Citrus & Salt Replaces Back Bay Harry’s in November
With chicharron tacos, ceviches, and Dole Whip, here's a first look at the Mexi-Cali menu.
Citrus & Salt photos provided
It seems like Buttermilk & Bourbon’s menu would be a fun travel companion. Chef Jason Santos takes his New Orleans-rooted restaurant on a Latin American-inspired tour at Citrus & Salt, opening later this month in the former Back Bay Harry’s space, with a wide lens on Mexican and coastal cuisine.
To wit: Buttermilk’s pimento cheese and cinnamon-buttered biscuits are reimagined with blue corn, agave, poblano peppers, and the Spanish word for cinnamon. Citrus & Salt’s signature soft-serve sorbet is Dole Whip, the creamy pineapple cup of many sunny vacations in Florida (a 20 percent Spanish-speaking state) and California. Here, it’s served in a pineapple-shaped cup. For other sorbets of the day, the salted pretzel cones Santos developed for Buttermilk & Bourbon’s soft-serve flavors are available.
The shareable menu, executed by chef Zen Hyderck, riffs on other nostalgic foods amid traditionally inspired dishes, like grilled street corn with added bite from Flamin’ Hot Cheetos; and banana “Dippin’ Dots” atop a sea scallop ceviche. Hyderck joins Santos from the Waldorf Astoria in Boca Raton, Florida. Check out the menu below.
General manager and partner Colleen Hagerty curates the beer, wine, and cocktail list, which features a variety of fresh-fruit margaritas, a house michelada, drinks dunked with paletas (popsicles), and nitro cold brew spiked with chocolate tequila.
The Baja beach vibes and whimsy extend to the interior design, led by Assembly Design Studio, in the form of white-washed finishes, mid-century furniture, and pastels and bold florals in the main dining room and bar, and there’s some Santeria-inspired decor. There’s also a darker, “moodier” separate room for private parties, with cushier furniture, and lush greenery. All in all, Citrus & Salt seats 150.
Citrus & Salt is on track to open Monday, Nov. 27, at 5 p.m. It will be open nightly for dinner, with lunch and brunch service starting shortly.
142 Berkeley St., Back Bay, Boston, citrusandsaltboston.com.
UPDATE, Friday, Nov. 17, 5:15 p.m.: This post was updated to reflect the new opening date of Monday, Nov. 27.
Citrus & Salt photos provided
Citrus & Salt
Mole-Poblano Braised Lamb Flautas
tomatillo salsa, shredded cabbage, queso fresco
Grilled Street Corn
Flamin’ Hot Cheeto crumbs, smoked mayonnaise, cotija
Chilaquiles “Nachos”
goat cheese, salsa de rojo, crème fraiche
Tecate & Chipotle Steamed Mussels
house chorizo, vermicelli, roasted garlic, grilled bread
Crispy Chicken Wings
roasted green chilies, refried black beans, white bbq sauce
Simple Jonah Crab Tostadas
sliced avocado, fried leeks
Pasilla Braised Beef Cheek
butternut puree, wild mushrooms, prickly pear jus
Sea Scallops a la Plancha
burnt onion puree, black garlic vinaigrette, crushed almond jam
Warm Agave-Glazed Blue Cornmeal Biscuits
smoked canela butter, poblano-pepper jack spread
Little Gem Salad
granny smith apple, avocado, jalapeño vinaigrette, spiced peanuts
Baby Artisan Lettuce Salad
pico de gallo, esquite corn, Oaxacan string cheese, crispy cornmeal egg
Crab & Cactus Chowder
tapioca, tequila, tortilla strips
Duck Carnitas Empanada
apple-jicama salsa, Jason’s bbq syrup
Char-Grilled Octopus
fried potatoes, red and green salsa, shaved fennel, citrus
Crispy Arroz Con Pollo Croquettes
chicken fat mayo, shaved cabbage salad
Fresh Jalapeño Kettle Chips & Guacamole
minced onion, cotija, cilantro
Crispy Coconut Shrimp
house hot sauce, pineapple honey, grilled lime
Beer Battered Fish Tacos
radish, salsa verde, cracked pepper aioli
Pork Belly Chicharron Tacos
Yucatan mayo, shredded lettuce, pickled onions
Example Ceviches
Sea Scallop Ceviche
fresh mango, aji amarillo, turmeric, banana Dippin’ Dots
Whitefish Aguachile
guava, avocado, jalapeño, pomegranate, fresh mint
Snapper Ceviche
honeybell oranges, confit celery, smoked sunchokes
Desserts
Made-to-Order Churros
vanilla dulce, mezcal chocolate
Soft-Serve Sorbet of the Day
salted pretzel cone
Dole Whip
fresh pineapple puree
Citrus & Salt photos provided
Citrus & Salt photos provided
