Grill 43: The Consistency is in the Details
The restaurant industry is a constant flow of people, energy, and ideas, as establishments open and close. There is a fluidity of employment that can be exciting for a new opportunity or worrisome for the loss of one. Once in a great while the timing synchronizes, orbits align, and two passionate minds come together to create a special place. Partners Stephen Baroni and Chef Jeremiah Reardon have done just that with Grill 43 in Yarmouth Port.
Dating back to the mid 1700s, the former cabinetmaker’s home at 43 Main Street in Yarmouth Port has been the site of a great number of restaurants over the decades, some memorable and some less so. This latest venture launched in 2018 when Baroni and partner Chuck Konnor opened the doors to Grill 43 to create a neighborhood eatery in an area lacking in year-round dining options.
While Grill 43 was finding its footing, Chef Jeremiah Reardon was creating truly avant-garde menu items at the former Vers in Orleans. When that restaurant shut its doors in 2020, Reardon looked for a new opportunity. His time as a free agent didn’t last long — three weeks, to be precise. Baroni called, knowing that a chef with Reardon’s skills could launch Grill 43 to another level. “We realized where we were located, we needed to make Grill 43 a destination you’d want to drive to,” Baroni remembers. Reardon’s original plan was to get in and get a feel for how the existing menu was working, and not to make wholesale changes. The pandemic’s forced shutdown, however, gave Baroni and Reardon an opportunity to shape Grill 43 into that destination. Yes, it is situated on a quiet stretch of Route 6A, but it is conveniently located moments off Route 6, Exit 72 (old Exit 7), making it easy to drive to. When Chef Reardon came on board as partner and executive chef, it made the drive even more worth it.
For Stephen Baroni, a transition to the restaurant industry came after years in the world of finance, and another two living in Las Vegas as a professional poker player. With stops at Guapo’s in Orleans and The Ocean House in Dennisport, Baroni quickly moved up the ranks to management since moving back to the Cape in 2016. With each stage, Baroni’s passion for imaginative cocktails only grew. He oversees the bar program at Grill 43 where the approach is not to reinvent the wheel, but to add small spins on classic concoctions. “We have found that people don’t want super crazy cocktails. We just try to perfect the execution,” he states. The goal is clean and simple flavors, but getting there takes skill and dedication. Case in point: The Grill 43 Paloma and the Grill 43 Mule both on tap. As Baroni explains, “Normally, you ask for a paloma or a mule and you’ll get room temperature tequila or vodka, and room temperature soda, and all of sudden you have a half-watered-down drink and it’s just not that great.” He goes on to explain Grill 43’s process, “We make them in batches and force carbonate them in kegs. That way, the ingredients are consistent. It’s already carbonated and it’s already chilled so when you add ice, it doesn’t immediately get watered down.”
The lengths to which Baroni and his expert bar staff go to present the perfect cocktail are as impressive as they are unique. Bartender Lauren Mirabella is a prime example. “Lauren’s here two to three hours before her shift getting the bar situated for the night. You can’t make these cocktails without that kind of prep,” Stephen says. When asked how often she is behind the bar, she adds with her quick laugh and even quicker wit, “If the ‘open’ flag is flying, I’m here.” A lime acid solution, which is a mix of malic and citric acids, is used, and allows the staff to acidify the cocktails by mimicking the tartness of limes without the accompanying pulp you’d get by squeezing limes. It’s all about the cleanliness for Baroni. “We double and triple strain our juices before they go into any cocktail. We double strain cocktails after muddling ingredients. I don’t like bits of pulp or mint or ice shards floating in my drinks.” As for the ice itself, Grill 43 uses five different types, including perfectly clear cubes, which involves quite a process to create [see sidebar on page 45].
In the back of the house, Chef Reardon is producing an exceptional menu that he describes as, “Definitely classically trained new American rooted very much in French. That’s my background.” He adds with a laugh, “I’ve worked with a lot of French guys.” One of those “French guys” wasn’t French at all but became known for his fusion of French and American cuisine: Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck. Reardon worked for the famed chef at his restaurants Postrio in San Francisco and Spago in Los Angeles. Puck was one of many culinary greats Reardon has worked for across the country since he graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York in 1996. Another was Gray Kunz at Lespinasse in Manhattan. It was Kunz who gave Reardon some wise advice. “He said, ‘If you create one original recipe in your career as a chef, you’ll have accomplished something because everything’s been done before.’” Well, has he? “I’m pretty sure about the only original thing I’ve come up with is a way to emulsify butter into a sauce where I can reheat it the next day without it breaking,” He proudly states. “I think that’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done,” he laughs. When asked to confirm that he’s not willing to share this particular trade secret, his response was, “Yeah, pretty much.”
Born and raised on the outer Cape, Reardon grew up in the restaurant industry. A network of connections has been established throughout the years and remains vital to locally sourcing his ingredients. One such contact is just a short drive down the road. Tim Friary of Cape Cod Organic Farm is not only a source of produce, but companionship. “One of the best hours of my week is sitting Tim’s office and just chatting about what’s new, what looks good, and just about life,” Jeremiah fondly points out. Dr. Ron Backer of Surrey Farms is another local source of organic produce, in addition to mangoes. “Ron’s got a mango connection,” Reardon says. “He came by the other day with a case of them.” Initially offering to take half, Reardon ended up taking the whole case.
When the deliveries from vendors arrive, Reardon, his longtime sous chef Fred Stofel, and kitchen staff get to work. Reardon prefers to buy entire fish and break them down himself. It removes one more point of contact in the supply chain that runs from the ocean to his kitchen, ensuring that the fish arrive earlier and fresher. “I get my fish from Ralph over at Cape Fish (& Lobster). Best fish guy on the Cape,” he claims. “I asked Ralph one time how many other restaurants buy their fish this way, and he said, ‘You’re the only one.’” The fish is so fresh that it is usually still in rigor mortis when it arrives at Grill 43’s door. “Red gills, clear eyes, and smells like salt water. That’s when you know it’s really fresh,” he explains. Reardon also cuts and ages his own steaks. “We dry age them ourselves in the basement,” he points out.
Once the ingredients are prepared and ready, the creativity shines through the inventive seasonal menu and nightly additions. One recent evening visit provides a host of textures and flavors that more than pleased all palates. After enjoying some of Lauren’s handiwork at the bar or the eye-catching live-edge drink rail (all of which are overseen by the graffitied likeness of Chef Anthony Bourdain on the wall above), this night’s amuse bouche of a mango lassi welcomes the group to the table. This mildly sweet yogurt-based beverage served in miniature flutes lasts only a few sips but has you wishing for more. Difficult choices presented themselves immediately. Angus beef carpaccio, lightly-battered and tender fried calamari, and bigeye tuna tartare are the ideal starters to the meal. The perfectly-dressed Caesar salad, with crispy delicate croutons, arrives on a piece of slate with the anchovies curled on the side for those who enjoy them. Or perhaps take advantage of the season and, in this case, enjoy the Compressed Watermelon Salad, with watermelon, pickled rind, Bulgarian feta, peaches, basil and white balsamic vinegar. Its beauty was only outshined by the refreshingly bright flavors.
The listing of entrees offers no relief when it comes to the difficult task of deciding what to order. The solace comes in knowing there are no wrong choices. The impeccably-seared organic Maine salmon is just one item with an attention-grabbing ingredient list. Sitting atop potato pureed with just enough horseradish, the blend of watercress, Fuji apples, clementines, sunchokes and smoked bacon meld together, to a sweet and savory fusion that only improves with each bite. The halibut nicoise, with its tomato confit, haricot vert and marbled potatoes, wouldn’t be complete without the oil-cured olives, chopped basil and aged balsamic. For the carnivore, starters include Korean BBQ chicken wings in addition to Angus beef carpaccio and for entrees the Hudson Valley Magret Duck Breast with confit leg risotto, rhubarb, tarot root chip, and shiitake mushroom is always hard to pass up. There’s also Steak Frites with your choice of the strip sirloin OR, for those of a like mind, the 24-ounce bone-in ribeye for two — each served with green peppercorn aioli and garlic parsley butter, always done to your personal version of perfection. Each dish comes with Grill 43’s nod to classic steakhouse fare, a side of creamed spinach. Add some heft with a satisfying wild boar ragout with fresh cavatelli pasta, smoked bacon and Taleggio cheese. No matter the selection, the warm and professional servers like Paul Skovira and even Baroni himself gliding through the dining rooms checking on their clientele can guide you through the wine list to find the ideal accompaniment.
Across the menu and within individual dishes, it’s about the balance. “You can have a one-of-a-kind culinary experience from chef ‘s entrees, or you can just stop by for a glass of wine and a pizza,” Baroni points out. The wood-fired pizza oven produces pizzas with both traditional and unique arrangements of toppings. With over a dozen toppings to choose from, you can let your own creative juices flow.
A great way to have it all is to join friends who are open to sharing tastes. This way, you’re better informed for your next visit. One thing you can count on at Grill 43 is that your next visit will be just as memorable as your last. Chef Reardon and his staff have been able to achieve something surprisingly few kitchens have been able to, especially in the current staffing climate. In a word: consistency. It is the goal for all, but many fall short. At Grill 43, both in the glass and on the plate, there is a comfort in knowing that no matter what you order, you’ll be delighted. It frees the less adventurous to try new things. It all stems from a dedication to the craft which is shared throughout the staff. “Nobody’s above doing anything,” Reardon states. The sight of owner Stephen Baroni getting the restaurant ready for another night of service by manning a broom in a pair of flip-flops with his baseball cap on backwards confirms the sentiment. “The glamour of owning your own restaurant, right?” He chuckles. Of Baroni, Reardon says, “I’ve never worked with anyone as passionate about a bar program as Stephen.” It may have taken a while for these two professionals’ career paths to align and assemble their devoted team, but the time to enjoy the fruits of their labor is now, and hopefully, for some time to come. It has been well worth the wait.
The level of detail to which Stephen Baroni and his bar staff go to craft their drink menu is remarkable. Triple-straining juices and producing pre-mixed Palomas and Mules and serving them on tap to ensure perfectly chilled and blended tastes every time are prime examples. Another is how they treat ice. Frozen water. Pretty straightforward, right? At Grill 43, they serve five kinds of ice for their cocktails. Most impressive are the crystal-clear cubes for lowballs like the Business Up Front, Grill 43’s take on the classic Old Fashioned, or the In-Di-Go-Go, where Butterfly Pea flower tea is frozen to create a stunning purple cube. As water freezes, gas bubbles get trapped within the resulting solid because a normal tray of water placed in the freezer will freeze from all sides uniformly. “We place a cooler of water in the freezer,” Baroni explains. “The cooler’s bottom and sides will insulate the water and force the freezing to occur from the top down. It’s called directional freezing.” As the ice freezes from the top, it forces any trapped air or impurities down into the remaining liquid. The resulting slab of clear ice is removed halfway through the freezing process before any of the trapped gas can freeze, which would cloud the bottom. It’s then cut into cubes that virtually disappear in the drink.
Grill 43
43 Main Street, Yarmouth Port
508-255-5440
grill43.com
