The restaurant at 194 Main St. in Nashua is now in its fourth iteration since the space was converted from a bank nearly three decades ago. Atmosphere: 19/20 Menu: 18/20 Food: 18/20 Service: 18/20 Value: 16/20 Total: 89/100 Like their predecessors, the owners of the new establishment have other nearby restaurant interests, but this time, those interests are hyper-local — as in right around the corner.
Union Public House, which opened this past spring, is owned by Jeff Bois, who also owns the popular Stella Blu and its offshoot, The Pearl, both just steps away on East Pearl Street. Mrs. Gourmet and I visited Union on a recent Sunday night to see how things had changed since two years ago, when, under different ownership, the place was called Belissimo Italian Steakhouse.
Back in May, we had tried a few times to make weekend reservations well in advance and had no luck. This time, we made reservations a couple days in advance without any trouble, and when we arrived, there were plenty of tables available. Inside the new Union Public House, the theme is casual contemporary elegance.
The menu and the interior speak of casual, contemporary class. Dark wood paneling contrasts with tan leather upholstery on booth seats and low club chairs. High-top seating is available on the bar side of the large room, which was once the bank’s lobby.
A whimsical touch is the large faux-oil portraits of historical characters with out-of-character trappings, such as George Washington with a mart.
