Superfine, Supersized: New Location in the Works

After nearly a decade, Jack-Tar American Tavern is closing in Marblehead (126 Washington St.), and it will be replaced by a new location of a young North Shore restaurant, according to The Marblehead Reporter. Jack-Tar owners Scott Brankman and Emily Farnsworth-Brankman will move away and open a new restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York, closer to their families.

In its place will be a second location of Superfine, reports Boston Restaurant Talk. The original Superfine location opened at the end of August 2016 about thirteen miles up the coast in Manchester-by-the-Sea, owned by Matthew Gaudet (previously chef/owner of West Bridge in Cambridge’s Kendall Square), Paul Emmett (a Radius and West Bridge alum), and Christopher Robins (formerly culinary director for the Aquitaine restaurant group).

The Marblehead Superfine will have the same menu as the Manchester location, according to The Marblehead Reporter, which means pizza, burgers, barbecue, and more, highlighting seasonal ingredients sourced locally. Leading up to the Manchester opening last year, Gaudet described Superfine to Eater as a “totally family-friendly” restaurant with “satisfyingly delicious familiar foods.”

Brian Samuels Photography/Superfine Food

"All of my focus is on sourcing product — and doing as little as possible to screw up this product," he said at the time. Superfine’s connections to local producers — including New England Charcuterie, Wolf Meadow Farm, and Cedar Rock Gardens — are highlighted on the restaurant’s website.

A full liquor license transfer has been approved from Jack-Tar to the new Superfine, according to a second article in The Marblehead Reporter. The new restaurant, which is significantly larger than the Manchester location, could open in May after some renovations, including a rebuild of the patio.

“This is all just real cooking, really based upon flavors and deliciousness,” Gaudet said last year, contrasting the Superfine vibe with the “swooshes and dots and doodles and tweezers” of his West Bridge cuisine. “I've been saying lately that I've stopped eating with my eyes — now I eat because food is delicious.”

Stay tuned for an opening date.

• Owners of Jack-Tar in Marblehead to Open New Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York [TMR]
• 5 Votes Taken by the BOS [TMR]
• Update: Jack-Tar American Tavern in Marblehead Is Closing; Superfine to Replace It [BRT]
• Superfine Coverage on Eater [EBOS]