Bonfire
Park Plaza Hotel
Boston, MA 02116
617-262-3473
Located at the Park Plaza Hotel, Bonfire is chef and restaurateur Todd English’s first steak house in Boston. Based on the American steak house with sophisticated European influences, Bonfire’s menu spans all the cattle-ranging regions of the world. With a firewall that runs along the back wall and a taqueria behind the bar churning out empanadas and creative gourmet tacos, the cooking becomes the entertainment at Bonfire. The extensive, award-wining wine list includes selections from South America, Spain and California, as well as more than fifty different tequilas and mescals. Bonfire adds an elegant and seductive little spark to Boston’s fine dining scene.
Bonfire's $1 Taco Thursdays
Starting on Thursday, June 4th, the end of the week gets an infusion of Latin flavor with the launch of ...
Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer 2009
Eat dessert every day for a week - from Monday, May 4th through Sunday, May 10th - have it for breakfast, lunch ...
Bonfire's Cinco de Mayo Bash
On Tuesday, May 5th participate in a little Cinco de Mayo-inspired fun at the Tuesday Tastings event at Todd English ...
Robert Bean
Chef at Bonfire
A native of Woburn, Massachusetts, Chef Robert Bean brings an impressive culinary pedigree to downtown Boston, where he is Executive Chef at Todd English's Bonfire Steakhouse at the Park Plaza Hotel and Towers.
Bean first entered the kitchen at age fifteen, at the Granite Rose in Hampstead, New Hampshire. With no prior culinary background, Bean was hired as a dishwasher, but quickly worked his way up to cook. He spent the next four years gaining valuable experience and culinary skills, before moving on to become a Banquet and Line Cook at the Westin Copley Place Hotel in Boston.
Now certain of his calling as a chef and his passion for the restaurant industry, Bean decided to complement his extensive restaurant experience with formal culinary training. He enrolled at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. While a student there, he continued to hone his skills as an extern at the famed Four Seasons Hotel. Upon graduation he accepted a Sous Chef position at the Atkinson Resort and Country Club in New Hampshire.
Bean was welcomed into Todd English Enterprises in 2004, when he joined the line at Olives Las Vegas in the Bellagio Hotel. For a year and a half he immersed himself in English's signature interpretive Mediterranean cuisine, proving to be an invaluable addition to the Todd English Enterprises team. When he moved back to Boston, Bean began working the line at English's rustic seafood concept, Kingfish Hall, in historic Faneuil Hall. Again impressing his superiors with his creativity, skill and leadership, Bean quickly moved up through the ranks, becoming Sous Chef and finally Chef de Cuisine.
When an opening became available to lead the culinary team at Bonfire, English knew exactly the chef he wanted for the job. Drawing upon his love and comprehensive training in the classics, as well as his broad experience executing both English's interpretive and rustic cuisine, Bean wows his customers nightly with Bonfire's Latin American inspired steakhouse fare.
- Aïoli
- 1. noun A blend of ail (garlic) and oli (oil) in the parlance of the Provence region of southern France. Around here, we'd call it a garlic mayonnaise.
- Assiette
- 1. noun French for "assortment," as in cheeses.
- Bouillabaisse
- 1. noun A Provençal stew of fish, shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs.
- Brioche
- 1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.
- Cabrales
- 1. noun A noted Spanish blue cheese.
- Cavatelli
- 1. noun Small pasta shells with wavy edges.
- Charcuterie
- 1. noun The French term for delicatessen-style items.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- Chutney
- 1. noun A spicy, fruity, sometimes marmalade-like Indian condiment.
- Compote
- 1. noun Slow-cooked fruit in syrup.
- Consommé
- 1. noun Meat or fish stock that has been clarified.
- Coulis
- 1. noun A thick puree or sauce.
- Crostini
- 1. noun The Italian word for "little toasts" (referring to bread, not grappa).
- Duxelles
- 1. noun Often used as a garnish or to flavor sauces and soups, duxelles is a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs cooked in butter until it forms a thick paste.
- Emulsion
- 1. noun The mixture of two liquids that cannot normally combine smoothly (e.g., oil and water). Mayonnaise and hollandaise are two familiar emulsions.
- Farro
- 1. noun Tuscany's mainstay, a small, light brown grain.
- Frisée
- 1. noun A curly, mildly bitter member of the chicory family, eaten raw in salads.
- Frisee
- 1. noun French for curly, but usually refers to curly endive, the bitter salad green of the chicory family.
- Gratin
- 1. noun Any dish covered with cheese or buttered breadcrumbs and baked or broiled.
- Hollandaise
- 1. noun An emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice and hot melted butter, the smooth, rich sauce is often an accompaniment to vegetable, fish and egg dishes.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Mizuna
- 1. noun Crisp, feathery salad greens from Japan.
- Nage
- 1. noun This culinary buzzword usually indicates a bouillon with (among other things) white wine, shallots and herbs.
- Paella
- 1. noun A saffron-flavored rice dish with meats, vegetables and shellfish; named for the large shallow pan in which it is traditionally cooked.
- Pâté
- 1. noun Ground meat, fish or vegetables blended with fat and seasonings; can be smooth or chunky, served cold or hot.
- Pâte
- 1. noun French for dough, paste or batter.
- Persillade
- 1. noun French for parsley, also refers to a mixture of parsley and garlic that is often sprinkled on a dish as flavoring or garnish towards the end of its preparation.
- Pico de gallo
- 1. noun A Spanish condiment featuring chopped peppers, cucumbers, onions, jicama, jalapeño and seasonings.
- Quinoa
- 1. noun These small, round, pale-brown grains look similar to millet and have a mild taste and a firm texture. Quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids.
- Ragu
- 1. noun Tomato and meat sauce from Bologna.
- Risotto
- 1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.
- Romesco
- 1. noun Catalonian sauce of finely ground tomatoes, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, almonds and olive oil.
- Rösti
- 1. noun Refers to a Swiss potato dish, similar to some types of home fries, where shredded potatoes are sautéed on both sides until browned.
- Semolina
- 1. noun Very coarse flour used to make pizza and bread. Also refers to rounded parts of wheat used to make a pudding of the same name.
- Shank
- 1. noun The front leg of beef, pork, veal or lamb. Often a very tough cut of mean, the shank requires slow-cooking methods like braising.
- Shiitake
- 1. noun Bold and meaty, these are called "black mushrooms" on Chinese menus.
- Terrine
- 1. noun An earthenware container, or the dish cooked therein.
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