IT HAS BEEN, to borrow the hackneyed line from a made-up Boston bar, a real-life place where everybody knows your name.
For 18 years, the Ashmont Grill has been the go-to gathering place for my Dorchester neighborhood, as well as for a wider circle of people in Boston and beyond. We were drawn to its high-end comfort food and convivial bar, where you could come for a beer but quickly find yourself in friendly conversation. The patio in back, with wood-burning fire pits to take the chill off in spring and fall, was among Boston’s most inviting outdoor dining spots.
But beyond all that, we were drawn to the idea of a place within walking distance that brought a priceless add-on not listed on the menu: a sense of community.
While such neighborhood haunts may be commonplace elsewhere, they were virtually non-existent in our corner of the city’s largest neighborhood. The Grill became a true crossroads gathering spot, drawing a racially diverse crowd in a city where that’s still glaringly more the exception than rule.
In more recent years, Dorchester dining has come into its own with a profusion of quality restaurants that don’t require a hop in the car or T ride downtown for residents of the neigborhood. By almost any reckoning, the Grill, opened by Dorchester resident and noted Boston chef Chris Douglass, was the catalyst for that transformation.
When Chris, who had long run the acclaimed fine-dining restaurant Icarus in the South End, decided to turn his talents to a more casual neighborhood outpost, it was a big moment for Dorchester. The Grill’s opening in 2005 made a loud statement about the vitality and livability of the neighborhood. That makes word that it will close in the next few weeks equally big news.
Chris, who’s been at it in the grueling hours of the restaurant business for more than 40 years, is ready to trim his sails and will focus only on Tavolo, the Italian restaurant he opened in 2008 two blocks south of the Grill on Dorchester Avenue.
The Grill may also have become a victim of its own success, as the trail it blazed has brought a lot more competition for diners to the area. Meanwhile, the pandemic has been hard on all restaurants. After a nearly two-decade run, it also may simply be time for someone new to chart a vision for the place.
When Chris was crafting his concept of a neighborhood eatery with high-quality food but a vibe that was welcoming to all, I was one more of 30 investors – most of us fairly small-time and from the immediate neighborhood – who stepped forward to help him launch the Grill.
No one jumped in because of the big returns promised by the restaurant industry. We all knew that a sizable share of new entries flame out within a couple of years. We were social impact investors – before it became a trendy business concept. We loved our city neighborhood, and understood the ways that a restaurant could serve as a crucial community anchor and sign of revitalization.
Before the Ashmont Grill opened, the spot was home to the Ashmont Grille, a windowless, smoke-filled bar with fairly mediocre menu offerings. Chris dropped the “e” while tapping his years of culinary background to bring a something-for-everyone line-up that ranged from wagyu beef burgers to wood-grilled salmon and stick-to-your-ribs mac and cheese. Meanwhile, the building got a complete makeover and was turned into an airy room with an exposed brick wall, rotating art work, and custom lighting.
Chris – along with those of us who have formed the wider circle of Ashmont Grill backers – is hoping it’s not the end of the line for the restaurant’s light-filled dining room, handcrafted wooden bar, and serene back patio.
Like someone who has beautifully restored and maintained one of the neighborhood’s late 19th century Victorians but is ready to move on and have a new owner take over, he’s hoping a new restaurateur will step up to buy the Grill, which has made such a positive mark in the community, and write its next chapter. The neighborhood will roll out the welcome wagon.
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