Jason Santos’s Buttermilk & Bourbon Southern Restaurant Opens in Watertown | Eater Boston

"Chef Jason Santos’s New Orleans–inspired, playful take on Southern cuisine opened a second location in Arsenal Yards, emphasizing fun and creative liberty rather than strict authenticity. The restaurant highlights an expanded oyster program — including roasted oysters with chargrilled butter and romano crumbs (inspired by Felix’s), oysters Rockefeller, Buffalo fried oysters, and raw bar items — cooked in a Marra Forni brick oven. Staples from the original menu appear alongside standout small plates: Aged Gouda Mac ‘n’ Cheese (made with high-quality aged gouda, pork scraps, and a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crust), a Red Apple Wedge with slab bacon and mild Clemson University blue cheese topped with candied walnuts and shaved apple, Spicy Fried Cauliflower finished with a red jalapeño vinaigrette and whipped goat’s milk feta, Cast Iron Baked Brie with caramelized onions, Steen’s Syrup, gooseberries, spiced pecans and Iggy’s grilled bread, and Slow Roasted Baby Back Ribs finished with a Carolina mustard barbecue sauce, pickled cherry peppers, and long-time potato salad. The space includes a three-season patio, a fireplace, and live music, and the beverage program features nearly 20 bourbons plus rye, scotch, beer, cider, wine and cocktails (including frozen options, hurricanes on tap, and bourbon-forward drinks like a chocolate praline Old Fashioned). Dinner service begins daily at 5 p.m., with lunch and Sunday brunch to be added and reservations available online." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal