PRIDE AND JOY Chef Maslow to debut Whaling in Oklahoma
Like a proud papa, acclaimed chef Tim Maslow chose Father's Day to give Boston its first glimpse of his new baby. On Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m., Maslow will debut dishes from his hugely anticipated South End restaurant, Whaling in Oklahoma, at a special pop-up dinner at Asta restaurant in Back Bay. The sample array of a la carte offerings will reflect the Japanese brasserie style of Whaling, slated to open at 647 Tremont St. in July, and guests will be able to find plenty of mukozuke, seasonal sashimi such as a cold salad of razor clam with salted nectarine, and kushiyaki, grilled skewers such as ginger-marinated pork with shishito and apple pear.
It's a first look at a project held close to the vest by a chef reintroducing himself to diners after experiencing a tumultuous few years — and finding an enriching new outlook through fatherhood to an 18-month-old son, Jackson.
“It taught me I couldn't be a punk kid anymore,” said Maslow with a wry smile. He's sitting crosslegged in the construction zone of his upcoming restaurant, and says being a parent has put a lot in perspective. “It taught me responsibility and maturity. Life smacks you around, and it teaches everyone maturity. It's just a matter of whether you choose to listen to it.”
He's listened and ready to show it. With the 2013 opening of his Brookline restaurant Ribelle, Maslow, a promising young alum of David Chang's Momofuku empire in New York, had already reinvented his father Paul Maslow's Watertown restaurant, Strip-T's, into a food-geek destination, and shot to the top of a lofty pedestal. Ribelle earned tremendous reviews locally and nationally, and its prodigious chef received a ton of attention — including a “Best New Chefs” designation from Food & Wine magazine and semifinalist nods from the James Beard Foundation awards, essentially the Oscars of restaurants.
But Maslow always had an uneasy relationship with those raves and the lofty expectations they set. He earned a reputation — not entirely undeserved, he now admits — for being creative but difficult, a hothead in the kitchen. He was arrested in Vermont for possession of marijuana in 2016, and though charges were dismissed, his name took a hit. And Ribelle, which closed later that year, was not a financial success. Despite
the“It”-place luster thataccompaniedhisrestaurant,Maslowstilllivedwithhisdadduringmostofitsrun,andknowsnowthathisuncompromisingvisionforesotericItaliancuisine—plusbeinga28-year-oldinchargeofabigbudget—hurthisbottomline.
Everymisstepisalearningexperience.ButmaybethegreatestlessonlearnedbyMaslow,whooncehungeredforstar-cheffame,isthatthecovetedspotlightisn’tallit’scrackeduptobe.
“Being in the lime light ( stinks ),” said Ma slow .Since Rib el le closed , he’ skept himselflargely underthe radar , bringing histalents to buzzy Bostonkitchens like the F en way’ sTiger Mama and the SouthEnd’ s Mid a , and consultedontheopeningoftworestaurantsinCamden,Maine.Inamedialandscapethatincreasingly turns chefsinto celebs,working andliving under a microscope ,where every mistake ismagnified , feels like a formof “poison ,” he says .
“I’ m not interested in thatagain ,” said Ma slow .“Unfortunately,people want topush me in that direction . But collaboration is more fun . Being solely responsiblefor things is fine . But I don’ t want to work ina fine restaurant . I want an amazingrestaurant .”
SoMaslowhascalledinsometrustedteammates—likechefMattHummel,formerlyofRibelleandTigerMama.WhalinginOklahoma’sbeverageswillbeoverseenbyColinMason,anotherRibellevet,whosecocktailswillinvokearobustfermentationprogram(thinkaperolwithjasmineteakombucha,plumwineandpassionfruit)andplayofftheumamisideofJapanesecuisine,likeabrownderbywithsaltedgrapefruitandmisopaste.
ToavoidthebusinesssideslipupsthathurtRibelle,he’spartneredwith investor/ chef whispererBrian Lesser , whose Speak easy Hospitality Group hasbuilt up an impressiveportfolioof area hot spots . With such an irreverent , off-kilter name as Whaling in Oklahoma , it’ shard to know exactly what to make of Ma slow’ slate st . The name is mostly “nonsense ,” said Ma slow , though it nods to a purportedprohibition on whaling in the land locked state , acknowledgingthat the best side of Mas lo w’ s rebellious streak remainsintact . But Ma slow also wanted tobe respectful of not co- opting anotherculture with the restaurant’ s name — or through its food , which will offer “respectful reinterpretations” of Japanese cuisine that is underrepresented state side . You won’ t find sushi , but plenty of grilled foods , fried dishes that elevate Americanized notions of tempura , plus seasonal cold and warm salads , noodles an draw fish , all emphasizing inspirations from his travelsthrough Japan’ s centralregionaround Osaka and Kyoto . It’ ll be served in the bisected space that formerly housed T re mont 647, whose chef-owner Andy Husband sis a behind- the scenespartner in Whaling . The main dining room will have a soft , serene vibe , invoking pastel san dearth tones , ike ban a flowerarrangementsand massive , whimsical murals by artist Jason Vivo na . The other side of the restaurant will evoke the style of a Hokkaido hunting lodge , says Ma slow , integrating some taxidermy decor and flannel accents . One piece will look familiar . Lying ina corner of Whaling’ s construction zone is a large metal lightingfixture that once hung in Rib el le . Whatever his complicatedmemories of the place , the experience was certainly illuminating.