Bar Mezzana
Housemade Pastas that will have you twirling up every last forkful. A Braised Lamb Shank big enough to feed a family. And an elusive, exclusive, Chicken Parm Sandwich you need to try. Some of Boston’s best Italian cuisine is waiting for you at Bar Mezzana.
Located on Harrison Ave in the South End, Bar Mezzana is the creation of Colin Lynch, who served as a chef at some of Boston’s best restaurants for more than two decades. When it came time for him to open his own place a few years ago, this North Shore native was inspired by the Italian Coast.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “We like to focus on beautiful crudos and seafood, beautiful handmade pastas, and lots of other delicious stuff.”
And not only is the menu inspired by Italy, so is the atmosphere.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “Being a coastal Italian restaurant, we want everything to be bright, really energetic, so our space is bathed in light blues and nice light tones. We want the space to feel very comfortable but intimate at the same time. And a place that you can come and kind of casually have a nice spot at the bar for a drink and a bite, or you can celebrate something really special with the person you love.”
And what Colin loves is the challenge that comes from making everything here in house; from your first taste of fluffy focaccia to your final forkful of chocolate cake, and every single bite in between.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “We couldn't do this if we didn't love what we're doing. I certainly love the food aspect of it. So being a chef, every day is a new challenge and it never ends. You have to be in here all the time.”
Since Bar Mezzana is authentically Italian, we’ll get straight to the pasta, and let Colin take us on a tasty tour.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “We have a great pasta program, we always have at least four or five types available. We have this beautiful Tagliolini made with an egg dough. And that gets tossed with our ragu Bolognese. And that just gets finished to some beautiful Parmesan Reggiano. We also have a Paccheri that we toss with a really rich lobster sauce. We do a whole one-and-a-half-pound lobster that we take out of the shell for you, so you don't have to do any work. Some Calabrian chili in there and a little bit of green onion just for some freshness. We also have an item that's not necessarily on the menu, but it's almost always on the menu, you just have to ask for it. This is a Cacio E Pepe. We do this with spaghetti. This is one of the classic Roman trattoria dishes. We use a little bit of garlic some fresh ground pepper and then we use a blend of Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano. Just this really awesome, almost like adult macaroni and cheese. It's amazing. I mean, it is one of my favorite dishes of all time. That's why I always have it around. Even if it's not on the menu, we can always make it which is awesome. It's a very comforting dish.”
Comforting dishes are found among Bar Mezzana’s entrees as well, from the plump seared Scallops atop braised mustard greens and pumpkin puree, to the crispy, golden Chicken Under a Brick -- or in this case, under a pan.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “We take the whole chicken, we put it in a nice hot pan and we put a nice weight on top of it, so the skin has as much contact with that pan as possible. It gets insanely crispy, like the best fried chicken crispy skin you've ever had. And then we serve that with a little bit of polenta, a little bit of shaved Brussel sprouts salad. It's a really simple dish. But I think it's one of the best chickens I ever had.”
And for one of the best, and biggest Lamb Shanks you’ll ever have, look no further.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “This is like our Fred Flintstone braised lamb shank. So it's got a nice big bone. We do that in a very traditional braise, braised almost overnight. We serve that with a little potato and celeriac puree. This is a great dish if you're insanely hungry, or you can easily share it. It's one of those dishes that if I came into the restaurant, I'd be like, ‘let's just get one for the table. It’ll be there and we can all pick at it, and it will be great.’”
For something a bit more manageable, but just as craveable, check out the Chicken ‘Parmezzana’ Sandwich. It’s only available on Monday nights, and at weekend brunch, but this deliciously unique spin on a classic is work seeking out.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “Not a traditional Chicken Parm, we like to marinate a chicken thigh, and then we bred it almost like fried chicken. And after that's fried, we actually dip that in a hot oil similar to Nashville Hot Chicken. And then we top that with tomato sauce, some fresh mozzarella, some basil on a nice fresh sesame bun. It's an unbelievable sandwich. And definitely different than any Chicken Parm you’ve had before.”
Rounding out the menu here are starters like fresh baked Rosemary and Onion Focaccia with all kinds of dips and spreads, PEI Mussels in a cider-fennel-mascarpone broth, Scottish Salmon Crudo, Buttery Prosciutto, and creamy Burrata.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “We have a beautiful San Daniele prosciutto. We very thinly slice that. We love to serve it with a beautiful burrata. So basically when you have them together, you have this really nice saltiness and meatiness from the prosciutto. And it kind of gets calmed down by all that nice creaminess from the burrata. So it's a great combination. A little bit of focaccia. Pretty much a meal by itself if you have a glass of wine.”
And whether you come for just a few bites, or a full-on feast, Colin thinks Bar Mezzana is the perfect fit.
Colin Lynch – Chef/Owner, Bar Mezzana: “I love the versatility of this restaurant more than anything. You can come in and sit at the bar, hang out, have a chicken parm on Monday nights, have a beer, relax. Or you can sit in the dining room with your family and celebrate a big occasion and have a multicourse meal and you're just there to enjoy each other's company and what's on the plate just emphasizes that.”
