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Fall is a few short weeks away, sweeping into Boston on a wake of pumpkin-scented marketing schemes and crunchy fallen leaves. It’s always sad to bid summer farewell, but fortunately there’s much to look forward to in the restaurant world this fall: The season is set to be jam-packed with interesting new arrivals, everything from a Latin American cocktail bar serving Mexican street food in Somerville to a Cuban restaurant in downtown Boston from a team that knows how to design gorgeous restaurants. There will be a lot of chicken, a food hall or two, a good amount of beer, and possibly some buckets of Donkey Sauce.
Restaurant opening timelines are always a moving target, so this guide plays with the word “fall” a bit loosely. You’ll find openings scheduled for late summer, too, and there will even be some beyond-fall sneak peeks. Plus, openings listed as “fall” might not be fall after all.
With that in mind, the best way to stay in the loop about upcoming openings is to follow Eater Boston on our various platforms: Sign up for our newsletter, which goes out on weekday afternoons and contains the top stories of the day; follow us on Facebook (and consider joining our Facebook group as well in order to chat about Boston food with nearly 1,800 readers and Eater Boston staff); follow us on Twitter; and follow us on Instagram (tag your best food photos #eaterboston if you’d like us to consider resharing them.) You can also reach us via email with any questions or tips.
Keep reading for the rundown on the most exciting restaurants coming to the Boston area this fall(ish) — but first, a quick overview of the highly anticipated restaurants that just opened within the last couple of weeks, in case you haven’t had a chance to check them out yet.
Late Summer 2019 Newcomers That Have Already Opened
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The restaurants in this section would have made the “most anticipated” list if they hadn’t already opened. Since they’re brand new as of the last couple of weeks and you may not have had a chance to try them yet, here’s an overview.
Open as of August 20 in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, Shy Bird occupies prime real estate at the corner of Broadway and Third Street. The all-day restaurant builds off at least a couple pieces of success from its Watertown sibling, Branch Line: Rotisserie chicken headlines the menu, along with Branch Line’s popular snap pea salad.
Shy Bird comes to Cambridge from Andrew Holden, co-owner of Branch Line and managing partner at Eastern Standard. Holden, who lives near Kendall, told Eater he wanted the new restaurant to serve all the needs of the neighborhood, from breakfast and coffee in the morning to casual lunches to lingering dinners with glasses of wine. Shy Bird also has plugs and outlets for folks looking for a working lunch experience. 1 Broadway, Kendall Square, Cambridge. Now open.
The newest addition to Tiffani Faison’s Fenway empire, Orfano delivers “carbs, steaks, and martinis” in a grand space with dark wood, purple booths, and gold lighting fixtures. The Italian-American menu items reflect Faison’s inventive flare that has vaulted her three previous neighborhood establishments to the status of local staples. Orfano seats 100, with a mobile martini cart and house-made pastas, with dishes like cacio e pepe ravioli and fusilli alla vodka with Calabrian chili and parmesan cheese. Beverage director Brian Callahan oversees the mobile martinis, with Michele Carter as creative culinary director, Nicole Valva as general manager, and Charlie Gaeta as wine director.
Starting with barbecue joint Sweet Cheeks (1381 Boylston St.) in 2011, Faison set her feet firmly in Fenway, leaving room to grow Big Heart Hospitality with her business partner and wife Kelly Walsh. Southeast Asia-inspired Tiger Mama (1363 Boylston St.) joined the mix in 2015, with “adult snack bar” Fool’s Errand (1377 Boylston St.) nestling itself between the two venues in late 2018. This fall, two more siblings will sprout up, this time outside of Fenway, at the High Street Place food hall downtown. See the below section The Year of the Food Hall Continues for details. In the meantime, venture to Orfano in Fenway for an Italian-American feast. 1391 Boylston St., Fenway, Boston. Now open.
Chef and owner Sarah Wade is putting her Chopped earnings to good use. The former Lulu’s Allston general manager and executive chef just opened Stillwater in the downtown Boston space previously occupied by Townsman.
Wade’s menu consists of “redefined comfort food” dishes, as she puts it, like house-smoked pork mac and cheese, chicken-fried ribeye, and peanut butter and jelly creme brulee. The bar program features a mix of beer, wine, and a list of cocktails based on the classics. Wade is excited to be entering the burgeoning downtown restaurant scene, she told Eater, and after 15 years working in kitchens, she’s happy to finally open her own joint. “I’m so proud to be at this point,” she said. 120 Kingston St., downtown Boston. Now open.
This Taiwanese fried chicken chain opened its doors on Beale Street in late August in conjunction with a Kung Fu Tea bubble tea shop. It’s the second American location for the chicken chain, which first opened in Taiwan in 1974 and operates 66 locations in its country of origin. The menu includes fried chicken tenders, wings, drumsticks, and more, along with fried chicken sandwiches, while sides include curly fries, crunchy cheese curds, shishito peppers, and more.
Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema visited TKK’s New York City location earlier this year and was particularly fond of the kwa kwa bao, which is an invention of the chain and consists of sticky rice packed with mushrooms, wrapped in chicken skin, and fried. 1 Beale St., Quincy. Now open.
Wow, Look at All This Chicken
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There’s a lot of new chicken in Boston — and a lot still to come. Late summer already saw the debut of rotisserie-focused Branch Line sibling Shy Bird in Cambridge and the first Massachusetts location of Taiwanese chain TKK Fried Chicken; learn more about each in the above section Late Summer 2019 Newcomers That Have Already Opened.
Here’s what’s coming this fall:
This import from Providence, Rhode Island, specializes in Southern comfort food, including fried fish sandwiches, chicken and waffles, waffle fries, and hushpuppies, to just glaze the surface. Many dishes at the restaurant are based on co-owner Ashley Faulkner’s family recipes, and there are some new items in the works for the Boston restaurant, which is currently under construction, said co-owner Adam Mir.
The Boston space on Tremont Street is larger than the Providence restaurant, and the new Bucktown will likely serve alcohol, in addition to an expanded menu, when it opens. 1522 Tremont St., Mission Hill, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Late fall/winter 2019.
Chef and owner Chris Parsons just opened the the Oyster Club at the Heritage in July, but he’s far from done. The former Catch, Parsons Table, and Steel & Rye chef is planning a fried chicken spot in Cambridge’s Kendall Square.
The restaurant — which is named for Parsons’ daughter — will have space for 200 diners and will focus on pressure-fried chicken and oysters. The bar will feature an enviable 40 draft lines and will focus on craft beer and cider, including the crown jewel of Sheppy’s, a cider from the UK. There will also be a seasonal patio with seating for 50 additional diners. 50 Binney St., Kendall Square, Cambridge. Anticipated opening timeline: Mid-to-late fall 2019.
The Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions team is opening another restaurant — called Pollo Club — on Moody Street in Waltham. The cleverly named new spot will focus on fried chicken, but it will also feature a number of vegetarian options.
The new restaurant will exist in the space once occupied by the bygone Moody’s taqueria, El Rincon de Moody’s, and it will be decorated with murals by artist Sam Malpass. It will open daily at 5:00 p.m. 456 Moody St., Waltham. Anticipated opening timeline: Early September 2019.
Haley Jane at High Street Place
Downtown Boston is getting a new food hall this fall; see details on High Street Place in the below section The Year of the Food Hall Continues. One of its vendors will be Haley Jane, a fried chicken spot from the team behind downtown burger institution Wheelhouse. (There will also be a new Wheelhouse location at the food hall.)
Haley Jane will feature fried chicken sandwiches based on Wheelhouse’s popular Thursday fried chicken specials, such as Nashville hot, Korean-style, Buffalo hot honey, and more. 100 High St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Located in the longtime Red House Chinese space in Union Square, Hen Chicken Rice will focus on Thai food — specifically khao man gai, a boiled chicken and rice dish. The casual restaurant will offer several different combinations of chicken, rice, and sauce options. Chef Pong Kansab is an alum of Smoke Shop, Blue Ginger, and Grill 23. 24 Union Sq., Union Square, Somerville. Anticipated opening timeline: November 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Hot Chix, a Nashville hot fried chicken project that has been popping up all over the Boston area in 2019, has plans to open a permanent fast-casual location somewhere around here, sometime around spring 2020, serving chicken sandwiches and sides like mac and cheese, coleslaw and collard greens.
- Tori Jiro, a Japan-based yakitori chain, will open its first United States location in 2020 at Watertown’s under-construction Arsenal Yards development. The chain features chicken in a number of forms, including yakitori (char-broiled skewers), karaage (fried), and tsukune (charcoal-grilled meatballs).
The Year of the Food Hall Continues
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With the arrival of Time Out Market Boston in the Fenway neighborhood in June 2019, the city’s food hall boom kicked off in a big way, and that momentum will continue into the fall, when at least one more Boston neighborhood is expected to get a food hall of its own.
Below, learn more about downtown Boston’s High Street Place and Hub Hall at the Hub on Causeway in the West End, both potentially opening before the end of the year or soon after, and get the full rundown on all developments in Eater Boston’s ongoing collection of food hall coverage. While these two are imminent arrivals to Boston’s food hall lineup, further developments are underway, with projects planned as far out as 2030.
Opening in Boston’s dense downtown area, High Street Place will be a sprawling hall, chock full of local vendors selling a mix of familiar and new menus. Spanning more than 18,000 square feet, High Street Place will accommodate 22 vendors, with communal seating for more than 500.
High Street Place has already announced part of its vendor lineup, and like at Time Out, locals headline the list. Mike & Patty’s, for one, will open a stall full of sandwiches, with a menu that bears some resemblance to its original location in Bay Village without being an exact copy.
There will also be two new restaurants from Tiffani Faison, who’s fresh off the opening of Orfano in Fenway (see the above section Late Summer 2019 Newcomers That Have Already Opened.) Learn more about one of her High Street Place spots, Tenderoni’s, in the below section Pizza Pizza.
Pennypacker’s from Somerville will also make a home for itself in the new food hall; Eater Boston’s 2015 Bartenders of the Year, Hojoko alums Daren Swisher and Joseph Cammarata, will open a cocktail bar (learn more about Daiquiris & Daisies in the below section Cocktailapalooza); the JP Fuji Group will open Fuji at High Street Place (learn more in the below section Here Comes Lots of Japanese Food); the Wheelhouse team will open a new Wheelhouse and the fried chicken-focused Haley Jane (learn more in the above section Wow, Look at All This Chicken); and more. 100 High St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Adjacent to TD Garden and North Station, the Hub on Causeway development will be a spectacle of food and beverage, with local representation alongside a decidedly not local, yet highly recognizable character. The food hall portion of the development, dubbed Hub Hall, is looking more like a winter opening at this point; overseen by Patina Restaurant Group, it will feature 18 food and beverage options. The company hasn’t officially announced vendors yet, but one is known — Apizza. Learn more in the below section Pizza Pizza.
In addition to the food hall, the broader Hub on Causeway development will include extra dining and entertainment options that could arrive this fall. Guy Fieri — whose fiery shirts are rivaled only by his platinum hair — will finally dig his teeth into Boston in a big way, opening Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina in concert with Big Night Entertainment Group, a local hospitality organization (also behind Memoir and Mystique at Encore Boston Harbor, the Versus arcade and bar in Boston, and many others).
Guy’s tequila bonanza will be part of a larger enterprise from BNEG called Big Night Live, which will also include a music hall and nightlife venue.
There will also be a giant sports bar with Topgolf Swing Suites; learn more about Banners Kitchen & Tap in the Food and Fun section below. 80-100 Causeway St., West End, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019 for Banners and Big Night Live, including Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina, and winter 2020 for the food hall, Hub Hall.
Guy Fieri
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See above section The Year of the Food Hall Continues.
So Many Breweries Are Opening
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Boston is already a hotbed of craft beer, but even more businesses are intent on flooding the metro area with even more good beer. Here’s the rundown on brewery developments set to unfold this fall, with some newcomers to the craft beer community and other familiar faces working on expansions.
In a skinny building that was once home to an Emack & Bolio’s ice cream shop, “three friends with a passion for beer” are on the verge of opening their Distraction Brewing Company taproom and brewery, where they’ll serve beers such as Bank on Brown (“a malty, subtly sweet brown ale”) and Hoppily Distracted (“a smooth, hazy citrus explosion with hints of peach and tropical fruit”). 2 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Imminent; working through the final stages of permitting.
Trillium Brewing Company (Fenway location)
A Fort Point original, Trillium has grown to a behemoth and cult favorite among craft beer fans. The days of bottle-only purchases at Trillium’s original narrow brewery feel long gone, as founders Esther and JC Teatrault have grown the business to include another brewing space that doubles as a restaurant in Fort Point, a recurring beer garden on the Greenway in the summer, and a headquarters in Canton (more expansion to come there as well).
Now, Trillium will cement its presence in the ever-growing Fenway neighborhood with a taproom on the lawn at 401 Park, right outside the new Time Out Market Boston. The taproom will evoke greenhouse vibes, with a bit of open-air space along with a year-round, glass-enclosed bar area. 401 Park Dr. Lawn, Fenway, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: September 2019.
Brato has been in the works for a while now. Founders Alex Corona and Jonathan Gilman, both alums of Cambridge Brewing Company, first announced plans for their brewery in early 2017, and in the last two years they have popped up consistently at Lamplighter in Cambridge, as well as at other breweries and restaurants in the area, slinging grilled cheeses, pickled things, sausages, and other hints of what’s to come. 190 N Beacon St., Brighton, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Early fall 2019.
Sam Adams (Faneuil Hall taproom)
Construction is well underway for the Sam Adams taproom at Faneuil Hall, where the longtime Boston brewery has taken over the former Hillstone space and will turn it into a beer-filled haven in the city’s center, complementing its longstanding Jamaica Plain brewery and taproom. 60 State St., Downtown Boston, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: 2019.
Dorchester Brewing Company (an expansion of the existing space that will add M&M BBQ)
Dorchester Brewing Company is already well established, having recently celebrated three years in its Dorchester home. The brewery is working on a big expansion that is set to be completed this fall, featuring a year-round rooftop area with a greenhouse-style enclosure; space for arcade games and live performances; and a permanent iteration of Boston’s beloved M & M Ribs truck, M & M BBQ, which will serve plenty of meat as well as mac and cheese, coleslaw, and more. 1250 Massachusetts Ave., Dorchester, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: October 2019.
Wachusett Brewing Company (Harvard Square location)
Based in Westminster, Wachusett has been around for about a quarter century. It will take over the recently vacated longtime John Harvard’s space in Harvard Square this fall, opening a sour-focused 15-barrel brewpub and taproom with a food menu centering around flatbreads. 33 Dunster St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
With ties to the old Faces nightclub and Lanes & Games (may they rest in peace), Faces Brewing Co. will debut in Malden this fall, a sizable brewery and gastropub serving sandwiches, snacks, and more. 50 Pleasant St., Malden. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Weymouth’s Barrel House Z is expanding to Bedford; as of late June 2019, the timeline was “looking like end-of-year-ish,” so we’ll keep it in the “beyond fall” section for now, but it could possibly sneak in before the end of the season.
- The former home and contract brewers at Medford Brewing Company are finally poised to open their own brewery and taproom in Medford in early 2020. “We’re excited to bring our beers to Medford and to provide a community gathering place for family, friends, neighbors, and people who are visiting and discovering Medford,” Medford Brewing Company co-founder Maximilian Heinegg told Eater earlier this year.
- Kin Tap Room could open on Norman Street in Everett in the first half of 2020, functioning as a family-friendly all-day space — cafe, taproom serving a variety of beers and ciders, and plenty of space for kids to play.
- The brothers behind Boston Winery plan to open a brewery, Bruno’s Brewing, at 26 Ericsson St. in Dorchester.
Here Comes Lots of Japanese Food
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The Boston area already has a fairly robust Japanese food scene — and not just sushi, but high-end kaiseki dining, a few udon-focused spots, tons of ramen, and more — and it’s going to keep getting bigger and better.
Sliding onto the scene in the final weeks of summer, Ebisuya Noodle House just opened at 65 Summer St. in Malden, from the team behind Ebisuya Market in Medford.
Coming up next, here’s what’s on deck for fall 2019.
With roots in Osaka, Japan, this growing chain has a dozen locations within Japan and several fairly new United States locations, including two in New York. Tsurutontan focuses on udon but also serves various donburi, sashimi, dumplings, and other options. The Boston location will have an exclusive dish of uni “ice crème” with wagyu udon. Inside the Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Ave., Kenmore Square, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Late October/early November 2019.
Brookline’s popular Ganko Ittetsu ramen shop is spawning a sibling right in the same building: Gantetsu-Ya, a fast-casual street food shop focusing on takoyaki (doughy octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes). 318 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline. Anticipated opening timeline: Gantetsu-Ya partially opened on September 3, 2019; it’s only serving takoyaki for now, with more to come later. Stay tuned.
This isn’t a new restaurant; it’s a relocation. Allston-Brighton’s excellent izakaya is currently wrapping things up at its original location and could make the move to Cambridge as soon as September. The new location will have a full liquor license. 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge. Anticipated opening timeline: September 2019.
Fuji at High Street Place
See the above section The Year of the Food Hall Continues for details on forthcoming food hall High Street Place. One of its vendors will be Fuji at High Street Place, from the JP Fuji Group behind eight Japanese restaurants in Quincy, Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. This location will feature some bestsellers from existing locations as well as some new exclusives, along with sake, beer, and whiskey. 100 High St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Japan-based yakitori chain Tori Jiro is coming to Watertown in 2020; see the above section Wow, Look at All This Chicken for more information.
- This may or may not actually be a Japanese restaurant, but Tim and Nancy Cushman are working on a mystery project, on a mystery timeline, in Chestnut Hill. Most — but not all — of their existing restaurants, such as O Ya and Hojoko, are Japanese.
Carb Fest 2019: Bakeries and Cafes
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Kolaches and bagels and chai, oh my. There are several local bakeries and cafes slated to open in the coming months — keep an eye out for these, and get ready for excellent Sunday mornings.
Wife-and-husband ownership duo Lindsey Gaudet and Ed Thill have wanted to open a cafe since the moment they moved to Medford a decade ago. Their plan is finally coming to fruition: Goldilox Bagels will open on Winthrop Street late this summer in a space formerly occupied by a Stone & Skillet English muffin bakery. The aesthetic is “classic little cafe,” Gaudet told Eater, and there will be seating for 10 to 15 patrons. “There’s a bright yellow awning over our front door — you can’t miss us!” said Gaudet.
The menu will include bagels (duh), along with coffee from Plymouth-based Speedwell and chai from Boston Chai Party. There will also be breakfast sandwiches, including the Just Right (egg, American cheese, and a choice of bacon, sausage, or ham) and the Graceland (peanut butter, banana, bacon, and Nutella). Goldilox Bagels will be open Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. till 2 p.m. and on the weekend from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m. 186 Winthrop St., Medford. Anticipated opening timeline: Mid-September 2019.
The Bagel Table (Boston Landing location)
New bagels for Brighton: The Bagel Table, which already operates in Chestnut Hill and Ashland, will open a Brighton restaurant, bringing another breakfast option to the Boston Landing development (Kohi Coffee Company has been holding down the fort on this front since October 2017). The Bagel Table serves bagels from the Framingham-based company OMG! Bagels, with menu items including sandwiches with meats, cheeses, and assorted schmears. Look out for other baked goods as well. 86 Guest St., Brighton, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Early fall 2019.
Carrying on a local tradition of pop-ups turning into permanent projects, Breadboard Bakery founder Daisy Chow has secured a space in Arlington that she’s outfitting with an epic oven and a pastry sheeter. Chow — who previously operated Breadboard as a pop-up within Cutty’s in Brookline — launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for the bakery, with a goal of opening this fall. Expect to see her signature item, kolaches, along with croissants, cakes, and breads. 203 Broadway, Arlington. Anticipated opening timeline: October 2019.
Revival Cafe & Kitchen (Newbury Street location)
From Steve “Nookie” Postal (Commonwealth) and Liza Shirazi (Crema Cafe), the growing group of Revival Cafe & Kitchen locations contain the soul of the now-defunct Crema, which was a Harvard Square icon. This will be the fourth Revival location; it’s also open in Alewife, Cambridge; Davis Square, Somerville; and Post Office Square, Boston. The new location will be underneath the Simon Pearce glassware shop and will showcase some Simon Pearce items. 103 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: October 2019.
This cafe and “outdoor adventure clubhouse” comes from Union Square Donuts cofounder Heather Schmidt, aimed at providing a place for people to connect with outdoor activities by way of classes and workshops. The 20-seat cafe will serve a variety of breakfast, lunch, and grab-and-go options — and possibly beer and wine, if Schmidt is able to obtain the license. “We would love to offer you a cold beer after a mountain bike ride or a nice glass of wine to enjoy in our beautiful green space to unwind at the end of the day,” she wrote in a late August Kickstarter campaign update. (Landsmith successfully raised over $20,000 on Kickstarter.) Schmidt is even getting a head start before Landsmith opens, running adventure activities and community events and documenting the experiences on Instagram. J Malden Center, 7 Florence St., Malden. Anticipated opening timeline: Late fall 2019.
Food and Fun
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Multitasking culture comes out in full strength at these restaurants and bars that double as destinations for fun and games. Be it video games, bowling, ax-throwing, board or arcade games, or classic pub games like darts or shuffleboard, these forthcoming restaurants aim to fill your time with fun alongside food.
There’s even a forthcoming cafe focused on enjoying the great outdoors — see the above section Carb Fest 2019: Bakeries and Cafes for details on Landsmith, the cafe and “outdoor adventure clubhouse” coming to the J Malden Center development in late fall or early winter.
Another couple fall openings to get excited about:
Darts are the main draw at Flight Club, but the venue — part of a UK-based chain — will also have a full restaurant and bar. 60 Seaport Blvd., Seaport District, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
This massive sports bar — featuring a massive television — will open at the Hub on Causeway development, overlooking the Hub Hall food hall (see the above section The Year of the Food Hall Continues.) It’ll have three Topgolf Swing Suites — only the fourth Massachusetts venue to have them — which let people play virtual golf, throw dodgeballs at zombies, and more. 82 Causeway St., West End, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: October 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Salem arcade bar Bit Bar will expand to Malden, joining Landsmith (see the above section Carb Fest 2019: Bakeries and Cafes) at the J Malden Center sometime in winter 2019-2020. Bit Bar’s food is arcade-themed, including tater tots in the shape of Tetris pieces.
Malden and Medford Are on Fire
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Cambridge and Somerville get most of the north-of-Boston suburban plaudits, but the drinking and dining scenes in nearby Malden and Medford (Malford? No? Okay.) are also worthy of attention. Medford is especially in the midst of a restaurant boom (but also full of great old stalwarts — don’t forget to patronize those) and will soon get bagels, beer, a taste of Veracruz, and more. Malden, too, has a lot going on (including the opening of Ebisuya Noodle Shop just a week ago).
Here’s the rundown on anticipated fall (or earlier) openings for Medford and Malden.
Goldilox Bagels
See the above section Carb Fest 2019: Bakeries and Cafes for details on this forthcoming bagel shop, which could open before the end of summer 2019.
Faces Brewing Co.
See the above section So Many Breweries Are Opening for details on this forthcoming brewery with ties to the now-defunct Faces nightclub and Lanes & Games.
From the brothers who brought you the beloved Tenoch brand (known for its exceptional tortas) comes El Tacuba, a full-service restaurant and tequila bar in the heart of Medford. Alvaro and Andres Sandoval’s new place will offer a long list of tequila and mezcal, craft beers, and cuisine inspired by their home city of Veracruz, Mexico. Diners can expect dishes like pescado a la veracruzana, made with white fish, tomatoes, capers and olives. 35 Salem St., Medford. Anticipated opening timeline: Late fall 2019.
Landsmith
See the above section Carb Fest 2019: Bakeries and Cafes for details on this cafe and “outdoor adventure clubhouse,” opening in Malden in late fall or early winter 2019.
Beyond Fall
- See the above section So Many Breweries Are Opening for details on Medford Brewing Company, slated for an early 2020 opening in Medford.
- See the above section Food and Fun for details on Bit Bar, an arcade bar expanding from Salem to Malden in winter 2019-2020.
Pizza Pizza
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Boston’s got some great pizza. More is coming. Two openings expected to take place this fall (or soon after) both happen to be at food halls — read on for the details on those, as well as a late summer arrival in Revere, a vegan pizzeria, and more.
Two restaurants will open together at the 500 Ocean development on Revere Beach. With ties to Pier 6, Reelhouse, and Mija Cantina, the duo will serve pizza and more. Dryft will have “a seafood influence…[with] an Italian twist,” and it will lean into the history of beach pizza in Revere with a takeout kitchen featuring Neapolitan-style pizza. Fine Line will have more of a beer bar or taproom vibe, serving casual food (including pizza), whiskey, and more. 500 Ocean Dr., Revere. Anticipated opening timeline: Late summer 2019.
Tenderoni’s at High Street Place
Tiffani Faison and Kelly Walsh — aka Big Heart Hospitality — are having a busy year. They just opened Orfano (see the above section Late Summer 2019 Newcomers That Have Already Opened), and at the forthcoming High Street Place food hall (see the above section The Year of the Food Hall Continues), they’ll open two more restaurants.
Tenderoni’s is meant to evoke the feel of a pizza-and-grinder joint from the ’70s and ’80s. The non-pizza restaurant, Dive Bar, will be a “Mason-Dixon water fight,” pitting North and South Atlantic classics against each other, including lobster rolls, po’ boys, and more. 100 High St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Apizza at Hub Hall at Hub on Causeway
Mida chef and owner Douglass Williams is opening a New Haven-style and Roman-style pizzeria called Apizza in the forthcoming Hub on Causeway food hall this fall. The name is a nod to the New Haven colloquialism for pizza — pronounced “ah-beets” — which, legend has it, is a phonetic interpretation of the Neapolitan ‘a pizza. Apizza will also feature the square pizzas typical of Rome.
Williams’ pizzas will be cooked in a special electric oven for three minutes; getting a permit for coal-fired (typical of New Haven-style pizza) or wood-fired ovens in Boston is tricky, though not impossible, but they also create safety issues, which is a particular liability in a food hall that’s packed with other businesses. Williams is perhaps most excited to bring New Haven and Roman-style pizza to Boston at an affordable price point. “Not a touristy price point,” Williams told Eater earlier this year. “We want to feed the people, not the people who don’t know any better. I’m not about $7 slices because I can get away with it. We want people to buy our pizza and enjoy it, not to contemplate it.” 80 Causeway St., West End, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall or winter 2019-2020.
Chef and restaurateur Matthew Kenney is known for his vegan and raw cooking; he has restaurants around the world, and he just opened a vegan food hall in Providence. One of his restaurants — with several locations and more to come — is a vegan, wood-fired pizzeria called Double Zero. A Boston location is slated to open this year. 163 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Late 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Brookline’s popular wood-fired Stoked Pizza will open a non-wood-fired sibling in the Harvard Square area in 2020.
- Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, one of the stalwarts of the New Haven pizza scene, will continue to expand its Massachusetts presence (there are currently Chestnut Hill and Burlington locations) with an eventual Watertown location at the Arsenal Yards development.
- Emmy Squared, a Detroit-style pizzeria from New York City, is plotting expansion to several different cities, eyeing the Boston area (possibly Cambridge or a similar student-filled area) for 2020.
- Cake-throwing DJ Steve Aoki hopes to bring his pizza delivery business, Pizzaoki, to Boston (and numerous other cities).
- Local favorite Rabottini’s, which used to pop up at Bagelsaurus before running a several-month residency in Allston, is still searching for a permanent home somewhere in the Boston area.
Shout It From the Rooftops
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Boston enjoys drinking and dining on rooftops with scenic views — at least for a few months of the year. Here’s what’s coming up on the rooftop front.
Six West (stylized as Six \ West) will span both ground floor and rooftop dining at the new Cambria Boston Hotel in South Boston. The rooftop bar and lounge will be affixed with an overhanging wood canopy, and folks will be able to get drinks and snacks like popcorn with pecorino and duck fat butter, crispy chicken skin with dried onion sour cream dip, and Maine crab carbonara.
But the roof won’t provide the only opportunity for outdoor dining at the hotel. The ground floor will have seasonal patio seating in addition to a main dining room, offering all-day dining. There will be Intelligentsia coffee for breakfast, with food items like bagels and avocado toast, while lunch and dinner will include items like ahi tuna flatbread and short rib tacos. The restaurant will feature local beers, with cocktails and wine available as well. 6 W. Broadway, South Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: October 2019.
Beyond Fall
- Puritan & Company chef and owner Will Gilson is planning another restaurant in Cambridge, probably opening around March 2020. The as-yet-unnamed new spot will open in a building called the Shed at the currently under-development Cambridge Crossing, and it will feature a cafe, a full-service restaurant, and a cocktail bar with a rooftop terrace.
- Around early 2020, a new boutique hotel in Cambridge’s Central Square will get its own rooftop dining. On the site where Toscanini’s, Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room, and Cinderella’s once operated, the hotel will be home to two restaurants called the Dial and the Blue Owl — with the latter located on the rooftop — plus a bakery called Praliné. Toscanini’s will also return to the site; Cinderella’s has moved to Inman Square (operating as a delivery service out of the Beauty’s Pizza space) and Patty Chen’s will not reopen.
Cocktailapalooza
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Several of the upcoming fall openings will be on the boozy side, heavily featuring cocktails. Here’s a look at some anticipated openings that could best be described as cocktail bars.
Not quite a sibling to the wildly popular Celeste in Somerville’s Union Square, Barra will be more like a close cousin, according to owner Paola Ibarra (name similarity is purely a coincidence, though a happy one). Drinks will be the main focus here, though there will be tacos and other snacks, so expect to see liquors from across Latin America, including Peruvian whiskey, mezcal, tequila, and sotol, with sipping tequilas and agua frescas incorporated into the drinks. 23A Bow St., Union Square, Somerville. Anticipated opening timeline: September/October 2019.
Daiquiris & Daisies at High Street Place
As the name suggests, this is a cocktail bar. Located at the forthcoming High Street Place food hall (see the above section The Year of the Food Hall Continues), Daiquiris & Daisies comes from Hojoko alums Daren Swisher and Joseph Cammarata, co-winners of the 2015 Eater Boston Bartenders of the Year award. The new bar will feature “creative and classic cocktails with seasonal twists,” including a pineapple daiquiri and an amaro-based daisy. 100 High St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Well, part of this is a cocktail bar. Krasi and Hecate are a connected pair of venues from partners Demetri Tsolakis (Greco, Committee) and Stefanos Ougrinis (Greco), with chef Theo Tsilipanos and general manager Tasha Breshinsky (of Committee).
Krasi will serve Greek meze dishes, doubling as a wine bar, and Hecate will be a cozy cocktail bar. The wine list at Krasi will span more than 150 natural selections, while the cocktail menu at Hecate will reflect European style with cordials and aperitifs. Further details are still to come, but Krasi will debut soon, with Hecate following shortly thereafter. 48 Gloucester St., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Early fall 2019, with Krasi opening first.
Bonjour, Steak Frites
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Michael Serpa extends his hold on the Back Bay neighborhood with a toast to a European approach to dining. Grand Tour is a Parisian-style bistro aimed at serving simple and delicious dishes like steak frites. Embracing the seasonal, the restaurant will feature a selection of staple entrees as well as rotating selections of mostly vegetables, meat, and game, with a hint of seafood (leaving the bulk of that load to Grand Tour’s sibling, Select Oyster Bar).
The restaurant showcases not just Serpa’s love for European-style dining but also his passion for cycling: Grand Tour takes its name from the three most prolific European bicycle races (the Tour de France, la Vuelta a España, and the Giro D’Italia). 314 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Early fall 2019.
This is a total revamp/rebrand of Towne Stove & Spirits, which closed at the beginning of the year. The new restaurant will be a French brasserie with a roomy patio, as well as a cafe with a separate entrance. Expect French classics like coq au vin and steak frites. 900 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: 2019.
Other Intriguing Openings
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A lot of other exciting fall openings are also on the horizon; here are several that don’t fit neatly into the categories above but are definitely worth watching.
Joining an established family of restaurants in the Boston area, Mariel will be full of Caribbean vibes. Chris Jamison, Mark Malatesta, and Tom Berry aim to bring in design elements and flavors of Cuba, a new regional focus for the Coje Management Group, which also operates Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, Ruka Restobar, and Yvonne’s. The restaurant will have a large bar area, and the dining room and will serve Cuban-style dishes and cocktails. 10 Post Office Sq., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Turkish cuisine will be at the forefront of the menu at Servia, where chef Ozcan Ozan (of the now-defunct downtown staple Sultan’s Kitchen) will put forth takeout-friendly meals during the day and fine dining at night. The restaurant will have a bar with a meze menu, cocktails, and wine. Servia will sit inside downtown Boston’s historic Cunard Building. 126 State St., downtown Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Early fall 2019.
French Laundry alum Shi Mei will be opening his forthcoming restaurant, Lenox Sophia, in the cozy Southie space that housed the original KO Catering and Pies location. Mei, who’s also worked at Asta, Whaling in Oklahoma, and Buttonwood, plans to serve modern American food sourced from farms and purveyors based in New England. 87 A St., South Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Back Bay shoppers and diners will be able to take advantage of a strange symbiosis this fall: Barneys of New York (in Boston) is getting a restaurant. Freds at Barneys will offer seekers of expensive t-shirts and ugly-but-exorbitant sneakers expensive steaks and tasty-but-exorbitant cocktails. The Freds brand already exists in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and the Barneys brand is hoping it works in Boston, too. 100 Huntington Ave., Back Bay, Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Taking over the former Craft Table & Bar space, Pazza on Porter will serve Italian food, including house-made pasta from co-owner Raffaele Scalzi’s Marblehead restaurant, Casa Mia. (Scalzi is also a cofounder of the Boston Pizza Festival.) Pazza on Porter’s other owner, Mivan Spencer, is behind Café Dello Sport in Boston’s North End. 107 Porter St., East Boston. Anticipated opening timeline: September 2019.
Jose Duarte, who is behind Peruvian-Italian restaurant Taranta in Boston’s North End, will open Tambo 22 in Chelsea, focusing on Peruvian-inspired bar food with natural and biodynamic wines and Peruvian beers to accompany it. 22 Adams St., Chelsea. Anticipated opening timeline: Fall 2019.
Farther Away
- Nightshade Noodle Bar is slated to debut at 73 Exchange St. in Lynn in September 2019. Formerly a popular pop-up series by chef Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, in its permanent form, will serve noodles, Vietnamese-inspired small plates, Viet-Cajun crawfish dinners, and more.
- Chef Frank McClelland of Boston’s now-defunct L’Espalier will open Frank this fall in Beverly, highlighting New England produce in a much more casual setting and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Located at the Holmes Beverly, Frank will have a retail component as well.
- The team behind Loyal Nine in Cambridge will open Northern Spy in Canton, a family-friendly “classic New England restaurant” at a historic copper mill at the Paul Revere Heritage Site. Expect New England comfort food like prime rib, chowder, and Parker House rolls. Northern Spy is currently working toward a late fall 2019 debut; keep tabs on its progress on Instagram.
This piece will be updated throughout the late summer and fall as new information becomes available about anticipated openings; here’s what was changed in each update:
September 4, 2019: Banners Kitchen & Tap, which will open in October and include Topgolf Swing Suites, was added to the Food and Fun section. The description for Flight Club, also in the Food and Fun section, was updated to clarify that it will feature darts only, not additional forms of entertainment. Plus, Tambo 22, a forthcoming Chelsea restaurant, was added to the Other Intriguing Openings section, and the opening timeline for Gantetsu-Ya, in the Here Comes Lots of Japanese Food section, was updated as it is now partially open.
September 5, 2019: Barrel House Z has been added to the “beyond fall” portion of the So Many Breweries Are Opening section; it’s expanding from Weymouth to Bedford. Plus, all mentions of Fuji Sushi have been changed to Fuji at High Street Place, its official name.