By Katie Farrell Lovett
NEWBURYPORT — Homemade stews and seafood will soon replace the huge martini menu at 27 State St.
Ted Epstein, 56, of Acton has purchased the retail space and will convert Aquatini into Loretta, a "casual restaurant" with affordable prices, he said.
Epstein is the former owner of Sit 'n Bull Pub in Maynard, which he closed in 2007. Loretta will open in January but passers-by will see some work going on at the site in the coming weeks as minor renovations, painting and other work is completed. Aquatini is open through this weekend.
Epstein said yesterday he's naming the restaurant after his mother whose cooking drew a crowded dinner table of Epstein's friends who chose to eat more at his house than their own while growing up in New York.
"She was really a cook," he says.
The menu will consist of fresh fish and seafood, homemade soups, chili, stews, chowders, and barbecue and Southwestern cuisine, including pulled pork and brisket, as well as roasted turkey that will be carved right off the bone, Epstein said.
"We'll be specializing in very affordable meals," such as lunch for $6 or $7 or dinners ranging from $8 to $12, with steaks slightly higher, he said.
While the Sit 'n Bull was known for its live music and pub atmosphere, Epstein says Loretta won't be the same format.
"This is a restaurant," he says.
After closing the Sit 'n Bull Pub because it needed a costly new sprinkler system, among other expenses, Epstein said he was on the search for his next location for a new opportunity.
"My wife loves the beach, and I love boats," Epstein said yesterday. After their daughter graduates from high school in a few years, the couple will likely relocate to Newburyport, he said.
"We're really excited," he says. "Newburyport just seems like such a great town."
