By Ginger DeShaney

Fresh Boston, at 232 Old Colony Ave., brings something unique to the neighborhood. 

It’s a deli, a liquor store, a bar, a dinner spot, a brunch stop, a caterer, and more.

“We want people to come in here and have a different experience. We want to change the way people eat and drink,” said owner Charlie Merritt. “This unique concept has everything you need with a vibe.” 

When Charlie had the opportunity to expand on his Fresh Nantucket shop, he wanted to go where people knew the brand.

“It’s a good time for us to be in this area,” said Charlie, who lives in South Boston. “It’s something Southie needed. We just want to be part of the neighborhood.”

The shop has only been open since Nov. 16 and already the neighborhood is showing some love. 

“The demographic that’s come in has been amazing … really, really good people. I love the people that we’ve met,” Charlie said.

Charlie’s South Boston location draws from his original location in Nantucket, which started as a small, hole-in-the-wall shop with sandwiches and drinks, including alcohol. “We brought the island vibes to the big city,” according to the website http://www.freshboston.com.

The bar is called “the Island” and features eclectic, seasonal cocktails and house-made mixers. “The Bodega” is the liquor store, which features spirits, beers, seltzers, and a large selection of wine. 

In addition to the bar, Fresh Boston, which occupies the former Stadium spot, does tastings, ranging from wine to agave spirits.

“What’s really cool is you can come to us and try something and then you can take it with you,” Charlie said. 

Customers know Fresh for its sandwiches, with fun names such as the Capone (Italian), Nantucket Babe (black forest ham), and Treehugger (vegetarian). They include specialty sandwiches, too.

They also have salads – with names such as Kale Me Maybe and Chop it Like it’s Hot – as well as fresh juices, açaí bowls, charcuterie, and more. 

With a new chef in the house – Brian Sacco – Fresh Boston is also doing dinner. Brian, who has extensive experience in the kitchen, including time at Lincoln, Fatbaby, and the Broadway Group, has carte blanche to come up with new and exciting offerings, focusing more on shareable dishes. 

Every dinner, Fresh offers five to eight items, always rotating in new dishes. Brian and Charlie both mentioned the pork belly as a dinner highlight and noted they’ve also done a duck confit tostada.

“We keep it approachable,” Charlie said about the high-end, made-from-scratch dinner menu. “We keep it fresh,” added Brian.

The space is inviting, light, and bright. And Charlie hires good people and trains them. “We make sure we have really, really good people. We want people to remember the service here,” he said, “remember the interactions.

“I want the staff to have fun here; we want people to come in and have them have a relationship with the staff. We want people to connect here. We aren’t a corporation; we want that small business feel.”

Fresh is open six days a week:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lunch is available daily until 4 p.m. Dinner is served from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Brunch, which is very popular, is served Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m.

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