Woods Hill Pier 4 Gets a Seaport Sibling Chock Full of Charcuterie

The Block at Woods Hill features a large magnolia mural by Blind Fox Art. / Courtesy photo

Farm-to-table dining is getting kicked up a notch at the Seaport’s newest restaurant. The Block at Woods Hill—sibling and neighbor to Best of Boston winner Woods Hill Pier 4—opens on the waterfront on June 27, courtesy of restaurateur Kristin Canty and executive chef Charlie Foster. The local food experts will showcase pork from the Farm at Woods Hill in New Hampshire (yep, another related business) in hearty charcuterie plates and more. Plus, other carefully sourced ingredients will shine in creative small plates: lobster and ’nduja pierogi, here we come.

With the charcuterie and tapas-style servings making up the bulk of the menu, Foster is looking forward to being a little experimental and highlighting underutilized cuts. “This is a great form for people to try some [less familiar] things, because your commitment is to a smaller plate, not an entree.”

He’s particularly excited about the charcuterie plates, with each component touching on different flavor profiles. The chorizo seco, for instance, has earthy, spicy notes, while the rich, meaty finocchiona tastes of anise. Among the small plates, he can’t wait to serve his pig’s foot and truffle cromesquis, a fried and breaded croquette embellished with fontina cream. (We’re also eyeing the souvlaki spiced pig’s ear tots; surf clam ceviche with coconut leche de tigre; and dry-aged flat iron with huitlacoche butter.)

Continuing on the dry-aged theme, among the handful of larger plates is a pork chop from the Farm at Woods Hill, aged 21 days and prepared with a smoked chili rub and summery lavender honey, peach, and arugula. In fact, the dry agers full of meat are on display to diners “to really showcase the farm,” says Foster. “The fact that we’re featuring grassfed, pasture-raised meats lets the guests see the quality of the ingredients they’re eating.”

The Block at Woods Hill’s communal table, with a view of the dry agers. / Courtesy photo

Foster continues: “100% of the animals that we raise are used within this restaurant group [which also includes two Concord restaurants, Woods Hill Table and Adelita], and it’s been a challenge for the last 10 years, but a very fun challenge, to try to find out how to use every last bit in one restaurant or another.”

The restaurant’s drink list, too, focuses on sustainability and local sourcing, with biodynamic wines, beers and spirits from the region, and house-made shrubs. A fun cocktail list—martini flights!—is complemented by ample zero-proof options, from fermented teas to mocktails.

While the Block and Woods Hill Pier 4 sit right next to each other, the new restaurant contrasts its big sibling’s light mood with Canty’s vision of a dark garden forest, brought to life by Phase Zero architects and Blind Fox Art’s Erica Hagler, whose design work for the space includes an eye-catching magnolia mural, a glowing pillar, and more. A 23-seat bar with a deep green marble counter continues the theme, set up next to a market space where customers can purchase items from artisanal producers—many local—like Sudbury chocolatier Goodnow Farms and Lexington’s Bread Obsession, plus Woods Hill’s own bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.

There’s a communal chef’s table, too, which Foster and Canty hope facilitates social interactions among diners and the Block staff. “I want you to see the process and be able to communicate with the people who are involved,” says Foster. “It’s a cool opportunity to have the kitchen directly able to talk to guests about what they’re doing.”

The Block at Woods Hill’s bar seating. / Courtesy photo

The Block at Woods Hill opens June 27 and will serve dinner Tuesday through Sunday to start. Stay tuned for the future debut of lunch service, plus classes and other events on topics ranging from fermentation to cheesemaking. 300 Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, 617-861-4269, theblockatwoodshill.com.