Miles Thompson's Allumette Coming to Echo Park Mid-January

By Garrett Snyder Tue., Dec. 11 2012 at 4:05 PM

Categories: Restaurant Openings

Javier Cabral

Asparagus, Bacalao, Chorizo, Chile at Vagrancy Project

Echo Park's dining scene is getting yet another big boost with news that Allston Yacht Club, recently home to chef Miles Thompson's pop-up Vagrancy Project, will reopen in
January 2013 as Allumette, a brand new restaurant helmed by Thompson, complete with a new menu and a redesign of the space.

Javier Cabral

Miles Thompson

Current Allston Yacht Club owners Bill DiDonna and Charles Kelly teamed up with the 24-year-old Thompson -- who cut his teeth at Nobu and Son of a Gun before launching the Vagrancy Project -- to create the French-inspired Allumette (the name refers to a "matchstick"-style cut in French kitchens), which wil serve a permanent home for his elevated style of cuisine.

The menu will feature 10-15 dishes each evening, each which will be portioned and priced per person, which is meant to encourage diners to create their own tasting menus out of 4-5 courses. A larger, more encompassing chef's tasting menu will also be available.

Selections will vary nightly, but planned dishes include red kuri squash with broccoli; monkfish with sour cherry, chorizo and mustard; striped bass with chard, juniper and persimmon; pork shoulder with ras el hanout, orange, and olives; and rabbit with hazelnut tortellini, rosemary and lemon. A final section will feature a few larger dishes every night, meant to be shared between 2-4 guests.

Desserts, including a cheesecake custard with salted graham cracker sable, will be on hand, as well as a cocktail menu by Harvard & Stone's Serena Herrick. Allumette plans to be open daily until midnight.