It was a busy fall for restaurant openings. Here are the details on everything that opened — and a few that are still in the works. Originally published on August 26, 2015 and updated throughout the fall. The date of the most recent update is noted above.
Table Of Contents (all h2's added automatically)
Acton
True West
This brewery, set to open before the end of the year, will include an 80-seat restaurant that serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Think lobster mac and cheese, flatbreads, burgers, and more. Everything is sourced locally. In addition to beer, there will also be wines and cocktails. 525 Massachusetts Ave., Acton. Opening Date: December 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Belmont
Phinix Grill
(NOW OPEN.) Formerly the Sweet Peach Diner and Andros Diner, this space is now home to Phinix Grill, serving shawarma, falafel, and more. The restaurant also offers catering services. 628 Trapelo Rd., Belmont. Opening Date: November 2, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Boston
Beta Burger
(NOW OPEN.) Owner Adrian Wong hopes to emulate Chipotle with his fast-casual burger restaurant, where it's all about customization. 1437 Tremont St., Boston (Mission Hill). Opening Date: October 22, 2015.
Image credit: Katie Chudy for Eater
Blazing Salads on Wheels
(NOW OPEN.) This new food truck is the reincarnation of a former Quincy Mediterranean restaurant, Blazing Salads, that opened in the 1970s. It offers salad pockets, baklava, soups, and more, and it stops at various places around Boston. Location varies. Opening Date: October 16, 2015.
Image credit: Official Site
BosBurger
(NOW OPEN.) A fast-casual burger and hot dog spot in a newly renovated building. 1501 Dorchester Ave., Boston (Fields Corner, Dorchester). Opening Date: Early Fall 2015.
Image credit: Yelp/Omar R.
Broadway's Pastry
(NOW OPEN.) European-style pastries, coffee and tea, sandwiches, and more. 258 West Broadway, Boston (South Boston). Opening Date: November 2015.
Image credit: Official Site
Containers at IDB
(NOW OPEN.) A mini food hall comprised of shipping container kiosks debuted at the Innovation and Design Building this fall, featuring Mei Mei, Roxy's Grilled Cheese, Jubali, Yankee Lobster Co., and Triangle Coffee. Each container is about 160 square feet, and they're located along the building's northern edge. Mei Mei's kiosk — Mei Mei by Design — offers grain and green bowls and more. At some point, there may also be Sicilian-style pizza with Chinese takeout-inspired toppings, as well as hot dogs. 21 Drydock Ave. (Seaport District). Opening Date: November 2015.
Image credit: Mei Mei by Design, in progress/Facebook
Coppersmith
(NOW OPEN.) A massive space that includes food trucks parked inside, a rooftop raw bar, a cafe, and more. "We are not reinventing the culinary wheel," executive chef Chris Henry, a Barbara Lynch Gruppo alum, previously said via press release. "Exceptional seasonal ingredients, a focus on flavor, easy to understand dishes, but executed with precision and attention to detail. Just great food without pretense." Paul Bruno, a Glynn Hospitality Group alum, is general manager, and the Red Door Hospitality Group (John Childs, Travis Talbot, and more) is behind the project.
40 West Third St., Boston (South Boston).
Opening Date: September 8, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Doretta Taverna
(NOW OPEN.) Michael Schlow's transformation of Via Matta into Doretta Taverna and Raw Bar is complete. The new restaurant is meant to be a little more casual than its predecessor, and its patio is larger. Doretta's Greek-inspired menu ranges from raw bar items to entrees like a slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, lemon, garlic, parsley, and mint. 79 Park Plz., Boston (Back Bay). Opening Date: September 28, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Dudley Dough
(NOW OPEN.) Located inside of the Bolling Building, this organic pizza place is part of non-profit organization Haley House. In addition to pizza, there are salads, soups, and beer and wine. 2302 Washington St., Boston (Dudley Square, Roxbury). Opening Date: October 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Effie's Kitchen
(NOW OPEN.) This fast-casual Greek restaurant replaced Wapo Taco, which closed in June. The menu features gyros, souvlaki, avgolemono soup, Greek pastries, and more. 37 Poplar St., Boston (Roslindale). Opening Date: Early October 2015
Image credit: Yelp/Stavros A.
Espresso Minute
(NOW OPEN.) Located near Symphony Hall, this is the first storefront for a coffee company founded in 2012. There are also waffles, crepes, and more. 334 Massachusetts Ave., Boston (Symphony). Opening Date: November 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
The Friendly Toast
With longtime locations in Cambridge's Kendall Square and Portsmouth, NH., The Friendly Toast is about to add a Boston proper outpost to the mix, taking over the Zocalo space by Back Bay station. The growing restaurant group features all-day breakfast options and eclectic decor. 35 Stanhope St. (Back Bay). Opening Date: December 2015.
Image credit: Official Site
Gracenote Coffee
(NOW OPEN.) Located in the Leather District, taking over a piece of retail advisory firm Graffito SP's office space, Gracenote Coffee is a collaboration between the Berlin, MA-based coffee roaster of the same name and The Coffee Trike's Alessandro "San" Bellino. (The Coffee Trike shut down so Bellino could focus on the shop.) The team details its equipment and sourcing here. In addition to beverages in the coffee and espresso realm, there's a house black tea and two additional rotating teas. 108 Lincoln St. (Leather District). Opening Date: October 13, 2015.
Image credit: Instagram
Happy Lemon
(NOW OPEN.) Located in the Corner Mall food court, this counter (part of a decade-old international chain) serves bubble tea, smoothies, and other beverages, including salted cheese flavors. 417 Washington St., Boston (Downtown Crossing). Opening Date: Early November 2015.
Image credit: Yelp/Crystal W.
KL@KO (Kaki Lima at KO Pies at the Shipyard)
(NOW OPEN.) Indonesian pop-up Kaki Lima is now putting down semi-permanent roots within Eastie's KO Pies, operating on KO's days off, Monday and Tuesday. The team will still host pop-ups elsewhere as well and hopes to ultimately find its own permanent space. 256 Marginal St., Boston (East Boston). Opening Date: October 19, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
La Motta's Italian Specialties
(NOW OPEN.) At the end of 2014, the Aquitaine Group closed down Union Bar & Grille. Now, they're giving new life to the space as a "Bronx-style" restaurant that pays "homage to the neighborhood Italian-American restaurants of the mid-20th century." It offers classics like chicken parm, shrimp scampi, lasagna, and several kinds of meatballs. (Check out some dish previews on Instagram: roasted cauliflower with capers, golden raisins, hot crumbs, and chili oil; house-pickled giardinara; octopus with soppressata and spicy pickled onions.) Harvest alum Justin Winters, currently chef de cuisine at the Aquitaine Group's Roman trattoria-inspired restaurant Cinquecento, has expanded his duties over to La Motta's. The dining room seats 70, and there is additional seating at a bar, on a seasonal patio, and in a private dining room. Italian-American wines are the focus as far as drinking is concerned; there are only four beers on tap, and the cocktail list is "simple" and "traditional." 1357 Washington St., Boston (South End). Opening Date: October 27, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Max & Leo's
Popular Newton coal-fired pizza restaurant Max & Leo's is expanding into Boston proper, opening up within Game On in Fenway before Christmas. 82 Lansdowne St., Boston (Fenway). Opening Date: Late December 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Miam Miam Macaronerie
(NOW OPEN.) After over a year of operating without a storefront — selling macarons online and popping up in various places — Miam Miam Macaronerie has put down roots inside of the Juice Box in Southie. There are a dozen daily flavors as well as a limited edition seasonal special, and owners Jen Turner and Nicole Raukohl take all kinds of custom orders. 359 West Broadway, Boston (South Boston). Opening Date: November 21, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Neuhaus
(NOW OPEN.) This Belgian chocolate brand, around since 1857, lays claim to inventing the praline and the ballotin. The shop isn't the only chocolate purveyor in the Quincy Market area — there's a Ghirardelli location as well. 1 South Market St., Boston (Faneuil Hall Marketplace). Opening Date: Early November 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Oath Craft Pizza
(NOW OPEN.) This tiny pizza take-out counter, an offshoot of a Nantucket restaurant, is located within South Station's train terminal. The pizza is cooked in a convection oven. Expansion is in the works, possibly to Davis Square and beyond. 700 Atlantic Ave., Boston (South Station). Opening Date: October 26, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Ocean Prime
(NOW OPEN.) More fancy steak for the Seaport District. Ohio-based chain Ocean Prime joins Del Frisco's in feeding expensive meat (and seafood) to Seaport's big spenders. The company put nearly $4 million into building the space, which seats more than 300 diners. 142 Northern Ave., Boston (Seaport District). Opening Date: December 3, 2015.
Image credit: Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills/Official Site
Outlook Kitchen and Bar
(NOW OPEN.) Joining The Envoy Hotel's Lookout Rooftop Bar is Outlook Kitchen and Bar, a 153-seat restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner from CHOPPS alum David Verdo. The menu features a lot of seafood and pork, and there's a mix of small plates and larger entrees. There's a full bar and a seasonal patio. 66 Sleeper St., Boston (Seaport District). Opening Date: September 24, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Pink Samurai
This upcoming fast-casual "modern dumpling house" will feature a variety of creative dumplings as well as house-made tofu and more. Vinegars and other items will also be made in-house, often with local and foraged ingredients. Executive chef Matt Cunningham is an alum of Strip-T's, UpStairs on the Square, and The Sinclair, and he's also the creator of the Farmhouse pop-up series. "Probably won't see a lot of traditional stuff on the menu," Cunningham previously told Eater. "Plenty of dumpling places do the standard dumpling house really well, so I'm focusing on more fun and creative stuff — pork and fermented sugar pea potstickers, dumplings with foie and apple kimchi, squid ink bao — stuff like that." 658 Centre St., Boston (Jamaica Plain). Opening Date: Now it'll be a winter opening — December 28, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
The Puddingstone Tavern
(NOW OPEN.) After The Crossing closed in March, new owners took over the space and opened up The Puddingstone Tavern this fall. It's reportedly connected to Brendan Behan Irish Pub in Jamaica Plain and Mission Bar and Grill on Huntington Avenue. 28 beers on tap; food coming soon. 1592 Tremont St., Boston (Mission Hill). Opening Date: Early October 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Saltie Girl
The newest venture from the MET Group's Kathy Sidell, a Barcelona-inspired seafood restaurant, will be located right next to its big sibling, MET Back Bay. Saltie Girl will seat 30. Expect briny flavors, lobster, and canned seafoods and vegetables. 279 Dartmouth St., Boston (Back Bay). Opening Date: Originally slated for late summer 2015, the new target is spring 2016, as of late September.
Image credit: Kathy Sidell/Official Site
Sfizi
(NOW OPEN.) There's lots of movement and expansion going on within Frank DePasquale's empire, which mostly consists of Italian restaurants in the North End. He's branching out, snagging influences from around the Mediterranean, with the opening of a tapas-style bar called Sfizi. It's located in the former Mare space. (DePasquale recently moved Mare to Mechanic Street.) Sfizi's menu is almost entirely comprised of small plates, plus a few large entrees that change weekly. Chef Gianni Caruso is an alum of other DePasquale projects, most recently Bricco. Sfizi has a beer, wine, and cordials license. 135 Richmond St. (North End). Opening Date: October 19, 2015.
Image credit: The former Mare location/Facebook
Shun's Kitchen
(NOW OPEN.) Jae's Cafe & Grill has reopened as Shun's Kitchen, serving a mix of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, including ramen, sushi, stir-fries, and more. 520 Columbus Ave., Boston (South End). Opening Date: Mid-December 2015.
Image credit: Twitter
SRV
This new Coda Group project is inspired by a Venetian bacaro, a type of casual bar, and the name pays homage to the "serene republic of Venice," or Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. Kevin O'Donnell and Michael Lombardi, the executive chef and chef de cuisine of an existing Coda Group restaurant, The Salty Pig, will move over to SRV where they will be co-owners and co-executive chefs. (The ownership team also includes the Coda Group's James Cochener and Michael Moxley.) Expect cicchetti — small plates typically served at a bacaro — as well as house-made pastas, risotto, polenta, and more. 569 Columbus Ave., Boston (South End). Opening Date: Mid-December 2015.
Image credit: Twitter
State Street Provisions
(NOW OPEN.) The Grafton Group is finally crossing the river. The owners of Harvard Square (and nearby) restaurants Russell House Tavern, Grafton Street, PARK, and Temple Bar opened State Street Provisions in the former City Landing space by the Aquarium this fall. "It’ll be somewhat of a hybrid of Russell House and PARK," said co-owner Patrick Lee previously. "It has a little bit of both of those venues, and I think that space might take a little bit more from PARK, and maybe the menu might take a little bit more from Russell House." Meanwhile, in late September, the group announced plans for another Harvard Square restaurant — a yet unnamed oyster bar on Dunster Street. 255 State St., Boston (Downtown). Opening Date: December 3, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Sweetgreen
(NOW OPEN.) Another piece of the D.C.-based fast-casual salad chain's eventual Boston domination, this location is located right inside the Prudential. 800 Boylston St., Boston (Back Bay). Opening Date: December 7, 2015.
Image credit: Sweetgreen Chestnut Hill/Chris Coe for Eater
Tiger Mama
(NOW OPEN.) A new Southeast Asia-inspired venture from Sweet Cheeks' Tiffani Faison, conveniently located right down the street from Sweet Cheeks. (When asked whether finding the space was a coincidence or if she was focusing on Fenway, Faison tells Eater: "It was a convergence of the two. We love the Fenway and have an incredible relationship with our landlords so we left the possibility of the neighborhood open. I looked at a lot of other spaces in other places but found ourselves always coming back to Fenway.")
Tiger Mama features two bars, including a tiki-themed one. Regarding coming up with the name, Faison says: "That is a really long story, but ultimately it was as playful as Sweet Cheeks and lives in the same nuance of fun and not taking ourselves too seriously. I also am a bit of a Tiger Mom in the kitchen — I want the best for my cooks, I want them to push to their best and discover their greatness, so there are some parallels. It also intimates Southeast Asian in a way that is cognizant that we are American."
1363 Boylston St., Boston (Fenway).
Opening Date: December 10, 2015.
Image credit: Provided
Villa Mexico Cafe
The reincarnation of the beloved gas station burrito shop, formerly located on the edge of Beacon Hill. (The new space is not part of a gas station.) Villa Mexico's original location shut down more than a year ago, although the team has been busy selling salsa and offering catering since then.
121 Water St., Boston (Financial District).
Opening Date: Unknown, but construction appears to be nearly completed as of late October.
Image credit: Facebook
Wahlburgers
(NOW OPEN.) From the day the Wahlberg brothers — Mark, Donnie, and Paul — opened Wahlburgers in Hingham a few years ago, they made no secret of the fact that they intended to make it a huge chain. With locations open or in the works around the country and the globe, including a big franchise deal in the Middle East, there is finally be a Wahlburgers in Boston proper, located near Fenway. Can't get enough of the Wahlbergs and their burgers? There's also a reality television show about the restaurant and the family. 132 Brookline Ave. (Fenway). Opening Date: October 2, 2015.
Image credit: Wahlburgers Fenway/Provided
Wen's Yunnan Noodle & Ramen
Located in a former Newbury Street Boloco space, Wen's will serve a traditional Yunnan Province dish called "cross-the-bridge" noodles, along with a variety of Japanese ramen bowls and bubble tea. 247 Newbury St. (Back Bay). Opening Date: December 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Whole Heart Provisions
(NOW OPEN.) When one vegan door closes, another opens. Root closed abruptly in Allston this summer, but James DiSabatino (Roxy's Grilled Cheese) and Rebecca Arnold (Sarma, Alden & Harlow) opened a new vegetable-centric concept in that space. The quick-service concept, possibly the first of multiple locations, will feature "boldly flavored and innovative vegetable, rice, noodle, and salad bowls." While the team shies away from the term "vegan" in hopes of appealing to a wider audience, no animal byproducts are used. 487 Cambridge St., Boston (Allston). Opening Date: September 28, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
Yvonne's
(NOW OPEN.) It was the end of an era when Locke-Ober closed, but now the Downtown Crossing space has gotten a new life as Yvonne's, a restaurant that's aiming for a "modern supper club" vibe. The ownership team includes Chris Jamison (Lolita Cocina) and Mark Malatesta, and they've assembled a high-powered cast of characters: chefs Tom Berry (Proprietors in Nantucket) and Juan Pedrosa (The Glenville Stops), pastry chef Kate Holowchik (Bread & Salt Hospitality, jm Curley), and beverage director Will Thompson (just about every Boston cocktail destination ever). There are "social" new American dishes, large-format drinks, a library bar, and more. 3 Winter Pl., Boston (Downtown Crossing). Opening Date: September 28, 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
BRAINTREE
Cielo Mexican Restaurant
(NOW OPEN.) The 58-seat Mexican restaurant takes the place of Viola Restaurante. There's a full bar, featuring lots of tequila, and a menu of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and lots more. Lunch and dinner are served. 1209 Washington St., Braintree. Opening Date: Mid-October 2015.
Image credit: Facebook
BROOKLINE
<a href="http://boston.eater.com/tag/gank