Little Donkey Gallops Toward Spring Opening With Crab Nachos and Snail Fried Rice

Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, the duo behind Toro and Coppa, are heading across the river to Cambridge's Central Square with a restaurant called Little Donkey, as previously reported. Sitting in on yesterday's License Commission hearing, in which the team was granted permission to transfer a liquor license from Takemura, Cambridge Day reports on some more details about the upcoming restaurant, which could open in the spring as part of the Mass+Main retail and residential complex being built at 505 Massachusetts Ave.

While it's too early for a finalized menu, Bissonnette submitted a sample dinner menu to the Commission, which Cambridge Day notes included dishes like crab nachos, harissa barbecue lamb sliders, ox cheek pierogi, and snail fried rice. There will also be a raw bar, caviar, and charcuterie.

As previously reported, Bissonnette and Oringer were seeking permission to be open between the hours of 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Cambridge Day confirms that this is intended to be a breakfast, lunch, and dinner operation, and there will be a "very comprehensive" late-night menu starting at 11 p.m. The restaurant could seat 60 in the main area, plus 16 at the bar, 34 in an additional dining area by the bar, and 46 on a patio.