O Ya Group Opens Bianca Cafe in Chestnut Hill

In a pronouncement from Gov. Charlie Baker that now feels like historic background, all Massachusetts eating places were being requested shut for 3 weeks — other than for takeout and delivery — on March 17, 2020. (A few months ended up stretching to virtually 3 months, with outside dining resuming June 8 and indoor eating June 22.) It was poor information for all people, but there was a bit of an additional sting for Tim and Nancy Cushman, who were being established to open their new Chestnut Hill cafe, Bianca, just times later on on March 19. Now, 8 months later on, the doors are lastly open up.

The Cushmans are possibly greatest recognized for their high-conclusion sushi desired destination in Boston’s Leather District, O Ya they are also behind the Japanese izakaya-motivated Fenway spot Hojoko, and they operated two dining establishments at Boston’s Time Out Marketplace food items hall when it initially opened, not to mention a trio of restaurants in a now-closed New York resort and a a short while ago opened Mexico Metropolis location of O Ya.

The influence of Japanese delicacies on most of their dining places carries on only in part at Bianca, now open up at the Street Chestnut Hill (47 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill): There are some sushi rolls on the menu, as nicely as some “crispy nori sushi tacos” that were being the hallmark of Gogo Ya, one particular of the Cushmans’ Time Out Industry Boston dining places. But Bianca is all in excess of the map, a self-described “family-pleasant cafe … all set to transport you to considerably off places.” The identify — Italian for “white” — is intended to evoke a clean up slate with infinite choices.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

When Eater spoke with the Cushmans back again in March, times just before the at first planned opening date, Tim Cushman explained the restaurant as “cosmic continental,” a way to team a variety of food items underneath a single roof to make it straightforward for households and teams to dine jointly at a relaxed community place. Sushi? Positive. Roman pizza? Yep. Rotisserie rooster, home-created pastas, burgers? They’ve obtained all that, far too.

It’s a very little nod to previous-school continental cuisine, a hodgepodge of dishes from various cuisines, and the “cosmic” element will come into enjoy with the decor. “We desired it to feel like a tiny bit of a throwback but also otherworldly in a sense,” Nancy Cushman told Eater in March. “I feel what we consider to do with all of our ideas is transport men and women, make it really feel like you are leaving the environment guiding and you are in a timeless, weird dimension that you do not know the place you are but you are heading to have exciting.”

“It’s like the Jetsons landed in Monaco by way of California,” reported Tim Cushman.

The Cushmans worked on the style and design and buildout with Portland, Maine-centered firm Kaplan Thompson Architects, Whitlock Design and style Group from Waltham, and Boston’s Cafco Development.

The opening menu — see under — is a bit shorter than planned, whilst wood-fired pizza, additional sandwiches, and other dishes will be added afterwards. This is a time for dining establishments to be versatile, streamlining support and honing in on dishes that conduct nicely for takeout and delivery, which Bianca is offering alongside indoor and out of doors eating.

Certainly, a informal cafe within Bianca, Mr. Roni Cups, essentially opened three months back again, optimized for takeout with a concentrate on Roman-design and style pizza, rotisserie rooster, salads, and a number of other choices. The pizza is available on the Bianca menu, and Mr. Roni Cups carries on to work as a takeout counter in the again of Bianca.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

The Bianca team features a large amount of common faces for longtime fans of the Cushmans’ eating places: Hojoko alums Rob Wong and Victor Mazariegos are Cushman Principles Group government chef and Bianca chef de delicacies respectively, even though O Ya alum Nik Mastelerz is overseeing breads and desserts at Bianca. (People who want second dessert need to note that boozy ice scream store OddFellows, which landed in Chestnut Hill in 2019 by way of New York, is steps from Bianca’s again door.)

The restaurant is at the moment providing whole-company seating indoors — pursuing COVID-similar distancing and sanitization recommendations — and outdoors, with heaters and umbrellas on the patio on the Boylston Road side of the setting up. The again patio has place for individuals finding up Mr. Roni Cups takeout. Bianca also has a non-public space for gatherings capped at 10 people today. The cafe is at this time serving dinner Wednesday via Sunday, with weekend brunch slated to begin afterwards this year.

Come across backlinks for reservations and online buying on the Bianca web-site.