A Comfort-Food Chef Opens Something Fancier Downtown

The bar at SJ’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Restaurateur and chef Sarah Wade, a Chopped champion and Oklahoma native, moved to Boston a dozen years ago. She’s been filling the city with comfort food ever since, starting as the opening executive chef at Lulu’s Allston before opening her own restaurants, Stillwater downtown in 2019 and Sloane’s in Allston in 2023. Her next act? “Stretching the culinary muscle a little bit,” says Wade. SJ’s, now open steps from South Station in Boston’s Leather District, is more elevated than its big siblings—but with enough eclectic touches to keep things fun and true to Wade’s culinary spirit.

Think: more “cozy downtown neighborhood bistro,” with some French and Italian influences; less “crispy and fried and cheesy,” as Wade refers to the Southern-inflected heartiness of her other menus. (Less cheesy, sure, but not cheese-free—SJ’s has a raclette toaster and is featuring the popular Swiss cheese in an appetizer over grilled bread, as well on the burger.) Here, under the tagline “Good food, done well,” Wade serves house-made pastas, caviar spoons, pork rillettes macarons, wagyu steak frites, and generously poured martinis. A few cheeky nods to her more casual side round out the offerings, including rotating frozen cocktails, her take on classic bar pizza, and big slices of brown butter carrot cake. The duality will likely make SJ’s a hit in its prime downtown location, from lunchtime bowls of matzo ball soup to post-work Manhattans to full dinners of pork Milanese or uni cacio e pepe.

SJ’s uni cacio e pepe with house-made tonnarelli pasta, uni crème fraîche, pecorino, black pepper, grated cured egg yolk, and Maine uni. / Photo by Jessica Reyes

Wade is particularly excited about the house-made pastas, showcased in dishes that often stray far from Italian traditions. Butternut squash and celeriac agnolotti are dressed up with a rosemary, chili, lime, and brown butter sauce, for example, while buckwheat noodles (“I’m borderline obsessed with them,” says Wade) are served with a carrot, ginger, and coconut sauce and candied pumpkin seeds. The latter dish is “fun and funky, which I guess is the way I am,” says Wade. “Nothing’s normal on my menus; there’s always a twist.”

Sarah Wade, chef-owner of SJ’s, Sloane’s, and Stillwater. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

But she’s sticking close to the formula on one thing: South Shore-style bar pizza, available only at the bar after 7 p.m. until sell-out (cheese, pepperoni, and the occasional special). “For an Oklahoma girl making South Shore pies, they’re as traditional as I can get it,” says Wade. “Crushed tomatoes, sugar, and oregano; that’s the sauce. Cheddar and mozzarella; that’s the cheese blend. And I know you guys are gonna look for lacing on the edge of the pies.” (The dough is house-made, she notes.) “I feel like there’s a lot of pressure when you say you’re doing a bar pie, but I’m going to take on the challenge, and I’m going to say they’re going to be awesome.”

SJ’s salt roasted beet and persimmon salad with lime-ginger dressing, house-made labneh, cocoa salt, pumpkin seed brittle, and mâche greens. / Photo by Jessica Reyes

The 14-seat bar, bookended by televisions on the arched wooden backbar, is a focal point of the space, so Wade and her team paid plenty of attention to creating the drink list. “We wanted it to be very spirit-forward,” says Wade. “Not a lot of sweet, heavy cocktails.” There’s a twist on a martini with lemon-infused vermouth, tarragon, and pink peppercorn, plus straightforward classics like Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and Aviations. Beyond the familiar picks, there’s a spicy tequila and passionfruit concoction, an autumn sangria with Applejack brandy, and more. As a bonus, you’ll get a handful of chips with your drink. “We’re bringing back complimentary bar snacks,” says Wade. “The dollar doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to, so we have some value-adds in our concept.” (Another value-add? “Healthy” pours of the cocktails and wine.)

“The Cove,” a casual nook for gathering at SJ’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

With its proximity to so many downtown offices, SJ’s delivers on the private and semi-private dining front for team meetings, holiday gatherings, and such. There’s a fully enclosed private dining room for up to 25, as well as a space Wade calls “the Cove” to the side of the bar with some high-tops and a TV for more casual hangouts. A covered seasonal patio, complete with heaters and fans, fits another 24 outside.

SJ’s brown butter carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and salted caramel. / Photo by Jessica Reyes

The area surrounding South Station is entering a new era. Three dining and drinking spots are coming soon to the shiny new tower rising above the train station; the Leather District’s Zhi Wei Cafe, serving Lanzhou beef noodle soup, has just been recognized by the Michelin Guide. It’s perfect timing for Wade to expand her hold on downtown but with something a little bit different than Stillwater, a short walk away. Next time we’re running early for a train, find us at SJ’s, snacking on chili salt lamb meatballs and sipping an espresso martini.

SJ’s. / Photo by Jessica Reyes

745 Atlantic Ave., Downtown Boston, sjsboston.com.