SJ’s
For Sarah Wade, nothing but the best will do.
From the sauces.
“Just like every other chef, I'm going to tell you, my bolognese is the best.”
To the steaks.
“We do a steak frites which I know everybody is doing right now. But of course I'm going to tell you mine's the best.”
And the sweets.
“I will tell you, just like the Bolognese is the best carrot cake in town.”
And for some of Boston’s best, you’ve got to go to SJ’s.
Located in Boston’s Leather District, SJ’s is the latest restaurant from chef Sarah Wade, the comfort food queen behind Boston dining spots like Stillwater and Sloane’s. In this new venue, she decided to take all of those fun flavors and apply them to a finer dining experience.
“This is kind of the restaurant that I made for me in that it really allows me to flex my culinary muscle. We're making homemade pastas. We're making stock, and it just shows that we can have fun in the kitchen in any capacity. And what you're really coming in for is for an experience, you should come in and order a bunch of different dishes, check everything out so that you can kind of take the ride with us through the menu. It’s a fun ride. You just gotta hang on.”
And Sarah created a space that’s good no matter the occasion.
“I love this space because it is so cozy. I love the blue colors and the amber and the brass, and the intention when we built it was to make it feel very cozy and warm. The vibes that make you want to sit and linger.”
The appetizers at SJs are as artful as they are tasty.
Like the delicate Pork Rillette Macarons, a savory play on that classic French cookie with country mustard and cornichons.
And their unique presentation of Shrimp Toast.
“We make ours, like a sandwich. And then we crust it in some sesame seeds and we deep fry it. And then we make a homemade ponzu sauce, which is a citrus soy, and we do a chili aioli. So you're just dipping and crunching, and it is. It's so good.”
There’s flavor packed chili salt lamb meatballs served in a tomato sauce with shaved fennel.
Or a comforting bowl of matzo ball soup.
“I feel like matzo ball is that perfect comfort food, warm you up kind of dish. The matzo is so delicious when it's been slow cooked in all the homemade chicken stock, the fresh veggies in there. And it really just warms your soul from the inside out.”
But nothing is more indulgent than the raclette.
“You have boiled potatoes and gherkins and speck. We melt up that cheese and we just scrape it right on top and send it right out to you, and there's just nothing more cozy and comfortable and really fun to share than just ooey gooey cheese with potatoes and bread. It's just really good.”
That raclette also makes its way on to SJ’s burger along with housemade pickles and mustard dijonaise on buttery brioche.
“It's just everything you want all at once. It's the acid, it's the fat, it's the gooey from the cheese. It's a good burger.”
Pasta lovers will be happy to know that Sarah and her team make all the noodles on site, so you can get them smothered with hearty Bolognese, made with a blend of pork, veal and beef cooked low and slow. And the unique Uni Cacio e Pepe. This Asian/Italian mashup features tonnarelli pasta tossed in an uni creme fraiche with pecorino and black pepper for a flavor profile that will truly wow your palate.
“You get the salinity of the sea, along with the cream from the creme fraiche. And obviously the cheese. And it gets a beautiful twist on the plate with some cured egg yolk. So you get that funky, salty, a very umami punch, along with the nice seafood flavors and some fresh uni on top. It's a really interesting dish.”
Other entrees include the Half Chicken served over cultured butter whipped potatoes with jammy cippolini onions.
And the ultra tender Wagyu Steak Frites.
“You really want to taste the beef when you cook a steak like this. And then it comes with crispy tallow fries on the side, chive aioli, a homemade demi glace. So you get a little bit of that perfect sauce to dip the steak in. It's just everything you want. It's beef, it's fries, it's comfort, it's crunchy. This steak is phenomenal.”
If you happen to be at SJs between 2 and 5 or after 8pm, you have to give Sarah’s South Shore Bar pizzas a shot.
“The bar pies are an Oklahoma kid’s attempt at a South Shore bar pie. Lots of research, and I think they are awesome. Homemade dough again. The tin gets rubbed in tallow. The sauce is just crushed tomatoes and oregano and the salt and the chili flakes, like, I know the rules. We make sure that you get the nice lacing and we bake it nice and crispy brown. So you got to come try them and tell me if you like it or not.”
And after that slice of pizza, you’re going to want a slice of SJ’s carrot cake.
“This carrot cake is awesome. It's a lovely, dense carrot cake. You feel all of the nice spices in there. The cinnamon, the nutmeg, the cloves, and then it has a brown butter cream cheese frosting.Folks, this brown butter cream cheese frosting is the vessel that makes this cake awesome. Then it gets salted caramel candy, pecans, and even a little candied carrot twirl on top. It's a wow on the table. And it is the best carrot cake in town.”
And while Sarah may have the best carrot cake in town, it’s the feeling you get when you walk through the door that really takes the cake at SJ’s.
“We've built this cozy space. The food is so fun. We want to take you on an adventure. Get the apps, share a pasta, share the steak. Obviously get the carrot cake, but we want you to just come in and enjoy yourself. Shake off the world and let us take the pressure off.”
