Five years and countless accolades after opening Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, ME, Big Tree Hospitality expands to Boston with Eventide Fenway, a modern, metropolitan take on the window walk-up seafood shacks that dot the New England coast. Located within steps of iconic Fenway Park, Eventide Fenway will serve a concise menu of its flagship’s mainstays, alongside a tailored beer & wine program, in a sleek, low-key setting.
By juxtaposing food and drink traditionally found in fine dining with a casual setting optimized for the restaurant’s urban environment, Eventide Fenway is ideally suited for all occasions—from guests grabbing a quick bite before a Red Sox game to local workers taking a long lunch with colleagues to those celebrating with friends and family.
“We’re really excited to grow the Big Tree brand by bringing the Eventide concept to Boston,” says Owner/General Manager Arlin Smith. “As opposed to recreating the experience of the Maine original, we’ve got a counter/extended service model that’s a lot of fun—an updated, urban take on the seaside spots Andrew, Mike and I know and love.”
Rather than the traditional sit-down experience of Portland, Eventide Fenway offers extended counter service. When guests enter, they are greeted by tablet-toting staff ready and waiting to take their order. Once guests have paid at the counter, they are free to stand by as the staff prepares their meal or grab a table and wait for a text message confirming that everything is ready for pickup. Should guests crave another glass of wine, round of beers or series of small plates, they can call upon a staff member dedicated to monitoring the seating area and facilitating additional transactions.
2017 James Beard Foundation Award-winners for Best Chef: Northeast, Chef/Owners Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley have tailored Eventide Oyster Co.’s signatures for the Boston market—the iconic Eventide Brown Butter Lobster Roll is larger and the lengthy oyster list has been culled.
In addition to an array of oysters (split between Maine and Massachusetts varietals), Eventide Fenway features a combination of cult favorites and ever-changing fare, all utilizing the best available ingredients. Crudos and tartares pair fresh tuna, striper and fluke with flavors like tare, tabasco and salted plum. New England seafood as seen through an internationally-informed lens includes the highly-praised, Lobster Roll, the Green Curry Lobster Stew and Fish Sandwich. Those who are seafood-adverse can indulge in the Chicken Katsu, The Eventide Burger and Soybean Falafel.
To finish off the meal, Eventide Fenway features a fun and distinctively New England dessert program. Elevated takes on childhood favorites like Whoopie Pies and Oatmeal Cream Pies are balanced by two seasonally-rotating flavors of soft serve ice cream.
The beverage program includes a diverse roster of wine, beer and non-alcoholic offerings. Multiple wines are available on tap, embodying Eventide Fenway’s spirit of luxury without pretense. The draft and canned/bottled beers are at once approachable and interesting. Punchy and playful, non-alcoholic offerings including elevated house-made sodas in flavors like Rose Hip and Concord Grape and locally made kombucha.
Though Eventide Fenway’s Boylston Street location is a world away from Portland, pops of vibrant light blue, clean lines and typography offer visual congruity between the two locations. The space strikes a perfect balance between the natural and the industrial, with cool-toned poured-concrete floors and metal framed full-length windows standing in contrast to warm blonde wood tables and artfully arranged ceiling panels that call to mind a shell’s spiral. And it wouldn’t be Eventide without “The Rock”—the brand’s iconic extra-large chunk of Maine granite that holds the restaurant’s selection of oysters.
