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Boston Globe

In once sleepy West Acton, Silver Girl shines

Silver Girl owners Tamara DeLuzio (left) and Dawn Aguiar in their Acton restaurant. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Now, places like True West Brewery, West Side Creamery, and stylish sandwiches and cheeses at Eve & Murray's enliven the scene. Dawn Aguiar and Tamara DeLuzio opened Eve & Murray's in 2021; Silver Girl, around the corner, is their first standalone restaurant. Aguiar says that the stream of young families who flock from urban areas to Acton for the schools made the venture seem like a safe bet. Advertisement 'A lot of people told us: 'To go to a date night spot, we have to drive to Groton. What if you could walk to your local cocktail bar?'' Aguiar says. 'We have people thrilled to have a place like they could have gone to in the city.' Picture the old Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge, maybe: chartreuse settees, gold-framed prints of bygone World's Fairs, mismatched but elegant silverware, indigo walls, moon-and-star signage evoking a tarot deck. As for the name? It's a lyric from Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' though it's smooth sailing so far. The restaurant has been so busy at dinner that the team recently expanded to lunch. Of note: Silver Girl is only open Thursday through Sunday, so plan accordingly. (They do take reservations.) The popover starter at Silver Girl in Acton. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff What to eat : 'This is food from my heritage: My mom is from Louisiana, and my dad is Sicilian,' says Aguilar, who's also the executive chef. She's joined by Aya Hashimoto Alexander, who's worked at 80 Thoreau and Craigie on Main. The concentrated, curated menu does lilt Southern: At dinner, there are six entrees, including Creole cassoulet with duck leg confit ($32) and seafood gumbo ($32), plus a handful of appetizers like popovers with onion jam and Aleppo pepper butter ($6) and Caesar salad, generous with the anchovies ($13). The sign outside of Silver Girl in Acton. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Lunch entrees ($13 and up) are more casual: a po' boy with cornmeal-crusted shrimp on crusty French bread with house-brined pickles; a heaping, hot Nashville chicken sandwich on a potato roll that's almost candied, it's so divinely sweet; an andouille sausage sandwich bedaubed with grainy mustard, showcasing Eve & Murray's provisions. Advertisement During the day, order at the bar and wait to be served, probably by the vivacious mixologist, Sailor Walker, who stirs, shakes, and alights at each table, delivering colorful drinks over crushed ice, pierced with metallic golden straws. Walker seems to know many of the customers, including one gentleman who wants to debate the finer points of poultry spice while settling his tab. There's an unpolished but endearing feel to the place, like you walked into someone's house for a dinner party about 20 minutes before start time. The cheese board at Silver Girl in Acton. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff What to drink : 'A huge part of what we do is cocktails,' Aguilar says. Fortunately, Walker used to work at Bully Boy Distillers. Sample several types of Amari; sip a gin-based lemon bar cocktail with lemon meringue foam ($16); or revel in a vast selection of light-and-bright mocktails like The Echo ($13), a tall, tart swill of zero-proof amaro lucano, blackberry, and pineapple poured over crushed ice. Silver Girl bartender Sailor Walker makes a drink behind the bar at the Acton restaurant. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff The takeaway : A free-spirited nook that would be right at home in the South End or Central Square. I'm envious of my Actonian successors. Silver Girl, 251 Arlington St., Acton, 978-274-2904, The 'Supernova' cocktail with amaro, cognac, macerated plums, and saffron at Silver Girl in Acton. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Kara Baskin can be reached at