Barbara Lynch brings new menu to The Reef

Boston’s well-known celebrity chef Barbara Lynch is creating fresh, new local menu offerings for our seasonal outdoor restaurant, The Reef, this summer in partnership with the Aquarium’s hospitality partner, Centerplate.

B&G lobster roll on a toasted topsider with housemade pickles and coleslaw

The Reef already has some of the best outdoor seating in town, with views of the harbor and the city, but now while you're enjoying the afternoon breeze you can also dive into Chef Lynch's luscious, meaty lobster roll served with housemade pickles and slaw; sample tender, flavorful slow-cooked pork on a roll with piquant tomato jam; or snack on creamy and tangy Vermont cheeses served with crunchy cranberry nut crackers or grilled Margherita pizza with fresh basil,tomato and mozzarella . The combination of the Central Wharf location and Chef Lynch's menu promises to make The Reef the best place to enjoy summer in the city.

Chef Barbara Lynch's grilled Margherita pizza has fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella and chopped scallions.

Chef Lynch (left) is the owner of eight prestigious dining, drinking and catering establishments in the Boston area: No. 9 Park, B & G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Stir, Drink, Sportello, Menton, and 9 At Home. This is the first project outside of her restaurants where Chef Lynch has worked as a consulting chef to create a new and inspired menu.

“The Aquarium is thrilled to have Barbara Lynch, a James Beard award winning chef, designing the menus for The Reef and we look forward to establishing a creative and long term collaboration with her,” states Bud Ris, New England Aquarium President and Chief Executive Officer. “Barbara brings such skill and talent to all of her culinary ventures, and she will help make experiences at the Aquarium all the more unique and memorable.”


A lifelong Bostonian, Lynch is excited to partner with the Aquarium and offer a selection of seasonal dishes to visitors at The Reef: “I love creating unique culinary experiences at each of my concepts and this collaboration presented a fantastic opportunity to do just that at a quintessential Boston landmark with Centerplate, an industry leader,” states Lynch. “I look forward to a establishing a long term partnership with the Aquarium and Centerplate and being part of a signature Boston experience.”



"As South Shore residents, my family has always enjoyed Barbara's restaurants and the Aquarium,” says John Sergi, Chief Design Officer for Centerplate. “Both are real New England treasures. We've now brought them together at The Reef bar.  This summer locals and tourists alike will have a new, fun and tasty way to enjoy the Aquarium and Boston Harbor."



For the summer of 2012, Chef Lynch's menu also includes New England-style clam chowder made with local, sustainable clams; tomato salad with Maplebrook mozzarella;  a grilled steak and cheese flatbread sandwich; and a grilled shrimp Caesar salad. The menu proudly features ocean-friendly seafood choices recommended by the New England Aquarium’s sustainable seafood programs.