FOOD NEWS

Natasha’s seeks higher ground

By Amanda Gonzales

In a few weeks, there will be one less reason to head over to Bayside, as Natasha’s Restaurant will be moving out of its Portland Street location and into the former location of Seaside Park Restaurant. The 82 Exchange Street storefront has been vacant since Seaside Park went under in February.

A manager at Natasha’s, Brian O’Toole says the resaurant is moving to a better location and will avoid renovations that the current location would require. O’Toole isn’t worried about how the empty building will affect the area, as the restaurant has been “affected by the neighborhood” in its three years there, with “several break-ins and problems with vandalizing every day.” The free lunch on Mondays, that Natasha’s once offered, has not been in effect the past two months as “It was not doing well,” O’Toole notes. “People weren’t leaving donations, and it wasn’t drawing as much of a crowd as you would think.”

Natasha, the namesake of the restaurant, thinks they will have more support from the city at the more central location. But, head chef Brian Critchfield says, “There are no plans to change the menu because good food is what we pride ourselves on.”

They look to make the move in the next six weeks, tentatively around June 1, right in time for the busy season in the Old Port. Critchfield reports Natasha’s will only close for a week as they make the transition to the new location and close up things at Portland Street. Critchfield adds that the new location will be about the same size, but with a bigger kitchen so “we can feed people faster,” and a bigger bar with a full liquor license. Look for an outdoor patio and a possible venue for some live music nights as Natasha’s settles into the Old Port.