Citrus & Salt Opens Soon, and There Will Be Dole Whips

A longtime Back Bay restaurant will be reborn this month with a new name, new menu, and new decor. On November 27, Back Bay Harry’s transforms into Citrus & Salt, a Baja-inspired restaurant with a menu that reflects chef Jason Santos’s enthusiasm for the coastal cuisine of Southern California and Mexico.

Just nine months after debuting the New Orleans-inspired Buttermilk & Bourbon in the former BarLola space, Santos moves west for his newest project. The Mexico- and California-influenced menu at Citrus & Salt (142 Berkeley St.) features items like braised lamb flautas, Jonah crab tostadas, a duck carnitas empanada, beer-battered fish tacos, and ceviche, as Boston Magazine reports. As previously reported, the menu is meant to be a bit analogous to that of Buttermilk & Bourbon. The latter has oyster chowder, for example, while the former will have crab and cactus chowder. Buttermilk & Bourbon has honey-glazed biscuits with smoked cinnamon butter; Citrus & Salt will have agave-glazed blue cornmeal biscuits with smoked canela (aka cinnamon) butter and poblano-pepper jack spread.

Santos has partnered with chef Zen Hyderck, who comes to Citrus & Salt from the Waldorf Astoria in Boca Raton, Florida. Hyderck will oversee the menu, which boasts a signature item from his previous state: Dole Whip appears on the restaurant’s dessert menu. Diners may recognize this pineapple-flavored dessert from Disney, where it’s a cult classic. Citrus & Salt’s version will be served in a pineapple cup, and other desserts include additional sorbet flavors and churros.

On the drinks side, general manager and partner Colleen Hagerty has built a menu that features beer, wine, cocktails, and a selection of margaritas made with fruit purées. Citrus & Salt will offer red and white sangrias, a shareable margarita, and drinks accompanied by paletas, or popsicles. Additionally, there will be nitro cold brew coffee available on tap with chocolate tequila, cinnamon, and whipped cream.

The renovated space — designed by Boston-based Assembly Design Studio — features light accents, including pink tinted walls, wood panels, a succulent wall, and a skeleton mural, with twinkling light fixtures hanging overhead. Not pictured here: the “Garden of Santeria,” a darker dining room in the rear (available for private events) that features lounge furniture, greenery, and blacklight-responsive murals. The restaurant seats 150, with 20 at the main dining room bar.

Citrus & Salt will be open from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, with the kitchen open until 10 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the kitchen will stay open until 11 p.m. while the bar will remain open until 1 a.m. The restaurant will later add lunch and brunch service.

This piece was updated on November 17 to reflect a change in the opening date; it was previously slated for November 21 but will take place on November 27 instead.

• Citrus & Salt Replaces Back Bay Harry’s in November [BM]
• Worth Its Salt [IB]