the team: “I love training and working with people and developing young cooks,” says Aaron, “so this gives me another opportunity to do it. And I get to work with my wife every day.” (Shanna worked in tech product management for around 20 years but stepped more into the restaurants as the second project ramped up.)

Butter-poached Marblehead lobster with fennel, cara cara orange, and sauce américaine at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Bernadette contrasts the dark, cozy Settler space with a “soft, rounded, fresh, feminine” ambiance, says Shanna. The Chambers worked with Jess Healey at RODE Architects, the Boston-based firm behind the design of restaurants such as Baleia and Bar Volpe. As you walk into the restaurant, you’ll notice the bold bear artwork by Adam Cohn: Bernadette is a French name that means “brave as a bear,” which the Chambers are using as an homage to strong women in their lives, namely their mothers. Aaron and Shanna have always had similar approaches to hospitality and running a business, and a lot of that they attribute to their moms, says Shanna. “Growing up, Aaron was always cooking with his mom. My mom was always an amazing hostess.”

Herb-crusted Niman Ranch lamb with delicata squash, foraged mushrooms, and natural jus at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Bernadette’s bear art by Adam Cohn. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Neither, as it turns out, is named Bernadette. “Everyone has a ‘Bernadette’ in their family,” says Shanna. “That badass woman that pushes them to do what they’re passionate about, whatever that is.”

Aaron and Shanna Chambers at Bernadette in Salem. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

65 Washington St., Salem, bernadettesalem.com.