Where to: Blue Ribbon Brasserie at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square.
Why: For oysters, burgers, steak, shellfish skyscrapers, paella, and fondue in the former Eastern Standard space, which has been gutted and completely redesigned.
The backstory: Blue Ribbon is a New York City institution. Brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg opened it in SoHo in 1992; open until 4 a.m., it became a late-night chef hangout. A lauded sushi bar followed in 1995.
“If you have ever felt like a clumsy foreigner and worried about doing the wrong thing in a sushi bar, this is the place for you,” wrote Ruth Reichl, The New York Times restaurant critic at the time.
Today, the Brombergs design restaurants that are welcoming neighborhood anchors, and they do it all over the country. The Hotel Commonwealth space appealed to them: After all, Eastern Standard was a Kenmore hangout for years (and, naturally, there was some skepticism over the shoes Blue Ribbon would fill).
“Ultimately, for 30 years, Blue Ribbon has been a neighborhood restaurant, wherever we’ve gone,” Bruce Bromberg told the Globe.
While restaurateur Garrett Harker operated Island Creek Oyster Bar, the Hawthorne, and Eastern Standard at the hotel, the Brombergs now run Pescador (Latin coastal cuisine), Blue Ribbon Sushi (self-explanatory), and this new brasserie. After a landlord-tenant dispute, Harker has moved his empire farther down the street.
This Blue Ribbon is far larger than the 48-seat Gotham original, with 260 seats, a 70-foot bar, and a solarium that faces the sidewalk. The old Eastern standard had the amped-up, clattering feel of a Paris subway station; Blue Ribbon is more like a sophisticated, stylish library, with soft lampshade lighting and deep amber hues. If Eastern Standard was your garrulous cousin breezing in for the weekend and inviting you out for beers, Blue Ribbon is a chic aunt who wants to discuss your future over a proper steak — but who might get a bit naughty after a couple glasses of champagne.
The food: Chef Dan Bazzinotti has a stellar resume: Eataly, BISq, Scampo. He spent time in Manhattan learning the ropes to replicate some of the original’s favorite dishes, liked fried chicken and catfish. But there are regional twists, too, like clam chowder.
My husband and I went just the two of us; next time, I’ll bring a group. The menu is big, and dishes lend themselves to sharing: among colleagues, oddments of in-laws, birthday parties, someone celebrating a fantasy football win and taking the whole neighborhood out to splurge: cheese fondue for four ($42), a pu-pu platter of pierogis, buffalo cauliflower in blue cheese, barbecue ribs, and more ($18 per person).
We split grilled shrimp remoulade with crispy, crunchy zucchini strings ($21) and a husk of bone marrow sloping onto a puddle of oxtail marmalade ($25). It was like sucking out the arteries of the world’s laziest cattle. Blackened catfish called to me ($27): lacquered with a tangy, fruity Cajun spice glaze on top of mashed potatoes and collard greens with a mound of creamy tartar sauce. My husband ordered duck breast, medium rare, with ringlets of roasted Granny Smith apples, soaked in apple brandy and duck jus ($34). We ended our meal with a proper chocolate sundae in an elegant dish, piled with whipped cream and topped with a cherry.
There’s so much more on this menu: shellfish towers, matzoh ball soup, a $140 ribeye, lobster paella for four, and an oxburger topped with a fried egg. Bring a crowd.
What to drink: There’s a jubilant but well-behaved bar scene with $16 cocktails that hit every note: a rather medicinal Newly Fashioned made with Anejo tequila and cherry cordial (they happily swapped me a custom-made spicy margarita instead); a Southie Sling with sour cherry gin and pineapple; and a soothing Dr. Jones, made with chamomile tea bourbon and absinthe. I imagine the drinks will lighten up come springtime and Red Sox season.
The takeaway: A place for a big celebration, a company dinner, or a spendy night with discerning friends. I’d like to visit again when Fenway is in full swing; that will be the true test of whether this turns into a local hangout.
As I walked out the door, a bundled-up fellow on a Bluebike nearly ran into me.
“I’m looking for Eastern Standard. Where did it go?” he asked. “It’s gone,” I said. “Well, not gone. It’s a few blocks down the road.”
He peered into Blue Ribbon, shrugged, got back on his bike, and rode off into the night.
528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. 617-634-0404, www.blueribbonbrasserieboston.com
Kara Baskin can be reached at kara.baskin@globe.com. Follow her @kcbaskin.