A Guide to Boston’s Summer 2021 Restaurant Openings

Massachusetts’s COVID state of emergency lifted on June 15, 2021, marking the top of many of the state’s pandemic-related mandates. For a month or so, it virtually felt like issues have been getting again to some type of regular. However instances are on the rise once more, because of the delta variant; too many eating places are not getting federal relief funds they have been promised; labor shortages proceed; and lots of eating places are rolling again to stricter masking and distancing (some are even requiring proof of vaccination.)

It’s not the carefree summer season for which everybody hoped. Regardless of the challenges and unsure months forward, although, new eating places maintain managing to open. Right here’s the rundown on new arrivals to the Boston space in summer season 2021, serving all the pieces from Northern Italian delicacies to vegan pizza to lobster Rockefeller to fast-casual burgers to Flamin’ Sizzling Cheeto mac and cheese. And don’t neglect seafood towers — so many seafood towers.

This roundup will likely be up to date because the season continues. Know of a brand new spot that ought to be on Eater Boston’s radar? E mail boston@eater.com. (And don’t cease supporting your longstanding favorites — all eating places, new and previous, may use all of the help you can provide proper now, and at all times.)

This roundup was most lately up to date on August 10, 2021, including notes on Buttermilk & Bourbon’s enlargement to Watertown, Mamaleh’s enlargement to Brookline, Tori Japan in Jamaica Plain, and Nu Do Society in Cambridge.

The newest CDC steering for vaccinated diners through the COVID-19 outbreak is here; eating out nonetheless carries dangers for unvaccinated diners and employees. Please pay attention to altering native guidelines, and test particular person restaurant web sites for any extra restrictions reminiscent of masks necessities. Discover a native vaccination web site here.

Boston

Again Bay

Andrew Scrivani

Giving off extraordinarily glamorous vibes, Contessa (1 Newbury St., Boston) opened in June on the rooftop of the Newbury Boston, courtesy of the New York-based Main Meals Group, which operates fashionable eating places worldwide. Contessa leans northern Italian, with dishes reminiscent of bistecca fiorentina and tortellini en brodo. [Read more.]

In different Newbury Avenue information, vegan pizzeria and wine bar Double Zero (163 Newbury St., Boston) opened in July. It’s from vegan chef and restaurateur Matthew Kenney, a Maine native who has eating places worldwide. That is certainly one of a number of Double Zero places. (Domestically-ish, there’s additionally one in Windfall, inside Kenney’s fully vegan meals corridor, Plant Metropolis.) [Read more.]

And yet another for Newbury Avenue: Taiwanese boba chain Yi Fang (215 Newbury St.) has arrived, specializing in fruit teas, tea lattes, and brown sugar lattes.

Additionally new to Again Bay is the Banks Fish House (406 Stuart St., Boston), taking up the previous two-level area of its sibling Post 390; it’s additionally associated to Grill 23, Harvest, and Bistro du Midi. Proprietor Chris Himmel and government chef and associate Robert Sisca are serving a seafood-heavy menu that tells the tales of their fishing adventures across the globe, which suggests all the pieces from shellfish and caviar towers to fried seafood. [Read more.]

Brighton

The Charles River Speedway has begun to open up, beginning with its anchor tenant, Salem’s Notch Brewing (525 Western Ave., Boston). The Brighton location of the brewery includes a spacious taproom and year-round beer backyard, providing round a dozen session beers on faucet. Outdoors meals is allowed (the Speedway will ultimately have a number of choices), and youngsters are allowed throughout most hours. [Read more.]

East Boston

Tall Ship (1 E. Pier Dr., Boston)— from the group behind Pier 6 and Reelhouse — is open, properly, on a tall ship. The group is describing it as a floating oyster bar (there are additionally a few other things to eat, like charcuterie boards), and it performs host to reside music and different occasions. A rotating forged of meals distributors promote extra treats out of refurbished transport containers alongside the pier.

Monetary District

The Langham, Boston [Official Photo]

The Langham resort (250 Franklin St., Boston) is newly revamped, and the renovations killed Cafe Fleuri and its long-running chocolate buffet. However there are new eating and ingesting choices as an alternative, together with the Fed, a cocktail bar that opened in July with customizable seafood towers, a boozy frappe, a lobster BLT, and a corndog-inspired potato-crusted scorching canine with kimchi and spicy mayo. [Read more.]

Additionally within the Monetary District, informal Greek restaurant Greco (1 Milk St., Boston) has added a brand new location (it’s additionally in Again Bay and the Seaport District), serving its well-liked gyros and loukoumades. [Read more.]

Jamaica Plain

Tori Japan (315 Centre St., Boston) opened recently in Jackson Square, serving fast-casual sushi and teriyaki dishes for takeout. Need a little bit little bit of plenty of issues? Attempt a bento field.

Roxbury

Flying Embers Brewery & Social Membership (152 Hampden St., Roxbury) is now open within the former Backlash Beer area. The California-based firm makes a speciality of onerous kombucha and onerous seltzer, in addition to beer brewed with probiotics. The taproom additionally serves meals, a collaboration with Boston’s Bon Me meals truck/restaurant chain. [Read more.]

Seaport District

Madras Dosa Co. [Official Photo]

Followers of south Indian meals will discover dosas galore at Madras Dosa Co. (55 Boston Wharf Rd.), a fast-casual spot in Boston’s Seaport District from the group behind south Indian restaurant chain Godavari. The massive checklist of dosa fillings consists of plenty of vegan or vegetarian and/or gluten-free choices. Additionally on the menu: idli, ghee grilled cheese, Indian delicate drinks, and extra. [Read more.]

Close to Boston

Brookline

Jewish-style delicatessen Mamaleh’s (1659 Beacon St., Brookline) expanded to Brookline’s Washington Sq. in August 2021; its unique location opened in Cambridge’s Kendall Sq. again in 2016. At present open every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the new location serves ready-to-eat bagels and schmears, smoked fish platters, numerous Reubens (vegetarians can attempt the smoked mushroom model) and different sandwiches, and extra, and there are additionally quite a lot of fridge, freezer, and pantry objects to seize (knishes, blintzes, matzoh ball soup, and so on.). There are additionally cans of Dr. Brown’s sodas, after all.

Cambridge

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

From the homeowners of Gâté Comme des Filles, a Somerville chocolate store, and Picnic & Pantry (previously often known as In Season Food Shop), a Somerville grocery store, comes an Inman Sq. wine and dessert bar that doesn’t permit cellphones. Zuzu’s Petals (204 Hampshire St., Cambridge), presently working on a restricted schedule, is a darkish, intimate spot within the former Metropolis Woman Cafe area providing a small collection of wines by the glass, cheese and charcuterie boards, and desserts reminiscent of tiramisu (pictured above), creme brulee, and chocolate mousse loaded with vanilla bean. [Read more.]

Additionally in Inman Sq., Drifter’s Story (1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge) is now open within the former Bukowski area, describing itself as a “world avenue meals gastrobar and tavern.” The menu consists of moules frites, carnitas tacos, seafood paella for 2, flatbreads, and extra.

In Harvard Sq., the Boston space’s first location of ramen chain Menya Jiro (57 JFK St., Cambridge) has opened; it’ll quickly be joined by places in Boston’s Seaport District and in Dedham. It options ramen within the model of Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture, with a pork and rooster broth, chashu pork, and fried garlic. Pork stomach buns, gyoza, takoyaki, and extra spherical out the menu. [Read more.]

In Porter Sq., the Halal Guys (15 White St., Cambridge) will open its second Massachusetts location on August 6; the New York-based chain — which began as a meals cart — additionally has a downtown Boston location that opened back in 2017 with the promise of extra places to return. The Halal Guys makes a speciality of rooster and rice plates and gyros.

And in Central Sq., early pandemic pop-up hit Nu Do Society (125 River St., Cambridge) has lastly opened its storefront within the previous River Gods area. The restaurant — which focuses on noodle dishes that draw inspiration from several Asian cuisines — was presupposed to open in early 2020, however everyone knows how that point of the 12 months turned out. Confronted with building delays, the Nu Do group spent a lot of 2020 working out of a brief kitchen, providing a rotating menu for weekly supply. Its flavor-packed dishes have been a giant hit. Now, it’s lastly working in its personal area, serving lunch and dinner every day. Order on-line for takeout. The present menu, which leans primarily however not solely within the Thai route, options dishes like khao soi, tom yum noodle soup, and garlic yaki udon.

Malden

Tous les Jours, a French-Asian bakery and cafe chain with over a thousand places worldwide, expanded its Boston-area presence with a new Malden location in July (230 Nice St., Malden); there are additionally places in Allston, Natick, and Burlington. The bakery serves objects reminiscent of honey cheese mochi pancakes, crimson bean doughnuts, raspberry turnovers, ham and cheese sandwiches, and extra.

Newton

Clover Food Lab — the vegetarian food-truck-turned-restaurant-empire with over a dozen fast-casual places across the Boston space — expanded to Newtonville (835 Washington St., Newton) in July, opening contained in the Trio condominium constructing. This location includes a standalone espresso bar staffed by George Howell Espresso Firm, in addition to a devoted space for CSA pickup. Like different Clovers, the menu consists of the chain’s well-liked chickpea fritter sandwich, rosemary fries, and much extra.

Quincy

The Boston space’s banh mi choices have elevated once more with the opening of Banh Mi Boston (716 Hancock St., Quincy) in Quincy’s Wollaston neighborhood. The counter-service store additionally options quite a few variations of the Vietnamese dessert che, each cold and hot.

Revere

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Revere Seaside pizza mainstay Bianchi’s (381 Revere Seaside Blvd.) has reopened in a brand new(ish) area, the previous Renzo’s area the place it beforehand popped up briefly (sharing with Renzo’s). Now Renzo’s is gone and Bianchi’s is open completely within the area, with associate the Sandbar serving some non-pizza meals and a full bar onsite. [Read more.]

In different Revere information, Minimize 21, sibling spot to close by eating places Dryft and Fine Line, is now open on the Ryder condominium advanced on Revere Seaside (21 Revere Seaside Blvd., Revere). Restaurateur Michael Aldi — with government chef Greg Reeves, who owns Viale in Cambridge — is serving seafood (together with seafood towers and lobster Rockefeller), steak, cocktails, and extra. Deliver a change of garments in your seashore day: “Informal dressy apparel” is encourage; swimwear is not allowed.

Somerville

Littleburg

In July, vegan pop-up Littleburg put down roots in a storage in Union Sq. (5 Sanborn Ct., Somerville), hidden away off that parking zone the place you too can discover Backbar and Discipline & Vine. The Littleburg storefront is presently providing takeout and meal supply, however a small eating room is perhaps within the plans a 12 months or so down the highway. Littleburg attracts inspiration from Mediterranean cuisines, particularly Greek, and goals to make vegan meals that stands by itself — not simply vegan variations of non-vegan dishes. [Read more.]

Elsewhere in Union Sq., Bow Market’s Nibble Kitchen (1 Bow Market Approach, Somerville) — which options rotating residencies of native meals entrepreneurs, cooking meals from around the globe — welcomed a new chef to the mix. Edwin Orellana’s Dos Manos Kitchen is serving Salvadoran pupusas on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to three p.m.

Additionally in Somerville, worldwide burger chain Shake Shack opened its ninth Massachusetts location in early July on the Meeting Row growth; it’s on the bottom ground of the residential constructing Miscela (355 Meeting Row, Somerville). This location includes a walk-up window the place clients can decide up orders positioned on Shake Shack’s app. See Burlington under for an additional new Shake Shack.

Meeting Row additionally bought a location of fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen (345 Meeting Row, Somerville) in July, certainly one of fairly a couple of within the Boston space. (Watertown’s Arsenal Yards and Boston’s Longwood Medical Middle are subsequent on the checklist.)

And yet another for Somerville: Over in Magoun Sq., sizable Italian-American restaurant and music venue Premiere on Broadway (517 Broadway, Somerville) celebrated its grand opening in early August. Charcuterie fanatic Dan Bazzinotti — an alum of Bisq and Eataly — is main the kitchen, serving grilled oysters fra diavolo; mozzarella with burrata and lobster; rooster parm; and extra. [Read more.]

Watertown

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Buttermilk & Bourbon (100 Arsenal Yards Blvd., Watertown) opened in August, a sequel to chef and restaurateur Jason Santos’s Back Bay hit by the identical title. The ambiance and a number of the elements and menu objects are a direct homage to New Orleans — this new location boasts roasted oysters, a nod to New Orleans icon Felix’s, for instance — whereas different elements of the menu are extra of a basic ode to the South, and others are simply plain enjoyable. (Hey, Flamin’ Sizzling Cheeto mac and cheese.) [Read more.]

Taste Increase (222 Arsenal St., Watertown) describes itself as “a gourmet fast-food restaurant … specializing in slow-cooked Asian meals with a world twist,” with most of its dishes served over rice or in sandwich type. There’s an “explosively spicy” Thai-inspired crab and scallop curry, for instance, served over rice, in addition to a beef rendang sandwich, to not point out sides like marbled tea eggs and “silly scorching” chopped chiles.

Farther Out

Bedford

Caterer and meal supply service Eva’s Little Kitchen (200 Nice Rd. 7A and 7B, Bedford) has opened a Bedford storefront filled with cafe fare and grab-and-go objects, from breakfast pastries like blueberry muffins with peach glaze to lemon pistachio bars, peach hand pies, and rotating flavors of chia seed pudding. There’s additionally espresso and tea.

Burlington

Following the opening of Somerville’s new Shake Shack location, Burlington additionally bought one, bringing the entire variety of Massachusetts places to 10. The burger chain opened on the Burlington Mall (75 Middlesex Tpke., Burlington) on August 2. This location has indoor and outside eating, and lunch and dinner can be found every day. Shake Shack first appeared in Massachusetts in 2013, when it debuted in Chestnut Hill.

Lynnfield

New American restaurant Alchemy (1100 Market St., Lynnfield), from the North Shore’s Serenitee Restaurant Group, is now open at MarketStreet Lynnfield, paying homage to the restaurant group’s earlier Alchemy restaurant in Gloucester, which operated from 2003 to 2016. The brand new spot seats virtually 300, and there’s loads of outside eating area. The menu hops across the globe with dishes reminiscent of Japanese avenue corn with togarashi aioli and tonkatsu sauce; sticky St. Louis-style ribs; ramen fries; lamb rigatoni; and extra.