A new restaurant is moving into the old Tupelo space — and its named after a family with deep Cambridge roots
Richards will debut on October 2.
Richard Graham III’s family history is ingrained in Cambridge. His father (Richard Graham, Jr.) grew up there. His grandfather (Richard Graham) grew up there. And his young son — Richard Graham IV — now gets to call Cambridge his home, too.
It’s only fitting, then, that he and his wife, Sarah Graham, have named their new restaurant Richards.
Located in the former Tupelo space, which most recently served as the home of Tex Mex Eat’s pop-up, Richards will offer New American dishes that aim to satisfy both picky and adventurous diners. The restaurant sits just past Richard “Dickie” Graham Jr. Square, and is scheduled to open on October 2.
“We know that in Cambridge, a lot of the [dining] options are either casual or fast casual where people just want to get in and out, or there’s really high-end, fine-dining [restaurants] where you’re paying $100 per person,” Sarah told Boston.com. “We figured with this spot we can do something that kind of hits that middle niche. We want [guests] to eat the kind of food that we like to eat with the level of quality of food that we like to make — but we want it to be approachable and accessible.”
To that end, the menu, which is still being fine-tuned, will include dishes like caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes; cream of mushroom soup; duck breast with roasted asparagus, spiced pine nuts, and herb cream sauce; bison filet with roasted corn and daikon radishes; and mocha mousse cheesecake. Pastas — from tortellini to strozzapreti — will all be made in-house, as will all of Richards’ condiments.
Richards will have a beer, wine, and cordial license, and will offer eight taps of draft beer along with a selection of bottles, wine, and cocktails. Regulars of Tupelo will find the space markedly different: Gone is the New Orleans-themed mural wrapped around one wall, now replaced by an abstract mural from local artist Michelle Maroon. Richard and Sarah have sanded and sealed the floors, painted every inch of the walls, and installed new light fixtures to create a space that, Richard said, is brighter and more inviting.
The chef knows the old Tupelo space well. Richard worked at the Southern restaurant for five years (his chef de cuisine, Ilger Cakuli, worked there for three years), while Sarah worked in a number of roles at Harvard Square’s Russell House Tavern. The two then moved around the country for a bit, taking jobs in Seattle and Chicago before Tupelo’s owners, who are personal friends, called to let them know the restaurant was closing — and would they like to have the space?
Richards will open on September 27.
“We specifically came back [to Cambridge] because we had this opportunity to open the restaurant,” Sarah said, sharing that they just moved back in June. “It’s been a crazy couple of months.”
Richards will open for dinner to start, with the possibility of extending its hours in the near future. For its namesake — well, one of them at least — it still seems like a surreal experience.
“I’m most excited [about] growing up in Inman Square and [then] opening a restaurant in Inman Square… and kind of being a townie doing something for the town, I guess,” Richard said. “It’s been a great journey so far.”
Richards; 1193 Cambridge St., Cambridge; Tuesdays–Thursday from 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m.; richards02139.com
