Urban Hearth, Erin Miller’s intimate 24-seat bistro in North Cambridge, closed at the end of May in preparation for its move to Inman Square. Its stylish new space has more than double the seating capacity but has not lost the sense of having your own personal chef.
You enter through the glass garage doors that were a symbol of the previous occupants, the Turing Tavern and (for 17 years) the fine-dive stalwart Bukowski’s. But now the bar area has been sculpted into a posh marble bar top and an adjacent six-seat tasting table (Urban Hearth in North Cambridge had no bar, just a four-seat tasting counter). Above the bar floats a constellation of suspended glass leaves hand blown by local artisan Andrew Iannazzi, a wondrous effect. The street side space by those glass doors has been transformed into a lounge area with a Tangiers coffee house vibe to it. The rest of the dining area is open, yet dark and warm — the intimate atmosphere made the trip to Inman.
The menu remains focused on the seasonal bounties of the Atlantic Ocean and our local farms. I breathed a sigh of relief to see the signature laminated buttermilk biscuit is still on the slate. It may be even more heavenly. The housemade smoked maple miso butter is as always the draw, but I swear the biscuit is now fluffier, more airy and layered — a near hybrid of a biscuit and a puff pastry. It’s an addictive starter — get your own, don’t share — and a must-eat for any true Urban Hearth experience, be it your first or 41st time.
Of the menu’s shareable offerings, I was tantalized by the squash blossom crepes with whipped white bean puree, tempura fried garlic scapes (the necks that sprout from the allium bulb) and savory summer squash and bacon brûlée with peach salsa. But I’m all about the crustacean in these summer months and opted for the Maine lobster with elderflower vinaigrette and brown butter. The delicately poached medallions of tender lobster meat accented with the subtle essence of that tangy vinaigrette and bold richness of the butter make it a dish that is just “wow.” The best way to enjoy it is to savor it — but that requires patience and I found it difficult to hold back on this delectable meal.
Larger dishes include pastas — a cavatelli and a rigatoni — and a BBQ duck breast — lean and rare with a cherry reduction. I’m a duck person — the rich, flavorful meat hardly ever disappoints — and it killed me to pass on it, but again, ’tis the season of the sea and the pescatarian offerings at Urban Hearth — a dry aged striped sea bass and grilled mackerel with green crab curry — pulled hard on my selection sensibilities. The mackerel intrigued me in part because the invasive green crab has been embraced by local chefs (others include those at Pagu and Moëca) as a sustainable-leaning menu ingredient. But I picked the dry aged sea bass.
The bass came thick, moist and flaky, served just above room temperature with a beautifully crisped skin and plated in a broth of hearty tarragon lime butter with smoked trout roe. Dry aging — done more commonly with steak — is the process of letting the meat, or fish, hang (or sit) exposed in a controlled environment to dry out, allowing enzymes and fat to naturally break down and add flavor to the meat. The bass I had was different in texture than a sautéed or grilled steak, but I’m not sure I would have noticed the difference without being told. The filet was impressively consistent in texture and the crispy skin with its rich rendered layer of fat atop the tender white meat offered a subtle accent, as did the combo of tarragon butter and trout roe at the bottom of the bowl. As you flake the arrangement apart, the individual elements — skin, butter, roe and fish — commingle and the forking of the olio brings new meaning and flavors that are something else than your initial bites, which are more singular and pure.
It’s a pretty impressive journey for Miller and the Hearth, which began humbly as a catering service before its dine-in, toe-in-the-water experimentation that quietly caught fire with its personal, local approach. As with all dining establishments Urban Hearth had to endure the devastation of COVID, but once on the other side, Miller and her eatery became one of just eight establishments on this side of the Charles to be cited in last year’s Northeast Michelin guide. Now with the move to the larger space in Inman, we see the next stage of an expanding vision.
The new Urban Hearth is grander but still intimate. The staff are excellent — you’d be hard pressed to have a more interactive, informative and friendly dining experience, except perhaps if you joined Miller at the tasting table for an eight to 12-course meal ($190), where she makes off-the-menu tapas-sized items while you watch.
I generally pass on dessert, but on my Inman Square visit, there was a smoked vanilla ice cream that for me — a rabid fan of malted vanilla and Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean — was a must extend (my stomach) and a worthy foray for its creamy richness. The smoked aspect was more accent than feature, and the dish came with a crown of dipping wafers that were more waffle-like than cookie solid.
Miller will maintain the Mass. Ave. location as a catering outpost but hopes to transform it into something new — a more casual dine-in spot, or even a casual pop up. Special eats like their fried chicken and tiki bar excursions? I am culinarily curious.
Urban Hearth
1281 Cambridge St., Inman Square
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Have a favorite dish or dine out spot that we’ve not covered and you think we should? Email Tom at tmeek@cambridgeday.com.
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