changes at Green Street in Cambridge

[huuvola]

Went to Green Street (formerly the Green Street Grill) last night and was dismayed to discover that they switched chefs at the beginning of September, so they no longer offer a menu filled with the spicy Caribbean-style food that they've been famous for.

The legendary super-hot goat stew is GONE (argh!). The new menu is decent, but much more American in theme (high-end dishes featuring fish, lamb, shellfish...kinda along the lines of what you'd get at Central Kitchen, Rendezvous or the Franklin Cafe). We had appetizers (lamb sandwich and a goat cheese tart) and they were good, but I'll greatly miss the old menu . . . especially since I was really in the mood for heat and spice last night.

[a l i c e]

I thought Johnny Levins left long before the Green Street Grill makeover, so there was someone in between he and the "new guy?" Incidentally, I was there about 2 Fridays ago and was also dismayed to find the new "nouveau" menu. What we ordered - steak frites, some sort of cod dish, and the grilled cheese - were perfectly fine, but not what we were expecting to have that night. I felt as though I was eating at Grafton Street, not GSG.

[Aromatherapy]

Levins left Green St. years ago. He was in Beverly for a while.

[garlic breath]

Mark Romano had been the chef at Green Street since it re-opened with Dylan Black as owner.

I would venture that if dinner business had been boffo with the Caribbean menu, then they would have found a new chef to make the same dishes when Romano left. Have heard that the new chef Pete is great, but I agree--I'm going to miss the island-influenced cuisine.

[yumyum]

Didn't the chef skedaddle up to Savory Tastes in Arlington?

[peelmeagrape]

Does anyone know the reason for the menu change? Is it just that the new chef isn't interested in preparing the spicier stuff? Or is it related to profitability and what kinds of dishes were selling off their previous menu? Seems to me that there are plenty of mid-range places doing New American (like those huuvola mentions) but fewer with more creative inclinations. So why would they decide to fall in line with the rest of the culinary crowd? After a recent trip to Nacionale 27 in Chicago, I'm hoping someone starts doing New South American food here.

[Bostonbob3]

I heard about this, but am still dismayed over the loss of the goat stew. I happen to LOVE goat, and very spicy food, so it was always a fav.

I'll have to have goat tacos at Mexico in Providence in the stew's memory.

[ponyboy]

FYI... the new chef, Pete, is from Eastern Standard and eat. Great chef and a good guy.

[huuvola]

Yeah, I should stress that the food *was* really good...just not what I was seeking last night. Anybody know where the previous Green Street chef went when he/she departed?