THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Atara Bistro & Wine Bar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Atara Bistro & Wine Bar Restaurant Review:

Allston/Brighton has long harbored a reputation as being a student ghetto of sorts. But the elegant pre-war buildings and nearby Brookline have meant a gradual gentrification of late. That a restaurant like Atara, run by former Ambrosia on Huntington sous chef Larry Kessler, seems to be staying the course is evidence of the edible variety that things are changing. Perhaps acknowledging the slow-but-sure approach to his mixed clientele of professors, their charges, and suburbanites, Kessler’s food is recognizably American with a few cheeky flourishes thrown in, though one can’t always tell if it’s for good measure or taste. Calamari is dusted in graham cracker crumbs and fried, a well-delivered nod to the signature at Union Square Café in New York. Chicken wings, veal meatloaf, horseradish-crusted steak---anything robust and meaty is a good bet. Exposed brick walls are a cliché now, but they add a touch of chic to Atara’s equation. It’s a good first step towards solving the area’s once-problematic lack of dining options.