Honeycomb

"Featured in Edible Boston N°77 (Spring 2025) With the flip of a switch, a bright pink neon sign announces the transformation of Honeycomb, a warm and lively bakery and café in Hamilton during the day, into Enchanté, a welcoming and casual French-inspired bistro on Friday and Saturday nights. Lauren Moran opened Honeycomb in 2017 with her husband, Billy Moran (owner of Cornwall's in Kenmore Square), after working as an executive pastry chef at several legendary Boston area restaurants, some of which she helped to open. The experience of helping open a restaurant made her realize that she wanted her own one day. A few thriving years after starting Honeycomb, the Morans began conceptualizing another location They explored several other properties but hadn't quite found the perfect spot. Lauren notes that often during that time, after working Honeycomb's closing shifts, she'd sit at one of their tables with a glass of wine as the sun went down, making lists and thinking that she'd like to also fill the space at night. They'd hosted some cocktail receptions and private events over the years, and she noticed that the space elegantly transformed from day to night. Simply by moving furniture around, changing the playlist, adding candles and wine glasses, dimming the lights and setting the tables, the space became something totally different from the daytime café. Meanwhile, friend and talented fellow chef Jason Hanelt had begun working at Honeycomb. Hanelt, who worked for Gordon Hamersley for over 20 years and is classically French trained, had also been thinking about opening a restaurant. He and the Morans soon discovered that they shared a common goal-bringing bistro-style elevated small plates, natural wines and beers to the North Shore. The perfect location to test that concept, they realized, was literally under their feet. Enchanté opened in the space in January 2024 with Henalt as its chef."