STEPHANIE MULLINS
STEPHANIE MULLINS
STEPHANIE MULLINS
STEPHANIE MULLINS
STEPHANIE MULLINS
Two years after opening Culaccino, his Italian restaurant—and runaway hit— in downtown Franklin, chef Frank Pullara has followed it with a second.
At Bestia Mare—that’s Sea Beast in Italian—he’s turned his focus to the coastal fare of Italy. With delicious dishes, including mussels steamed in fragrant tomato-shellfish brodo, baby clams in a tangle of fresh house-made pasta, and whole branzino grilled over a woodfire brushed in salmoriglio (a Sicilian lemon-oregano sauce), there’s plenty to satisfy even the most beastly appetites.
Catty-corner to its older sibling on historic Main Street, the seafood restaurant and rooftop bar shares Pullara hallmarks: a bustling open kitchen with counter seating, a convivial main dining room, a more intimate bar with beautiful up-lighting highlighting the lineup of bottles on the shelves. There’s also a curated roster of Italian wines, and a dedication to local and sustainable ingredients. Similar to Culaccino, Bestia Mare had an audience eager for its opening. Nightly, tables fill with folks sharing chilled shellfish platters and Soave wine as servers deftly navigate the room, porting trays of snapper prepared al cartoccio (steamed in a paper packet) and seared scallops perched over glossy black rice.
Pullara has structured his menu in Italiano: Barra Grezza, Antipasti, Primi, Pesce e Carne, Contorni, which means raw bar, appetizers, first course, fish and meat, vegetables. You’ll find a rotating selection of oysters from both East and West coasts, and a suggested wine or cocktail pairing for each listed on a separate menu. For a celebratory beginning, try the petite Beau Soleils from New Brunswick Canada, splashed with mignonette, accompanied with a glass of Prosecco. Nosh on complimentary slices of warm sesame and olive breads with whipped uni butter while you peruse the menu.
Octopus Carpaccio is a stunning mosaic with delicate marinated slices of the cephalopod with Castelvetrano olives, fennel, celery, fried capers, and lemon. Also popular is the Ceviche: assorted pieces of white fish and shrimp in a melange of clementine, jalapeño, tomato, and cilantro. Use the little discs of grilled piadana to scoop up and savor the salad.
From the selection of Antipasti, don’t pass over the Cauliflower Soup. Nestled in the purée are nuggets of butter-poached lobster. The surface is dotted with chive oil, strewn with crispy bits of guanciale, and finished with a dusting of onion ash. The combination is superb, all supporting players to let the lobster really shine.
The successful juxtaposition of textures: smooth, tender, braised complemented by toasted and crunchy plays well throughout the menu. The Bucksnort Trout entrée is a triumph, the fish presented atop a kind of vegetable stew of lemony artichoke, fennel, and potato purée in a savory broth with a scatter of dark roasted pine nuts. Pieces of pancetta are cooked to crispness adding porky-caramel bites to the Clams Linguine. The same attention is given to broths in the building of these dishes. Saffron- fennel broth is key to the mussels in cavatelli, and the lavish fish stew, cioppino, which boasts tutti il mare (all of the sea), is anchored in a lush tomato-saffron brodo.
For the landlubbers in your group, Pullara offers a few fine options: Bear Creek Farm hanger steak with foie butter, Berkshire rib pork chop over creamy polenta, and risotto enriched with an assortment of vegetables and taleggio cheese.
Desserts include stone fruit panna cotta and an assortment of gelati. However, the Torta di Carote is right for the season with rustic carrot cake iced in sweetened mascarpone with a toasted coconut finish and a scoop of cinnamon gelato. The generous slice is ideal for two, and especially good with Lavazza espressos.
It’s worth noting that, while very busy, Bestia Mare is also accessible, serving lunch and dinner every day, a weekend brunch, a daily pleasant mid-afternoon “interim” menu and late-night service Thursday through Saturday. The rooftop also promises to be a great gathering place. Chef Frank Pullara’s vision and drive have brought excellent and much-needed dining options to downtown Franklin. (99 East Main St., Ste. 190, Franklin, 615-905-4966; bestiamaretn.com)