March 25, 2007
By Robin Kaminski / The Daily Item

A self-professed chef in his own kitchen at home, Moore decided to delve into the risky cuisine business in 2004 with the Navy Yard Bistro in the Charlestown section of Boston.

Now weeks away from adding a second addition to his restaurant family, Moore will open the doors to the Downtown Bistro and Wine Bar in May at the former Oxford Street Grill in Lynn.

After a varied career in the sales field and non-profit charity organizations, Moore said he turned to the restaurant business because of his love of cooking.

“I had been looking for a spot in Lynn for a while and I heard about Lowell Gray’s restaurant (Oxford Street Grill) and that it was going to close,” he said. “The restaurant was a really nice place, but I think the high end German kosher food on the menu ended up being just too eclectic for the area.”

Jumping on the prospect of establishing his own eatery in the space, Moore said he worked out all of the details and is now in the finishing stages of the process.
Featuring “sinfully good food at moderate prices” Moore said the goal of the new bistro is to offer new food choices for residents of the city.

“I don’t have any fear about opening a restaurant at spot where another failed,” he said. “I want to evolve with the customers preferences in Lynn and get to know what they like on the menu.”

Moore said the menu would feature three of the most popular items served at the Navy Yard Bistro - Roasted Chicken Breast, Hanger Steak and Ginger Sake Salmon, all priced at $16.

Other items will include seasonal dishes such as scallops, spicy pork tenderloin and Latin or Spanish inspired dishes that will be rotated on a weekly basis.

A vast array of wine choices will also be available to compliment the menu items that will include lunch selections.

“We are basically going to serve the basics, but really, really well,” he said. “My former roommate, who is now a top chef in San Francisco, once told me that the key to good cooking is high heat and high fat…and the sauce, it’s all about the sauce.”

An open display kitchen will also be part of the charm at the new Downtown Bistro, along with splashes of richly painted walls and attention-grabbing artwork.

One of the works of art rumored to be gracing the walls of the bistro is a painting of the rock group the Rolling Stones featuring a last supper inspired motif.

“I am really going overboard with the artwork,” he quipped. “But the right pieces make a restaurant inviting, so during my travels to Puerto Rico and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I have picking up different pieces.”

Moore said once the finishing touches are in place at the restaurant, he plans to host a grand opening complete with local celebrities with proceeds donated to charities in the city.

“My friend Frances Rivera (WHDH-TV news anchor) always comes to my Charlestown restaurant with her husband, so I hope she can attend the opening party,” he said. “I’m working on getting some New York Yankees versus Red Sox tickets to auction off. It should be a lot of fun.”

Provided everything goes as planned at the new bistro, Moore said he has ambitions to open up two or three additional eateries in the city in the near future.

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