Sarma

Sarma is a restaurant located in the Somerville neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, recognized for its approach to mezze-style dining rooted in the culinary traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Levant. The establishment occupies a distinctive position within the Boston metropolitan dining landscape, drawing both local residents and visitors seeking a menu built around shared small plates, robust flavors, and seasonal ingredients. Sarma's presence in the Union Square area of Somerville has contributed to the broader cultural and culinary identity of a neighborhood long known for its diversity and independent dining scene.

History

Sarma opened in Somerville and was established by chef Cassie Piuma, who trained under chef Ana Sortun at Oleana, a celebrated Cambridge restaurant known for its Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Piuma's background under Sortun's mentorship gave her a deep foundation in the spice-forward, ingredient-driven cooking of the broader Mediterranean region. The opening of Sarma represented a natural extension of that culinary lineage, translating the principles of mezze culture into a standalone restaurant concept designed around communal dining and small-plate sharing.

The restaurant's name, sarma, refers to a category of stuffed and wrapped dishes found across Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, and other regional cuisines — small packages of filling encased in grape leaves, cabbage, or other wrappers. This etymological choice reflects the restaurant's commitment to honoring traditional forms while interpreting them through a contemporary and creative lens. Since its opening, Sarma has built a reputation as one of the notable independent restaurants in Greater Boston, earning consistent recognition within regional dining coverage. The establishment has been noted in food media for its cocktail program as well as its food menu, with the bar offering creative drinks that complement the mezze-focused kitchen.

Over the years, Sarma has navigated the challenges common to independent restaurants in the Boston area, including periods of economic disruption. Like many local establishments, the restaurant adapted its operations during the broader challenges faced by the restaurant industry in the early 2020s, demonstrating a degree of operational resilience that has allowed it to remain a fixture of the Somerville dining community. Its continuity speaks to the loyalty of its customer base and the strength of its culinary identity.^[1]

Geography

Sarma is situated in the Union Square section of Somerville, Massachusetts, a city that directly borders Cambridge and sits just northwest of downtown Boston. Union Square is one of Somerville's most commercially active neighborhoods, characterized by a dense concentration of independent restaurants, bars, shops, and cultural organizations. The square itself has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, evolving from a working-class commercial hub into a destination neighborhood with a diverse array of dining and entertainment options.

Somerville as a whole is among the most densely populated cities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its urban fabric supports a wide variety of neighborhood identities within a compact geographic footprint.^[2] The proximity of Union Square to Cambridge and to several major educational and research institutions in the region contributes to the area's cosmopolitan character. Sarma's location within this neighborhood places it in close proximity to other notable dining establishments, making the surrounding blocks a notable cluster for food-oriented visitors to the Boston area. The restaurant's physical space is designed to accommodate both intimate dining and the social energy that accompanies a shared-plate dining format.

Culture

The cultural identity of Sarma is grounded in the concept of mezze, a dining tradition that spans a wide arc of culinary geography from Turkey and Greece through the Levant and into North Africa. Mezze dining emphasizes the sharing of many small dishes rather than the Western convention of individual plated courses, encouraging a more communal and social experience at the table. This format has a long history in the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean and carries with it a set of social rituals around hospitality, generosity, and the pleasure of gathering.

At Sarma, this tradition is interpreted through a menu that draws on a broad range of regional influences while remaining attentive to seasonal availability and ingredient quality. The restaurant does not position itself as strictly authentic to any single national or regional cuisine; rather, it operates within the wider spirit of Eastern Mediterranean cooking, allowing for creative interpretation and cross-cultural reference. This approach reflects a broader trend within Boston's dining culture toward restaurants that engage seriously with non-European culinary traditions while adapting them to local contexts and contemporary sensibilities. The cocktail program at Sarma has similarly drawn on Mediterranean-adjacent flavors and ingredients, incorporating elements like pomegranate, sumac, rose, and citrus into drinks that complement the food menu. This integration of bar and kitchen reflects a holistic approach to hospitality that distinguishes Sarma within the competitive Boston-area restaurant landscape.^[3]

Attractions

Sarma draws visitors both as a dining destination and as part of the broader appeal of Union Square as a cultural and culinary hub in Greater Boston. The restaurant's menu changes to reflect seasonal ingredients, meaning that repeat visitors encounter a shifting selection of dishes rather than a static offering. This approach rewards regular patronage and keeps the dining experience dynamic across different seasons and visits. The mezze format itself functions as an attraction, since it allows diners unfamiliar with Eastern Mediterranean food to explore a wide range of flavors and preparations in a single meal without committing to a single large dish.

The surrounding neighborhood of Union Square offers complementary attractions for visitors making a trip specifically to Sarma or simply passing through the area. The square hosts a popular farmers market during warmer months, and numerous independent shops, galleries, and cafes provide a full day's worth of activity for visitors. The broader Somerville area is home to arts organizations, live music venues, and community events that collectively contribute to a neighborhood atmosphere distinct from the more heavily touristed parts of Boston proper. For food-focused visitors, the concentration of independently owned restaurants in Union Square and surrounding Somerville neighborhoods makes the area a worthwhile destination in its own right. Sarma occupies a central place in that culinary geography, serving as one of the anchor establishments around which other dining options cluster.^[4]

Getting There

Sarma's location in Union Square is accessible by multiple modes of transportation from Boston and the surrounding region. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), commonly known as the T, operates bus routes that connect Union Square to downtown Boston, Cambridge, and other parts of the metropolitan area. The extension of the Green Line to Union Square, a significant infrastructure project completed as part of the Green Line Extension program, has further improved transit access to the neighborhood, providing a direct rail connection to the broader MBTA network.^[5]

For visitors arriving by car, Union Square is accessible via several major roadways that connect Somerville to the regional highway network. Street parking exists in the surrounding blocks, though availability varies by time of day and day of the week, as is typical in densely populated urban neighborhoods throughout the Boston metropolitan area. Cycling is also a practical option, as Somerville has invested in bicycle infrastructure in recent years, and Union Square sits along several designated bike routes that connect to Cambridge and other neighboring municipalities. Visitors arriving from Logan International Airport may reach the area via the MBTA or by rideshare service, with travel times typically in the range of thirty to forty-five minutes depending on traffic and the specific route taken.

Economy

Sarma functions as part of the independent restaurant economy that characterizes much of Somerville's commercial activity. Unlike many large restaurant groups or chain establishments, Sarma operates as a single-location independent restaurant, meaning that its economic health is directly tied to the local community and the patronage of Boston-area diners. Independent restaurants of this type contribute significantly to the local tax base, employment landscape, and cultural economy of their host neighborhoods.

The restaurant employs kitchen staff, front-of-house workers, and management in roles typical of a full-service dining establishment of its size. In the broader context of Somerville's economy, the hospitality and food service sector represents a meaningful portion of local employment and commercial activity.^[6] The success of anchor restaurants like Sarma can have a positive spillover effect on surrounding businesses, drawing foot traffic to the neighborhood and establishing Union Square as a destination rather than simply a pass-through commercial corridor. This dynamic is characteristic of how independent dining establishments function within dense urban neighborhoods throughout Greater Boston, where the identity of a neighborhood's food scene often shapes broader perceptions of desirability and vitality.