Chef Nick Blue creates new menu for Boundary at the Cheshire

Since opening in 2016, Boundary has served upscale yet approachable American comfort food, but its menu has largely remained steady.

With the recent addition of executive chef Nick Blue, however, the restaurant has an abundance of new offerings. Blue – whose resumé includes Sugarfire Smokehouse, Sardella and Brasserie by Niche, among others – utilized his vast experience to conceptualize the new menu, which is fully updated aside from a few fan favorites: mac and cheese, fried oysters and the artisanal charcuterie & cheese board.

“I wanted to bring it a little more up to date while keeping it pretty simple – nothing too crazy,” Blue said. “We just want people to enjoy themselves.”

The majority of the menu is made up of flavors and dishes that Blue looks for when he dines out.

“The New York strip [with potato puree, shiitake mushrooms and tarragon-garlic butter] and the filet [with soy-glazed cipollini onion, fingerling potato confit and beef jus] are big sellers,” he said. “The Boundary burger [a chuck and brisket blend with pickled red onion, American cheese and aioli] has been taking off, and the steak tartare [with shallot confit, pickled red onion, cured yolk and saltine cracker] has been a big hit too.”

Blue’s personal favorites include the red snapper, with farro, onion soubise, grapefruit, radish and celery, the agnolotti, with shallots, ricotta, pear, cauliflower and sage brown butter, and the Spanish mussels, with chorizo, garlic, shallots, white wine, cilantro, crème fraiche and fries. 

“You don’t see mussels with chorizo too often,” he said.

Patrons will also find nods to some of Blue’s past work. 

“The half chicken is pan-seared like Brasserie’s, but with charred shaved Brussels sprouts and hen of the woods mushrooms – completely different flavors,” he explained. “And the pork chop has some similarities to one of my favorite dishes I cooked at Blackbird [Restaurant] in Chicago.”

Diners can expect to see seasonal changes to the menu as more fresh produce is readily available. 

“It helps keep the restaurant fresh and gets guests coming back in and trying new things,” he said. “What’s great about us is that we have food everybody likes to eat. It’s not scary and unapproachable; it’s just solid Midwestern food.” 

In addition to the new menu, Blue is also creating weekend specials such as whole roasted fish with herbs, lemon and garlic, prime rib with baked potatoes and more. Although there is no shortage of American comfort food restaurants in St. Louis, Boundary is set apart by its unique flavors and vibe.

“Every chef’s flavors are different, even if it’s a similar dish,” Blue said. “And we’ve got this great atmosphere in a historic building [dating back to the 1920s]. It’s really cozy on a cool evening, but I’ve seen a lot of liveliness at brunch – it gets packed.” 

While acclimating to his new position at Boundary, Blue will continue pouring his heart and soul into every dish that comes out of the kitchen.

 “I love the instant gratification you see on someone’s face when you see they really enjoy the meal,” Blue said. “It’s like hosting a party every night.”

Offering a modern interpretation of comfort food classics, Boundary at 7036 Clayton Ave. in Hi-Pointe is the perfect place for a business lunch, romantic date or family gathering. For more information, visit boundary-stl.com. 

Lauren Healey is associate editor at Sauce Magazine.

Sponsored Content