Alcove is now open at 50 Lovejoy Wharf by North Station. A welcoming port on the edge of Boston’s West End, Alcove is a modern neighborhood restaurant from hospitality veteran Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. Alcove’s exceptional attention to food, drink and service ensures that every guest can enjoy the simple pleasure of dining out.
“Throughout my entire life, personally & professionally, I’ve been surrounded by passionate purveyors within the world of food, beverage, hospitality and design,” says Alcove Owner Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. “Alcove is my homage to that upbringing – honoring my roots in the Massachusetts Farm Coast by celebrating ingredients native to farm coasts around the world; and, marrying that with a layered guest experience that’s always been central to my service philosophy.”
Alcove is located on Lovejoy Wharf, a new development in the North Station neighborhood on Boston’s West End. The building is positioned at the nexus of many of Boston’s most bustling streets & waterways – where Boston Harbor meets the Charles River, adjacent to North Station & TD Garden, steps from the North End, Beacon Hill, Charlestown and Cambridge, and with views of the Zakim and Charlestown Bridges.
At Alcove, Chef Maxime Fanton has brought to life Owner Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli’s Farm Coast heritage by merging New England-sourced ingredients with his own Mediterranean technique & flavors. With varied portion sizes for easy sharing and to accommodate different sized groups and occasions, each dish presents an ethos of clean, sustainable deliciousness.
Opening menu highlights:
- Jonah Crab Cocktail—mango, lime, cilantro, coriander ($11)
- TSG Salad—leafy garden greens, endive, fine herbs, winter citrus dressing served for one or family-style for two or four ($8/$14/$26)
- Bigoli—housemade pasta, Rohan duck ragú, Grano Padano ($14)
- Prosciutto Wrapped Branzino—yellow squash, fennel toffee, pea greens ($28)
- Cheeseburger—Gouda, caramelized Vidalia, B3 pickles ($14)
Blending classic French technique with Middle Eastern inspiration, Pastry Chef Alexandra Artinian presents a dessert menu that marries New England and the Mediterranean. Combining seasonal ingredients like cranberries and pears with far-flung flavors such as dukkah, black sesame and rooibos.
Owner Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli got his start behind the stick, tending bar and overseeing the beverage programs at some of Boston’s most-lauded drink institutions. So, for Tom, the beverage menu at Alcove is a labor of love conceived in partnership with General Manager Brendan Collins, Principal Bartender Will Piquette and Assistant Wine Director Tara Orkofsky.
With an emphasis on smaller producers who are committed to varietal purity, Alcove’s wine menu marries classics from more traditional regions like Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux with off-the-beaten-path offerings like Santorini and The Wachau. Out of respect for the hardworking wine producers, Alcove has created a comprehensive storage and presentation system for its collection.
Alcove’s cocktail list features playful takes on classic cocktail compositions that highlight seasonal flavors by utilizing farm coast ingredients like fall apples, apricots and squash. The beer menu at Alcove is focused on balance—of style and within each beer itself – highlighting selections that show restraint and purity, while the cider program showcases both old world and new world offerings.
The first restaurant project by acclaimed residential architect William T. Ruhl, Alcove is both cozy and expansive, inspired by a tucked-away corner of Tom’s parent’s home in Westport, which Ruhl also designed.
Materials and surfaces throughout the space create a subtle coastal ambiance with the use of various stonework and grey & blue accents. Grey flooring is reminiscent of the white-washed shingles of a Cape house, while the exposed duct work of the ceiling is painted in dark blue suggestive of a stormy summer sky. Copper and steel details nod to a reclaimed, industrial farm aesthetic while limestone tile walls and black steel are evocative of the wine “caves” of the Loire Valley.
