James Beard Award winners and other luminaries join Massachusetts’ culinary landscape
Massachusetts has worked hard to put itself on the culinary map and its chefs have quickly risen to the top alongside those of the most food-centric states like New York and California. Massachusetts chefs have been the recipients of prestigious James Beard awards and the state’s restaurants have been listed among the top by major food publications.
In response, top chefs and restaurateurs are flocking to the Bay State to open new restaurants. Massachusetts’ own top chefs are maintaining the city’s character and innovative reputation by opening second restaurants. Over a dozen new restaurants have been, and will be, popping up in Massachusetts this season by acclaimed chefs like Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali and Matt Jennings.
Top Chef Arrivals
Bar Boulud ~ Boston
Bar Boulud will open at the Mandarin Oriental September 16 serving French-bistro-meets-New-England dishes, charcuterie and French wines. This will be renowned restaurateur Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant in Boston. Do not miss “The Frenchie,” a burger served on brioche and topped with pork belly confit, arugula, Dijon, tomato compote and Morbier cheese. If barbecue is more your style, try “The Piggie,” a barbecue pulled pork sandwich with jalapeno mayonnaise and red cabbage slaw. mandarinoriental.com/boston/fine-dining/bar-boulud/
Townsman ~ Boston
Matt Jennings teams up with his wife, Kate, to open Townsman, their second restaurant. After a decade-long stint in Providence, RI at Farmstead, Inc. the duo packed their bags to open this Boston restaurant in their hometown. Matt Jennings has been awarded many times by the James Beard Foundation and awarded a Star Chefs “Rising Star” award in 2014. Jennings has also won pork-centric culinary competition, Cochon 555, three times. townsmanboston.com
Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca ~ Boston
Celebrity chef Mario Batali will open his first restaurant in Boston, Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca at Boston’s Fan Pier. Boston churns out some of the best pies to rival New York and Chicago from Pizzeria Regina to Chef Jamie Bissonnette’s Coppa Enoteca. Mario Batali will join the ranks of pizza-makers in Boston with wood-fired pizzas and even a dedicated pizza bar. Two other bars will fill the 8,700-foot space, one for drinks and one for antipasti.
Second Restaurants
The Ames Street Deli/Study ~ Cambridge
In the heart of Kendall Square, the team behind Somerville’s fine dining restaurant Journeyman and their speakeasy-type cocktail bar, Back Bar, will head up two side-by-side restaurants in October. The duo presents an “academic” ambiance on one side, and a deli with inventive sandwiches and cocktails on the other.
BISq ~ Cambridge
Owners of Somerville establishment, Bergamot, will open BISq, short for Bergamot Inman Square. The restaurant will serve eclectic small plates and innovative charcuterie in a more casual environment beginning in October. The 49-seat space will have two bars and a wine chandelier on theme with their extensive wine program.
Lone Star Taco Bar ~ Cambridge
Some of the city’s best Mexican street food is pumped out of the kitchen at the original, pint-sized location of Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston. Inman Square will welcome a second location of the tacqueria complete with an extensive collection of tequila and mezcal. lonestar-boston.com
Hojoko ~ Boston
Owners of one of Boston’s most notable sushi restaurants, O Ya, will open Hojoko this fall in the retro-themed The Verb Hotel (the old Howard Johnson) near Fenway. This fun, high-energy izakaya restaurant or gastropub will explore a different side of Japanese cuisine and match the lively vibe of this newly restored hotel. theverbhotel.com
Beer Gardens
Somerville Brewing Company’s American Fresh Taproom ~ Somerville
This September, Slumbrew will introduce a 60-seat beer garden in the SomBlox area of Assembly Row called American Fresh Taproom. SomBlox is a collection of shipping containers converted into retail and food prep spaces around an open beer garden. Expect snacks, charcuterie and sandwiches. Later this year, Slumbrew will open their first brewery and taproom near Union Square featuring Somerville favorites like the “Fluffernutter reinvented” and cheddar beer soup. slumbrew.com/Beer_Talk/p/45
The Brewer’s Fork ~ Charlestown
John Paine of Sorriso and Les Zygomates teams up with Michael Cooney of The Publick House to open a beer garden in October. Wood-fired pizzas, 24 beers on tap and a reserve list of craft brews will appear on the menu. Pies include wild mushroom and blue cheese, asparagus with fresh ricotta and a Vermont cheddar pizza with Honeycrisp apples and shallot.
The New and the Notable
Café ArtScience ~ Cambridge
Molecular gastronomy makes its way to the Boston area in the tech-centric Kendall Square. Harvard’s David Edwards teams up with Clio beverage director Todd Maul and No. 9 Park alum Chef Patrick Campbell. This art and science-themed establishment will serve experimental cuisine like chilled basil potage with buffalo mozzarella and guinea hen with polenta and braised sunflower. Don’t miss the eggnog with eggnog spheres.
Café Madeleine ~ Boston
The brownstones, quaint cafes and boutiques make the South End the perfect location for a dessert café dedicated entirely to French pastries. Light lunches will also be available at a six-seat counter. Think Quiche Lorraine and Pissaladiere. The café was named for the French painter and mother of Executive Pastry Chef Frederic Robert. cafemadeleineboston.com
MAST ~ Boston
Neopolitan street food meets Spanish and Greek fare in Downtown Crossing in late September. Chef Celio Pereira, formerly of Mamma Maria in the North End, strives to combine new and old world, using Southern Italian dishes he remembers from childhood cooked by his mother and served on the streets of Napoli. www.mastboston.com
Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria ~ Brookline
The Connecticut-based pizzeria is joining one of Boston’s hottest restaurant neighborhoods in Brookline’s Washington Square. Serious pizza fans are anxiously awaiting the arrival of one of the oldest and best-known pizzeries in the United States. The original location opened in New Haven, CT in 1925 and the white clam pizza has made this shop a star. pepespizzeria.com
Recently Opened
Housie Market Café ~ Housatonic
This charming, neighborhood café opened its doors in late June offering breakfast goodies, thick, deli-style sandwiches, baked goods and market fare advertised on chalkboards displayed on the wall. Don’t miss the peanut butter kimchi sandwich, polenta egg bowl or roast ‘best’ sandwich with braised kale and horseradish mayo.
Ceraldi Restaurant ~ Wellfleet
Ceraldi offers a 7-course nightly menu with an Italian flare, based off the day’s freshest ingredients on Cape Cod. Ceraldi began as a pop up in Provincetown called Ceraldi at Tiny’s and finally established itself as a full-time restaurant in July. Chef Michael Ceraldi brings over 19 years of experience in the industry and has worked with the most influential chefs in Italian cuisine in New York and Italy including Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali and Roy Caceres. He has appeared multiple times on The Food Network and is a published recipe writer. www.ceraldicapecod.com
20byNine ~ Oak Bluffs
Craft beer, small batch whiskey and locally-sourced small plates make up the menu at 20byNine. The restaurant takes its name from the island’s dimensions: 20 miles by 9 miles. Try the glazed spicy bacon with a poached egg, local greens and shiitake mushrooms or the housemade beer nuts. For a little guidance, all menu items offer individual beer pairings. 20bynine.com
Henri-Marie ~ Plymouth
Classic comforts of the Belle-Epoche period are served at Henri-Marie in a modern-inspired French, multi-course tasting menu. The setting is Art Deco meets Parisian. The restaurant is located in a reproduction of a 19th century Family Chapel from a Paris estate and is connected to the newly opened Mirabeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills. Chef Stephen Coe melds traditions of classical French cuisine to contemporary seasonality. mirbeau.com/pinehills/henri-marie
About MOTT:
The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) is the state agency dedicated to promoting Massachusetts as a leisure-travel destination. An integral part of the state’s economy, tourism generates close to $1 billion in state and local taxes and $16.9 billion in travel related expenditures, supporting 124,700 in-state jobs. massvacation.com
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For more information, contact:
Annie Moloney, Director of Communications
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
617 – 973-8531
or
Molly Kravitz, Public Relations Manager
Connelly Partners
Mobile # 317-919-5252 ~ Office # 617-521-5431