Signals & Stats : Daily Signals

Tapas tour

By Alex Jordan 22 : 07 : 2016 Little Donkey : Restaurant : Transnationalism

Cambridge, Massachusetts – Restaurant Little Donkey offers diners a global selection of seasonal small plates.

‘The name is a nod to the hard-working animal that serves as a vital resource in various cultures around the world’ – chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette
Its global tapas concept reflects the growing trend of transnationalism among teenagers and Millennials

Little Donkey by Andrew Merrill, Cambridge

Little Donkey’s menu features Western staples with Asian influences, such as a Vietnamese bologna with squid and peanuts, and Thai sausage pigs in blankets. It pushes beyond typical fusion, with bowls of Matzo Ball Ramen served alongside plates of Monkfish Biryani. Little Donkey also caters for the deli crowd with a rotating charcuterie board and raw seafood bar.

Oringer and Bissonnette collaborated with Vikram Hegde of Island Creek Oyster Bar and Sarma to create a cocktail programme that highlights the restaurant’s globally influenced creations such as Webber’s Porch, which features vodka, blueberry, shiso leaf and bubbles, and the Ode to Pablo, which features Sombra mezcal, Gran Classico, spicy ginger shrub and lime.

The restaurant is located in one of the city's most culturally diverse areas. ‘We love the ethnic diversity of Central Square,’ Oringer told Boston Magazine. ‘Just walking around the streets inspired what we wanted to do.’

The Big Picture

The rise of digital culture has enabled consumers to become more connected and peripatetic, and is driving creative cross-pollination between cultures. To find out more, read our New Bricolage Living macrotrend.