Watertown Restaurateur to Bring New Restaurant to Cambridge’s Central Square

A new dim sum cocktail bar is coming soon to Cambridge's Central Square. Brian Callahan, 37, of Watertown, will open the new establishment called Darling at the location of the former Chinese restaurant Mary Chung on Friday, July 18.

According to a Boston Globe report, the menu will feature small plates from Mark O'Leary (JM Curley, O Ya, and Shojo) and Asian-inspired drinks from Callahan. Callahan managed the beverage program at Coquette, Orfano, Row 34, and Tiger Mama after giving up ambitions of becoming a folk singer. Partner Zimu Chen joins Callahan from Eastern Standard and Mariel.

Callahan spoke with the Boston Globe about the concept behind Darling: 

"Darling is a cocktail bar, a small plates restaurant. It was inspired by the phrase 'kill your darlings,' which I interpret as a creative approach to operating without attachment, having the ability to not put boundaries on the cocktail menu and change it at whim. I really just wanted to do something that utilized a lot of really interesting seasonal ingredients and didn't want to have a ton of rules around it," he said.

"We just want to be a cool but unpretentious place to hang out. We want to be a neighborhood cocktail bar, a place where people feel like they can come in whatever form they're in, dressed up or dressed down, to have a cocktail or to have a full dinner," Callahan continued.

As the Boston Globe details, Callahan cut his teeth in the restaurant industry through many experiences, including working for Tiffani Faison at Tiger Mama. The celebrity chef and TV personality helped introduce Callahan to the world of possibilities within the restaurant industry, including the business of marketing and branding.

Callahan said his outstanding achievement was convincing leaders at MIT, which owned the Mary Chung space, to approve his business concept.