ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Corey O’Shea, the executive chef at the new restaurant District 45 on Lewis Street in Lynn.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — District 45, the city’s newest upscale restaurant, which aims to introduce its patrons to new foods and revitalize the Diamond District, will hold its grand opening today.
The ceremony, which includes a ribbon cutting with the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce in attendance, will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at the restaurant at 45 Lewis St.
Executive Chef Corey O’Shea, a Lynn native, said two soft openings were June 29 and June 30. He said District 45 is part of Good N U Hospitality Group, which is owned by David Rosenberg, and has other restaurants in Newton, Brighton, South Boston, and Reading. He said the company didn’t want to open in Lynn unless there was someone involved who was born and raised there and who knew the area. He said that’s when he got the call.
“I’ve seen what kind of works and what doesn’t,” O’Shea said. “Obviously, the Blue Ox and Rossetti (Restaurant) are doing great and they’re not in the best part of Lynn, and they have really, really nice food. So we kind of wanted to go towards that scene. There’s a lot of pubs, a lot of bars in Lynn. We just kind of want to be a little different. We want a funky kind of Boston-esque restaurant.”
O’Shea said there’s fresh food and everything is made from scratch. He said the goal was to introduce Lynn, Swampscott and Marblehead residents to new food, but not scare them away. He said the menu also has timeless staples, but elevated with a twist, adding that there’s a little bit of everything — it’s American food, but with Lynn influences, incorporating the city’s diversity into different ethnic dishes.
He said the menu is short and straight to the point, as he didn’t want it to be a 60-item list that confuses people. A short menu allows him to take his time on different dishes. A typical entree ranges from $15 to $27. Some dishes the chef recommends include the baked lobster gratin, the district burger, and the blueberry braised beef short rib.
O’Shea said they’re charging more than the average joe in the area, but everything is made from scratch, and as many local products are used as possible, adding that everything is high quality.
O’Shea said District 45 was chosen as a name, because they want to revive the nearby Diamond District, which is in the neighborhood of the beach.
“There’s nothing really to walk to,” he said. “We want to be the first of many to just revitalize the area.”
O’Shea said he fell into the restaurant world. He didn’t go to culinary school, but started off as a dishwasher at a restaurant and was thrown on the line one day when someone went on vacation and he was just good at it. He said he loved to do it and always had a passion for food.
He moved his way up there, hopped around a couple of local restaurants, and eventually made his way into Boston, where he worked for the last 14 years as an executive chef for Back Bay Restaurant and Newport Harbor Corporation.
District 45 replaces Mildred’s Corner Cafe, which was popular for its breakfast. Online records show that Lewis/Beach Partners LLC, a Newton-based company managed by Rosenberg, purchased 38, 40-42, 44-46, 50 and 60 Lewis Street, 1 and 17 Beach Road, and the Blaisdell Terrace parking lot for $11 million from Federal Realty Corp. in 2015.
O’Shea said it took about a year and a half to open. After the building, which used to be three different businesses, was purchased, he said the shell was kept, but the walls were all knocked down and the interior was completely redone. The basement was only four feet, which was dug down to seven feet, and the parking lot across the street was bought.
O’Shea said the restaurant seats about 85 people and has about 35 employees. District 45 is open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily, with a full menu from 4 to 10 p.m., and a bar menu from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. The restaurant is open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It’s just a comfortable place with elevated drinks, service and food, but very welcoming,” O’Shea said. “You can come off the beach in flip flops and a T-shirt and feel fine. We’re not pretentious. We’re not any of that. We want to give everyone a superb experience and make them feel…comfortable.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
