By Jillian Rivers.

Photography Credit: Jillian Rivers

This dynamic trio (along with baby Samuel Lemaire) will work through the summer to get their doors open and find the right people to latch on to their vision. They hope to add more value to New Bedford’s tourist industry by making it a destination for people to learn more about native fish, food, and community.

dNB Burger owners, and husband and wife duo, Amelia Ruvich and Josh Lemaire are teaming up with Chris Cronin, formerly chef of Farm & Coast Market/Little Moss to open a new seafood restaurant in New Bedford, Union Flats. The 100-year-old space currently is being remodeled into an upscale raw bar. The team will create unique spins on classic seafood dishes using lesser-known seafood products. Recently they have been running “fish friday” specials at dNB burgers to test out some dishes that might be seen at Union Flats. Using local fish such as pollock and hake, they put a local catch twist on otherwise traditional menu items. The chefs want to showcase the lesser-used fish—compared to cod and haddock, which are currently being overfished.

New Bedford houses one of the oldest fishing ports in the United States. To bridge the gap between consumer and purveyor, the owners are establishing relationships with local fishermen. They stress the importance of sourcing locally and ethically and using lesser-known product to create a viable market. Working countless hours to create a community of folks who appreciate the local food resources available to them, the team is also building relationships with nearby farms such as Wishing Stone, Ivory Silo, and Eva’s Garden. These relationships help bring local food to the forefront of their restaurant, giving consumers the best quality product available.

See our December 2021 update on Union Flats here. 

Union Flats
37 Union St. New Bedford, MA

02740

Jillian Rivers is a Plymouth cook who has a passion and curiosity for everything involving food and nature. She has worked professionally in kitchens for the past decade and is an avid gardener.