barbara lynch-STIR

[linz]

Anyone have anything on this new Barbara Lynch deal? I saw they're hiring for it on bostonchefs...

[MC Slim JB]

Retailing high-end kitchen equipment, plus offering live cooking demonstrations / classes, is what I heard. It's right next to Plum Produce and The Butcher Shop on Waltham Street in the South End.

[linz]

thanks...the reach of that woman's empire does not end. is she going to be doing the demos herself? I'll be curious to see if it's high end like sur la table or high end like products for chefs...

[MC Slim JB]

Just a guess: Lynch won't try to compete with commercial kitchen suppliers like Eastern Bakers, but will cultivate the custom of well-heeled home cooks. You'll notice her tendency to site her venues near wealth: think the high side of the Hill near No. 9, the new luxury condos near B&G/Butcher Shop/Plum/Stir, the new high-end residential and hotel development happening near the site of her giant forthcoming retail/restaurant venture in Southie. She's no dummy. "Why do you rob banks, Mr. Sutton?"

[alyssap99]

do you know the location of the new southie restaurant? i work in the area and there was a big dramatic ribbon cutting ceremony last week...i noticed a No. 9 Park car parked nearby and thought it might be her new restaurant. amateur detective work is my specialty!

[MC Slim JB]

About diagonally across the street from Lucky's on Congress St, I believe. Two big spaces on two floors (15,000 square feet total), one the new location of a much-expanded No. 9, the other a retail space, which with that much room could encompass a lot of things (groceries, liquor, kitchen supplies, etc.) I think the South End mini-mall is a beta test for her larger-scale concepts in Southie. I'll be curious to see what they do with the old No. 9 space, too.

[alyssap99]

yes, that's it--i was right!

[lissy]

Is #9 Park really moving? A friend was just in there last night and they told her about the new space but didn't mention that they are moving!

[MC Slim JB]

I got the same story from the host, but elsewhere I've heard that it will relocate, and the old space will be reconfigured as a more casual bistro.

[jpeso]

Thee are three concept slotted for the congress street location. A fine dining restaurant (I don't beleve 9 is moving), a kinda speakeasy bar, and a more casual concept.

[MC Slim JB]

I thought the three legs were: big fine-dining restaurant, speakeasy (which I heard was going to be the amazing Jackson Cannon's new playpen), and retail, something along the lines of gourmet grocery plus cooking equipment and cookbooks and maybe wines/spirits, like a much bigger Plum+Stir+other stuff. Maybe the speakeasy's menu is going to represent that casual concept?

[Alcachofa]

As long as we're batting about rumors, here is what I heard for the three pillars of the Southie venture:

1) Fine-dining establishment (basically No.9 high end will move here, the original 9 will become more casual. or perhaps a steakhouse)
2) Drink emporium with snacks, a la Pegu Club (could be Jackson's; I assumed it would be John's playpen)
3) Lower-priced "neighborhood" lunch spot type place

[kate used to be 50]

Jackson is leaving ES?

[MC Slim JB]

Oof, that's a stupid error on my part. They're my two favorite bartenders in Boston, and I conflated them in this post. Jackson Cannon is staying at ESK as far as I know: John Gertsen of No. 9 is the one I expect to run Lynch's much-bigger, Pegu-Club-like speakeasy in Southie. Apologies to all -- especially to John and Jackson!

[CarolynGrantham]

Here's the site--they just just just opened ...

http://www.stirboston.com/

[heWho]

This is a very cool concept. The prices are predictably high for the classes their offering, but I'm sure they'd be fun with some great food and wine. I can't imagine spending $125 to learn how to schuck an oyster, but to each their own. I'll defintiely browse the cookbook library either way (then probably buy the books on Amazon for a fraction of the price).

I will say that the block on Tremont and Waltham that Barbara Lynch now owns is kind of off-putting. It'd be nice if she spread things out a bit.

[BostonBarGuy]

What would you rather have there, that terrible, dirty card shop? Doesn't it make more sense for staffing, storage, convenience to B&G + Butcher Shop kitchens to have everything together? I saw staff rotating between Stir, BS and Plum for a couple of hours last night, makes perfect sense to me.

[MC Slim JB]

I have to agree with you on this, BostonBarGuy. The antique shop that Plum replaced never seemed to be open, anyway. Foot traffic at night improves neighborhood safety, profitable businesses improve RE values. Think of it as a little Foodie Disneyland.

She's sort of running out of room there, though a fine wine & spirits shop was planned (but is currently shelved, if not outright abandoned, I believe) for the space above B&G. The next big venture on Congress Street in Southie has a lot more breathing room around it.

[MC Slim JB]

Classes start at 7pm. I saw a full-house class there still in session near 10pm the other night.

[hiddenboston]

We peeked through the window of Stir the other night (much to the irritation of the people inside). They were in the middle of some high-energy cooking class. It looked pretty interesting, actually. Not sure I want to part with $100-125 of my money to take a class there, though...

[gini]

They're also featuring some sort of combination library/retail cookbook shop. Stopped in Sunday afternoon and was surprised at just how small it is. Although, compared to Plum Produce...They were also cooking some amazing smelling corn while I was in there. The cook book selection is really quite interesting, though I'm not sure I'd like to sit and browse while being stared at.