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Alchemist Lounge

435 S. Huntington Ave.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Phone: 617-477-5741

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Website: www.alchemistlounge.com/

When Jamaica Plain institution Triple D’s announced it was shuttering to make room for yet another yuppie bistro, protests abounded. But in the Alchemist Lounge, J.P. has found a place as true to its neighborhood roots as any. On my recent visit, co-owner Lyndon Fuller remembered I’d been once before. He even noticed my new jacket. And while the jaded might think him merely a charming salesman, here the air of hospitality works. So does the food. Fuller and partner Relena Erskine provide an extensive selection of sandwiches, entrées, and flatbread pizzas, all solid in their simplicity: A three-cheese baked penne is satisfyingly gooey, ribs with carrot-jicama slaw tender and tart. Even those that try too hard—a pizza oddly topped with popcorn shrimp, chorizo, and spicy chicken—succeed, sort of. It could be the Alchemist Pale Ale talking, but judging by the crowds, I’d say the locals are happily embracing the transformation.